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Controversial Cleanup: Superfund and the Implementation of U.S. Hazardous Waste Policy
Author(s) -
Rahm Dianne
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
policy studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1541-0072
pISSN - 0190-292X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0072.1998.tb01942.x
Subject(s) - superfund , hazardous waste , toxic waste , agency (philosophy) , liability , politics , business , waste management , political science , public administration , environmental planning , engineering , law , environmental science , sociology , social science
While there is widespread public and political support for cleaning up the nation's hazardous waste sites, Superfund has been fraught with dissension and controversy since its inception. Some criticisms of the program focus on deriding an all‐too‐expensive program run amuck with litigation and federal heavy‐handedness. Other critics complain of an inefficient and ineffective program that has made painfully slow and inconsistent progress. Detractors do not disagree with the fundamental goal of the program—cleaning up hazardous waste sites. Rather, they focus on the fairness of Superfund's liability provisions and the Environmental Protection Agency's record of cleanup competency. This paper discusses these major issues at the core of the controversy over Superfund. The policy implications of Superfund program reform efforts and the ramifications for future hazardous waste policy are considered.