NEWARK, N.J. -- Today, United States Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, several lawmakers and environmental experts stood on the bank of the Passaic River and called on President Bush to adequately fund the Superfund program so more sites can be cleaned up and made safe for those living in the community.

Congress established the Superfund Program in 1980 to locate, investigate, and clean up the worst sites nationwide. In order to raise revenue to pay for these cleanups, Congress also put in place the "Polluter Pays" tax so the industries responsible can pay to clean them up if the individual companies and corporations cannot be found or are unable to pay. That tax expired in 1995, and the Republicans in Congress and now President Bush have refused to reinstate it, effectively passing on the entire costs of cleaning up many Superfund sites across the country to taxpayers if the polluting companies cannot be located or are unable to pay to clean them up.

"The truth is: that the Superfund is no longer even a fund. The balance is zero. In President Bush's budget documents for this year, he admitted that the funds are gone," said Lautenberg. "The reason: Republicans in Congress refuse to force polluters to pay in to the fund. President Bush and the Republicans in Congress believe that taxpayers should foot the bill when responsible parties fail to provide funding. I think that's just wrong."

Lautenberg will once again sit on the powerful Environment and Public Works Committee when Congress convenes in January, which has oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Superfund program.

"Next year, I will be back on the Environment Committee in the Senate, and I plan to be a forceful voice for reinstating the "Polluter Pays" principle. The burden for cleanups should be on those who pollute -- not New Jersey families," said Lautenberg.

The event took place at the Nereid Boat Club, on the bank of the Passaic River, in Rutherford. A 17 mile stretch of the Passaic River is part of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. Some of the polluters responsible for this site have been located and have pledged to pay for the cleanup. However, there are many other Superfund sites in the state where those responsible have not been located and where costs for the cleanups are being passed to taxpayers. Currently, 40,000 people live within 1 mile of this Superfund site.