EPA Head Says He'll Prioritize Superfund Sites

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said he will prioritize the cleanup of toxic "Superfund" sites, which could be good news for cleanup at the Gowanus Canal even as President Trump tries to take an ax to the agency's overall budget.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in an agency memo that Superfund cleanup "will be restored to their rightful place at the center of the Agency’s core mission." Pruitt said that as administrator he'll take a more active role in signing off on remediation and revitalization efforts, with an emphasis on projects costing more than $50 million.

The Gowanus Canal cleanup, which the agency said will cost more than $500 million, certainly falls into that category.

"I am making it a priority to ensure contaminated sites get cleaned up," Pruitt said in an agency release. "We will be more hands-on to ensure proper oversight and attention to the Superfund program at the highest levels of the Agency, and to create consistency across states."

The announcement is a positive for people worried about the possibility of stalled cleanup of the toxic, sludge-filled waterway. As President Trump has looked to slash the federal budget, the EPA has been been a main target for him.

His proposed budget would cut EPA funding by $2.6 billion, including $330 million that go toward cleanup of Superfund sites.

However, a temporary spending bill passed by Congress and the Senate to keep the government running through September kept EPA funding largely intact.

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• Trump's EPA Cuts Could Cripple Gowanus Canal Cleanup, Officials Say
• Gowanus Canal Cleanup Will Continue Despite Threat From Trump Budget, Agency Says
• Chuck Schumer Joins Fight Over Gowanus Canal Cleanup Funding

Lead photo by Steven Pisano/Flickr