WASHINGTON (April 21, 2021) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement regarding proposals to reinstate Superfund taxes.
“We strongly oppose the reinstatement of Superfund taxes, which would apply to all chemical manufacturers regardless of whether there is a connection to a Superfund site. Superfund is overwhelmingly a program in which responsible parties pay for site remediation. ACC member facilities make up only 1% of Superfund sites, and they are paying for cleanup.
“Superfund taxes would impose new costs on U.S. chemical manufactures and our customers – companies that produce most manufactured goods. Chemical companies alone would pay up to $600 million per year. This could lead to a decline in U.S. production capacity in favor of foreign competitors whose goods would bear no similar tax burden. An excise tax on basic materials gives an edge to foreign manufacturers.
“General revenues should support Superfund, whose budget is used for many purposes, including program administration, research, training grants, education and public outreach, in addition to cleanup of ‘orphan sites.’ These costs are appropriately paid from general revenues, especially since fewer orphan sites remain.”
