Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites include manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining sites.Congress established the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980, informally called Superfund. It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work.When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites. - Definition is from the EPA site on Superfunds.
Below is a Map of the Superfunds in New Mexico, including the South Valley Superfund.