Frank Lautenberg: “Mr. President, nationally, one in four Americans lives within 4 miles of an NPL site. That is unacceptable. Contaminated…”

“Mr. President, nationally, one in four Americans lives within 4 miles of an NPL site. That is unacceptable. Contaminated sites endanger our environment, they endanger our health, they endanger our economy. We have money in the trust fund. We should use it. We desperately need to clean up these sites and make them safe and productive again, especially for the sake of the communities that surround them. Having these blighted locations throughout our country is simply that; it is a plague on these communities. We ought to get on with transforming them from wastelands into industrial, commercial, and residential sites that benefit everybody. This amendment is cosponsored by several of my colleagues, including Senator Corzine, Senator Boxer, Senator Kennedy, Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Nelson of Florida, Senator Jeffords of Vermont, Senator Kerry, and Senator Schumer. Mr. President, I hope we will be able to use these funds for the purpose intended: cleaning up more Superfund sites faster in the coming year. I urge adoption of the amendment.”