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Regulations, Guidance, and Policy
The rule referred to as the "All Appropriate Inquiries" rule established specific regulatory requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership, uses, and environmental conditions of a property for the purposes of qualifying for certain landowner liability protections under CERCLA. The final rule went into effect on November 1, 2006.
Includes guidance on using ADR in enforcement actions.
This site provides access to guidance documents designed to assist EPA and State personnel in attaining compliance with ARAR requirements. ARARs are identified on a site-by-site basis for all on-site response actions where CERCLA authority is the basis for cleanup.
ASTM's environmental assessment and risk management standards provide the proper procedures for carrying out specific evaluation procedures for identifying and predicting the possible biophysical, social, and other relevant impacts that certain products and projects may have on the natural environment, as well as on the health and safety of the immediate users of such. These environmental assessment and risk management standards are valuable to environmental scientists and engineers, impact assessment institutions, and real estate firms in implementing the appropriate environmental impact designs to ensure overall prevention of the associated contamination risks.
This MOU established responsibilities and funding for the US Environmental Protection Agency's assistance and support in accelerating environmental restoration and cleanup decisions in support of reuse at selected Department of Defense (DoD) BRAC Rounds I-IV installations.
This website provides information about contaminated federal facility sites in specific communities, access to technical fact sheets and tools and resources to help government agencies and their contractors fulfill cleanup obligations.
This Act provides a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. Through the Act, EPA was given power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup.
Meeting materials for the Eighteenth Annual Intergovernmental Meeting with the U.S. Department of Energy on Nuclear Weapons Waste Cleanup held by the National Governor's Association. The NGA is the representative gubernatorial body to identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels as well as provide resources to the governors and their staff.
This policy memorandum, dated 1 August 2011, describes management controls that will be implemented to ensure that the recommendations in the Five-Year Review reports are tracked, monitored and implemented; provides guidance to Remedial Project Managers to ensure that the reviews are completed on time; outlines how EPA makes an independent decision on protectiveness; and confirms that Five-Year Reviews are generally enforceable under Federal Facility Agreements.
As part of the U.S. EPA's July 25, 2017, Superfund Task Force Report (Report) Recommendation 30, EPA revised its 1997 "Policy Towards Landowners and Transferees of Federal Facilities." Recommendation 30 directed the revision as part of the Report's Goal 3, "Encouraging Private Investment." Formerly, the 1997 policy indicated that prospective purchaser agreements would not be necessary for landowners and transferees of federal facilities. In addition, it did not encourage the use of various tools, such as comfort letters, to give transferees confidence that EPA would generally not take CERCLA enforcement action against them. The revised policy is intended to encourage reuse and redevelopment of federal property. It supports the use of tools such as comfort letters and other agreements to address potential liability concerns of landowners and transferees who acquire federal property, and aims to alleviate uncertainty regarding potential enforcement by EPA for contamination existing as of the date of property acquisition. EPA developed the policy in coordination with two state organizations, ECOS and ASTSWMO, and other federal agencies. Susan Bodine, EPA's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, issued the revised policy on May 17, 2019. See attachment.
In this database, users can browse and search frequently asked questions about EPCRA, RMP, and Oil Pollution Prevention (which includes oil discharge regulations, SPCC, and FRP). In addition, users can submit their own question if they do not find a similar one in the Database.
In this document, dated 1 December 2008, the Department of Justice, said that the Pentagon had no legal grounds to resist cleanup orders from the EPA.
This memorandum, dated 17 March 2006 and assigned the number OSWER Directive 9208.2, EPA enforcement and superfund program officials have directed regional offices to apply the agency's "enforcement first" policy to ensure that institutional controls are implemented effectively at superfund sites. The memo clarifies a 2002 directive asking regions to redouble their attention to the agency's "enforcement first" policy that potentially responsible parties should conduct remedial actions whenever possible.
Dated October 12, 2005, the PCC Strategy is a management framework of goals, with recommended approaches and initiatives, that is designed to provide greater assurance that remedies put in place under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) remain protective over the long-term.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on September 7, 2012, issued a joint memorandum calling for department and agency commitment to the goals identified in the Memorandum on Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution, and the goals identified in related policy guidance. This memorandum supersedes an OMB/CEQ joint memorandum issued in November 28, 2005, on Environmental Conflict Resolution. It broadens the efforts called for under the 2005 memorandum by explicitly encouraging appropriate and effective upfront environmental collaboration to minimize or prevent conflict. The memorandum applies to all executive branch agencies as they carry out their responsibilities under their organic acts and enabling legislation, the National Environmental Policy Act, and other laws in effect to manage and conserve our environment, natural resources, and public lands.
Issued by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), the purpose of this document is to provide guidance to support Five-Year Reviews (FYRs) under CERCLA, as amended, where institutional controls (ICs) are included as components of site remedies. FYRs generally are conducted where the chosen remedy leaves waste in place and does not allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure(UU/UE) at a site. This guidance supplements OSWER's 2001 Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance (FYR Guidance) and provides recommendations for conducting FYRs for the IC component of remedies in a manner similar to the review of engineering or other remedy components.
Guidance on the use of RCRA 7003 and other corrective action documents.
This January 2009 guidance reduces the Drinking Water Equivalent Level set in 2006 by setting an Interim Drinking Water Health Advisory for exposure to 15 parts per billion.
This EPA memorandum, dated 5 December 2012, discusses the potential applicability of the bona fide prospective purchaser (BFPP) provision to tenants who lease contaminated or formerly contaminated properties and how the Agency intends to exercise its enforcement discretion to treat certain tenants as BFPPs under CERCLA.
The focus of this act is to provide relief for small businesses from liability under CERCLA of 1980, and to amend CERCLA to promote the cleanup and reuse of brownfields, to provide financial assistance for brownfields revitalization, to enhance State response programs, and for other purposes.
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 reauthorized CERCLA to continue cleanup activities around the country.
The source for EPA model documents and guidance on liability, negotiations, and settlement procedures under CERCLA (Superfund).
Agreement between the Defense Department and state regulators on requirements governing funding state regulatory oversight of military cleanups. Under the DSMOA program, DOD reimburses state regulatory agencies for regulatory oversight of environmental restoration at military sites. Once a state has signed a DSMOA with DOD, it can apply for a cooperative agreement that "outlines the planning and funding structure for the environmental restoration efforts the state will carry out at DoD facilities over the next two years in order to mitigate impacts to human health and the environment," DOD says in its FY05 annual report to Congress on its environmental programs.
Updated Guidance for Applicants Requesting to Treat/Dispose of PCBs Using Incineration or an Alternative Method. This guidance is to assist applicants, facility owners and operators applying to EPA for approval to dispose of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using incineration or alternative thermal and non-thermal methods. The update modernizes the format of the document and puts the relevant existing policies in one place.
Supporting Information and Tools
 
Databases/Software Tools
A tool for screening potentially applicable technologies for a remediation project. The matrix allows the user to screen 64 in situ and ex situ technologies for either soil or groundwater remediation. Variables used in screening include contaminants, development status, overall cost, and cleanup time. In-depth information on each technology is also available, including direct links to the database of cost and performance reports written by FRTR members.
Developed by Minnesota Brownfields and the Minnesota Department of Health this tool incorporates a series of indicators that address community health factors and aims to streamline project decision-making process by providing a framework for stakeholders to identify and prioritize redevelopment goals. Designed as a self-guided tool by those who influence and work on brownfield projects, the Brownfield Health Indicator Tool's framework supports existing project decision-making processes. The tool is located under "MDH Brownfield Services"
This EPA website is an adjunct to the EPA publication and provides a general outline of how to assess and clean up a brownfields site and introduce stakeholders to a range of technology options and available resources.
This is a free program where users can find out about the reactivity of substances or mixtures of substances. It includes: a database of reactivity information for more than 5,000 common hazardous chemicals; and a way for users to virtually "mix" chemicals--like the chemicals in the derailed tank cars above--to find out what dangers could arise from accidental mixing.
The Disaster Debris Recovery Tool is an interactive mapping tool of 12 types of recovery facilities, recyclers, and landfills that manage disaster debris. This tool provides information and locations of over 20,000 facilities throughout the U.S. Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands. The tool can be used by disaster response, recovery and planning experts to advance safe recovery, recycling, and disposal of disaster debris.
Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement program was established to expedite environmental restoration at DoD installations through enhanced partnership with states, territories and the District of Columbia. This portal provides information regarding the program. Registration is required and limited to Department of Defense and State Government users.
This system lets environmental professionals use the Internet to search, view, download, and print information about innovative remediation and characterization technologies. The system is sponsored by EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI).
This website contains cleanup status information related to Federal Facilities contained in EPA's Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket (Docket). FEDFacts allows the public to easily access up-to-date information on docket sites from publicly-available EPA databases.
Developed by the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR), the Matrix and its accompanying Reference Guide provide project managers and site stakeholders with information for use in identifying methods involving non-intrusive or minimally intrusive technologies in order to optimize sampling locations and minimize well installation. The Matrix includes techniques and instruments that are (1) fieldable and (2) commercially available. The Reference Guide provides a description and additional background information on each technology.
Part of the CAMEO suite, MARPLOT® is a mapping application that people can use to quickly create, view, and modify maps. Users can create their own objects in MARPLOT (e.g., facilities, schools, response assets) and display them on top of a basemap. (There are three basemaps to choose from: standard map files, aerial photos, and topographical maps.) Users can also link objects they've created in MARPLOT to the CAMEO database to store additional information about the objects. For example, users might create an object for a chemical facility in MARPLOT, and then link it to the facility record in CAMEO in order to quickly get info about the facility's chemical inventory during an emergency response.
This portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.The portal is sponsored by the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI).
PFAS Project Lab maintains a public PFAS contamination site tracker, which now contains more than 850 PFAS-contaminated sites and over 600 contaminated water systems in the United States.
This website provides technical assistance for restoration programs to help them consider where to invest their efforts for greater likelihood of success, based on the traits of their own geographic area's environment and communities. There are three main website components. Step-by-step instructions in recovery potential screening provide watershed managers with a methodology for comparing restorability differences among their waters. The steps in the methodology link to several online tools and resources that are used in recovery potential screening. A library of recovery potential indicators offers technical information on specific recovery-related factors (ecological, stressor, and social), how they influence restorability, and how to measure them.
The RSL website is the source of screening levels for all the EPA regions. The RSL tables provide comparison values for residential and commercial/industrial exposures to soil, air, and tapwater (drinking water). Here you will find tables of risk-based screening levels, calculated using the latest toxicity values, default exposure assumptions and physical and chemical properties, and a calculator where default parameters can be changed to reflect site-specific risks.
This tool guides interested parties through a process to screen sites for their suitability for solar photovoltaics or wind installations. The tool addresses the following types of sites: potentially contaminated sites (Superfund, Brownfield, RCRA, mine site); landfill (municipal solid waste, construction and demolition or similar unit); underutilized (abandoned parcels, parking lots; and rooftop (Solar PV only; Commercial / Industrial roofs).
Allows users to search for both NPL and non-NPL sites by EPA Region or State.
The SEMS Search allows you to retrieve Superfund data from the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) database in Envirofacts. Specify a facility by using any combination of facility name and geographic location. You may also select an output option.
EPA has developed the Superfund Redevelopment Mapper to help communities affected by Superfund sites reclaim and return land to safe and beneficial use. This web-based mapping tool helps stakeholders explore potential reuse opportunities. It provides users with Superfund site locations and options for adding data layers that highlight site features and site surroundings. Any existing GIS data layer can be added to the tool, allowing users to explore more information about their communities, such as income levels, unemployment numbers and land features.
This is a grant writing tool to be used for preparation of EPA brownfields grant proposals. Currently, TAB EZ only addresses assessment and cleanup grants. TAB EZ provides a framework for the proposal and provides strategies and links to reduce time in writing the proposal. TAB EZ is available free of cost to everyone nationwide.
Developed by the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR), the DST Matrix contains publicly-funded decision support software tools for environmental restoration activities from such agencies as the U.S. EPA, DoD, and DoE. This matrix displays the applicability of each tool to contaminant classes and media types, as well as software types supported for input/output, and potential team members that will maximize the use of each tool. The purpose of the matrix is not to compare the tools against one another, but rather, to provide an evaluation of the capabilities and uses of the tools to help project managers better understand how to select the tools appropriate for their specific site needs. Also included are direct links to the tool software homepages, the matrix-development report, and case studies that show how select tools can be used as part of a cleanup project.
Directories/Catalogs/Newsletters
Newsgroup operated by the Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO). Addresses brownfields concerns and issues at governmental and non–governmental locations. Subscription Info
Newsgroup operated by the Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO). It addresses cleanup issues associated with military sites. Subscription Information
A newsletter about soil, sediment, and ground-water characterization and remediation technologies.
Newsletter sponsored by Northeastern University's Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute.
The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program promoted the development, commercialization, and implementation of innovative hazardous waste treatment technologies for 20 years. In FY 2005, ORD initiated closure of the SITE Program. This report summarizes the progress and findings of the SITE Program from FY 2005 - FY 2009 and contains a listing of all projects completed during the program's history.
Libraries/Repositories
This a web-based knowledge management information tool custom built for the D&D user community. The objective of the D&D KM-IT is to provide single-point access into the collective knowledge-base of the D&D community within and outside of DOE. Available information includes lessons learned, best practices, and other information gathered during the deactivation and decommissioning of US DOE's excess nuclear facilities.
EPA's PFAS Action Plan outlines concrete steps the agency is taking to address PFAS and to protect public health. EPA's website provides basic information, tools, and resources regarding PFAS.
CERCLA Section 120(c) requires EPA to establish and maintain this docket which contains information about Federal facilities that manage hazardous waste or from which hazardous substances have been or may be released. SARA, as amended by the Defense Authorization Act of 1997, specifies that, for each Federal facility that is included on the docket an evaluation shall be completed in accordance with a reasonable schedule. Such site evaluation activities help determine whether the facility should be included on the National Priorities List (NPL) and provide EPA and the public with valuable information about the facility. CERCLA requires that the docket be updated every six months, as new facilities are reported to EPA by Federal agencies.
The library is a repository of information about federal-facility restoration and reuse. This information, divided into categories (such as BRAC, Five-year review, quality assurance, etc.), includes FAQ documents, websites, power point presentations, and other resources.
Provides access to individual pages about sites where FFRRO is working on cleanup projects. Site pages include basic site information, maps, links to reports and related pages, and other resources specific to the site. Users can see all sites or view them according to the following categories: Federal Facility NPL Sites; BRAC Sites; DOE Sites; and other agency sites.
This site is the source for obtaining Five-Year Reviews, documents prepared by EPA to evaluate the implementation and performance of site remedies to determine if they remain protective of human health and the environment. Using Five-Year Reviews Online, you can search by state, site name or EPA ID, region, keyword or fiscal year across all available Five-Year Reviews.
This Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) online document includes the PFAS Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document, PFAS Fact Sheets and Explainer Videos, Training Module Videos and external tables of data and information prepared by the ITRC PFAS Team. The document is designed specifically to support state and federal environmental staff, as well as others (including stakeholders, project managers, and decision makers), to gain a working knowledge of the current state of PFAS science and practice.
This system contains full-text Records of Decision (RODs), ROD Abstracts, ROD Amendments (AMDs) and Explanations of Significant Differences (ESDs). Using RODS, you can search by state, site name or EPA ID for specific ROD documents, or by keyword (such as a contaminant or remediation type) across all ROD documents. A ROD provides the justification for the remedial action (treatment) chosen at a Superfund site. It also contains site history, site description, site characteristics, community participation, enforcement activities, past and present activities, contaminated media, the contaminants present, scope and role of response action and the remedy selected for cleanup.
EPA established the Technical Support Project (TSP) in 1987 to provide technical assistance to regional Remedial Project Managers (RPMs), Corrective Action Staff, and On-Scene Coordinators. The TSP consists of a network of regional forums and specialized technical support centers located EPA laboratories, and the Environmental Response Team. The objectives of the TSP are to share information and best practices with other EPA programs and other federal agencies.
Organizations
An organization that promotes and facilitates public participation in the oversight of environmental activities at federal facilities, private "Superfund" sites, and Brownfields. CPEO educates public stakeholders on both the process and technologies for cleanup and environmental protection.
The mission of the Chemical and Material Risk Management (CMRM) Program is to protect readiness, people and the environment by identifying and managing risks associated with the chemicals and materials DoD uses. They do this by enabling more effective management of current and future risks from chemicals and, in so doing, we lower lifecycle costs, drive innovation, and avoid the need for future crisis-driven retooling to comply with new regulations.
This EPA office helps accelerate the transfer of federal property by coordinating environmental cleanup activities and crafting innovative property transfer arrangements. As part of this mission, FFRRO assists in the transfer of both Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and National Priorities List (NPL) sites, also known as Superfund sites.
This organization promotes the use of sustainable practices during implementation of remedial action activities with the objective of balancing economic viability, conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, and the enhancement of the quality of life in surrounding communities.
The purpose of this center is to provide information about the use of innovative site investigation and cleanup technologies and strategies at brownfields and other land revitalization sites.
This DoD program aims to protect readiness, people and the environment by identifying and managing risks associated with the chemicals and materials DoD uses. The CMRM Program accomplishes this by do this by enabling more effective management of current and future risks from chemicals. In so doing, the CMRM program helps to lower lifecycle costs, drive innovation, and avoid the need for future crisis-driven retooling to comply with new regulations.
The roundtable was established in 1991 as an interagency committee to exchange information and to provide a forum for joint action regarding the development and demonstration of innovative technologies for hazardous waste remediation.
Lessons Learned
 
General
An annual summary of the progress accomplished under Superfund. Available reports start in FY 2004.
Climate-Smart Conservation provides guidance to natural resource managers and conservation professionals for carrying out climate adaptation and incorporating climate considerations into their work. The guide provides an overview of how climate change may affect species and ecosystems, offers general principles for successful climate adaptation, and outlines a set of "key characteristics" of climate-smart conservation.
The Community Guide series is a set of 21 fact sheets that describe, in general terms, cleanup methods used at Superfund and other sites. Each fact sheet is two pages long and answers five questions about the cleanup method: 1) What is it? 2) How does it work? 3) Is it safe? 4) How long will it take? and 5) Why use it?
Offered by the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Coucil (ITRC), this guidance presents a recommended process for remediation management at complex sites, termed "adaptive site management." The adaptive site management process is presented in a flow chart and each step is described in detail. This guidance incorporates and refers to best management practices, tools, and technologies described in previous publications by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Department of Defense (DOD), ITRC, and others. The guidance also includes numerous case studies that describe real-world applications of remediation and remediation management at complex sites. A team of state and federal environmental regulators, federal agency representatives, industry experts, community stakeholders, and academia developed the guidance document.
The focus of this site is assisting the government remedial project managers (RPMs) in the evaluation process and to enhance technology transfer among Federal agencies. The site allows the RPM to pursue questions based on contamination problems as well as specific technology issues depending on their need.
This toolkit is used for promoting successful community participation in the Superfund process. The Toolkit contains 47 tools, each of which describes activities that Superfund Site Teams have used successfully or provides information on available resources.
A story map providing an overview of Superfund Redevelopment Opportunity Sites. This list of sites is designed to promote redevelopment and community revitalization at Superfund sites.
This site contains information about Superfund's redevelopment programs, including case studies and success stories.
This site bundles information for particular technologies that may be used in a variety of cleanup/remediation activities. The site is aimed at providing information for site owners, the public, and other non-technical parties that might be involved in a cleanup. The site will be continuously updated with information from federal cleanup programs, state sources, universities, nonprofit organizations, peer-reviewed publications, and public-private partnerships.
EPA is undertaking an Agency-wide initiative to revitalize land by restoring and reusing contaminated, and potentially contaminated, sites. Whether a property is a Superfund site, an operating waste disposal site, a petroleum facility, a former gas station, or an abandoned industrial facility, EPA believes that environmental cleanup and land restoration across all EPA programs must be achieved.
Award Winners
This award is given to recognize efforts to protect human health and the environment by cleaning up identified DoD sites in a timely, cost-efficient, and responsive manner. These are annual awards celebrating the previous years' accomplishments/innovations. Nominations are typically accepted until March and the awards given in June.
BRAC
A list of BRAC facilities with their NPL status and links to additional information for each site.
Developed by EPA's Development, Community, and Environment Division (DCED) , EPA Region 1's Smart Growth Program, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) , and the Land Revitalization Office addresses the steps, procedures, and possibilities for a successful base closure that does not devastate nearby communities.
Brownfields
This EPA publication (EPA 542-R-12-001) provide a general outline of how to assess and clean up a brownfields site and introduce stakeholders to a range of technology options and available resources. General concepts and basic considerations that affect the cleanup of brownfields sites are described with a new "Back to Basics" approach. This publication is targeted for non-technical stakeholders and technical professionals, walking users through the big picture of managing a brownfields site from assessment to reuse and introduces technology options and considerations for each phase. Additionally there is a Brownfields Road Map website to provide direct access to technical resources.
This site aids those who are new to the concept of Brownfields definitions, case studies, and information on how Brownfields redevelopment works.
Released by National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP), this primer aids aid local governments in investigating whether renewable energy development may be the right choice for brownfields in their communities.
This EPA guide walks decision-makers through six questions to determine whether infiltration or other stormwater management approaches are appropriate for a specific brownfield property.
This plan, dated October 2008, describes a series of specific actions, new tools, and expanded partnership efforts EPA will launch over the next three years. In the plan, EPA identifies four strategic initiatives and activities to return abandoned petroleum brownfields sites to productive use.
State Brownfields and Voluntary Response Programs: An Update from the States This September 2008 document (EPA-560-R-08-004) explores the evolving landscape of state environmental, financial, and technical programs, including the incentives designed to promote brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. This tool looks at multiple components of state brownfields and voluntary response program(s), and provides a synopsis of each state's response program(s) and contact information
This program is a part of EPA's Brownfields Initiative to help communities clean and redevelop properties that have been damaged or undervalued by environmental contamination. The aim of the TAB program is to facilitate stakeholder involvement in community brownfields redevelopment efforts. This is done through: leadership training, risk assessment training, workshops in the Brownfields development process, Site assessment workshops, and training on Cleanup alternatives so that local government officials, developers, and environmental/planning professionals are taught to use appropriate technology for sustainable land use.
Collaboration Tools
Fielded by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), this is an online discussion forum designed to enhance communication between EPA and the public on contaminated sites, waste management, and recycling issues. The forum is a public comment board and the first four discussion topics pertain to community involvement, Superfund metrics, toxic material reduction, and land revitalization. Potential topics for future discussions include recycling, waste management, brownfields, leaking underground storage tanks, and emergency response. EPA plans to post a new topic of discussion each month to generate discussion related to hazardous waste, recycling, and emergency response activities.
Munitions
Developed by the Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) and dated January 2003. Small arms firing ranges (SAFRs) include government, commercial, and recreational rifle, pistol, trap, skeet, and sporting clay ranges. Small arms firing ranges are those ranges accepting 50 caliber or smaller ammunition. This definition is meant to include shotgun ammunition used on trap- and skeet-type ranges. SAFRs may contain lead, antimony, copper, zinc, arsenic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from nonexploding (nonenergetic) bullets and fragments, bullet jackets, and related sporting material (e.g., clay targets); however, lead is the primary risk driver and is thereby the focus of this guidance.
This page provides an historical overview of the munitions cleanup issues, prioritization protocols, and munitions-specific guidance.
Issued as an Interim Final in 2010, this document details EPA's guidelines which provide a framework to EPA Regional Offices overseeing responses involving munitions and explosives of concern (MEC)1 and munitions constituents (MC) at locations other than operational ranges where explosive hazards or environmental contamination are known or suspected to be present.
Dated May 2005, this interim final document, EPA 505-B-01-001, has been written for regulators and the interested public to facilitate understanding of the wide variety of technical issues that surround the munitions response actions at current and former Department of Defense (DoD) facilities (see text box below). The handbook is designed to provide a common nomenclature to aid in the management of munitions and explosives of concern (MEC).
This protocol implements the requirement for DoD assign a relative priority for munitions responses to each location (hereinafter MRS) in the Department's inventory of defense sites known or suspected of containing unexploded ordnance (UXO), discarded military munitions (DMM), or munitions constituents (MC) (Federal Register: October 5, 2005 [Rules and Regulations], Page 58016-58054).
This EPA Federal Facilities Forum Issue Paper, dated January 2012, was prepared to provide remedial project managers and other federal, state, and private personnel working on hazardous waste sites the technical information needed to make decisions regarding the nature of energetic residues on Department of Defense training ranges (and other munitions sites such as Formerly Used Defense Sites), sampling strategies that provide representative samples, and analytical methods developed to characterize these samples. This is EPA-505-S-11-001.
New Technology
This factsheet, published by the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR), identifies and summarizes selected reports prepared by federal and state agencies to assist project managers in selecting and designing remediation technologies. Remediation Technology Assessment Reports are based on practical field experience with either specific technologies (such as permeable reactive barriers) or, in a few instances, specific contaminants (such as arsenic). As of February 2006, the Web site provides access to 70 of these reports.
This web site provides information about remediation technology demonstration projects.
The SITE Demonstration Program encourages the development and implementation of innovative treatment technologies for hazardous waste site remediation as well as monitoring and measurement technologies. The technology is field-tested on hazardous waste materials. Data collected during the field demonstration are used to assess the performance of the technology, the potential need for pre- and post-processing of the waste, applicable types of wastes and waste matrices, potential operating problems, and approximate capital and operating costs. When a SITE demonstration is completed, EPA prepares an Innovative Technology Evaluation Report, Technology Capsule, and Demonstration Bulletin. These reports evaluate all available information on the technology and analyze its overall applicability to other site characteristics, waste types, and waste matrices. Testing procedures, performance and cost data, and quality assurance and quality standards are also presented.
NPL
This document, dated May 2011, describes the process for accomplishing remedial action completion, construction completion, site completion, partial deletion and site deletion for National Priorities List sites. This document also provides recommended format and content for relevant close out documents. The documents addressed by this guidance are the Remedial Action Report, Preliminary Close Out Report, Final Close Out Report, Notice of Intent to Delete (or Partially Delete), and Notice of Deletion (or Partial Deletion). This is OSWER Directive 9320.2-22.
This guidance addresses how sites are deleted from the NPL and the close out procedures.
A map which indicates the location of all NPL sites in the US, the status of the site, and a fact sheet for each site.
Post Construction Completion
This template is intended to provide general five-year review site information, a summary of issues and recommendations, and a summary of all required protectiveness determinations. This template provides detailed instructions for each section as well as highlighted text that should be replaced with site-specific information.
Issued May 2001, this EPA fact sheet provides an overview of O&M throughout the phases of the Superfund pipeline and presents guidance for Remedial Project Managers (RPMs). This is EPA 540-F-01-004.
This guidance provides information to the public and the regulated community on how EPA intends to exercise its discretion in implementing its regulations at contaminated sites. This document does not impose legally binding requirements. The document was issued in April 2009.
Issued by OSWER 13 September 2011, this guidance supplements OSWER's 2001 Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance and provides recommendations for conducting five-year reviews for the IC component of remedies in a manner similar to the review of engineering or other remedy components. This document is designed primarily for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Remedial Project Managers.
Property Re-use
This Handbook is intended for EPA, other federal, local, and state cleanup project managers; communities, property owners, developers, and others with an interest in reusing potentially contaminated sites for renewable energy production. This Handbook provides tools to help interested parties determine the overall feasibility of siting renewable energy production and some key considerations for integrating renewable energy development during all phases of typical cleanup processes (e.g., during the environmental assessment, cleanup plan, or cleanup implementation) in the EPA Superfund, Brownfields, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action programs.
This document summarizes the theoretical and empirical literature addressing benefit-cost and impact assessment of the cleanup and reuse scenario. When possible, recommendations are provided for conducting economic analysis of land cleanup and reuse sites and programs.
These decision trees were developed by EPA and the Department of Energy s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), to screen potentially contaminated and underutilized sites for solar and wind potential. While the decision tree focuses on potentially contaminated sites, this tool also provides information on rooftop and other applications in order to support complimentary evaluations. These decision trees can be used to screen individual sites for their solar or wind potential or for a community-scale evaluation of multiple sites.
Quality Assurance
Includes a summary of the benefits and limitations of the listed best practices.
This document provides recommendations and guidelines for documentation and implementation of acceptable Quality Systems for Federal agencies.
Remediation
The Restoration Systems and Strategies specialty area provides guidance for developing cleanup exit strategies, implementing effective remediation, and optimizing performance. Environmental Restoration Technical Support Branch, or CZTE, subject matter experts and specialists working in this specialty area collaborate with other Air Force personnel to assure that technical expertise in restoration is applied directly to Air Force cleanup responsibilities.
EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division supports the Contaminated Site Clean-up Information (CLU-IN) website that provides fact sheets about the concepts and tools for using best management practices to reduce the environmental footprint of activities associated with assessing and remediating contaminated sites.
The guide encourages project managers to consider a mix of remedies, including dredging and disposing of sediment; capping it to limit further contamination; or allowing natural attenuation to let chemical contaminants in soil or groundwater to degrade naturally. The final document includes new language encouraging project managers to conduct more analyses and consider more sources of uncertainty regarding the overall contamination of a site. In the final guide the language included directions to take steps to cap contaminants "sufficient" to protect the environment.
Notes: 1. Please read the "Read Me" File first, for an explanation of the attached report sections.
2. The complete report is available for download in the attachment "ACSIM GSR Final Report 2012.zip". 3. Package updated on 12/11/2014 to replace SiteWise™ 2.0 with SiteWise™ 3.0.
This technology primer, EPA Document # 542-R-08-002, outlines the principles of green remediation and describes opportunities to reduce the footprint of cleanup activities throughout the life of a project. Best management practices (BMPs) outlined in this document help decision-makers, communities, and other stakeholders (such as project managers, field staff, and engineering contractors) identify new strategies in terms of sustainability. These strategies complement rather than replace the process used to select primary remedies that best meet site-specific cleanup goals. The primer identifies the range of alternatives available to improve sustainability of cleanup activities and to help decision-makers balance the alternatives within existing regulatory frameworks.
The purpose of this EPA handbook is to provide Remedial Project Managers (RPMs) with an overview of the remedial design (RD) and remedial action (RA) processes. The handbook may be used by the entire range of RPMs from those who have had little experience with RD or RA projects to those who have managed several. It should be most useful for Federal-lead sites where the Superfund Trust Fund is used to finance the RD or RA. The management principles outlined herein, however, apply generally to all lead sites. The RD/RA Handbook focuses on how an RPM can use project management principles to implement effectively a selected remedy in accordance with the Record of Decision (ROD). It is not a conventional engineering manual, but rather a general reference document for issues that arise during the RD/RA process. This is EPA publication EPA 540/R-95/059.
This document, EPA # EPA/600/R-07/080 issued September 2007, provides guidance for the identification of toxicants in sediments.
The objective of this SRR guidance is to provide resources for regulators, stakeholders, consultants and responsible parties to help integrate sustainability and resilience practices into remediation projects.
Substances of Concern
The intent of this USGS project is to provide information on these compounds for evaluation of their potential threat to environmental and human health. To accomplish this goal, the research activities of this project are to: (1) develop analytical methods to measure chemicals and microorganisms or their genes in a variety of matrices (e.g. water, sediment, waste) down to trace levels, (2) determine the environmental occurrence of these potential contaminants, (3) characterize the myriad of sources and source pathways that determine contaminant release to the environment, (4) define and quantify processes that determine their transport and fate through the environment, and (5) identify potential ecologic effects from exposure to these chemicals or microorganisms.
A collection of technical fact sheets which provide brief summaries of contaminants of concern that present unique issues and challenges to the environmental community and EPA at contaminated federal facility sites. Each fact sheet provides a brief summary of the contaminant, including physical and chemical properties, environmental and health impacts, existing federal and state guidelines, and detection and treatment methods. These fact sheets are intended for project managers and field personnel to use when addressing specific contaminants at cleanup sites and are updated annually to include timely information.
This site contains information reported to EPA by federal facilities that manage hazardous waste or from which hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants have been or may be released. The docket is updated every six months. Each newly listed facility must be evaluated for possible contamination within a reasonable time. The purpose of the docket is:
  1. To identify all federal facilities that must be evaluated to determine whether they pose a risk to human health and the environment sufficient to warrant inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL);
  2. To compile and maintain the information submitted to EPA on such facilities under the provisions listed in section 120(c) of CERCLA; and
  3. To provide a mechanism to make the information available to the public.
EPA has established an official reference dose (RfD) of 0.0007 mg/kg/day of perchlorate. The site details the risks, concerns, and methodologies associated with perchlorate.
This document, dated August 2007, was developed to assist DoD facilities in complying with current DoD policy governing perchlorate sampling and testing activities for both environmental restoration/cleanup and compliance monitoring programs. Intended users of this document include DoD Remedial Project Managers (RPMs), contractor project managers, and field-sampling personnel.
This guideline is produced by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and has been updated in 2008. This update replaces Appendix B in the Toxicological Profile for Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) (December, 1998). It does not reflect a change in ATSDR's scientific assessment on dioxin toxicity or a change in the ATSDR Minimal Risk Level (MRL). The update does not change the assessment of risk associated with dioxin soil levels up to 1 ppb, the level used by EPA as a preliminary remediation goal for residential soils.
Developed by EPA Region 5 and the state of Illinois, the guidebook targets tire manufacturers, state and local government, regulators, auto recyclers and collectors. It includes information on example scrap tire cleanup programs, legal considerations and property issues, cost recovery, local and regional markets for scrap tires, cleanup planning, selecting contractors, and project management.
ToxCast™ Phases I and II are testing a combined total of about 2,000 chemicals. Chemical nominations came from within EPA, from other U.S. agencies (NTP, NIEHS, FDA), from international organizations such as OECD and from other stakeholder groups. In Phase III, ToxCastTM will expand the list to thousands of environmental chemicals, delivering an affordable, science-based system for decision-makers.
Superfund Task Force
The pace of cleanup at federal facility Superfund sites can be delayed when Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) parties continue disputes beyond the agreed-upon dispute resolution timelines specified in negotiated FFAs.However, because disagreements and disputes are fact-specific, a fluid rather than a one-size-fits-all process may at times be necessary. This memorandum sets out principles clarifying and reinforcing the importance of adhering to agreed-upon FFA informaland formal dispute timelines. These principles support Recommendation 18 of the Administrator's Superfund Task Force Recommendations report, released on July 25, 2017.
Recommendation 30 of EPA's Superfund Task Force Report directed EPA to develop Federal facilities language for placing Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) provisions on hold in instances where a third partywants to do the work. This Recommendation is also part of the Report's Goal 3 of "Encouraging Private Investment." To encourage reuse and redevelopment, either of these two FFA amendments could be used as a starting point for negotiations with the applicableFederal agency. EPA developed these amendments taking into account Federal agency and state comments.
Recommendation 30 of EPA's Superfund Task Force Report directed EPA to develop Federal facilities language for placing Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) provisions on hold in instances where a third partywants to do the work. This Recommendation is also part of the Report's Goal 3 of "Encouraging Private Investment." To encourage reuse and redevelopment, either of these two FFA amendments could be used as a starting point for negotiations with the applicableFederal agency. EPA developed these amendments taking into account Federal agency and state comments.
This report highlights the accomplishments of the 2018 Superfund Task Force efforts and outlines next steps for the recommendations that remain open. The ongoing recommendations, to be completed by September 2019, demonstrate a continued commitment by EPA to engage partners and stakeholders at all levels in making cleanup and land revitalization decisions that will provide future generations with a cleaner and healthier environment.
Training, Presentations, and Briefings
The focus of this 2-hour EPA course is retrofitting stormwater management practices into watersheds that have already been developed. This approach can help restore watersheds by providing stormwater treatment in locations it was not originally included.
This course provides an overview of the purpose, legal framework, and implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
This course is designed for individuals performing field sampling of environmental media including soil and other solids; surface and groundwater; sediment; indoor and ambient air; solid and hazardous waste; and chemicals of commerce for the analysis of a broad range of analytical methods as established by a variety of regulatory and standards organizations.
The focus of this 2-hour EPA course is how to develop an effective SWPPP. IT includes a discussion of common problems found on construction sites.
This course provides an overview of the vapor intrusion exposure pathway including its scientific foundation, regulatory framework, and the technical aspects of investigating and remediating contaminated vapor sites. The class will cover topics such as: screening sites for potential vapor intrusion concerns, conducting field investigations, sampling techniques, data analyses, exposure point calculations, the Johnson and Ettinger predictive model, vapor intrusion risk assessment, vapor intrusion mitigation, and remediation. Participants will work through practical problems and typical site scenarios based on case studies of established vapor intrusion sites. This course provides a comprehensive introduction for those new to the field, and will also provide insights, data analysis techniques, and the latest research for more advanced participants.
This course will provide attendees with a wide array of analytical techniques available to fingerprint a variety of contaminants and to address the basic questions involved in any environmental forensics study.
U.S. EPA has developed a strategic planning approach called the Data Life Cycle. This cycle includes three phases: Planning, Implementation, and the Assessment. The DQO process contained in the Planning Phases, plans environmental data collection efforts to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and defensibility of decisions in a resource-effective manner. Use of the DQO approach is intended to ensure that the appropriate type, quantity, and quality of environmental data will be used in decision making with regard to remedial actions and future use/activities at the site. Quality assurance provides quality assurance project plan development (Planning Phases), field data collection and associated quality assurance/quality control activities (Implementation Phases), and data validation and quality control activities (Assessment Phase). This class is ISEERB Approved for all DoD Components. The primary audience is Environmental Restoration Managers, and Environmental Compliance Managers. The course if offered by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).
Course number STAT-410 discusses the core elements of the EPA's first major revision to its groundwater statistical guidance in almost 20 years. Presented by the primary author of the revision, this course will showcase new features of the guidance, as well as recommended changes to current statistical practice. In addition to reviewing the design and evaluation of statistical programs for groundwater monitoring, participants will also learn the benefits of checking their assumptions in order to run the most effective statistical tests.
Class will address the following aspects: data reduction for efficient assessment (assessment of data validation output), compliance with regulatory and programmatic requirements, representativeness and completeness of the data set, fulfillment of data quality objectives, application and assessment of statistical methods in decision-making.
Hosted by U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation Federal Facility RPM, this 3-day course, is geared toward Federal Facility (FF) Remedial Project Managers (RPM) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to facilitate an understanding of how the FF RPM role, responsibilities and authorities differ from a private or Fund-financed Superfund EPA RPM. This course is specifically designed for EPA FF RPMs of all experience levels. Participants with one to two years of experience and who have taken the Fundamentals of Superfund and Remedial Process courses may derive the most benefit. This course may also be taken by other EPA RPMs, DOD/DOE RPMs, EPA RCRA personnel, state personnel who manage Federal Facilities across the nation, tribal RPMs and managers. This Course is not open to academia, contractors, consultants, or other private entities. This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.
This 2-day course provides participants first with a broad overview of Site Restoration/Mitigation, and then expands to an examination of specific steps used for innovative restoration and mitigation planning and implementation, applicable to western North America.
This training course provides details of the structure and application of the revised HRS and information related to the preparation of HRS packages, including HRS scoresheets, documentation records, and site summaries.
This introductory course is designed to provide participants with information concerning hydrogeological processes and the necessary elements of a sound groundwater site investigation.
This course provides participants with the fundamentals of human health and ecological risk assessment as applied to the Superfund cleanup process.
This class offered by the Navy will provide attendees with the necessary tools and information to make remedy selection decisions and achieve site closeout. The attendees will learn the components of the Record of Decision, Remedial Action Operation (RAO)/Long Term Management (LTMgt) optimization strategies, and site closeout requirements. Factors such as contaminant and media impacts, transfer mechanisms, applicable technologies and lifecycle design considerations will be emphasized. This course has been comprehensively updated for 2019, Target audience is Installation Restoration Program RPMs, BRAC Environmental Coordinators, UST EIC's and Navy personnel responsible for Navy Hazardous Waste sites.
Upon completion of the course, attendees will come away with tools for deciding how to assess environmental laboratory data, how to maximize data defensibility, and when an independent data validator is needed. The extensive hands-on exercises include working through a Quality Assurance Project Plan and setting up Excel worksheets to perform efficient assessments for standard analytical data.
This webinar provides an overview of tools available to local governments to help them get renewable energy projects built on contaminated land in their community. Included in the webinar are discussions about some of the recent tools developed by EPA, including two decision trees that were created to screen potentially contaminated and underutilized sites for solar and wind potential and a draft best practice guide for siting solar on landfills. Also presenting will be representatives from DOE, the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP), and the Clean Coalitions describing available best practices guidance and other tools.
Each March, EPA organizes a daylong workshop in San Diego on the State of Vapor Intrusion Science, featuring many of the best researchers and practitioners of vapor intrusion response. All presentations from these workshops are available to watch.
This 2-hour EPA training includes guidance on conducting a program self-assessment, developing effective stormwater management criteria, and incorporating credits for LID and runoff reduction.
This SERDP and ESTCP webinar focuses on DoD-funded research efforts on transitioning from active to passive remedies at DoD sites. Specifically, investigators will talk about the development of a quantitative framework for predicting abiotic attenuation under natural and transitional site management scenarios and a web-based application to perform a site-specific transition assessment. First presenter will discuss the development of a web-based application to assist site managers in assessing transition from active remedies to natural attenuation. Second presenter will talk about the development of a quantitative framework for predicting abiotic attenuation under natural and transitional site management scenarios.
Conferences and Events
March 2024
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Last Updated: February 11, 2022