Does cercla apply to farming and ranching activities?
Yes, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) applies to farming and ranching activities. In 1996 President Clinton signed an executive order extending CERCLA authority to the United States Department of Agriculture. The Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) applies as well. RCRA governs the use and storage of hazardous waste and petroleum, among others, in underground storage tanks. CERCLA is implicated when a site is contaminated and must be cleaned and restored. If a site's release of hazardous substances and resulting contamination goes unreported the individual can be charged with a criminal act and large fines (and even imprisonment) can be imposed. Contamination can result from substances escaping into groundwater, surface water, or the air.
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