ClimateSeptember 1, 2026

superfund

SOO-per-fund

Definition

A legislative initiative designed to hold large corporations financially liable for climate change-related infrastructure damages and environmental cleanup costs.

Etymology

The term is derived from the U.S. federal program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to fund the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, with the prefix super- denoting its large-scale scope.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe a New York state law that sought to collect damages from energy companies, which the senator argues is a wasted effort due to federal legal preemption.

Testa Statement on Federal Court Ruling in New York Climate Superfund Case

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NJ Senate Republican

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