Exxon Corp. v. Hunt

The purposes of the “Spill Fund” Act passed by the New Jersey Legislature in 1977,1 and the “Superfund” legislation enacted by the Congress of the United States in 19802 overlap partially but not entirely. In the area of overlap, both statutes create funds to defray the costs of responding to environmental damage caused by the disposal of certain hazardous substances. Even in this area, however, the state and federal funds are not identical, for § 114(c) of the federal statute provides that no person may be required to contribute to any state fund if “the purpose” of the fund is to pay…