One in four Americans live within four miles of a Superfund toxic waste site. The major polluters that create these toxic sites are not only jeopardizing the health of millions, they are also sticking American taxpayers with the cleanup bill. In April of 2006, U.S. PIRG released a report that showed that since 2004, taxpayers have paid more than $3.8 billion to clean up after polluters at Superfund sites. As a result, Americans are paying for Superfund toxic waste sites twice, with our health and our tax dollars.

Tell your senators to support reinstatement of the Superfund "polluter pays" fees to ensure that polluters, not taxpayers, pay to cleanup toxic waste sites.

Toxic substances contaminate the land, air, surface waters and groundwater in communities across the country. In 1987, Congress created the Superfund to clean the nation’s worst toxic sites.

Insufficient funding jeopardizes existing Superfund cleanups and hinders the identification and assessment of new sites. In 1995, the Superfund “polluter pays” fees that once compelled large-scale polluters to provide money for Superfund cleanups expired. Lacking ample cleanup money, the EPA must prolong existing site cleanups and postpone cleanups at new sites.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina damaged chemical facilities and churned up toxic waste at Superfund sites across the Gulf region. Unforturnatly, the funding shortfalls that plague the Superfund program may hinder its ability to respond to the toxic polluton left in the hurricane's wake. Environment Connecticut is calling on Congress to restore the “polluter pays” fees and provide full funding for the Superfund Program.