Date of Defense

4-22-2016

Date of Graduation

4-2016

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Denise Keele

Second Advisor

Sarah Hill

Third Advisor

Gary Wager

Abstract

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980), more commonly known as Superfund, delegates the responsibility for cleanup of more than 1,300 hazardous waste sites to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This thesis is designed as a case study to investigate the Superfund program through the lens of the Allied Paper Landfill portion of the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. Through interviews with key stakeholders an evaluation was completed based on the following research questions: 1) are the current goals of Superfund appropriate, 2) is the funding mechanism sufficient to fulfill the goals of Superfund, and 3) is the community involvement process adequate? This research gleaned that the participants involved with Allied Paper Landfill significantly shaped the relationship Kalamazoo has with the Environmental Protection Agency. The Allied Paper Landfill portion of the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, based on the results found, will be a model for Superfund sites as it relates to financing and community involvement.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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