Superfund: A Brief Comparison of the Chairmen's Bills. CRS Report for Congress

摘要

This report compares three bills intended to amend and reauthorize the211u001eComprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or 211u001eSuperfund), the federal program to clean up hazardous waste sites. There are 211u001enumerous Superfund bills introduced in the current Congress. The three bills 211u001echosen for comparison (S. 8, as reported by the Committee on Environment and 211u001ePublic Works (S. Rept. 105-192); the subcommittee-approved version of H.R. 2727; 211u001eand H.R. 3000) are those introduced by the chairmen of the subcommittees with 211u001ejurisdiction over the program. The report focuses on the four most contentious 211u001eissues in the reauthorization debate: the law's retroactive, strict, joint, and 211u001eseveral liability scheme; remedy selection and cleanup standards, including the 211u001elaw's preference for permanence and treatment; the role of the states in cleanup; 211u001eand efforts to limit natural resource damages. CRS Issue Brief 97025, Superfund 211u001eReauthorization Issues in the 105th Congress, treats the topic more broadly. 211u001eReferences to other pertinent CRS products are included. The report assumes basic 211u001eknowledge by the reader of CERCLA and the Superfund program. It will be updated 211u001eas legislative actions occur.