• An understanding of the laws that address releases, or threats of releases, of hazardous substances is necessary to see where CERCLA fits into the national environmental protection program established by Congress.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) role is to protect human health and the environment. Many environmental laws have been enacted to address releases, or threats of releases, of hazardous substances. It’s important to understand how the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) interacts with and fits together with these laws to form a program for environmental protection.

Overview

An understanding of the laws that address releases, or threats of releases, of hazardous substances is necessary to see where CERCLA, or the Superfund program, fits into the national environmental protection program established by Congress. Each environmental statute has its own particular focus, whether it is to control the level of pollutants introduced into a single environmental medium (i.e., air, soil, and water) or to address a specific area of concern, such as pesticides or waste management. The legislation that serves as the basis for managing hazardous wastes can be divided into three categories:

• The central statutory authorities are CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The former authorizes cleanup of releases of hazardous substances. The latter creates a management system for current and future hazardous and solid wastes and authorizes cleanup at hazardous waste management facilities.
• Several statutes are media-specific and limit the amount of wastes introduced into the air, waterways, oceans, and drinking water.
• Other statutes directly limit the production of chemical substances and products that may contribute to the nation’s waste.