New Superfund Cleanup Initiative to Prioritize Faster Remediation and Economic Growth for US Communities 

June 3, 2026

Contact Information

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi announced the agency’s forward-looking Superfund Solutions initiative to accelerate cleanups of contaminated sites nationwide, including the more than 1,340 Superfund sites on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). Through this new long-term initiative, EPA will deploy gold-standard science, streamline decision-making and cut red tape, make swifter clean up decisions, modernize tools, and increase cooperative federalism to deliver human health and environmental protections for communities across the country.

Superfund cleanup is a bedrock EPA program that protects human health and the environment by identifying and remediating sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The cleanup and revitalization of contaminated land reinvigorates sites into productive community spaces like parks and sports fields, wildlife areas, or new homes or businesses. Over the past 15 years, these renewed sites have generated over $868 billion for local economies and employed hundreds of thousands of Americans.

“Many communities have waited long enough for EPA and responsible parties to get a shovel in the ground, and the new Superfund Solutions initiative is a monumental step in getting these vital clean ups back on track,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Fotouhi. “Our talented career staff have been hard at work on this initiative, and over the coming months, EPA will take concrete steps to cut red tape, expedite analysis and decision-making, identify common-sense solutions, and work with our partners to deliver on communities’ needs. This is a commitment the Trump EPA is proud to make today and looks forward to seeing this through to the end.” 

“American communities deserve faster results, safe and healthy lands, and robust local economies,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management Thomas Croci. “The EPA Superfund Solutions initiative will apply gold‑standard science, streamlined processes and collaboration with local authorities to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and expedite the remediation of Superfund sites nationwide.”

For years, process challenges and bureaucratic delays have stood in the way of even more progress being made on cleaning up contaminated sites. However, the Trump EPA’s renewed focus of delivering on its core mission of protecting human health and the environment, something previous EPA leadership deprioritized, has proven that significant progress can happen at sites when resources are deployed correctly.

Since January 2025, more than 290 Superfund site cleanups have been completed, over 59 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and water have been cleaned up, and $864 million from responsible parties have been recovered. The Trump EPA’s work has cut two years off the cleanup timeline at the West Lake Landfill site in Missouri and shaved 15 years off the cleanup timeline for the PCE Southeast Contamination site in Nebraska, proving that EPA can deliver tangible results faster. 

The new initiative will build on this progress and streamline the agency’s approach to clean ups through three key areas:

Enhance Project Management

• Expedite ongoing investigations at more than 500 Superfund sites to move more quickly from the evaluation phase into the cleanup phase, reducing human health and environmental risks faster.

• Increase targeted water, soil, and air sampling, as well as conduct more timely inspections of facilities and land to get site teams into communities sooner, ensure long-term human health protections, and support reuse opportunities that can bring economic benefits to communities.

• Accelerate the selection of the best cleanup approach through the more rapid development of remedial investigations, feasibility studies, and records of decision.

• Modernize site management practices so that EPA can reach decisions faster and can concentrate on sites that need the most attention.

• Streamline EPA’s use of licensed contractors to reduce cleanup timelines by up to a year.

Deploy Tools and Authorities Earlier 

• Simultaneously evaluate all options for a site under Superfund, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous waste cleanup program, and the Brownfields program.

• Start work on short-term projects to provide immediate protections at a site, while comprehensive site cleanup approaches are finalized.

• Expand cooperation and provide more training and capacity-building tools to enhance state capacity to manage cleanups and reduce unnecessary federal involvement.

• Standardize approaches so federal, state, and local partners do not reinvent the wheel for every cleanup action.

Apply Smarter Science for Smarter Outcomes 

• Align risk assessment approaches with gold-standard science and ensure they address site-specific risks while anticipating the community’s future use of the site.

• For residential lead cleanup sites, use a single target blood lead level for Superfund decisions, as announced in the Trump EPA’s October 2025 Residential Lead Directive.

• Use the latest innovations to assess the potential for critical minerals recovery at legacy hard rock mining sites.

EPA is committed to radical transparency and will share site-specific cleanup progress and agency progress towards these goals. In addition to providing results through the quarterly Superfund Accomplishments Report, EPA will continue to update the public on progress made through the Superfund Solutions initiative on the agency’s website.

Background

EPA’s Superfund program cleans up the nation’s most contaminated sites to protect human health and the environment from hazardous substances. Superfund cleanups provide health and economic benefits to communities and are credited for significant reductions in birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near sites. Cleanups also increase residential property values up to 24 percent within three miles of sites after cleanup.