ABSTRACT
In 1997, environmental pollution cleanup costs were reported at $60 billion. The average cost per cleanup was $24.5 million, with a 10½‑year average cleanup time.4 A 2004 EPA publication stated:
Although substantial progress has been made over the past quarter century, a considerable amount of cleanup work remains. At current levels of site cleanup activity in the U.S. (about $6-8 billion annually), it would take 30 to 35 years to complete most of the work needed.5
