New Direction in US EPA Superfund: What Happens After the Cleanup

The US EPA Superfund program is starting a major shift in its direction. Superfund's main emphasis will no longer be investigating and determining remedies for abandoned hazardous waste site. The majority of abandoned hazardous waste sites have been cleaned up. Most cleanups involving groundwater have long-term remedies. Superfund is required to maintain and assure hundreds of long-term post construction remedies involving groundwater, are still protective. The new thrust for the Superfund program will consist of three main objectives. Superfund will continuously be ensuring all site remediations are meeting clean up objectives. Superfund will continuously be optimizing the remediation for effectiveness and cost. Superfund will be facilitating the site cleanup, in order to achieve shutdown of the site remediation at the early possible date. Many of the new problems Superfund now faces have been solved at the University level. However, there is lack of off-the-shelf tools that can be used by the general practitioner. Some areas that are in need of these tools will be presented.