Superfund
BILL NUMBER & TITLE:S.8 - SUPERFUND CLEANUP ACCELERATION ACT OF 1997
INTRODUCED BY:
Senator Robert Smith (R-NH)
Cosponsored by ABRAHAM (MI), ALLARD (CO), CHAFEE (RI), COVERDALL (GA), CRAIG (ID), DEWINE (OH), DOMENICI (NM), GORTON (WA), GRAMS (MN), HAGEL (NE), HATCH (UT), HELMS (NC), HUTCHINSON, TIM (AR), KYL (AZ), LOTT (MS), LUGAR (IN), MURKOWSKI (AK), ROBERTS (KS), SESSIONS (AL), THURMOND (SC), WARNER (VA), MACK (FL)
REFERRALS:
Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
A bill to reauthorize and amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Liability and Compensation Act of 1980. S.8 offers several new reforms for the statute's liability scheme, the role of states in the Superfund program and natural resources damages.
MAJOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO DATE:
01/21/97 -- In the SENATE
Introduced by SMITH, Robert
03/04/07 -- In the SENATE
Public hearing held by Superfund, Waste Control and Risk Assessment Subcommittee
03/05/97 -- In the SENATE
Public hearing held by Superfund, Waste Control and Risk Assessment Subcommittee
Hearing adjourned by Superfund, Waste Control and Risk Assessment Subcommittee
AMSA ACTIONS:
The National Office is in the process of reviewing the legislation, and although this first pass at reform does not include AMSA's amendment clarifying POTW liability under the statute, the National Office will soon reinitiate negotiations with key Senate staff and members to secure their support. The National Office will be closely monitoring the progress of and hearings on S.8
Although no bill has been introduced on the House side, National Office staff has met with professional staff to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to secure support for AMSA's amendment. Jeff More, staff to Chairman Boehlert, reiterated the Chairman's support for the amendment and indicated the Subcommittee's willingness to work toward a bipartisan introduction of AMSA's amendment at the appropriate time.
AMSA received some support for POTW Superfund relief from the National League of Cities, the International City/County Management Association, the National Association of Counties, the National Association of Towns and Townships, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Municipal Waste Management Association and the American Communities for Cleanup Equity in testimony delivered on behalf of the organizations on March 5 to the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Control and Risk Assessment. Citing the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission case, the testimony urged Senators to extend liability relief, similar to that already proposed in the legislation for municipal owners and operators of co-disposal sites, to POTWs. AMSA's proposed amendment provides more comprehensive protection of POTWs and the National Office will continue to work with these organizations as final POTW language is crafted for Superfund reform.
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