CERCLA, also known as Superfund, is a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants. This act provides a federal 'Superfund' to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites and accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) is a federal law aimed at the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants. Also known as Superfund, it imposes strict joint and several liability on potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for site remediation.
An Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a detailed analysis of a property to identify potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities, typically conducted before acquiring title to the property to comply with legal requirements and mitigate risks.
The landmark 1990 court decision regarding a lender’s exposure to liability for environmental cleanup if the lender acquires the property by foreclosure.
Hazardous substances refer to a wide array of contaminants that are regulated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). These substances include hazardous waste and chemical contaminants but exclude petroleum products due to a specific exemption.
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) refer to individuals or entities that are legally liable for contamination and remediation of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES (PRP) are individuals or entities potentially liable for environmental contamination under Superfund laws such as CERCLA and SARA. These parties can include current or former owners, operators, transporters, and disposers of hazardous waste at a contaminated site.
Remediation involves corrective actions aimed at cleaning up environmentally contaminated sites. The goal is to either eliminate or reduce contamination to acceptable levels using various methods such as containment, excavation, and physical, chemical, or biological treatments.
SUPERFUND is the commonly used name for CERCLA, the federal environmental cleanup law. It mandates the cleanup of contaminated sites and holds responsible parties accountable for the costs.
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 significantly amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund). SARA addresses the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, enhances the enforcement of cleanup responsibly, and increases funding for the Superfund program.
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) is a law that confirmed the continued existence of the Superfund program and strengthened the enforcement of hazardous waste site remediation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
