In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as the Superfund Act. This law gives the Federal government the authority to respond to chemical emergencies and to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. The Superfund program addresses both short and long term risks, from toxic chemical spills and threats to the permanent cleanup and rehabilitation of abandoned hazardous waste sites. Superfund also provides authority for the prosecution of those responsible for the releases of hazardous waste and a trust fund to subsidize cleanup when no responsible party can be identified. Major accomplishments include increasing community participation and public/private partnerships, enhancing cleanup effectiveness, and consistency and streamlining Superfund enforcement.

Recommended EPA Web pages

• Superfund: Cleaning Up the Nation's Hazardous Waste Sites
  Superfund is the Federal government's program to clean up the nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
• About Superfund
  This page provides an overview of the Superfund program.
• Cleanup: Technologies and Tools
  EPA's Radiation Site Cleanup Program uses the best available science to develop risk assessment tools and guidance for cleaning up sites that are contaminated with radioactive materials.