Non-polluters Forced to Pay Costs of Pollution
Senate Fails to Make Polluters Pay for Toxic Waste Site Cleanups
| This annoncement comes from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. |
The United States Senate rejected an amendment on March 11, 2004, that would have reinstated Superfund's "polluter pays" fees. Senator Lautenberg's amendment to the Budget Resolution would have reestablished a dedicated funding source for cleanups at more than 1200 Superfund sites across the country, protecting the health of millions of people while making polluters foot the bill for toxic waste site cleanups. U.S. PIRG commended those Senators who voted for the amendment, including Senators Snowe (ME), Collins (ME), Nelson (NE), Bingaman (NM), Bayh (IN), and McCain (AZ) who showed new support for making polluters pay.
"By refusing to reinstate Superfund's polluter pays fees, the Senate voted to extend a 4 million dollar per day tax holiday for polluters and continue charging regular taxpayers for toxic waste site cleanups," said U.S. PIRG Environmental Health Advocate Julie Wolk.
Funding for the Superfund program decreased by at least 25 percent between 2001-2004 compared with 1992-2000, with site cleanups slowing down nearly 50% in the last three years. Last year, the Bush administration cleaned up only 40 Superfund toxic waste sites compared to an average of 87 sites per year in the middle and late 1990's. The EPA Inspector General recently reported a $175 million funding shortfall for fiscal year 2003.
Since Congress allowed Superfund's polluter pays fees to expire in 1995 and the trust fund is now essentially bankrupt, regular taxpayers, who paid 18 percent of program costs in 1996, will pay for virtually all cleanups at abandoned sites this year. Former Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton all collected the "polluter pays" fees or supported their reinstatement, but the Bush administration opposes reinstating the fees.
"The Bush Administration continues to let polluting industries off the hook and leave regular taxpayers to pay the cleanup costs, allowing toxic waste sites to languish in communities around the country," said Wolk. "Congress should reinstate Superfund's polluter pays fees, re-fund the program, and demand that the Environmental Protection Agency start listing and cleaning up more toxic waste sites," Wolk concluded.
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