&EFA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste
(5306W)
Office of Site
Remediation
Enforcement (2271 A)
EPA530-N-99-006
November 1999
www.epa.gov/osw/cleanup.htm
RCRAC
ORRECTIVE MOTION
N
EWS
A Record of Success
EPA Announces RCRA Cleanup Reforms
Faster, Focused, More Flexible Approaches to Cleanups
What
This issue feature
Corrective Action
Inside
Cleanup Reforms—a flexible new approach to
meet national cleanup goals.
Brownfields Prevention Initiative—an Agencywide
effort to address RCRA issues at brownfield sites.
Winners of the 1999 RCRA Corrective Action
Awards—award winning projects from around the
country.
1999 National Meeting—highlights from this
year's meeting.
New Workshop—a corrective action workshop on
results-based project management.
To achieve faster and more effective cleanups at sites that treat, store, or dis-
pose of hazardous waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
reforming the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective
Action Program. EPA has been coordinating with the states to implement these
reforms that are designed to ensure protection of human health and the envi-
ronment by maximizing flexibility in RCRA and trying new approaches.
On July 8,1999, Mr.Timothy Fields Jr., Assistant Administrator for the Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), kicked off the RCRA
Cleanup Reforms Initiative at briefings for the trade press and stakeholders. At
the stakeholder briefing, representatives from industry small business, environ-
mental and community groups, states, the U.S. Department of Energy, local gov-
ernments, and trade associations gathered to discuss the new direction of the
RCRA Corrective Action Program. Mr. Fields indicated that corrective action is
his highest priority for the RCRA program.
Issues were raised regarding public participation and defining the parame-
ters of flexibility In addressing these issues, Mr. Fields referred to the May 1,1996
Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) as the primary guidance
for the Corrective Action Program. Mr. Fields also highlighted the RCRA
Cleanup Baseline, stating that it should not be construed as a list of "bad
actors," and that the Agency would provide opportunities for outside organiza-
tions to give input on upcoming guidance documents.
What
Are the RCRA Cleanup Reforms?
In a comprehensive effort to address
key impediments to effective RCRA
cleanups, enhance program flexibility
and spur cleanup progress, EPA has set
ambitious national cleanup goals, known
as Environmental Indicators (El), for
1,712 facilities on the RCRA Cleanup
Baseline.These facilities are the highest
priorities for cleanup under the RCRA
Corrective Action Program. By 2005,95
percent of the 1,712 RCRA facilities will
have "current human exposures under
control," and 70 percent will have "migra-
tion of contaminated groundwater under
control," as verified and documented by
the states and EPA.
Measuring and recording progress
toward these goals will be a top priority
for EPA and the states over the next sev-
eral years. EPA plans to measure the
near-term success of the program and
reforms against its goals and annual
cleanup targets (see chart on page 2) in
order to verify that both current human
exposures and migration of contaminat-
ed groundwater are under control.
To ensure that the ambitious national
cleanup goals are achieved, the RCRA
Cleanup Reforms will:
«• Provide new results-oriented
cleanup guidance with clear
objectives.
«• Foster enhanced use of program
flexibility and practical approaches
through training, outreach, and new
uses of enforcement tools.
«• Enhance community involvement,
including greater public access to
information on cleanup progress.
EPA also will provide periodic
updates on the RCRA Cleanup Reforms
and solicit input from stakeholders
through this newsletter, Federal Register
notices, focus group meetings, Internet
postings, and press releases. EPA seeks
continuous feedback from all stakehold-
ers on the progress of these reforms or
the need for additional reforms beyond
those already under way Based on stake-
holder input and ongoing assessments of
the program, EPA will continue to refine
the RCRA Cleanup Reforms, add reforms
as needed, and communicate program
changes including those resulting from
stakeholder input. EPA is also in the
process of preparing a variety of guid-
ance documents for stakeholders (see
box on page 2).
For more information, call the RCRA
Hotline at 800 424-9346 and request the
Continued on page 2
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100
90
80
70
60
50
Groundwater Els achieved
Human Exposure Els achieved
Groundwater El projection
Human Exposure El projection
Note: 1999 figures are through August 1999.
Continued from page 1
RCRA Cleanup Reform fact sheet
(Document Number EPA530-F-99-018).The
document can also be found on the
Corrective Action home page at
.
Upcoming EPA Guidance
Item
Results-Based
Approaches for RCRA
Corrective Action
Corrective Action
Completion
Guidance
The Role of
Groundwater Use in
RCRA Corrective
Action
Date Available
Summer 2000
Summer 2000
Summer 2000
of els
EPAs Brownfields Initiative is an organ-
ized commitment to help communities
revitalize brownfields properties, both
environmentally and economically; miti-
gate potential health risks; and restore
economic vitality To date, the initiative has
focused primarily on the Superfund pro-
gram, leading to the general perception in
both the regulated and regulatory com-
munities that brownfields are only prob-
lems for Superfund.The Agency recog-
nizes, however, that brownfields often
include multimedia issues spanning the
jurisdiction of several programs, including
EPA
defines brownfields as abandoned,
idled, or underused industrial and
commercial facilities where expan-
sion or redevelopment is compli-
cated by real or perceived environ-
mental contamination. Brownfields
can be located in urban, subur-
ban, and rural areas. EPA believes
that environmental cleanup of
these sites is a building block
toward economic revitalization.
RCRA. As a result, the Agency is undertak-
ing efforts to involve programs other than
Superfund in its Brownfields Initiative.
EPA created the RCRA Brownfields
Prevention Initiative work group to
involve the RCRA program in the
Brownfields Initiative and to address the
variety of RCRA issues that exist at many
brownfield sites.The work group is a col-
laborative effort by a number of EPA
Headquarters and Regional offices and
almost all 10 regions.The work group
aims to promote the use of flexibility to
address brownfields within the existing
framework of the RCRA program.The
group also aims to remove the perception
of RCRA barriers to brownfields redevel-
opment while continuing to ensure pro-
tection of human health and the environ-
ment.
To accomplish its goals, the work
group will identify and address perceived
impediments posed by RCRA to the bene-
ficial reuse or redevelopment of aban-
doned or underutilized properties.The
ultimate goal of the initiative is to return
as many properties to productive reuse as
possible and to prevent properties from
becoming brownfields in the first place.
Brownfields may be subject to RCRA
jurisdiction under a variety of circum-
stances. Depending on the type of waste
management activities that occurred at
these properties, there may or may not be
an associated RCRA permit or order.
Some brownfield properties, for example,
may already be permitted RCRA facilities.
By the same token, however, there are
many hazardous waste generators, both
active and inactive, not required to have
RCRA permits but that are associated with
brownfields redevelopment areas.The
types of activities that generate hazardous
waste that may end up at brownfields
sites range from small-scale operations,
such as metal finishing, auto body and
repair, and dry-cleaning, to large-scale
chemical manufacturing, foundries, loco-
motive and railcar maintenance, and
steelworks.
Under a RCRA permit, the facility and
all contiguous properties identified within
it remain subject to the permit condi-
tions—including facility-wide corrective
-------
action until EPA (or the authorized state)
terminates the permit.The permits are
transferable to all subsequent owners as
well. Not surprisingly many prospective
redevelopers of brownfield properties
are wary of acquiring title to a property
subject to a RCRA permit. Even sites not
required to obtain a RCRA permit may
potentially come under the jurisdiction
of RCRA during subsequent cleanup
activities. Sometimes, just the uncertainty
of possible RCRA regulation when man-
aging contaminated media or other
remediation waste is sufficient to impede
a brownfields redevelopment project.
EPA Headquarters recently under-
took a number of regulatory initiatives
intended to facilitate site remediation.
Several aspects of these new rules also
address the goals of the RCRA Brown-
fields Prevention Initiative and have
helped remove some of the obstacles to
redevelopment.
In the final Hazardous Remediation
Waste Management Requirements
(HWIR-Media) Rule (63 Federal Register
65874, November 30,1998), EPA codified
a permitting provision that eliminates the
requirement for facility-wide corrective
action at cleanup-only sites that are not
otherwise subject to RCRA permit
requirements.This release from facility-
wide corrective action obligations holds
even when waste management activities
take place on site during the cleanup. In
its Post-Closure Rule (63 Federal Register
56710, October 22,1998), EPA has
allowed closing Treatment, Storage, or
Disposal Facilities to be cleaned up
under approved or alternative mecha-
nisms without having to obtain a post-
closure permit. In the LDR Phase IV regu-
lation (63 Federal Register 28605, May 26,
1998), EPA has promulgated new treat-
ment standards for contaminated soil
and given facilities the ability to request
a variance from LDRs based on risk-
based cleanup levels.
The preambles of these Federal
Register notices, with the exception of
LDR Phase IY include language that dis-
cusses the relationship of the Brown-
fields Initiative to the RCRA program. EPA
intends to continue building on existing
flexibility within the current RCRA regu-
lations.
Nonregulatory efforts planned by the
Agency include a possible informal "les-
sons learned" RCRA Brownfields training
program for the EPA Regions. Such train-
ing would help the implementors take
advantage of the
inherent flexibility
built into the RCRA
Corrective Action
Program.This flexibil-
ity will improve
responsiveness to
developers and com-
munities and make
site cleanups more
timely and efficient.
In conjunction with
this training, the
RCRA Brownfields
Prevention Initiative
work group will con-
tinue to function as
an Agencywide clear-
inghouse for problem
solving on RCRA
brownfield issues
and to celebrate and
advertise success sto-
ries within EPA and
the states.
The work group
plans to develop cri-
teria for the selection
of several RCRA
Brownfield Pilot
Projects.These pilots
will focus exclusively
on addressing RCRA
issues that allow for
brownfields redevel-
opment at RCRA
facilities within the
next year and
advancing applica-
tion of brownfields
solutions to the RCRA arena. Specifically
RCRA Brownfield Pilot Projects may
serve to evaluate streamlined, tailored, or
innovative cleanup and redevelopment
strategies to identify and remove redevel-
opment barriers.The pilots
will increase national visibili-
ty of specific sites and allow
regions and states to draw on
relevant experience from out-
side their regional and state
boundaries.
The RCRA Brownfields
Prevention Initiative work
group, which will include
state representatives, will con-
tinue to conduct stakeholder
outreach during the next fis-
cal year to promote the flexi-
bility within RCRA to address
brownfields. By continuing to
stress that flexibility the work
group anticipates meeting its
On June 18, 1999, EPA held a ceremony commemorating
progress in the remediation of the Bethlehem Steel Lehigh Plant
in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This 2,000 acre facility has the
potential to be the largest brownfield redevelopment project in
the country. Progress to date includes a cleanup agreement that
concludes an environmental assessment for the site and ensures
that any contamination from historical industrial activities is
removed and remediated. The Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP), Bethlehem Steel, and EPA collab-
orated on this agreement. At the ceremony, Timothy Fields Jr.,
Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, said, "I'm proud to say that the cleanup
agreement reached by Bethlehem Steel, Pennsylvania DEP, and
EPA is a model for the RCRA program that we'd like to see dupli-
cated across the country." This collaboration resulted in a swift
agreement, with a minimum of red tape and procedural require-
ments and a focus on what matters most—cleanup standards
that ensure the full protection of public health and the environ-
ment.
EPA officials are enthusiastic about the Bethlehem Steel rede-
velopment project for a number of reasons. Outstanding site
remediation and redevelopment efforts for the Bethlehem facility
showcase how EPA's national site cleanup program priorities are
being put to use. These priorities include facilitating the environ-
mental assessment and redevelopment of the nation's brown-
fields and reinventing how the cleanup process works for
facilities regulated under the RCRA Corrective Action Program.
Redevelopment of the site, when completed, will cost an
estimated $450 million. The redeveloped area will house the
National Museum of Industrial History, an affiliate of the Smith-
sonian Institute. Two ice skating rinks, an indoor swimming pool,
a 16-screen movie theater complex, a 3-D large-format theater, a
hotel conference center, a discovery center for science and tech-
nology, restaurants, retail stores, and an incubator for high-tech
startup companies will also be situated at the site.
goal of returning as many properties as
possible to productive reuse.
For more information about the
RCRA Brownfields Prevention Initiative
work group contact the work group
chair, Marjorie Buckholtz.at 202 260-6153.
June 18, 1999 ceremony celebrating progress in the cleanup of
Bethlehem Steel's old Lehigh Plant.
3
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In the spring of 1998, EPA began offi-
cially recognizing the outstanding
performance of regional EPA staff
with the National RCRA Corrective
Action Notable Achievement Awards.
The awards are designed to encour-
age EPAs commitment to "faster,
focused, and more flexible cleanups"
Individuals and teams within the
regions that make this commitment a
reality are recognized with a ceremo-
ny at EPAs headquarters. The follow-
ing summaries describe the outstand-
ing achievements of the 1999 award
recipients.
OUTSTANDING
TECHNICAL
Lael Butler, project manager at Akzo
Nobel Chemicals, Inc., in Alabama and
DuPont in Mississippi, was awarded the
Outstanding Environmental Indicator
Award for filtering through 18 years
worth of work plans, reports, and other
documentation. Her efforts culminated
in the El determination forms, which
were transmitted to the Alabama
Department of Environmental
Management (ADEM),accepted without
alteration, and finalized by the state.
To prepare the El determination
forms for the DuPont facility Lael com-
piled and culled through more than 20
feet of reports, work plans, Records of
Decision, and other documents con-
tained in three different program offices
in two different states.The El determina-
tion forms serve as a leading example of
how to write and document technically
defensible El determinations in the
future.
Lael is an outstanding example of
how to coordinate information from mul-
tiple sources, use peer review within EPA
and within an authorized state, and work
with an authorized state to achieve the
desired results.
Carol Ann Witt-Smith was awarded
the Outstanding Technical Innovation
Award for promoting innovative techni-
cal approaches in her management of
the Naval Surface Warfare Center
Bioremediation Interim Measure (IM).
Based on the U.S. Department of
Defense's success with similar technolo-
gy Carol selected bioremediation as an
IM cleanup for soil. She coordinated with
a Region 10 Remedial Project Manager
who had used a similar technology to
ensure consistency on the use of biore-
mediation.The remedy allowed for treat-
ment and disposal on site, reducing the
cost and liability of offsite treatment.
Carol evaluated and approved
increasing process soil loadings from 25
to 30 percent, which decreased the over-
all treatment period. Reduction of toxici-
ty will meet the 90 to 99 percent reduc-
tion requirements for innovative tech-
nologies under Superfund. As of
December 1998, approximately 85 per-
cent of the contaminated soil from Mine
Fill A, the first excavation site, had been
removed and screened, and 66 percent
had been treated and was placed back
on the site as soil meeting residential
cleanup standards.
The IM has allowed the Navy to pro-
ceed to the remedy phase for soil, saving
time and money on characterization
studies and allowing for quicker risk
reduction at the facility Carol's partner-
ship with the Navy has allowed her to
expedite reviews in order to meet Navy
contracting deadlines so that obligated
money would not be lost.
Carol has truly demonstrated her
ability to further innovative and cost-
saving technologies at RCRA corrective
action facilities. Her outstanding leader-
ship and ability to work with many stake-
holders on controversial projects is what
made this project a success.
Award winner Carol Ann Witt-Smith from Region 5 is cone
OSWER), Tim Fields (AA for OSWER), and Peter Robert:
OUTSTANDING
FRIEND
Ray Saracino was awarded the
Outstanding Friend of the State Award
for his work with California's Department
of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) to
implement and manage the RCRA
Corrective Action Analogous Project.This
project is a joint EPA/state partnership to
evaluate the equivalency of cleanup
work performed at RCRA regulated facili-
ties under the authority and oversight of
non-RCRA state agencies.
As EPAs project leader for the
Analogous Project, Ray provided out-
standing technical and policy support to
the states in Region 9. Ray and his DTSC
counterpart worked diligently to estab-
lish guidelines to consistently apply fed-
4
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OF
ated by (from left to right) Cliff Rothenstein (DAA,
Acting Deputy Administrator).
eral and state technical and policy direc-
tives to cleanup programs that were not
modeled on RCRA requirements.
Throughout the project, Ray worked
to promote the state's use of the
Corrective Action Program's two Els. He
and his DISC counterpart piloted and
then applied the Els for each of the more
than 130 sites under review.The El evalu-
ations and determinations resulted in
enough positive verifications that
"human exposures are controlled" and
"groundwater releases are controlled" to
allow the region to meet its corrective
action GPRA goals for fiscal year (FY)
1998 and FY 1999.
OUTSTANDING
The Safety Kleen, Chester
Remediation Team was awarded the
Outstanding Team of the Year Award for
developing a remedy strategy that expe-
dited action, innovation, consensus, and
stakeholder involvement at the compa-
ny's Chester,Virginia site. Because Safety
Kleen was a high-priority corrective
action facility in its early stages, the team
implemented a practical approach that
focused on protecting the drinking water
of nearby residents. The team developed
a strategy where EPA took samples at off-
site residential wells and split samples
with Safety Kleen at onsite facility moni-
toring wells.
Groundwater sample results indicat-
ed there was a health risk at one of the
four residential wells. At the time, howev-
er, there was no sampling protocol for
residential wells.The team's geologist
developed a field sampling protocol that
allowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USAGE) to take samples from the resi-
dential well in a relatively short period of
time.
After meetings with Region 3, the
facility indicated it was amenable to pur-
suing the team's recommended course
of action. As a result of a mutual commit-
ment, an additional groundwater well
was installed at the facility within 4
months of receiving final sample results
from USAGE.Within 7 months, the
impacted homeowner was drinking from
a public water supply
In addition, the team's approach
resulted in reduced costs for facility
work plan development and review.
Moreover, because EPA resolved the tech-
nical issues with Safety Kleen, minimal
legal resources were necessary The team
is to be commended for their efforts to
clean up the site and meet the needs of
citizens in the vicinity
Estena McGhee was awarded the
Outstanding Administrative Innovation
Award for the successful transfer of prop-
erty owned by the Bayer Corporation to
the citizens of Damascus.Virginia. In
1995, the Bayer Corporation expressed its
desire to expedite cleanup at an old
wood processing plant given its intention
to donate the land to the City of
Damascus. Estena suggested an innova-
tive solution to the problem.Under EPAs
direction, Bayer agreed to use the IMs
provisions of the 3008(h) corrective
action consent order to expedite
cleanup of polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) and lead contamination at the
facility
The use of IMs for the soil excavation
resulted in a remarkable reduction in
time for site cleanup—taking approxi-
mately 24 months. In addition, Estena
eliminated the need for a followup cor-
rective action order under RCRA 3008(h)
for remedy implementation. Significant
cost savings were achieved for Bayer as a
result of using soil coloration as a field
screening technique in lieu of extensive
sampling. Also, a Lead Sampling Field
Protocol was developed to ensure that
95 percent of the "upper confined limit"
of lead concentrations in soils remaining
at the facility were less than 400 ppm. At
the completion of the IM,the site met
soil residential cleanup levels allowing
maximum flexibility for redevelopment.
Estena worked extensively with stake-
holders in the community By attending
public meetings and answering citizens'
questions and concerns, Estena gave the
community comfort about the land
transfer. She was recognized by all par-
ties as the driving and leveling force that
produced a win-win situation for EPA,
Bayer, and the community of Damascus.
Continued on page 6
5
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Continued from page 5
OUTSTANDING
STAKEHOLDER
OUTSTANDING
[TSTANDING
•AED
Stephanie Carr was awarded the
Outstanding Stakeholder Involvement
Award for her success with the cleanup
of residential and public properties con-
taminated by two RCRA corrective
action facilities—Sporting Goods
Properties, Inc., in Bridgeport,
Connecticut, and General Electric
Company, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Stephanie played a critical role in over-
seeing the removal and offsite disposal
of PCB-contaminated fill from 61 residen-
tial properties, one park, and two school
yards in Pittsfield and seven residential
properties impacted by lead in
Bridgeport. While much of the work was
a collaborative effort between Stephanie
and the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection staff, Stephanie
served as the primary point of contact
for 14 residential properties in three
neighborhoods throughout the remedia-
tion process.
At critical stages throughout the
remediation of these properties,
Stephanie scheduled individual meetings
and maintained close contact with each
of the affected families to discuss the
sample results, plans for remediating the
properties, potential health effects of the
contaminants of concern (primarily
PCBs or lead),and precautions to pre-
vent exposure to the contaminants in
soil prior to initiation of remediation. At
one point, she intervened to help a facili-
ty and neighboring family secure a medi-
ator to resolve a sticky situation. Later,
she worked with regional and state staff
to explain the sampling process to
Pittsfield residents wanting to have their
properties sampled.
By encouraging the involvement of
different agencies and companies, she
provided families with access to experts
at the local, state, federal, and corporate
level for questions. As a result of these
efforts, a foundation of trust was estab-
lished that was pivotal to the success of
the cleanup process.
Carl Warren received the Outstanding
Administrative Innovation Award for turn-
ing a complex and challenging cleanup
assignment at a Chevron refinery site in
Hawaii into a successful and unprece-
dented voluntary corrective action
partnership. EPA, Hawaii, and Chevron
reached an agreement that focused on
achieving protective environmental
results and streamlining corrective
action. As a result, Chevron agreed to
upgrade all of its storage tanks by 2005
to prevent future leaks. In addition, the
parties agreed that the corrective action
would include full public involvement in
accordance with procedures under an
order or permit.
Project results include the
following:
«• Time savings. The problem went from
diagnosis to remedy implementation
in just 3 years—several years faster
than at comparable sites.
<• A higher standard of environmental
protection. IMs were immediately
instituted that prevented contamina-
tion from entering the Pacific Ocean.
* Cost savings. By speeding up the
process and focusing on results,
Chevron estimates it saved between
$7 and $10 million dollars. EPA saved
resources by avoiding legal battles
and streamlining corrective action.
* Public support. By being open with
the public, Chevron found that even
its neighbors with property affected
by the contamination from the facili-
ty ended up trusting the company
Because of Carl's assistance, a major
corporation came to appreciate the ben-
efits of working in partnership with envi-
ronmental regulators. Word of the part-
nership's collaborative efforts has spread
through the regional industry In fact,
another Hawaii refinery has inquired
about doing a similar voluntary correc-
tive action, setting a positive precedent.
Maureen Essenthier was awarded the
Outstanding Leader/Mentor Award for
her voluntary mentoring activities with
two new RCRA engineers. Maureen
taught them the advantage of being flexi-
ble in order to get the job done. Her
strength is her ability to recognize true
environmental threats without overly
dramatizing them. Maureen is teaching
her proteges, through her own projects,
that real environmental progress comes
from action and not endless study
Her willingness to share her experi-
ences or to act as a consultant to other
RCRA project managers on corrective
action issues is well known. She has the
patience to help those who ask, and her
help is the best kind—real experience
on successful projects. Maureen is also a
strong believer in public involvement
with her projects. More importantly she
identifies the people who are most
affected by her projects and makes per-
sonal contact with them to make sure
they understand what is happening. She
has a sense of personal ownership and
responsibility to her sites and has passed
this knowledge on to new employees.
These new project managers are
already assuming leadership roles on
new projects.Their poise, knowledge, and
confidence are impressive, comparable
to project managers with much more
experience.Thanks to Maureen, they are
well on their way to becoming success-
ful project managers.
-------
OUTSTANDING
OF
The RCRA Amoco-Casper Corrective
Action Team was awarded the
Outstanding Team of the Year Award for
successfully navigating a singularly com-
plex technical, legal, and political situa-
tion that resulted in Amoco agreeing to
conduct a corrective action at its Casper,
Wyoming site.
The team tried since 1991 to negoti-
ate a corrective action order with
Amoco; however, no agreement could be
reached on the degree of remedial inves-
tigation or remedial action.
A team member was subpoenaed to
appear at an injunction hearing against
Amoco.The team used this as an oppor-
tunity to explain to the court the evolv-
ing approach of the Agency with regard
to the achievement of Els.The court
found this testimony and supporting
information particularly effective and
instructive. Subsequently the court
entered two orders, including one that
required Amoco to prepare work plans
for thorough and expedited site charac-
terizations.
The team, in an effort to get stake-
holders involved, initiated an open
access policy with local television, radio,
and newsprint media.This policy
allowed stakeholders to voice their con-
cerns and find answers.The team, for
example, conducted extensive ground-
water modeling and informed the public
about potential flooding issues related to
groundwater mounding. In development
of the Wyoming Department of Environ-
mental Quality and Amoco consent
decree, the team insisted that the collab-
orative decision-making process be con-
ducted in public meetings and account
for the needs of citizens. Before these
public sessions were allowed to close,
any member of the public had the right
to provide input.
The team has implemented four
Els—human exposures, groundwater
releases, sources, and ecological risk.
Moreover, it was the team's insistence on
the use of evolving environmental sci-
ence—saturated zone NAPL preferential
flow-path science—to achieve the
groundwater releases El that resulted in
the enormously improved design and an
improved approach for meeting this indi-
cator.
A focus on and implementation of
Els gave the corrective action process
momentum and direction, resulting in
more comprehensive data interpretation
and holistic remedies.
This year's National RCRA Program meeting was held in Washington, DC, on
January 12 through 15 at the historic Willard Hotel.The meeting drew more
than 600 attendees and provided more than 70 breakout sessions to help
attendees deal with the new complexities facing the RCRA Program. ... . .__-
The large attendance was due to the ever growing importance of . ,.,^
RCRA among the regions, states, and tribes. J[ ^J,~.
Plenary sessions at the International Trade Center were the .//^' .i-ick*';'•
highlight of the meeting. During the sessions, Peter Robertson, f ^. ; I'c- '^^0^'"
Acting Deputy Administrator, and Timothy Fields, Assistant ;^lLV- ^SL
Administrator of OSWER, discussed the future of EPA and RCRA. -ftlWIi :Jr-''r ""C
Mr. Fields emphasized the focus being put on the Corrective £p£^l^^ffe >_
Action Program and stressed that RCRA Corrective Action is •% ^@-;-:^:I;,'!M?
being made a top priority for OSWER.The plenary sessions also . ^Ir?*:f <•;>"%:
allowed some RCRA stakeholder groups (e.g., tribes, environmental ^±"vf:;--;;>;% "W -
groups, industry states) to express their views on the current and N^L"*^!'^1*^
future issues facing the program.The meeting spurred many discus- "- --
sions and new ideas concerning the RCRA Program, and laid the
groundwork for continued success with RCRA.
The next national meeting will be held in August 2000, in Washington, DC.
With an increasing focus on the RCRA Program by EPA, all participants can expect great
things at the next meeting. More information will be made available in upcoming newsletters.
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;:,,;;,•£;:•<: ftrj.-i-^.-i^rj/ are for my I It"
—
EPA recently launched a new 4-day
workshop designed to promote a results-
based approach for implementing RCRA
Corrective Action. The first 3 days of the
workshop are offered only to EPA and
state regulators. Day four of the workshop,
however, is available to any interested
stakeholder on a first-come, first-served
preregistration basis.
The workshop focuses on results
(rather than a prescriptive process); effec-
tive communication; risk, as well as uncer-
tainty management; and administrative
flexibility The workshop is a major com-
ponent of a broader reform initiative
announced by EPA on July 8,1999, aimed
at producing a "faster, focused, and more
flexible" Corrective Action Program (see
article on page l).The workshop allows
participants to accomplish the following:
«• Learn about interim and final
"results" for corrective action facilities
and how to apply a "results-based
approach" to improve the pace of cor-
rective action.
> Learn to use a Conceptual Site
Model (CSM) to help "visualize" facili-
ties and focus resources on specific
problems.
> Learn about risk management and
how to identify and manage uncer-
tainties inherent with environmental
investigation and remediation.
> Learn to improve communication
between all stakeholders to foster
cooperation and manage conflicts.
> Learn to use the new El guidance to
evaluate and document whether
migration of contaminated groundwa-
ter and current human exposures are
under control.
> Learn about new regulations, poli-
cies, and guidance to tailor the
requirements for managing remedia-
tion wastes and streamline remedy
selection and completion.
> Recognize and take advantage of the
"menu" of state and/or federal
approaches capable of fulfilling cor-
rective action requirements.
The tentative schedule for bringing the
workshop to the EPA regions is included
in the box below.The workshop has
already been held in Seattle, Chicago, and
New York. For more information, refer to
where
you will find an electronic registration
form, exact dates and locations, and plans
for adapting the workshop to an interac-
tive version on the Internet.
hnviivfraenta!
(5306W)
Washington, DC
Official
for $300
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