Number: 1993-01
WHEREAS, Congress enacted the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to clean up the numerous uncontrolled and abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the country which are contaminating the environment and threatening human health and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, more than 30,000 inactive and uncontrolled sites have been identified in the United States; over 1,200 sites have been placed on the National Priority List for immediate cleanup using money from the Superfund trust and at least 2,000 more sites are likely candidates for Superfund cleanup; and
WHEREAS, presently available government resources fall far short of being able to clean up more than a small fraction of these sites in the immediate future and the current rate of site cleanups has been exceedingly slow; and
WHEREAS, private industry should be encouraged to clean up uncontrolled abandoned waste sites for which it bears responsibility and should actively meet this responsibility; and
WHEREAS, public concern that the spiraling cleanup costs at hazardous waste sites have not achieved prompt cleanups or achieved commensurate health or environmental benefits; and
WHEREAS, uncontrolled hazardous waste sites can cause substantial damage to natural resources as well as seriously harm fish, wildlife, and ecosystems; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation recognizes that people of color and economically disadvantaged communities are exposed to a disproportionate number of hazardous waste sites;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 11-14, 1993, in Crystal City, Virginia, calls upon Congress to enact and the President to support a reauthorized and strengthened Superfund law which furthers the original intent of CERCLA: to expeditiously clean up America’s uncontrolled hazardous waste sites which threaten human health and the environment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress to incorporate into the Superfund legislation the following elements:
- Recognition that cleanup standards should consider a system of differential treatment based on future land use and technological feasibility;
- Expanded public participation in defining cleanup and remedial objectives for hazardous waste sites in affected communities ensuring that stakeholders are equal participants in determining levels of cleanup;
- Retention of the imposition of joint and several liability standard on all contributors to hazardous waste sites but provide greater incentives for use of settlement options such as binding arbitration, mixed funding and de minimus cash-outs;
- Requirements that any “hazardous ranking system” used to rate Superfund sites for inclusion on the National Priorities List give appropriate consideration to food chain contamination impacts and the potential for other types of ecosystem damage;
- Authorization for natural resource damage trustees to use money from the Superfund trust to conduct ecological damage assessments when necessary;
- Site evaluations that include assessments of the environmental, economic and social benefits of the site to encourage the redevelopment or reuse of the site as an economic base; and, adequate public and environmental health assessments to evaluate the short and long term risks of site development; and
- Assurance that the Superfund laws are administered fairly in all communities affected by hazardous waste site contamination; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation welcomes and encourages the greatest possible commitment by responsible private industry to voluntarily clean up and remedy uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, under appropriate governmental and private supervision, and subject to suitable sanctions, safeguards and inducements.