Which act establishes regulations for hazardous waste sites?

• A. Clean Water Act
• B. CERCLA
• C. RCRA
• D. NEPA

Answer: (B)

The key idea is the regulation and cleanup framework specifically for contaminated sites. CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, created the Superfund program to address hazardous waste sites by funding and directing cleanups and by establishing liability on responsible parties. It was designed to respond to releases or the presence of hazardous substances at abandoned or inactive sites and to ensure they are cleaned up, even when the parties responsible cannot be found or cannot pay.

In contrast, other statutes address related but different aspects: the Clean Water Act focuses on preventing water pollution from discharges into bodies of water; NEPA requires environmental impact assessments for federal actions; and RCRA governs the generation, storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes to prevent future problems. Those laws either regulate ongoing hazardous waste management or protect broader environmental quality, not specifically the remediation of already-contaminated sites. Therefore, CERCLA best fits the regulation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites.