The Nation : EPA Waste Curbs Faulted

A decade after Congress directed it to control hazardous wastes, the Environmental Protection Agency has made only limited progress in protecting people from dangerous chemicals, a new study by the General Accounting Office said. Rep. James J. Florio (D-N.J.), who requested the study, charged that the EPA has failed to identify and regulate many hazardous wastes that may contaminate ground water and threaten human health. Florio said the study also shows that the EPA has ignored congressional directives to close loopholes, allowing some toxic wastes to escape federal regulation. The report said that the EPA cited a lack of resources and “competing priorities” for its limited progress.