CERCLA is best described as which?

• A. Establishes national parks
• B. Law that holds polluters responsible for hazardous waste cleanup
• C. Regulates air emissions
• D. Provides tax credits for recycling

Answer: (B)

CERCLA is a law that makes polluters pay for cleaning up hazardous waste sites. It created the Superfund, a trust fund used to finance cleanup when responsible parties cannot pay or cannot be identified, and it establishes liability on potentially responsible parties—such as current and past owners, operators, generators, and transporters—to cover the cleanup costs. This accountability and funding mechanism are the core ideas behind CERCLA, making it the best description of the act. It’s not about establishing national parks, regulating air emissions, or providing tax credits for recycling, which are handled by other laws.