What is the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act?

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (or SARA) is a law aimed at regulating environmental hazards in the United States. It was passed by Congress in 1986 and has been updated multiple times since. In Virginia, SARA is designed to provide funding for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, such as chemical spills, illegal dumping, or oil spills. The law also requires businesses and municipalities to report hazardous releases either to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), or to the local government. Under the law, the EPA is given the authority to clean up contaminated sites and then seek reimbursement from any responsible parties associated with the release. This helps ensure that the polluter, instead of the taxpayers, is footing the bill for the cleanup. Furthermore, the law also provides for a number of public disclosure requirements, such as providing information about hazardous releases and cleanup activities, and also creating a hotline for citizens to report suspicious activities. SARA has been an extremely influential piece of legislation in Virginia and has helped to create a healthier environment for all Virginians. So far, it has been successful in funding hundreds of cleanup efforts and has made significant strides in creating safer communities.

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