The act that empowers the EPA to investigate and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances is:

The act that empowers the EPA to investigate and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances is:

• A. Clean Water Act
• B. Safe Drinking Water Act
• C. Endangered Species Act
• D. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Answer: (D)

CERCLA authorizes the EPA to identify, assess, and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances, creating a formal path for response and remediation. It established the Superfund trust to pay for cleanups when responsible parties can’t be found or can’t pay, and gives the agency the power to pursue cost recovery from polluters, coordinate with states, and oversee long-term cleanup actions. This framework also prioritizes sites on the National Priorities List so the most dangerous locations are addressed first and ensures cleanup is tracked and monitored over time. In contrast, the Clean Water Act focuses on regulating discharges into bodies of water, the Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking water quality, and the Endangered Species Act protects species and habitats—none of these are designed to comprehensively authorize and fund the investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites like CERCLA does.

CERCLA authorizes the EPA to identify, assess, and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances, creating a formal path for response and remediation. It established the Superfund trust to pay for cleanups when responsible parties can’t be found or can’t pay, and gives the agency the power to pursue cost recovery from polluters, coordinate with states, and oversee long-term cleanup actions. This framework also prioritizes sites on the National Priorities List so the most dangerous locations are addressed first and ensures cleanup is tracked and monitored over time. In contrast, the Clean Water Act focuses on regulating discharges into bodies of water, the Safe Drinking Water Act sets standards for drinking water quality, and the Endangered Species Act protects species and habitats—none of these are designed to comprehensively authorize and fund the investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites like CERCLA does.