Letter to Chairman Betty MCollum and Ranking Member Calvert - Rep. Velázquez Seeks Additional Superfund Dollars

Letter

Dear Chairman McCollum & Ranking Member Calvert,

As your Subcommittee considers the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY19) Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we respectfully request you to include $1.46 billion in funding for the Hazardous Substance Superfund Account.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates Superfund sites as any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and is a risk to human health and the environment. These sites are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL has over 1,300 sites in the U.S. with known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. The long-term health challenges, business disruption and displacement costs are harmful to residents affected by hazardous contamination. Revitalizing contaminated land improves the quality of life for communities around the United States and is part of EPA's core mission.

In FY2010, the agency invested more than $1.3 billion to develop and implement prevention programs, improve response capabilities, and maximize the effectiveness of response and cleanup actions under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act RCRA, Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST) and other authorities. This work must continue by funding the program at $1.46 billion in order to keep up with inflation and fund the increase in Superfund sites.

We look forward to working with you both to ensure adequate funding for the Superfund Account and successfully revitalize contaminated areas of our country.

Sincerely,

Source