EPA Fears Fund Shortage, Slows Cleanup of Dumps

The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that it has temporarily halted or slowed work at 57 Superfund toxic waste sites because of fears that the cleanup program is running out of money.

In letters to two key congressmen, EPA Administrator Lee M. Thomas said the delays--which include three sites in California--are necessary to ensure that enough money will remain in the Superfund budget to continue essential activities past Sept. 30, when the cleanup program is scheduled to expire.

The program will not be interrupted if Congress and President Reagan can agree on terms of an extension, but many lawmakers and Administration officials are skeptical that the House and Senate will be able to draft a final bill to submit to Reagan before the Sept. 30 deadline.

Cleanup at Some Sites

At some sites, actual cleanup work will be involved; at others, preliminary planning will be curtailed, the EPA said.

“On Aug. 14, I began to slow down or halt work at sites where we were scheduled to obligate funds before Sept. 30 of this year,” Thomas said in letters to Sen. Robert T. Stafford (R-Vt.) and Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.)

The two men head committees responsible for reviewing the Superfund legislation.

“I must take this action to conserve all available funds for continuation of essential operations, such as site identification and investigation, emergency response actions and enforcement activities,” Thomas wrote.

He estimated that his action will set aside about $125 million to cover essential Superfund work until a new law is in place.

“I stress that the decisions I am forced to make now are short-term steps necessary to keep the program operational beyond Sept. 30 of this year,” Thomas added. “Work will resume at these sites once an appropriation backed by an assured long-term funding source is in place.”

His action will not affect work needed at any site to protect public health, Thomas said.

The three California sites are Celtor Chemical Works in Hoopa, Del Norte County Pesticide in Crescent City and San Gabriel Valley-La Puente Groundwater Basin.

The action prompted New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean to promise state funds to keep cleanups going in his state and seek reimbursement from the federal government later.

Last year, in its first attempt to extend Superfund, the House and Senate were unable to agree on a single proposal outlining the scope of the program.

A five-year, $7.5-billion proposal has been ready for Senate debate since June, but action has been delayed. Dingell’s House Energy and Commerce Committee last month approved a $10-billion plan, but several other panels are scheduled to review the legislation before it is sent to the full House.