Thursday, November 18, 2010

WHAT IS A SUPERFUND?!?


No, a Superfund is not a fund with a whole bunch of money it's actually the common name for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), which is regulated by the Envirovmental Protection acgency. CERCLA is basically a fund/law that the United States has that is specifically designated to clean up sites that have been contaminated by hazardous maerials and substances, like nuclear and chemical waste and pollutants. If you wonder where a Superfund site is you can think of the Rocky Mountain Arsennal, that is classified as a Superfund site since it had plenty of contaminates in the groundwater and in the soil. An entire list of Superfund sites can be found here, just click on the region you live in to see what's around you:


If you are wondering what pays for all this clean-up, the people who are responsible for these messes are the one's paying for the clean-up since they are the ones contaminating. 


Just think of Erin Brockovich, how she found out that Pacific Gas & Electric Comapny was contaminating the drinking water with hexavalent chromium. Julie Roberts did a lovely job portraying the real Erin in the self titled film.

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