The Superfund Enforcement program gets Superfund sites cleaned up by finding the companies or people responsible for contamination at a site, and negotiating with them to do the clean up themselves, or to pay for the clean up done by another party (i.e., EPA, state, or other responsible parties).

If a responsible party does not agree to do the cleanup, EPA can issue an order to do certain work, or work with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue the party through the federal court system. If a party is out of compliance with an order or settlement, the Superfund enforcement program takes action to bring them into compliance. Such action may include: referring the case to DOJ for enforcement, assessing penalties, and/or taking over the work. Visit EPA's Superfund program website for information on how EPA cleans up Superfund sites and administers the Superfund program.

For more than 35 years, under the authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, the Superfund enforcement program has worked to achieve commitments from responsible parties to conduct or pay for the cleanup of Superfund sites through settlements agreements and EPA orders. Read more about Superfund enforcement's 35 years of protecting communities and the environment.

Learn More About the Superfund Enforcement Program:

• Finding Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
  • Superfund "Notice of Liability" Letters
  • Superfund Information Request Letters
  • Collection of Section 104(e) Question and Answer Categories
• Superfund Liability
  • Defenses and Exemptions to Superfund Liability
  • Unique Parties and Superfund Liability
• Negotiating Superfund Settlements
  • Incentives for Negotiating Superfund Settlements
  • Financial Assurance in Superfund Settlements and Orders
  • Superfund Alternative Approach
  • Sites with Superfund Alternative Approach Agreements
• Superfund Unilateral Orders
• Recovering Cleanup Costs
  • Recovering Costs from Parties in Bankruptcy
  • Special Accounts
• Complying with Superfund Cleanup Agreements and Orders and Penalties
• Superfund Enforcement Authorities

Locate Superfund Enforcement Resources:

• Superfund Enforcement Policy and Guidance Database
• Cleanup Enforcement Model Language and Sample Documents Database
• Superfund enforcement reports and publications
• Superfund enforcement cases and settlements
• PRP Search Manual (2009 edition with 2011 addendum)

Top of Page