Document Overview

Model document comfort/status letter for use when federal involvement at the property or site is occurring or has occurred under CERCLA and when letter is being requested by HUD or a HUD grantee. Superfund comfort/status letters are provided solely for informational purposes and may include language identifying potentially applicable statutory provisions, regulations, Agency policy, and suggested reasonable steps.

Supporting Documents

Transmittal of Updated and New Model Comfort/Status Letters (2025) (49 pp, 632.0 K)
Date: 09/30/2025
Memorandum transmits updated and new model comfort/status letters and language inserts for EPA Regions to use when responding to interested parties who may want to acquire “impacted properties.” The updated and new 2025 model letters and language inserts reflect the Agency’s 2019 Comfort/Status Letter Policy and the Agency’s experience in issuing comfort/status letters.

Transmittal of New and Updated Model Comfort/Status Letters (2021)
Date: 09/30/2021
Memorandum transmits new and updated model comfort/status letters for EPA Regions to use when responding to interested parties who may want to acquire “impacted properties”. The new and updated 2021 model letters reflect the Agency’s 2019 Comfort/Status Letter Policy, the 2020 guidance on local government acquisitions and the Agency’s experience in issuing comfort/status letters.

Transmittal of the 2019 Policy on the Issuance of Superfund Comfort/Status Letters
Date: 08/21/2019
Transmittal memorandum, guidance, and model comfort/status letters for parties interested in reusing and/or redeveloping contaminated, potentially contaminated, and formerly contaminated properties. The policy discusses the background of EPA’s issuance of Superfund comfort/status letters, describes the purpose and intent of these letters, and includes four updated model letters.

Enforcement Discretion Guidance Regarding Statutory Criteria for Those Who Qualify as a CERCLA Bona Fide Prospective Purchasers, Contiguous Property Owners, or Innocent Landowners
Date: 07/29/2019
Guidance on the "common elements" of the CERCLA landowner liability protections for BFPPs, CPOs, ILOs, and to assist them in exercising their enforcement discretion, which may provide general information to landowners or other third-party stakeholders who may wish to be involved with impacted properties.

Enforcement Discretion Guidance Regarding the Affiliation Language of CERCLA's Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser and Contiguous Property Owner Liability Protections
Date: 09/21/2011
Memorandum assists EPA personnel in, on site-specific basis, exercising the Agency's enforcement discretion regarding the affiliation language contained in CERCLA. Specifically, the memorandum focuses on parties who meet each of the requirements of the BFPP or contiguous property owner (CPO) provisions except for the requirement prohibiting parties from being "affiliated with any other person that is potentially liable."

Interim Enforcement Discretion Policy Concerning Windfall Liens Under Section 107(r) of CERCLA
Date: 07/16/2003
Memorandum discusses EPA and DOJ interim policy implementing Section 107(r) windfall lien provisions contained in the 2002 Brownfields Amendments to CERCLA. Information on interim policy includes link to frequently asked questions document.

Revision History

List of Technical Changes (3 pp, 110.0 K)
09/30/2025

• Introductory Paragraphs
  • Replaced "Development" with "proposed reuse of the Property" to accurately reflect the breadth of activities proposed by interested parties at contaminated or potentially contaminated properties
• History and Status of the Site
  • Revised note to delete "if known" regarding inclusion of a discussion of site conditions, cleanup status, etc.
  • Inserted as a text note a comment instructing drafters to include discussion of current site conditions, cleanup status, etc. and the basis for the determination that the property is suitable for residential use for consistency with other model letters
  • Revised note to add language instructing drafters that items included in the discussion should be items "that may support and/or limit reuse of the property"
  • Added template for new optional paragraph that more precisely identifies and discusses institutional controls at the site and added user note to explain what specific information should be provided in that paragraph if included and adapted to site-specific conditions
• Reuse of the Property
  • Revised language identifying (or not) incompatibilities between the proposed use of the property and EPA's selected cleanup option to be included only if applicable
  • Revised language identifying (or not) incompatibilities between the proposed use of the property and EPA's selected cleanup option to encompass incompatibilities between the proposed use of the property and institutional controls at the site
  • Added user note to optional language identifying (or not) incompatibilities between the proposed use of the property and EPA's selected cleanup option and/or institutional controls to explain that drafters should be cautious of language that could be construed as an approval of the interested party's plans
  • Replaced "and is suitable for residential use" with "and the Property appears suitable for residential use"
  • Revised note to more specifically instruct drafters as to language to include if EPA cannot make a determination about whether the property is suitable for residential use
  • Added language instructing drafters on how to explain EPA's concerns with the proposed use and any land use restrictions, only if applicable, for consistency with other model letters
  • Added language stating that EPA may not have sufficient information to make a determination about compatibility, g., if the remedy has not yet been selected, to be included only if applicable and added a user note to explain when use of that language would be appropriate
• CERCLA's Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser Liability Protection
  • Revised to clarify that acquiring ownership of the property after January 11, 2022 is a one of the statutory requirements for achieving bona fide prospective purchaser (BFPP) status
  • Deleted "also" regarding inclusion of lessees in the statutory definition of a BFPP
  • Revised to provide clarity as to the self-implementing nature of the BFPP protection
  • Revised to reiterate that acquiring ownership of the property after January 11, 2022 is a one of the statutory requirements for achieving BFPP status
  • Revised to clarify that a BFPP will not be liable for past contamination
  • Added language identifying the two threshold criteria for achieving BFPP status and the six continuing obligations for maintaining BFPP status
  • Revised to make "the BFPP statutory protection may apply" optional, as EPA may not have enough information determine even that the protection may apply
  • Added language to clarify that the purpose of this letter is to provide information that may assist the interested party in achieving and maintaining BFPP status on its own without suggesting that EPA is involved in that process
  • Deleted "ultimately" to clarify that EPA is in no way involved in determining whether a party has met the criteria for BFPP status
• Note
  • Deleted "Optional:" for consistency with other model letters
  • Revised to clarify that reasonable steps are a requirement specific to achieving and maintaining BFPP status
  • Replaced "may also" with "should" to signal the importance of including language regarding access required by EPA
• Optional: Reasonable Steps
  • Revised language introducing list of reasonable steps by removing expression of EPA's belief as to what are reasonable steps
  • Revised note regarding list of reasonable steps to instruct drafters to include information regarding access required by EPA
  • Deleted "final" to clarify that EPA is in no way involved in determining what are reasonable steps related to hazardous substance contamination at a site
• Inserted as text a comment instructing drafters to include section related to reasonable steps, if there is sufficient information, for consistency with other model letters
• Added language to Note to clarify that EPA regional staff should consult with OSRE before including potentially conclusory or legally binding language
• Liens
  • Clarified that language is based upon the information now available to the EPA
  • Revised language regarding application of the Windfall Lien Policy to be optional

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