Problem: The state of New Jersey faced hazardous waste cleanup problems at a number of industrial sites around the state. The process was generally slow, and the contamination led to legal complications when the sites were sold. Proposed solution: The Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act (ECRA) was passed in 1983 to deal with environmental contamination of industrial sites. The law requires environmental audits of these sites before they are sold or abandoned; contamination must be cleaned up before the transaction is permitted; a state inspection is required. The penalties give the plan its effectiveness; fines for violations and penalties for false information are stiff, and the state or the purchaser can void a sale if the seller is found to have violated the act. Because of this last clause, banks and title companies will avoid transactions not cleared by the Department of Environmental Protection; this leaves companies with no alternative to compliance. Evaluation: Thus far the program has been a success. In the largest cases, a former Ford plant and a former Singer factory were both cleaned up. In other cases, the pre-sale inspections have led to the discovery and elimination of contamination earlier than would have been the case without the program. Contact: Bureau of Industrial Site Evaluation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Citation: "A New Tactic Against Hazardous Waste." EPA Journal, v. 11 (April 1985), pp. 16-17. Keywords: environment hazardous waste cleanup