Abstract |
The Fact Sheet discusses the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) in response to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). The HRS is the scoring system EPA uses to assess the relative threat associated with the release or potential release of hazardous substances from a waste site. The HRS score is the primary criterion EPA uses to determine whether a site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL identifies sites that warrant further investigation to determine if they pose risks to public health or the environment. Sites on the NPL are eligible for long-term 'remedial action' financed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by SARA. SARA authorizes a 'Hazardous Substances Superfund' totalling $8.5 billion over 5 years to pay costs not assumed by those responsible for problems at a site. The HRS uses data that can be collected relatively quickly and inexpensively, thus allowing most Superfund resources to be directed to remedial actions at sites on the NPL. |