| The tragedy of Love Canal cannot be over | | | | number to 28,000. Those removed from this status |
| emphasized. In American history, Love Canal is one | | | | are then shuffled to another category known as the |
| of the most appalling environmental tragedies. But | | | | 'No Further Removal Action Planned'. |
| that's not the most disturbing fact.What is worse is | | | | Today there still remains over 12,000 Superfund sites |
| that it cannot be regarded as an isolated event. It | | | | that are active across the United States. It is ironic |
| could happen again--anywhere in this country--unless | | | | to note that many of the most serious Superfund |
| we move expeditiously to prevent it. | | | | sites are located near military bases. Analysts |
| The Superfund Act of 1980 was drawn up by | | | | observe that this is probably due to the irresponsible |
| Congress to help clean up the ever-growing problem | | | | discard of toxic materials by the U.S. military. |
| of chemical waste sites and the danger to the | | | | Since 1999 about 1,372 Superfund sites have been |
| surrounding ground water. Superfund sites are | | | | identified as especially dangerous and toxic and so |
| chemical waste sites that are deemed to be toxic | | | | have been added to the NPL.The major problem is |
| and dangerous by the federal government. The Act | | | | the great cost needed to clean up these Superfund |
| ensures that companies responsible for cleaning up | | | | sites. Those that have been cleaned up since the |
| the waste chemicals do a good job. | | | | original Superfund site was enacted in 1980 have |
| Toxic materials dumpsites are probably the most | | | | been few in relation to all of the Superfund sites that |
| dangerous kind of chemical dumpsites. In face of the | | | | need attention. Roughly 520 Superfund sites have |
| escalating costs of clean up, many operators of | | | | been cleaned. |
| these sites declared bankruptcy when the Superfund | | | | Over the years, the Environmental Protection Agency |
| puts pressure on them to do their job. The | | | | has developed many different technologies to |
| Superfund started a major federal clean up program | | | | produce faster and more efficient results in the clean |
| that aimed to clean up many of these abandoned | | | | up process. Very sophisticated technology has been |
| chemical waste dumps. Tax imposed on different | | | | adopted for this and this leads to the setting up of |
| chemical raw material paid for this legislation. It also | | | | different remediation companies. Although some think |
| helped to pay for the work on identification of the | | | | that The Superfund Act has been effective, there |
| many different Superfund sites. Over 40,000 sites | | | | are others who insist that it has not been effective |
| have been deemed serious enough to be labeled | | | | enough. The high cost of clean up coupled with the |
| Superfund sites. Over the years however, the | | | | slow progress has caused many to become skeptical |
| Environmental Protection Agency has reduced the | | | | about the real efficiency of the Superfund Act. |