Superfund Response Program

The Superfund law distinguishes between short-term and long-term responses to threats posed by hazardous substances. Short-term responses, also referred to as removal actions, address immediate threats to public health and the environment. EPA differentiates among three types of emergency response alternatives according to the urgency of the situation. The Superfund Emergency Response program makes sure that all elements of the response system are ready to respond immediately to virtually any emergency wherever it occurs. Since its inception in 1980, the program has compiled an impressive record of accomplishments.

Long-term responses, also called remedial actions, involve complex and highly contaminated sites that often require several years to fully study the problem, develop a permanent remedy, and clean up the hazardous waste. These are the sites that most people think of when they hear about the Superfund program, which is known more formally as the Superfund Remedial Program. As of August 1996, there were over 1200 Superfund sites undergoing some form of long-term cleanup.