In the Media
As Trump Administration Reforms the EPA, Cleanups of America’s Most Toxic Sites Are Uncertain
Read Time: 1 minOf Counsel Michael Blumenthal (Cleveland) was interviewed by AP News in an article published on February 15, 2025, “As Trump Administration Reforms the EPA, Cleanups of America’s Most Toxic Sites Are Uncertain.” He discussed the impact of possible Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changes on environmental clean-up sites.
If Trump seeks to defund the EPA again, it could have big impacts on site cleanups in states with less money. Some states don’t have the staff or economic wherewithal to address these sites themselves, “and so they need the federal government as a partner to do it,” said Michael Blumenthal, co-chair of McGlinchey Stafford’s environmental law group, who has represented Superfund cases.
Blumenthal said there could be efforts to revise the hazardous ranking system, making it harder for sites to be listed. He also said states like California, awaiting a decision, won’t get one straight away. “It could be months,” he said, adding that sites like Exide could be listed as low priority.