Environmental cleanup laws govern the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, sediment, surface water, or ground water. Unlike pollution control laws, cleanup laws are designed to respond after-the-fact to environmental contamination, and consequently must often define not only the necessary response actions, but also the parties who may be responsible for undertaking (or paying for) such actions. Regulatory requirements may include rules for emergency response, liability allocation, site assessment, remedial investigation, feasibility studies, remedial action, post-remedial monitoring, and site reuse.

Different laws may govern the cleanup or remediation of varying environmental media. Spill response or cleanup requirements may be enacted as stand-alone laws, or as parts of larger laws focused on a specific environmental medium or pollutant.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or RCRA is an act that gives the EPA the authority to regulate and control hazardous waste. This includes generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.

One of EPA's top priorities is to protect communities disproportionately affected by pollution through environmental justice work.

EPA and the states verify RCRA compliance through a compliance monitoring program which includes inspecting facilities, reviewing records and taking enforcement action when there are violations.

This act is how the EPA handles asbestos that is discovered in schools as well as government employees who aren't protected under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

This act regulates chemical manufacturers and importers by requiring reporting, record keeping, and testing of the chemicals.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or CERCLA is an act that provides a federal fund to help cleanup uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites.