EPA Establishes "Integrated Cleanup Initiative"

Cynthia Giles

Mathy Stanislaus
The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) new “Integrated Cleanup Initiative” (ICI) is a three-year effort through which EPA intends to provide communities with more accountability, transparency and progress in thecleanup of contaminated sites. ICI will improve the Agency’s land cleanup programs (Superfund, Enforcement, Federal Facilities, RCRA, Brownfields and Underground Storage Tanks).

In the 1980s and 90s, EPA’s cleanup programs were much different than they are today. One of the key differences is that today’s programs confront sites that are more dynamic and complex than those of the early years. Enforcement activities are even more critical to ensuring that responsible parties clean up these sites, thereby preserving Fund monies to be used to clean up other sites where viable responsible parties do not exist. Communities and key stakeholders want to be now, more than ever, full partners at the decision making table— from the discovery of contamination through its cleanup and the site’s return to productive use. Site cleanup progress at Superfund National Priorities List sites defined solely by site completion is no longer sufficient to support effective program management or to communicate to the public the spectrum of work performed to address the Nation’s contaminated wastesites. It’s time for EPA to make meaningful changes to address new challenges.

The Integrated Cleanup Initiative is a roadmap to create that change,and we not only want you to know about it, but we also want your inputto shape the changes we make. To that end, please go to:and read in greater detail aboutthe Initiative. We are interested in receiving comments that we can use to guide us inthe continuing development of the Initiative.

Submit comments to Becky Brooks by April 30, 2010.

Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. EPA

Cynthia GilesAssistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, U.S. EPA