Velázquez Leads Bipartisan Effort to Fund Superfund Cleanup

Washington, D.C.— As the Trump Administration puts environmental funding on the chopping block, today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led 73 bipartisan Members of Congress in urging the federal government to provide the necessary funding to continue the cleanup of federally designated Superfund sites. To earn Superfund status under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a site must be contaminated by hazardous waste and classified as a risk to human and environmental health—labeling it a priority for cleanup. Velázquez's district contains three Superfund sites: the Gowanus Canal; Newtown Creek; and the Wolff-Alport Chemical Company.

"By securing Superfund status, the federal government made a pledge to invest in cleaning up waste deemed so toxic that it poses grave environmental and health risks to our communities," said Velázquez. "By failing to provide adequate funding, the Trump Administration is starving the Superfund program of vital resources—leaving local families and businesses to suffer the consequences of prolonged inaction."

Despite a recent increase in the number of Superfund sites, the program's budget has steadily decreased since 2010. In 2010, during the Obama Administration, $1.31 billion was requested and enacted to clean up Superfunds under the Hazardous Substance Superfund Account. However, in his proposed 2019 budget, President Trump has requested less—$1.09 billion. In the letter, Velázquez is calling instead for $1.35 billion to be allocated to cleanup Superfunds in 2019. The letter has been endorsed by prominent environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club.

"Secretary Pruitt has repeatedly tried to elevate Superfund cleanup as a top priority for his EPA— but has yet again requested an inadequate Superfund budget and tried to undermine health protections that are key to the Program," said Scott Slesinger, Legislative Director at NRDC. "This is unacceptable."

"If we truly want to prioritize protecting the health of our families and our communities by cleaning up Superfund sites, we need to invest in the Superfund program -- not cut it," said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. "We applaud Representative Velázquez and all of the bipartisan supporters backing this common-sense proposal to help protect the growing number of communities facing these toxic threats."

Throughout her tenure in Congress, Velázquez has been a vocal advocate of environmental protection. In 2010, she helped to secure Superfund designation for the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek, and in 2014, for Wolff-Alport Chemical Company. Velázquez's environmental record has earned her a 100% score on the League of Conservation Voters 2017 scorecard.

A copy of the full letter is below. For a PDF, click here.

The Honorable Ken Calvert The Honorable Betty McCollum

Chairman Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment,

and Related Agencies and Related Agencies

2007 Rayburn House Office Building 2256 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Calvert & Ranking Member McCollum,

As your Subcommittee considers the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we respectfully request you to include $1.35 billion in funding for the Hazardous Substance Superfund Account. This account has not received a budget increase since FY 2010, when it was enacted at $1.31 billion. The proposed FY 2019 budget decreases funding to $1.09 billion. Meanwhile, the number of Superfund sites has grown from 1,282 to 1,341 in the past eight years.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates Superfund sites as any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste, and is a risk to human health and the environment. These sites are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL has over 1,100 sites in the U.S. with known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. The long-term health challenges, business disruption and displacement costs are harmful to residents and U.S. small businesses affected by hazardous contamination. Revitalizing contaminated land improves the quality of life for communities around the United States and is part of EPA's core mission.

We look forward to working with you both to ensure adequate funding for the Hazardous Substance Superfund Account and successfully revitalize contaminated areas of our country.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-7)

Member of Congress

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), Rep. Ami Bera M.D. (CA-7), Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Rep. Blumenauer (OR-3), Madeleine Z. Bordallo (Guam), Rep. Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13), Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Rep. Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Rep. André Carson (IN-07), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Rep Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27), Rep. J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-4), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5), Rep. Eliot L. Engel (NY-16), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2), Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Rep. Al Green (TX-09), Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (IL-4), Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (HI-1), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. James Langevin (RI-2), Rep. Al Lawson (FL-5), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Rep. William R. Keating (MA-9), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), Rep. Daniel W. Lipinski (IL-3), Rep. Ben Ray Luján (NM-3), Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Rep. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), Donald McEachin (VA-04), Rep. James P. McGovern (MA-2), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-7) Rep. Nadler (NY-10), Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Rep. Richard E. Neal (MA-1), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-1), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Rep. Kathleen M. Rice (NY-4), Rep. Beto O'Rourke (TX-16), Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2), Rep. Bobby L. Rush (IL-1), Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Rep. Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09), Rep. Albio Sires (NJ-8), Rep. Adam Smith (WA-9), Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-9), Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Rep. Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Rep. Peter Welch (VT-AL), Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24)