When the Department determines that cleanup activities at a site do not meet this standard, it puts in place a program of monitoring which can last for many years. In 1986, the Department estimated that a total of 500 inactive hazardous waste disposal sites would need remediation. This estimation proved to be low. Through December 2000, the Department had identified a total of 1,024 sites that it placed on the State Registry. Status of Hazardous Waste Sites Hazardous waste sites come in a variety of sizes, and cover a range of uses from landfills and lagoons, to industrial properties and illegal dumps.
Many sites require years of monitoring after cleanup activities have ceased.
The process is complicated by the fact that many sites have been owned by several companies over the years. The process of identifying the party responsible for the contamination can be time consuming. In addition, DEC s process of negotiating the scope of work and terms of payment usually adds to the process. DEC has not developed overall performance measures that could help them assess and monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We note that the federal Environmental Protection Agency sets goals for its Superfund program that are based on performance benchmarks.