Lincoln Chafee: “Today I join with Senator Boxer to introduce a bill to fund the Superfund program for the 10 years. With the Superfund…”

“Today I join with Senator Boxer to introduce a bill to fund the Superfund program for the 10 years. With the Superfund Trust Fund on the verge of insolvency and with a large number of Superfund sites still requiring cleanup, it is incumbent upon us to provide a stable source of funding for this important program. I am pleased that the bill we introduce today will ensure Superfund cleanups will continue without jeopardizing funding for other key programs. The need for the Superfund program dates back to the late 1970 and the discovery of thousands of barrels of toxic waste buried illegally in a New York community outside of Buffalo. Congress responded to Love Canal and other sites by enacting Superfund. This law was intended to address the Nation's worst sites and ensure that parties are held responsible for the contamination they created. Litigation ensued throughout the 1980's, which slowed down the pace of cleanups. By the 1990s, the pace of Superfund cleanups increased. Administrative and legislative reforms in the last 10 years have significantly improved the effectiveness and pace of the Superfund program. Collection of excise and income taxes to supply the Superfund ceased at the end of 1995 and have never been reinstated. While spending for the Superfund program has remained steady, the dependence on general revenue dollars have grown. By fiscal year 2004, the Superfund program will be funded virtually entirely by general revenues.”