State is out of money to clean up remaining toxic sites
The state still has more than 5,000 so-called orphan sites, those that are contaminated but where there is no viable owner to pick up cleanup costs. When owners can be found, the state forces them to pay.
The DEQ is working on cleanups at 450 sites now, but may have to shut them down by the end of the year and lay off 80 to 125 employees unless a new funding source is found.
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