Who are the Authors of Superfund Matures Gracefully?

The Superfund Matures Gracefully issue in Science & Technology was written by three people. Robert Harris, Jay Vandeven and Mike Tilchin. Harris and Vandeven are both principals of Environ International Corp, a company who helps clients manage their health and environmental challenges. The ideas of reducing an environmental footprint, protecting human health and sustaining global environments. Tilchin is a vice president of CH2M Hill another company looking out for the environment. They provide services in the industry of water, transportation, nuclear energy and chemicals. Their recent contributions were assisting in the reconstruction along the gulf Coast after katrina. I say this because the article was written by experienced people in environmental issues. They argue that the superfund program is in its youth with great potential and has made great progress in risk assessment and treatment technologies. History: In the late 1970s an evacuation of citizens near Niagara Falls, New York occurred due to a health threatening chemical leak from an abandoned Love Canal. Across the country companies and industries started reporting hazardous leaks. Turning the ignored consequences of hazardous wastes into an American epidemic. Over 10,000 dump sites posed a serious threat to the public. Congress responded by creating the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, Commonly known as the Superfund! This gave the EPA authority to clean up existing Hazards. The Act had a rocky start but was later redesigned to close some loopholes. About the Superfund: The superfund is a federal law designed to clean up seriously hazardous waste areas. Often times in remote locations abandoned. The law is authorized by the EPA who identify parties responsible for contamination. The clean up is also authorized by the EPA and the funds are paid with a special trust fund. There are two kind of actions taken with the superfund 1. Removal action short term as emergency, time-critical to get the removal of the wastes 2. Remedial actions long term controlling the waste over a long period Who is responsible: When an area is found with contamination finding the potentially responsible party is necessary. They do this by: 1. finding out the current owner 2. owner of the site at the time of contamination 3. the person who arranged for the disposal 4. the person who transported the hazardous substance. Identification determining if the site state is important. Figuring out the required financed action and notifying the public. Cleanup Process: discovery entered into the information system inventory of potential hazards then the clean up community involvement, enforcement or emergency

Benefits to the Superfun: Permanently reduce the volume, toxicity or mobility of the hazardous waste Provide a risk assessment Keeps companies from getting away with polluting Often times help pay for the clean up Or helps those responsible where they could not pay Remedy the selected area Developing new technologies for the improvement of treating a waste Statistics: 70% of superfund cleanups have been paid for by the parties responsible. times when who was responsible were when funds were taken from the trust fund. Superfund in action/major events and how the superfund was beneficial: 1. was able to help substantially in the emergency response to the aftermath of 9/11's anthrax attacks 2. Provided help in recovery of debris from the crash of the space shuttle in columbia 3. Superfund now: as of 2010 currently 1280 site are priority for clean up How people can access the funds: The data for the superfund is there to the public TOXMAP is a geographics information system that uses maps to help visually explore data from the EPA's toxics Release inventory Locus Technologies provides a free geographic information system to locate superfund and other contaminate sites the EPA has a superfund product order form as well as a report and product description form. North Carolina and the Superfund: sept 16th, 2011 6 hazardous waste sites were located in region 4 the sites included: Horton Iron and Metal, Wilmington, NC. Which has been reported that their docks on cape fear river contain high levels of arsenic and lead Now in 1911 1949 American Agricultural chemical company was located there which dealt with phosphate fertilizer Horton is just a metal recycle facility the identification process is now in place

Four Questions: 1. Lets say it turns out Horton maybe the cause of the water contamination. Though the past history can also be linked to the issue. If not enough evidence is found for either idea do you think the superfund trust fund should be used for the cleaning or should Horton be responsible. 2. The superfund has been miss used in the past. Knowing the the EPA is the authority on how the superfund is used do you think that citizens should hold the final decision of how the superfund is going to be used? 3. What limitations should the superfund cover in the area of hazardous waste? Get a map, pictures, news article. Short youtube.