• CERCLA was not invented out of thin air. Several disasters and discoveries have shaped the law as we know it today. Knowing the history behind CERCLA is important for understanding its requirements and the intent of the law.

In the late 1970s, the threat of hazardous waste to human health and safety was brought to national public attention by the media coverage of several hazardous waste sites. Newspaper headlines frequently reported on transportation accidents, fires and explosions, buried drums, and other incidents at sites involving hazardous substance releases.

These sites caused potential threats to soil, groundwater, surface water, and air. However, back then, there was no authority for direct federal response to such hazards.