Maloney Opposes Toxic Restructuring of EPA’s Superfund

Washington, D.C. – Joined with the Concerned Residents of East Fishkill NY, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) opposed the extreme changes to the EPA’s Superfund program which could delay and potentially prevent the cleanup of sites like Hopewell Precision in Dutchess County. Specifically, H.R. 2279 would upend the process for adding and paying for sites on the National Priorities List while limiting EPA’s ability to ensure that there is a plan in place to cover the costs of cleanup in the event of contamination. According to the Department of Defense, this bill would disrupt the national priority list in which the most contaminated federal sites are cleaned up first, increase litigation, delay cleanups, and waste limited resources.

“One Hudson Valley community with poison in their water has waited over ten years for a solution, and the last thing Congress needs to do pass this toxic bill that would hurt communities like Hopewell Junction,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. “With EPA Superfund already running on fumes, we can’t risk delaying the cleanup of sites where families are forced to choose between clean water and their children's health or selling their house or staying in a place they grew up and love.”

Although not adopted, Rep. Maloney offered an amendment to the bill which would have required the EPA to fully fund the cleanup of the Hopewell Precision site while requiring the EPA to continue to seek compensation from responsible parties for cleanup.  Rep. Maloney also spoke in favor of the Sinema amendment that would ensure the EPA stays focused on the Superfund National Priorities List, a list of sites that pose the greatest risk to public health. Below are his remarks and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

“Mr. Chairman I rise in support of my colleague’s amendment requiring the EPA to stay focused on the Superfund National Priorities List. There are nine Superfund sites where I’m from in the Hudson Valley. Toxic sites once declared uninhabitable are now engines of economic development.  And I want to credit the good folks at the EPA including my good friend Judith Enck, who leads Region 2.

“But one Hudson Valley community with poison in their water has waited over ten years for a solution. EPA began cleanup at the site in Hopewell Junction in 2003, and officially added Hopewell to the Superfund National Priorities List in 2005. But Hopewell Junction isn’t some abandoned wasteland. It’s not an empty brownfield.  It’s a community full of children and families who need our help who need our help now.

“Hopewell could be a neighborhood anywhere. A neighborhood where families shouldn’t have to choose between clean water and their children's health. Between selling their house or staying in a place they grew up and love but is now contaminated. My neighbors like Debra Hall have put blood, sweat and tears into this effort for ten years to try and clean up Hopewell. Ten years telling anyone who would listen that Hopewell must be a priority because they can’t wait. It’s outrageous and they deserve better from their government. I support this amendment to keep our priorities straight and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”