On December 8, 2017, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt designated 21 Superfund sites for “immediate, intense action.” It’s unclear whether this effort will be more successful than many of EPA’s previous failed efforts to comply with its policies for contaminated sediment sites. 

EPA has not met many of its prior commitments regarding sediment sites. On July 25, 2017, EPA’s Superfund Task Force identified 42 recommendations intended to, among other things, “evaluate and expedite NPL sites to completion,” “encourage and facilitate responsible parties’ expeditious and thorough clean-up of sites,” “create oversight efficiencies for PRP lead cleanups,” and “promote redevelopment/reuse of sites by encouraging PRPs to invest in reuse outcomes.” Since that time, some stakeholders have sought action from EPA based on the principles set forth in Task Force recommendations. In response, some have received commitments from EPA headquarters to seriously consider the requests, but the promises made by Headquarters often have not been turned into constructive action consistent with the recommendations.

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