Frequently Asked Questions
The Questions
The Answers
What is the Superfund?
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 (42 U.S.C.s/s 9601 et seq) provides a
federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous
waste sites as well as accidents, spills and other emergency
releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. The
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 9601
et seq.) reauthorized CERCLA to continue cleanup activities around
the country.
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
What is the National Priorities List
(NPL)?
The National Priorities List is a published list of contaminated
sites which are eligible for extensive, long-term cleanup action
under the Superfund program. It is required that the NPL be
maintained and revised at least annually. To browse these sites,
please see EPA's
List of cleanup up sites in New Jersey.
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
Where does the money for cleaning up Superfund
sites come from?
The Superfund Trust Fund was set up to pay for the clean up of
sites. The money came mainly from taxes on the chemical and
petrochemical industries, however, the tax expired in 1995. Since
then, direct appropriations from the general fund have been made for
the clean up of Superfund sites. Funds have also been obtained from
the monies recovered from Responsible Party settlements.
The costs associated with the clean up of a site where the
companies or the person responsible for the contamination is
identified are paid for directly by the responsible party. Public
funds are used primarily when responsible parties (RP) cannot be
found, or cannot perform or pay for the cleanup work. USEPA and
NJDEP can expend public monies to complete the required site work
and seek treble damages from the responsible party. The possibility
of having to pay three times the state's cleanup costs has been and
continues to be a significant incentive for responsible parties to
clean up their own sites.
More than three billion dollars from the Superfund program has
been funneled to New Jersey sites since the early 1980s. During
the remedial process at publicly funded Superfund sites, USEPA
provides 100 percent of the funding for investigation and
design work. Also, USEPA provides 90 percent of the funding
for Remedial Action work, with NJDEP paying for the remaining
10 percent. NJDEP pays 100 percent of the long-term operation
and maintenance costs at a site.
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
How can I find out the status of a Superfund
site cleanup?
To find summary reports describing the status of remedial work,
please click on the site of interest on EPA's
List of cleanup up sites in New Jersey. For more information,
please contact NJDEP or USEPA at the following locations:
NJDEP Site Remediation Program
Office of Community
Relations
609-984-3081 or 1-800-253-5647
USEPA - Region II
Community Relations Office
212-637-3675
https://www.epa.gov/region2/
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
What's involved in cleaning up a Superfund
site?
The Superfund process begins when a site is discovered. After
the site is screened and assessed, a decision is made as to
whether the site warrants No Action, Early Action, and/or
Long-Term Action. These sites may be referred to as removal
sites. Early Actions are taken at sites that may pose immediate
threats to people or the environment. Long-Term Actions are
taken at sites that require extensive cleanup. Built into
that process are several phases.
First, a detailed study of the site is done to identify the cause
and extent of contamination at the site, the possible threats to the
environment and the people nearby, and the options for cleaning up
the site. Next, a Proposed Plan is developed and presented to
citizens and to local and state officials for comment. The Proposed
Plan describes the various cleanup options under consideration and
identifies the option USEPA and NJDEP prefer. After a public meeting
and comment period, the public's concerns are addressed and a Record
of Decision is published. This document describes how the agency
plans to cleanup the site.
The goal of Superfund Community Involvement is to advocate and
strengthen early and meaningful community participation during
Superfund cleanups.
The cleanup method is then designed to address the unique
conditions at the site where it will be used. That is followed by
the remedial action or construction phase. That could involve
confinement, dredging, neutralization, recycling, removal, reuse,
storage or treatment of hazardous substances. It may take a long
time to return a site to the way it was before it was contaminated,
or to at least make it safe for people living around the site.
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
How many Superfund sites are there in New
Jersey and are they the only contaminated sites in the
state?
Superfund sites are usually the more complex sites where
multiple media (soil, ground water, etc) are affected and
a threat to public health may exist. Remedial work at most
Superfund sites is typically a long-term, multi-year project.
For the most up-to-date list, please see EPA's
List of cleanup up sites in New Jersey.
NJDEP produces a list of Known Contaminated Sites in
New Jersey, where contamination of soil or ground water is confirmed
and where remediation is either underway or pending. The remediation
of sites identified in this report represents a wide variety of
activities, ranging from relatively simple "cut and scrape" cleanups
to highly complex remediations, such as Superfund sites.
Back
to the top of the Superfund FAQ
|
Contacts
NJDEP Site Remediation Program
Office of
Community Relations
609-984-3081 or
1-800-253-5647
USEPA - Region II (NY, NJ, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands)
Community Relations Office
212-637-3675
|
