EPA meets goal for cleanup work

By Kevin Matthews
Vice President, Energy and Environment Sector

The Environmental Protection Agency has met its goal to initiate or accelerate cleanup work at 20 contaminated sites in industrial areas hit hardest by the recession and pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment, according to a recent press release.

It’s an impressive accomplishment for the EPA to meet this target, just two-hundred days after passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, given the time and amount of work required as well as the complexity involved in the effort. But there’s still a long way to go in order to achieve cleanup of similar sites across the country.

Cleanup of these sites, which are known as the Superfund sites, received $600 million in recovery act funds and, as of day 200, EPA has obligated more than $400 million, according to the press release. The funding will accelerate ongoing cleanup activities or initiate new cleanup activities, boosting local economies by creating and maintaining jobs. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson recorded a video message on how EPA recovery act projects are creating green jobs and cleaner communities across the country.

But while the effort so far deserves recognition and has already created jobs to stimulate the economy, the EPA must continue the commitment to cleanup efforts at a steady pace in order to adequately protect human health and the environment and address the backlog of cleanups around the country.

Kevin Matthews is Vice President of Energy and Environment for NSI where he runs the day-to-day sector operations and works with clients on sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Matthews held various positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. where he worked for Administrator Carol M. Browner and served as both Special Assistant and Senior Congressional Liaison.