Legislative Background
Recent Action on Superfund Reform
In recent years, a consensus has developed among lawmakers, environmentalists, and business interests that the Superfund program is not working as efficiently as it should. With the expiration, on December 31, 1995, of the law that authorizes taxes to finance the Superfund Trust Fund, many called for new legislation to rectify the program’s flaws. Yet Congress so far has been unable to reach agreement on the specifics of Superfund reform. Efforts in the 104th Congress (1995 and 1996) fell apart over conflicts relating to liability issues, cleanup standards, and how to remedy damages to natural resources. In the current (105th)…
