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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Has the Trump administration accelerated the cleanup of contaminated 'Superfund' sites?

By Amy Vong
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YES

The Trump administration has accelerated the progress of the Environment Protection Agency's "Superfund" program. The program was created in 1980 to clean industrial sites, mines and landfills contaminated with hazardous waste. The EPA measures progress when it marks a site as "partially deleted" or "deleted" from the "National Priorities List" of hazardous sites needing its attention.

Under the Obama administration, the EPA partially deleted 17 sites and fully deleted 47 sites. The Trump administration, not yet through its first term, has so far partially deleted 32 sites and fully deleted 44 sites.

There are still 1,327 sites on the list at last count. The EPA has identified 34 projects awaiting funding. Critics note that the Trump administration has cut funding as part of overall cuts at the agency, even though the Superfund program can boast a record of achievement.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
EPA: What is Superfund?
EPA: Number of NPL sites of each status at the end of each fiscal year
EPA: List of Superfund sites with new construction projects awaiting funding
AP: Backlog of toxic Superfund clean-ups grows under Trump
Politico: The one incredibly green thing Donald Trump has done
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.