CERCLA establishes liability for parties responsible for the contamination of a site. These parties, known as Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), can include current and past site owners, operators, and waste generators. The Act allows the government to compel these parties to perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup efforts. If the responsible parties cannot be found or are unable to pay, CERCLA provides a trust fund (Superfund) to finance the cleanup.
