Loren Dunn Discusses EPA’s New Superfund Solutions Initiative with Chemical & Engineering News

Principal and Co-Chair of B&D’s Superfund Practice, Loren Dunn (Seattle), recently spoke with Chemical & Engineering News about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly launched Superfund Solutions Initiative, which aims to accelerate the investigation and cleanups of contaminated hazardous waste sites across the country. B&D discussed this development in an earlier news alert, in which we advised potentially responsible parties to consider how accelerated deadlines may affect their planning and decision-making at a site.

In “EPA Launches Superfund Initiative to Speed Contaminated-Site Cleanups,” Loren explained that while the physical remediation work required at contaminated sites cannot necessarily be accelerated, streamlining lengthy site investigation and remedy selection processes could improve the efficiency of a “process that has become increasingly challenging to work through.” Loren noted that the Superfund process often takes “upward of 20 years from site listing to the commencement of actual cleanup work.”

Loren also mentioned that efforts to expedite the process carry “some risk,” as “decisions made hurriedly or with less robust investigations could later require reevaluation or become vulnerable to shifts in policy.”

Beveridge & Diamond’s Superfund, Site Remediation, and Natural Resources Damages practice group assists clients in litigation and allocation at CERCLA sites, including complex, large-scale sites. We counsel clients on developing case law and requirements under CERCLA and similar state laws. For more information, please contact the authors.