Army To Heed Doj Decision Backing Epa Cleanup Authority At Dod Sites

摘要

The Army will comply with a controversial enforcement cleanup order at Fort Meade, MD, now that the Justice Department (DOJ) last week told the Pentagon that it is backing EPA's authority to issue cleanup orders at Defense Department facilities, according to an Army official. DOJ's decision marks a major defeat for DOD in its hard-fought campaign challenging the agency's authority and is likely to force the military to clean up contaminated sites. In a Dec. 1 letter obtained by Inside EPA, DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel specifically backs EPA on its authority to issue "imminent and substantial endangerment" orders under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) at four DOD facilities that are listed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The letter is available on InsideEPA.com. Seepage 2 for details.