What are the various stages of a Superfund cleanup?
The three major stages that apply to the National Priorities List of Superfund Sites: All of the 1,562 Superfund sites that have ever been placed on the National Priorities List have gone through the proposal stage. Proposed sites are “investigated further to determine the extent of the risks they may pose to human health and the environment,” according to the EPA. Currently, there are 61 sites at this stage. Sites can stay on the proposed list for years. Some sites make it the final National Priorities List, often referred to as “final” or “active” sites. As of April 23, there are 1,243 Superfund sites on the “final” National Priorities List. The last step is the deleted stage — sites that have been cleaned up enough that they are no longer a threat and can be removed from the NPL. There are 319 deleted sites.
