Superfund 20th Anniversary Report

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This report recognizes the achievements of the Superfund program in addressing the dangers posed by toxic waste sites. The report highlights the evolution of this program from the first discoveries of toxic waste dangers through to the present day. Now entering its third decade, Superfund is continuing to meet the challenges of protecting human health and the environment from the hazards of chemical waste.

Chapter 1: Continuing the Promise of Earth Day
In 1978, a State of Emergency was declared at Love Canal, New York -- revealing a major gap in the environmental protections instituted in the decade after the first Earth Day.

Chapter 2: The Birth of Superfund
Love Canal was only one of thousands of "ticking time bombs." On December 11, 1980, Congress passed the Superfund statute -- providing broad authorities to both respond to chemical emergencies and to clean up toxic waste sites for long-term protection.

Chapter 3: A Series of Firsts
When Superfund was enacted, much was unknown about the hazards of toxic chemicals and how these hazards could be addressed. Over time, EPA developed the necessary knowledge, technology, and procedures to create a strong Superfund program.

Chapter 4: Making the Program Faster, Fairer, and More Efficient
EPA is constantly reforming and revitalizing the Superfund program. Major accomplishments include: increasing community participation and public/private partnerships; enhancing cleanup effectiveness and consistency; streamlining Superfund enforcement and making it more fair; and encouraging economic redevelopment at Superfund sites.

Chapter 5: Fulfilling the Promise of Earth Day
EPA can point to thousands of Superfund successes on its 20th anniversary. Superfund will continue its evolution to meet the new challenges of a clean and safe environment.

In addition to the five chapters, the report contains:

A Preface, which provides an overview of Superfund's history and achievements; and
A Federal Partners list that summarizes the responsibilities of the Federal agencies, which have worked with EPA to make Superfund's success possible.

There is also a Superfund Time Line that stretches from 1976 through 2000, and shows a chronology of the major events contributing to the creation and evolution of the Superfund program.

This report can also be downloaded in PDF format:

Cover, Preface, Chapters 1-3 (PDF) (20 pp, 1.45 MB, About PDF)
Chapters 4-5, Federal Partners (PDF) (24 pp, 1.25 MB, About PDF)
Superfund Time Line (PDF) (4 pp, 632 KB, About PDF)

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