Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); Revised as the Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA); Superfund, US

Abstract

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, is federal legislation which was enacted on 11 December 1980 that created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to respond directly to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The primary charge of the Superfund was to establish requirements for closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites, attempt to establish the liability of the entity responsible for releases of hazardous waste at these sites, and establish a trust fund to provide for cleanup when no responsible party could be identified. CERCLA authorizes two types of responses: (1) short-term removals, where actions could be taken to address critical releases or threatened releases requiring prompt responses, and (2) long-term remedial actions that permanently and significantly mitigate the dangers associated with releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances that are serious but not immediately life threatening. These actions are conducted only at sites listed on EPA's National Priorities List which was established by the National Contingency Plan (NCP) within CERCLA. The NCP has provided the guidelines and procedures needed to respond to releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.