Recovery.gov - Track the Money

A variety of cleanup activities will be performed with Recovery Act funding at Superfund sites. Due to the complex nature of Superfund sites, cleanup may take many forms based on site-specific contamination. Superfund remedial activities conducted with Recovery Act funds may include, but are not limited to:

- Soil sampling and analysis
- Water and air quality analyses
- Soil excavation and treatment
- Dredging
- Hazardous waste disposal
- Construction of containment caps and groundwater treatment plants
- State and community involvement

EPA will evaluate Recovery Act resource utilization on a monthly basis and performance progress on a quarterly basis. Recovery Act resource utilization, activities, and progress will also be evaluated during established mid-year and annual Superfund work planning meetings between EPA Headquarters and the regions.

Quarterly and annual reports will be a term and condition for each cooperative agreement and interagency agreement as well as a provision in each contract work assignment conducted with Recovery Act funds. These reports will provide EPA with detailed information on project progress and will meet the reporting requirements identified in section 1512 of the Recovery Act.
EPA will also conduct quarterly in-depth reviews to ensure recipients are making sufficient progress and that Recovery Act funds are expended quickly and prudently. Funds that EPA identifies as being at risk of not being spent in a timely matter may be re-obligated to another project in order to meet the statutory deadline of obligating all funds by September 30, 2010.

In order to monitor and preserve accountability for Recovery Act expenditures, the Superfund program will use its existing Quality Assurance (QA) policies to ensure the quality of the activities generated by EPA contracts and interagency agreements.

EPA will provide transparent information on the performance, progress, and accomplishments of Superfund remedial activities supported by Recovery Act funds as outlined in the Agency and Recovery Act guidelines. The Agency will also continue to publicize information regarding site activities as required by CERCLA.

EPA will post progress information on the main EPA web area (www.epa.gov/recovery) as well as on www.recovery.gov. The Superfund program has created its own web area, located at www.epa.gov/superfund/eparecovery/index.html, and will publicly post information on activities conducted with Recovery Act funds. In addition, site-specific information for all sites receiving Recovery Act funding will be available on individual site fact sheets located on the Superfund program web area.

The Superfund program will ensure the expenditure and monitoring of Recovery Act funds are transparent and that appropriate, qualified, and certified staff oversee the use of Recovery Act resources. Working with established Agency and Recovery Act guidelines, the Superfund program will ensure that it monitors and reports Recovery Act resource utilization and project progress in an effective and timely manner. Superfund senior managers will have timely and regular meetings to assess implementation progress and resolve any issues related to Recovery Act funded projects.

In compliance with the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA) EPA’s ongoing management integrity program requires us to develop a multiyear program review strategy, conduct systematic and rigorous assessments of internal controls over our programmatic and financial operations, and report on the effectiveness of those controls in our annual letter of assurance to the Administrator. For FY 2009, we will be addressing the integrity of Recovery Act programs and including an additional assurance statement regarding Recovery Act funds and activities as part of our annual assurance letter to the Administrator.

In addition to our internal reviews, we will rely on audit findings and program evaluation results to inform our assessment and strengthen program accountability.

The oversight process in place for ARRA funding ensures that managers and staff will be held accountable for performance. Senior managers’ performance standards include specific performance measures related to the Superfund program, and staff’s performance standards contain measures reflecting their role and responsibilities in achieving progress. (During midyear performance reviews, these performance standards and measures are being modified to address Recovery Act-specific goals.)

The Recovery Act provides funding for Superfund remedial program activities that do not generally meet the definition of infrastructure. Superfund activities that may fall under the category of infrastructure are projects where the principal purpose is to construct a cap to be directly incorporated into a public building or public work as defined in 2 CFR 176.140(a) or to extend a municipal water supply to residents and businesses affected by contaminated drinking water. This infrastructure definition applies only to projects funded through Superfund Cooperative Agreements where the principal purpose of the project is to construct a cap to be directly incorporated into a public building or public work as defined in 2 CFR 176.140(a) or to extend a municipal water supply to residents and businesses affected by contaminated drinking water.

Though the majority of Superfund remedial projects are not considered infrastructure investments, the Agency will continue to promote and apply green remediation practices at Superfund sites. These green remediation practices emphasize low-carbon footprint technologies to lower green house gas emissions and provide other substantial "green benefits" such as increased energy and water efficiencies through technology and use of renewable resources; reduction of land and water contamination and air emissions; and development of new technologies for broader applications. Green technology may also reduce energy use during cleanup and, in some cases, yield energy surpluses through creative project design.