Which of the following is a purpose of the CERCLA?

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was enacted to address the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and to establish a framework for the management of those sites. One of the primary purposes of CERCLA is to assign liability for the cleanup of contaminated sites, which is essential for holding responsible parties accountable for their role in polluting the environment.

By establishing liability, CERCLA enables the federal government to require responsible parties to clean up sites or pay for the cleanup when they cannot be found. This principle of liability is fundamental to ensuring that the costs associated with hazardous waste cleanup do not fall entirely on taxpayers or the community. The act also provides a trust fund to finance cleanups when no financially viable responsible party can be identified.

Overall, the emphasis on establishing liability is crucial because it encourages responsible management of hazardous materials, promotes accountability, and helps protect public health and the environment. The other options do not align with the core objectives of CERCLA. For example, charging businesses for damages could be part of broader environmental legislation, but CERCLA specifically focuses on cleanup and liability related directly to hazardous waste sites, not general environmental damages.