White House Pushes for Cleanup Funding

The White House is asking Congress to release $650 million for toxic waste cleanups, saying congressional inaction is forcing delays in cleaning up 171 sites around the country. Vice President Al Gore and Carol Browning, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will propose an amendment to the fiscal 1999 budget today that would make available, without conditions, the funds for cleanup work. That would be in addition to the $1.4 billion the administration is requesting in new Superfund money for fiscal 1999.