The unrecovered share exceeds $12.9 billion
GAO reports that EPA spent $25.8 billion at nonfederal National Priorities List sites from fiscal 1996 through 2024 and recovered less than half from potentially responsible parties. Half of $25.8 billion is $12.9 billion, so the point-in-time unrecovered amount exceeded that threshold.
That arithmetic does not mean more than $12.9 billion was legally collectible or permanently lost. Recovery depends on liability, evidence, settlements, ability to pay, litigation risk and the costs of pursuing a claim.
| Measure | Published amount |
|---|---|
| EPA spending at nonfederal NPL sites, FY1996–2024 | $25.8B |
| Recovered | Less than half |
| Implied unrecovered threshold | More than $12.9B |
| Nonfederal NPL sites reviewed | 1,622 |
The fund received and Congress appropriated different totals
For fiscal 2006 through 2024, GAO reports that the Superfund trust fund received $34 billion in constant 2024 dollars while Congress appropriated $32.8 billion. Receipts and appropriations play different roles and should not be netted as if one were an unexplained surplus.
The review covered 1,622 nonfederal National Priorities List sites, a large and varied population. A nationwide recovery rate does not reveal the prospects or fairness of a specific site claim.
GAO found a management gap across regions
GAO found that EPA lacked goals and performance measures for cost recovery by region. Without comparable regional measures, headquarters cannot readily distinguish differences caused by site mix from differences in case selection, documentation or follow-through.
The watchdog made three recommendations, and EPA agreed. Agreement starts corrective action; it does not demonstrate that the goals, measures and oversight are now operating.
Method and limits
What’s the Scoop With Broach calculated only the minimum implied unrecovered threshold and kept it separate from collectible debt. The newsroom did not allocate the national total to individual companies or communities.
GAO’s spending window spans 29 fiscal years, while the trust-fund comparison begins in 2006. Mixing those windows into a single recovery ratio would be misleading, so this report preserves them separately.
Sources and further reading
GAO-27-107925, Superfund cost-recovery review, November 5, 2026 ↗
EPA West Lake Landfill photograph and public-domain record ↗