superfund

Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) program to clean up hazardous waste sites and respond to releases of hazardous substances in the United States. Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with state partners, the program also refers to the federal trust fund used to finance cleanups, with liability assigned to potentially responsible parties (PRPs).

CERCLA was enacted in 1980 in response to widespread contamination at abandoned industrial sites. It created the National Contingency Plan (NCP) as the framework for response actions and established the Superfund to fund cleanups and pursue recovery from PRPs. The program was funded by taxes on chemical feedstocks and petroleum, which expired in 1995; since then it has relied on general revenues and settlements.

Site identification begins with screening and listing on the National Priorities List (NPL). The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) scores sites to determine priority. Cleanups proceed in phases: removal actions for immediate threats and remedial actions, typically following a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and a Record of Decision (ROD). EPA leads, with state involvement; PRPs may be liable for cleanup costs.

Since its creation, the program has stressed public participation and community involvement, strengthened by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. The overarching goal is to reduce risks to human health and the environment and to return contaminated sites to safe use and monitored stewardship.