Comprehensive Environmental Response hazardous wastes remediation

Tlie Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 was tire first major response to tire problem of abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the nation. CERCLA was the begiiming of tlie remediation of hazardous waste sites. This program was designed to ... 

In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Commonly known as Superfund, the program under this law is focused on the remediation of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Since 1980, Superfund has assessed nearly 44,400 sites. To date, 33,100 sites have been removed from the Superfund inventory to aid their economic redevelopment, and 11,300 sites remain active with the site assessment program or are included in the National Priorities List (NPL) for the implementation of remedial actions. By September 2000, 1509 sites were included in the NPL with ongoing or completed cleanup activities. 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, 1980, 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. The act was amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) in 1986 and stressed the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites. 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This is an attempt to deal with the many waste sites that exist across the nation. It covers remedial action, including the establishment of a National Priorities List to identify those sites that should have a high priority for remediation. This act authorizes the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, including those containing pesticides, that threaten human health or the environment. If they can be identified, the US EPA is authorized to recover cleanup costs from those parties responsible for the contamination. CERCLA provides a fund to pay for the cleanup of contaminated sites when no other parties are able to conduct the cleanup. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) (1986) is an amendment to CERCLA that enables the US EPA to identify and cleanup inactive hazardous waste sites and to recover reimbursement of cleanup costs. One section of CERCLA authorizes the EPA to act whenever there is a release or substantial threat of release of a hazardous substance or any pollutant or contaminant that may present an imminent or substantial danger to the public health or welfare into the environment. 

The third series of acts, commonly referred to as CERCLA/superfund acts, provided the federal government with the authority to respond to (l.e., clean up) uncontrolled release of hazardous waste. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted In 1977. CERCLA applies to the release or threat of release Into the environment of any hazardous substance. The broad scope of this statute is Indicated by the fact that "environmental" Includes all environmental media, and "hazardous substance" Is broadly defined to include not only RCRA "hazardous waste" but a list of substances identified by ERA in 40 CFR 302, which now includes over 700 hazardous substances and over 1500 radionuclides. Whenever there is a release or threat of a release of a hazardous substance to the environment, EPA is authorized by the statute to undertake "removal" and/or "remedial" action. 

The Superfund law derives from citizen concerns over the health impacts of decades of accumulated hazardous wastes within or near communities. More accurately labeled the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabihty Act (CERCLA), the Superfund governs the removal and destruction of toxics and also estabhshes disposal procedures through the Office of Superfund Remediation Technology Innovation (OSRTl). Prioritization activities are within the jurisdiction of the OSTRI. 

As clarification of SARA Title III and CERCLA relationships, the following is provided. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) is designed to help clean up inactive hazardous waste sites. It also requires industries to disclose to their communities what hazardous substances they use and store. CERCLA authorized EPA to remediate polluted sites and created the Superfund to pay for site cleanups when there is no clear-cut responsible party. EPA can pursue potentially responsible parties to make them pay for response and remediation activities. Section 313 of the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (SARA Title III) requires EPA to establish an inventory of routine toxic... 

This law intends to remedy the mistakes in past hazardous waste management, whereas the RCRA is concerned with avoiding such mistakes through proper management in the present and future. The RCRA mainly regulates how waste should be managed. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) authorized a number of... 

This section provides an overview of the engineering technologies and applications that are currently applicable to the study and remediation of releases of hazardous wastes and constituents from RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) facilities and those sites which parallel Superfund sites. Activities which would be termed removal actions or expedited response actions under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Recovery-Cleanup and Liability Act) are also covered in this section. Information presented in this section represent excerpts from document EPA/625/4-89/020 (September 1989). 

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