Superfund cleanup touted by Trump EPA finished years ago

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is touting cleanups at seven of the nation’s most polluted places as a signature accomplishment in the Trump administration’s effort to reduce the number of Superfund sites, even though records show the physical work was completed before President Donald Trump took office.

The agency earlier this week credited the leadership of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt with tripling the number of sites fully or partially removed from the Superfund's National Priorities List in 2017, compared with the two sites taken off in the Obama administration’s last year.

“We have made it a priority to get these sites cleaned up faster and in the right way,” Pruitt said.

He said that, with the agency's moves to create a task force and make those responsible for contamination pay for cleanup, “the Superfund program is carrying out the agency’s mission of protecting human health and the environment more every day.”

Cleanups of Superfund sites usually take decades, spanning presidential administrations. An analysis of EPA records by The Associated Press shows that overall the seven Superfund sites delisted last year fell short of the average pace set under both the administrations of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, even in their opening years.

All told, EPA averaged delisting more than 10 sites a year during the eight years Obama was in the White House. EPA under Bush delisted nearly 18 sites on average annually during his two terms.

EPA declined Friday to provide details of procedural changes under Pruitt that led to the seven sites being delisted faster.