EPA report catalogs Region III cleanups
NEWSGOVERNMENT
Trying to link vendors of innovative cleanup technology with contaminated sites, EPA's Technology Innovation Office (TIO) released a report on March 15 summarizing opportunities for using such technology in the middle Atlantic states. It catalogs the cleanup sites in EPA Region III and identifies those that EPA sees as the best opportunities for innovative technology. The report provides vendors with leads on cleanup sites, said TIO's Dan Powell. It lists federal and state cleanups in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. As a means of identifying the best market opportunities for innovative technology, the report includes a table for each state listing sites for which investigations have not been completed or no cleanup technology has been determined TIO found that underground storage tank cleanups present the greatest opportunity in terms of numbers (3119), followed by federal facility sites (742), National Priorities List (Superfund) sites (164), and state cleanup sites (52). Corrective actions required under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act were fewest, the report says. TIO expects to publish a report for Region IV and a national report in June, said Powell. The national report will not be as detailed as the regional reports, however. Reports for the other regions are not currently planned, but if the report receives significant attention by business, TIO may consider issuing reports for other regions, he added. Powell admitted that there has been little feedback concerning business demand for the reports. According to Sam Fogel, who runs a bioremediation services firm near Boston, EPA has not been a noteworthy source for cleanup business leads. "I have a sense [the reports] are not too terribly worthwhile," he said. The report (PB96-121637) can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service. —DANIEL SHANNON
Environmental legislation deadlocked as congressional, presidential election nears When the newly elected Republican Congress swept into Washington in 1995, promising to reform the way government does business, critics predicted a rollback of environmental regulations. The record shows, though, that Congress has fallen short of its goal to overhaul government's role in environmental protection. Indeed, a deadlock of sorts has been reached in the 104th Congress. Although revisions to major
"The GOP has taken hits on environmental legislation and I don't think [it wants] to enter an election year with another bloody nose." — Vanessa Leiby, Associcition of State Drinking Water Administrators environmental statutes—including the Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and Superfund—were aggressively promoted, especially in the House, serious efforts to revamp these programs have stalled. For instance, the highly publicized Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform never made it to the House or Senate floor, despite hearings in Washington and around the country. Even the much-touted regulatory reform bill sponsored by presidential contender Sen Robert Dole (RKans ) foundered in the Senate Still, much can happen in the session's final months as the U.S. elections approach, and congressional interest in the Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund, and the Coastal Zone Management Act once again appears to be on the upswing. The Republican majority was more successful with environ-
mental legislation when it narrowed its scope, according to industry lobbyists. Minor Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments—dropping the employer trip reduction requirement and softening state auto inspection and maintenance plans—cleared both bodies and were signed into law, for instance. And while Republicans could not move ESA, they were successful in instituting a moratorium on endangered species listings environmentalists' strong objections And President Clinton signed HR 2036 the "RCRA rifle shot " a narrow Resource Conservation and Recovery Act revision fliat e Y p m p t s
hazardous discharppH into surfarp imnnnndand i n j p r t p H into wells if the wastes are covered under other laws Also narrow lefisla tion to prn ide remilatory rplief for small businesses became law as part of legislation to raise the government debt ceiling. The majority has articulated some much-needed policy changes long advocated by regulated industries, said John Cohen, risk policy director for the National Association of Manufacturers. These include better use of science, prioritizing problems based on risk, and providing increased compliance flexibility. "I believe there is a general consensus in Congress and also in the general public on this If you ask most people if they think use these tools better they would agree that we could " Cohen said Congress has laid the groundwork for changes in environmental laws, including Superfund and legislation targeting an overhaul of the nation's regulatory process, according to Mort Mullins, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Chemical Manufacturers Association. "I think the dialogue on risk-based public policy is already paying off in terms of regulatory agency actions," Mullins said. Others agreed. EPA has executed several administrative steps to
VOL. 30, NO. 5, 1996/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 1 9 5 A
