Report: inaction delaying cleanup of hazardous waste sites

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, June, 2008 | by Sandy Bauers Inquirer Staff Writer

In a critical report, a federal inspector general faults the Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey for delaying cleanups of sites that have sat on the Superfund list for more than 20 years. The report by the EPA's inspector general chided both the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection for failing to prioritize cleanups and review key documents for months - and even more than a year in one case.

The agencies actually "caused unnecessary delays in clean-ups" by their failure to act, the report said. The report focused on New Jersey because it has the nation's highest number of Superfund sites that are at least 20 years old. It listed seven sites, including a 350-acre former Hercules chemical manufacturing plant in Gibbstown, Gloucester County. The...