How You Can Help

Tell Congress To Support Polluter Pays Law

Ask your representative to help protect public health and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay to clean up Superfund toxic waste sites.

Overview

Toxic substances contaminate the land, air, surface waters and groundwater in communities across the country. In 1987, Congress created the Superfund to clean the nation’s worst toxic sites.

Insufficient funding jeopardizes existing Superfund cleanups and hinders the identification and assessment of new sites. In 1995, the Superfund “polluter pays” fees that once compelled large-scale polluters to provide money for Superfund cleanups expired. Lacking ample cleanup money, the EPA must prolong existing site cleanups and postpone cleanups at new sites.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina damaged chemical facilities and churned up toxic waste at Superfund sites across the Gulf region. Unforturnately, the funding shortfalls that plague the Superfund program may hinder its ability to respond to the toxic polluiton left in the hurricane's wake.

U.S. PIRG is calling on Congress to restore the “polluter pays” fees and provide full funding for the Superfund Program.