The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act provides that responsible parties, including Federal landowners, investigate and clean up releases of hazardous substances. Trustees for natural resources, which includes the Secretary of the Interior, may assess and recover damages for injury to natural resources from releases of hazardous substances and use the damages for restoration, replacement or acquisition of equivalent natural resources. Provides permanent authorization to appropriate receipts from responsible parties.
Citation
42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.