Summary

GAO discussed issues involving Superfund cleanups managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and potentially responsible parties (PRP). GAO noted that: (1) EPA and PRP-managed sites used different treatment and containment methods for hazardous waste cleanup, making comparisons difficult; (2) clean-up plans often fail to document the extent of cleanup and justify the remedy; (3) clean-up goals often do not specify all polluted media, raising questions concerning completeness and consistency; and (4) the lack of a centralized database hampers Superfund clean-up efforts.