What does CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, provide?

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund law, was enacted to address the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The primary purpose of CERCLA is to establish a federal program to identify and remediate sites where hazardous waste has been improperly managed or released into the environment. The law provides a framework for the federal government to respond to releases of hazardous substances, create a trust fund (the Superfund) to finance cleanup operations, and hold potentially responsible parties liable for the costs associated with the cleanup.

This focus on creating a mechanism for hazardous-waste cleanup highlights the urgency of addressing environmental hazards and protecting public health. The Superfund program enables the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and prioritize contaminated sites, conduct thorough assessments, and implement necessary cleanup actions to restore these areas.

Other options relate to important aspects of environmental management but do not capture the primary function of CERCLA. For instance, while regulations for commercial waste disposal, guidelines for environmental impact assessments, and standards for recycling and waste management are significant, they fall under different legislative frameworks and do not represent the core mission of CERCLA.