CERCLA, is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act which was passed in 1980. It is also known as Superfund since it was originally funded by a tax on potential industry polluters, but this tax was allowed to expire in 1995 so now all funding comes from Federal budge appropriations, which has been dwindling in amount each year. 

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     CERCLA deals with closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites as well as accidents, spills and other emergencies, and can assign financial liability for cleanup costs.

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     CERCLA is overseen by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) which Congress has given regulatory and enforcement authority to. 

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