What is the primary objective of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)?

What is the primary objective of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)?

• A. To address the cleanup of hazardous waste sites
• B. To regulate air emissions from industrial facilities
• C. To establish water quality standards for drinking water
• D. To enforce emission limits for mobile sources

Answer: (A)

CERCLA is built around cleaning up hazardous waste sites. It creates a mechanism (the Superfund) to identify and finance cleanup when dangerous releases of hazardous substances threaten communities, and it holds those responsible liable for the costs. The goal is to reduce risks to people and the environment by remediating contaminated sites and ensuring a responsible party pays for the work. Other options describe regulating air emissions, setting drinking water standards, or enforcing mobile-source emission limits, which are handled by different laws focused on air and water quality and transportation emissions.

CERCLA is built around cleaning up hazardous waste sites. It creates a mechanism (the Superfund) to identify and finance cleanup when dangerous releases of hazardous substances threaten communities, and it holds those responsible liable for the costs. The goal is to reduce risks to people and the environment by remediating contaminated sites and ensuring a responsible party pays for the work.

Other options describe regulating air emissions, setting drinking water standards, or enforcing mobile-source emission limits, which are handled by different laws focused on air and water quality and transportation emissions.