30 Years Estimated for Superfund Cleanup

WASHINGTON —  Given current delays and inefficiency, the federal Superfund program could take 30 years to clean up the nation’s worst toxic-waste dumps, the senator overseeing the program said Thursday.

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said that the program, despite a healthy increase in budget, is moving at a snail’s pace. “We’ve seen a fourfold rise in funding, but not a fourfold rise in . . . output,” said Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Superfund subcommittee.

Superfund, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is a $9-billion fund set aside by Congress for removing toxic waste. So far, EPA has identified some 800 priority sites for use of the money.