Lauren Lantry, lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
Today, the Associated Press reported that despite Donald Trump repeatedly touting Superfund clean-ups as a major priority -- including earlier this week -- his administration has built up the biggest backlog of unfunded projects in at least 15 years. These numbers come from Trump’s own Environmental Protection Agency.
As of June 2019, there were 1,317 superfund sites in the United States. The consequences of the climate crisis make these toxic superfund sites all the more dangerous. According to the Associated Press, nearly “2 million people in the U.S. live within a mile of 327 Superfund sites in areas prone to flooding or vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by climate change.” Hurricanes and sea-level rise can spread pollution contained in superfund sites into surrounding communities. In Houston, more than a dozen Superfund sites were flooded by Hurricane Harvey. Meanwhile, Trump denies the seriousness of the climate crisis and is rolling back safeguards that keep our air and water clean, protect our climate, and keep our communities safe.
Last week, the Trump administration took down a website where the public can track superfund sites and other toxic pollution.
“No amount of Trump’s rhetoric can clean-up his neglect of the American people’s safety and well-being,” said Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Matthew Gravatt. “With the biggest backlog of uncleaned superfund sites in 15 years, Trump is forcing families to cope with the dangerous pollution from toxic superfund sites all while rolling back safeguards that keep our air and water clean and our climate safe.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.