| Abstract |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE) implements the enforcement of EPAs hazardous waste cleanup laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also known as CERCLA or Superfund), the corrective action and underground storage tank cleanup provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA). The main objective of the cleanup enforcement program is to ensure prompt site cleanup and the participation of liable parties in performing and paying for cleanups in a manner that ensures protection of human health and the environment. Congress passed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-118) (hereinafter, the Brownfields Amendments), which modified Superfund and further promoted the cleanup, reuse, and redevelopment of sites by addressing liability concerns associated with unused or under-utilized property. One important mission of OSRE is to provide guidance on the liability protections available to property owners and other parties as a result of the Brownfields Amendments and other federal laws governing contamination cleanup. OSRE has played, and continues to play, a key role in the reuse and revitalization of contaminated sites, including brownfield sites, by providing guidance and developing tools that will assist parties seeking to clean up, reuse, or redevelop contaminated properties. |
