Superfund National Accomplishments Summary Fiscal Year 2008

Protecting human health and the environment remains Superfund’s top priority

Controlled all identified unacceptable human exposures at a net total of 24 sites, exceeding the annual target of 10 and bringing the program’s cumulative total to 1,306 sites under control.
Controlled the migration of contaminated ground water through engineered remedies or natural processes at a net total of 20 sites, exceeding the target of 15 for the year and bringing the program’s cumulative total to 997 sites under control.

Superfund prepares land for return to productive use

EPA ensured 85 sites have all long-term protections in place necessary for anticipated reuse, bringing the cumulative total of sites ready for anticipated reuse to 343.

EPA’s Superfund Program obligated nearly $599 million to perform construction and post-construction activities and to conduct and oversee emergency response actions

Obligated nearly $462 million in appropriated funds, state cost-share contributions, and potentially responsible party settlement resources for construction and post-construction projects.
Obligated nearly $137 million to conduct more than 372 emergency response and removal actions to address immediate and substantial threats to communities.

EPA funded new construction

Obligated more than $55 million in appropriated funds, state cost-share contributions, and potentially responsible party settlement resources for 16 new construction projects ranked by the National Risk-Based Priority Panel at 15 National Priorities List (NPL) sites.

Superfund is working on hundreds of construction projects

Conducted or oversaw 681 ongoing construction projects (by EPA, potentially responsible parties, and federal facilities) at 423 sites.
Completed construction phase of cleanup at 30 sites across the country for a total of 1,060 or approximately 67 percent of the sites on the NPL.

The Superfund remedial program prepared for future cleanup efforts

Completed 415 final assessment decisions, for a cumulative total of 40,187.
Listed 18 new sites on the NPL, and proposed 17 sites to the NPL.
Obligated more than $218 million in appropriated funds, state cost-share contributions, and potentially responsible party settlement resources to conduct and oversee:

Site assessments and investigations;
Selection and design of cleanup plans; and
Support for state, tribal, community involvement activities, and other activities.

Selected 97 cleanup plans at 73 sites; amended 8 cleanup plans; and issued 42 explanations of significant differences at 39 sites.

Superfund ensures the protection of human health and the environment after construction is complete

Conducted 221 five-year reviews, including 26 reviews at Federal facility sites. These reviews are conducted to ensure that protective measures for waste that has been secured on-site remain intact.
Deleted 9 sites from the NPL and at 3 other sites, deleted a portion of the site from the NPL.

Superfund remains committed to the "polluter pays" principle

EPA secured private party commitments of nearly $1.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 to fund cleanup work. Of this amount, potentially responsible parties agreed to conduct $1.575 billion in future response work, and to reimburse EPA for $232 million in past costs. EPA billed private parties $75.5 million for oversight costs.

Superfund faces constraints

In Fiscal Year 2008, nearly 57 percent of Superfund obligations for construction and post-construction activities went to 17 sites.
Due to funding needs for ongoing construction work, all new projects ready for construction funding were not funded. EPA funded 16 new construction projects and 10 new projects were not funded.

Sites Receiving FY 2008 New Construction Funding

Sites Not Receiving FY 2008 New Construction Funding

Disclaimer: These data represent a "snapshot in time" and future numbers may change based on data quality reviews, updates, and corrections.

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Superfund National Accomplishments Summary Fiscal Year 2008

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