Superfund

Superfund is the popular name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). CERCLA, passed by Congress in 1980, was aimed at cleaning up the nation's hazardous waste sites. The timing of the legislation was largely in response to media coverage about the troubles of citizens of New York dealing with hazardous waste cleanup at a site known as the Love Canal. As part of CERCLA, Congress created a special fund to cover the cost of hazardous waste cleanup known as the Superfund.

In 1978, residents of the United States became aware of the struggle of residents in the area of Niagara, New York, living close to and on top of a hazardous waste dumpsite. Residents maintained that they were being exposed to dangerous ...