By Karen Danis '02
BIOL 103 Biology in Science Fiction
The purpose of this website is to explain the history and development of the Superfund Program run within the United States. Human actions are sometimes criticized for their effect on the environment. On this website, the impact of our actions will be examined with a focus on the effect on our own health. Why haven't we learned that our actions have consequences... in the near future for all of us?History of the Superfund: Love CanalWhat is the Superfund?
The Superfund Program is a federal program designed to clean up hazardous waste sites across the nation. In 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defined hazardous waste as any waste that "may cause or significantly contribute to serious illness or death, or that poses a substantial threat to human health or the environment when improperly managed" (in Wildavsky & Schleider, 1995). Cleaning up these sites is one of the most expensive activities in the country (Wildavsky & Schleider, 1995). Only the most dangerous sites reported are added to the Superfund list which is determined by the EPA. Currently there are 40,000 sites on the Superfund list (EPA Superfund List, 2001).