CERCLA ( Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation Liability Act ) is a law giving the Environmental Protection Agency authority to clean up hazardous waste mishaps. It was signed into law in 1980.
One success story is the Carter Carburetor Site located in St. Louis. From the 1920's to 1984 the company manufactured carburetors for motors. It had 500,000 square feet of buildings. After closing, the main hazardous chemicals were PCBs, TCE and asbestos.
The cleanup started in 2013 and was completed in 2017. The area is now safe for the community to use.
Source: http://www.epa.gov