CERCLA Super Fund Information

CERCLA Super Fund or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act: (CERCLA), commonly known as Super Fund, was enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. Over five years, $1.6 billion was collected and the tax went to a trust fund for cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. CERCLA:

• established prohibitions and requirements concerning closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites;
• provided for liability of person responsible for releases of hazardous waste at these sites; and
• established a trust fund to provide for cleanup when no responsible party could be identified.

The law authorizes two kinds of response actions:

• Short-term remedial response actions that permanently and significantly reduce the dangers associated with release or threats of releases of hazardous substances that are serious, but not immediately life threatening. These actions can be conducted only at sites listed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL).

CERCLA also enabled the revision of the Super Fund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) on October 17, 1986.

For more information on the CERCLA Super fund, please contact us.