Superfund (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)

The Superfund program, established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980, is a federal initiative in the United States aimed at cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. It provides the government with the authority to identify responsible parties and compel them to clean up contaminated sites or pay for the cleanup. If responsible parties cannot be found, the federal government can use a special trust fund to remediate these locations, safeguarding public health and the environment. The program prioritizes sites based on the level of risk they pose to communities.