Environmental Cleanup: Inconsistent Sharing Arrangements May Increase
Defense Costs (Letter Report, 07/07/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-231).

Environmental cleanup at the Defense Department's (DOD)
government-owned, contractor-operated plants and the Rocky Mountain
arsenal will take longer and cost far more than the military suggests.
According to military service and Defense Logistics Agency data,
however, projected costs will be $3 billion, or about 70 percent more,
than reported by DOD. GAO's work at selected sites indicates that
eventual costs will be even higher than indicated by DOD or the
services. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 imposes liability for cleanup on a variety of
potentially responsible parties, including facility operators and
generators of hazardous substances. Lacking clear guidance from the
Secretary of Defense, the services have developed policies that
interpret their authority to seek cost sharing from other parties
differently. Consequently, the services have not required that plant
operators share in the cost of cleaning up past contamination.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-94-231
     TITLE:  Environmental Cleanup: Inconsistent Sharing Arrangements 
             May Increase Defense Costs
      DATE:  07/07/94
   SUBJECT:  Environmental monitoring
             Cost sharing (finance)
             Environmental law
             GOCO
             Cost analysis
             Department of Defense contractors
             Environmental policies
             Compensation
             Government liability (legal)
IDENTIFIER:  Rocky Mountain Arsenal (CO)
             DOD Environmental Restoration Program
             EPA National Priorities List
             Air Force Installation Restoration Program
             
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