Which legislation aims to clean up hazardous waste sites in the U.S.?

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly referred to as Superfund, was enacted to address the cleanup of hazardous waste sites in the United States. This legislation empowers the federal government to respond to the release or threatened release of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. CERCLA facilitates the identification and prioritization of contaminated sites, providing for their cleanup and establishing a trust fund to finance these efforts. The act also outlines the responsibilities of parties involved in contamination and allows the government to recover cleanup costs from responsible parties.

Understanding the importance of CERCLA is crucial since it represents a significant federal effort to manage and remediate sites that pose environmental and health risks due to hazardous waste contamination. This makes it the appropriate choice in the context of the question regarding legislation focused specifically on cleaning up hazardous waste sites.