Land Use,Risk,and Superfund Cleanups

Abstract

In the Superfund reauthorization debate, many argue that protective cleanups can be achieved more efficiently by utilizing broader risk-based approaches that eliminate the pathways by which individuals are exposed to unacceptable levels of contamination. These approaches rest centrally on assumptions made about the future land use at a site. Assumptions help risk assessors and regulators determine who may be at risk at a site, how much risk these individuals may bear, and how much contamination should be removed, treated, or contained to ensure protective cleanups. This article first describes how future land use assumptions are currently incorporated into Superfund cleanup decisions, a subject of considerable confusion. It then examines the repercussions of this policy in relation to the transparency of cleanup decisions, the participation of various stakeholder groups, and the longterm management of contamination left on site via institutional controls.