Environmental
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) is significant in Pennsylvania real estate because:
AIt requires annual lead paint inspections in all Pennsylvania homes built before 1978
BIt can impose liability for hazardous waste cleanup on current and past property owners, even innocent purchasers without proper due diligence✓ Correct
CIt sets the standards for radon testing requirements in all Pennsylvania residential transactions
DIt applies only to properties located within one mile of the Delaware or Susquehanna Rivers
Explanation
CERCLA (Superfund) establishes joint and several liability for hazardous waste site cleanup — potentially holding current owners, past owners, operators, and those who arranged for disposal liable for cleanup costs, even without causing the contamination. The innocent purchaser defense requires conducting all appropriate inquiries (typically a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment) before purchase. Pennsylvania's many brownfield sites in former industrial corridors raise significant CERCLA liability concerns for buyers and lenders.
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