In the 19th and 20th centuries, manufacturing plants were
typically located in towns or cities, near rivers and harbors
that provided power, transportation, and a means of disposing of
wastes. It wasn't until the late 1800s that concern over the
health effects of air and water pollution and waste disposal
from these plants was raised. As regulation increased, many
plants began storing their liquid wastes in lagoons or in metal
drums that were buried in pits near the plant. Although this
reduced pollutant levels in many rivers and streams, it created
a new potential hazard on the land. In the decades since World
War II, many of these early factories and plants closed or
relocated, leaving behind a number of abandoned sites. In 1980,
Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), more commonly known as
Superfund, to provide for cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
Under the law, potentially responsible parties are supposed to
be held to stringent liability stan