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.
In situ, a Latin term meaning 'in place' or 'onsite,' refers to processes or treatments that are carried out directly at the location of interest. In real estate, this often pertains to remediation efforts carried out at the contaminated site, without the need to transport pollutants offsite.
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.
Strict liability is a legal doctrine that holds an owner responsible for the cleanup of a contaminated site, regardless of whether the owner was negligent. This implies that any property involvement with contaminants could entail cleanup costs even if the current owner did not cause the contamination.
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.
