Superfund's Future

Chapter Two

The RemovalProgram

 

The removal program is the part of the Superfund program responsible for conducting emergency responses and short-term cleanup actions. Removal actions can be undertaken at sites irrespective of whether they are on the National Priorities List (NPL) and are most often taken to address the release or threat of release of hazardous substances in time-sensitive situations. The removal program accounted for nearly 21% of total Superfund expenditures in FY 1999 and serves a different purpose from that of the remedial program.

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the removal program, beginning with a description of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) statutory authority to conduct removal actions, ...