What act is associated with the term "Superfund"?

The term "Superfund" is associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This legislation was enacted in 1980 to address the growing issue of hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. The Superfund program, established under CERCLA, aims to facilitate the clean-up of contaminated sites and to hold responsible parties accountable for the contamination.

The importance of CERCLA lies in its ability to identify and prioritize hazardous waste sites, allowing for federal and state intervention in the cleanup process. It has a trust fund used to finance cleanups when no responsible party can be found, ensuring that public health and the environment are protected from the dangers posed by toxic waste.

In contrast, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) primarily focuses on the management of solid and hazardous waste, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) emphasizes the regulation of chemical substances, and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) introduced further provisions under CERCLA but does not define the term "Superfund" itself. Therefore, CERCLA is unequivocally linked to the Superfund initiative.