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For Immediate Release: April 19, 2005 Contact: Annie Strickler, (202) 675-2384 Christina Kreitzer, (415) 977-5619 Federal Budget Ignores Threats to Communities and Drinking Water Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Continue to Contaminate Groundwater Washington, D.C. -- Leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) are a growing threat to public health, according to a report just released by the Sierra Club. As the report makes clear, the federal government’s refusal to accept its responsibility to fund the cleanups is making the problem worse and part of a larger effort to undermine the principle of "polluter pays" -- which makes polluters clean up after themselves. This week, for example, the House of Representatives is voting on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which would prevent communities from recovering cleanup costs from the manufacturers of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). MTBE has contaminated local water supplies in more than 1,800 communities in 29 states. To read the report or download state-specific fact sheets, please visit http://www.sierraclub.org/toxics/Leaking_USTs/ "More than 100 million people drink groundwater in states where thousands of Underground Storage Tanks are leaking and need cleanups," said Grant Cope, Toxics Expert with the Sierra Club. "These sites include toxics like benzene, toluene and heavy metals that can quickly pollute groundwater, threaten public health, burden taxpayers with cleanup costs and hurts real estate values." Fifty percent of the nation drinks groundwater, and that number jumps to almost 100 percent rural areas. The nation has a backlog of 130,000 needed cleanups at leaking USTs, and discovers 9,000 new leaks each year. Toxic substances in USTs can cause cancer and harm the health of developing children. A pin-prick sized hole in one fuel tank can leak 400 gallons of contamination a day, and one gallon of gasoline can pollute one million gallons of groundwater. "The administration’s budget request will not begin to cover even a small fraction of the sites," said Cope. "We have proven technologies to prevent contamination and surplus money to clean up sites, but the current administration is failing to safeguard vulnerable communities." The federal government has $2.4 billion in surplus cleanup funds, but is proposing to use only three percent of this surplus, despite a backlog of 130,000 needed cleanups and a 22 percent decline in the pace of cleanups last year. Taxpayers pay a 1/10th of one cent federal fee on gasoline sales that goes into a federal fund dedicated to paying for cleanups at UST sites. State UST programs, which are largely taxpayer funded, are billions of dollars in deficit. Many states with the biggest deficits also have the biggest backlog in cleanups. Florida leads the nation in needed cleanups with 17,544. California has the second highest number of backlogged cleanups with15,049, and a deficit of more than $1 billion. Michigan has the third highest number of needed cleanups with 9,039, and an internally reported deficit of $1.7 billion. Tennessee, with 1,221 needed cleanups, has internally reported a $95 million deficit. "It is the administration’s job to protect our health, but they are failing," said Cope. "The federal government should significantly increase cleanup funds and redouble efforts to make polluters pay for cleanups." This week, as part of debate on national energy policy, the House is considering eliminating the liability of polluters who knowingly sold a product that could quickly contaminate drinking water supplies. "This would result in taxpayers, not polluters, paying for costly cleanups and further slowing down the pace of cleanups. It ignores sensible pollution prevention measures that will protect families and communities in the future," said Cope. |
