This volume presents the results of a study commissioned by Congress estimating the future costs of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, commonly known as the Superfund program. The study projects the cost of activities such as cleaning up sites on the EPA's National Priorities List, conducting emergency response and removal actions, performing five-year reviews, and administering the program. c. Book News Inc.

A complete and detailed look at the Federal Superfund Program for cleaning up toxic waste sites. Focuses on early identification. Addresses the assessment of potential National Priorities List (NPL) sites and the initial response to reduce near term threats at all NPL sits and prevent sites from getting worse. Analyzes the ways in which the Superfund program may become more effective.

Some of the nation's estuaries, lakes and other water bodies contain contaminated sediments that can adversely affect fish and wildlife and may then find their way into people's diets. Dredging is one of the few options available for attempting to clean up contaminated sediments, but it can uncover and re-suspend buried contaminants, creating additional exposures for wildlife and people. At the request of Congress, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate dredging as a cleanup technique. The book finds that, based on a review of available evidence, dredging's ability to decrease environmental and health risks is still an open question. Analysis of pre-dredging and post-dredging at about 20 sites found a wide range of outcomes in terms of surface sediment concentrations of contaminants: some sites showed increases, some no change, and some decreases in concentrations. Evaluating the potential long-term benefits of dredging will require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency step up monitoring activities before, during and after individual cleanups to determine whether it is working there and what combinations of techniques are most effective.