Superfund and contamination of workers' homes.

Although originally conceived as a means to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites, at least one state is now attempting to use the Superfund (CERCLA) legislation as a means to recover the costs of a home contamination incident. This case has not been litigated yet. If the state is successful, however, the Superfund program would be expanded not only to cover waste disposal practices but also industrial hygiene practices.

Cleanup of mercury contamination of thermometer workers' homes.

Several incidents of contamination of the home with chemicals from the workplace have been reported in recent years. Employees at a mercury thermometer plant transported mercury from the factory into their homes. As a result, increased levels of mercury were found in the urine of some of the employees' families.