United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Emergency and
Remedial Response
EPA 540-K-99-006
OSWER 9200.5-12A
January 2000
www.epa.gov/superfund
A Citizen's Guide to
EPA's Superfund Program
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EPA 540-K-99-006
OSWER 9200.5-12A
January 2000
A Citizen's Guide to
EPA's Superfimd Program
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Washington, D.C. 20460
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PREFACE
IF THERE is A SUPERFUND SITE in
your neighborhood, you are
probably wondering, "what
will happen?" and, "what can
I do?" This brochure will give
you a better understanding of
the Superfund process and
how you can become
involved...
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Hazardous waste
sites pose threats to
human health and
natural resources.
WHAT Is SUPERFUND?
Superfund cleans up
these sites to protect
people and the
environment, and
return the land to
productive use.
YEARS AGO, people did not
understand how certain
wastes might affect people's
health and the environment.
Many wastes were dumped on
the ground, in rivers or left out
in the open. As a result,
thousands of uncontrolled or
abandoned hazardous waste
sites were created. Some
common hazardous waste
sites include abandoned
warehouses, manufacturing
facilities, processing plants,
and landfills.
In response to growing
concern over health and
environmental risks posed by
hazardous waste sites,
Congress established the
Superfund Program in 1980 to
clean up these sites. The
Superfund Program is
administered by the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in cooperation
with individual states and
tribal governments. Superfund
locates, investigates, and
cleans up hazardous waste
sites throughout the United
States.
The Superfund Trust Fund
was set up to pay for the
cleanup of these sites. The
money comes mainly from
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taxes on. the chemical and
petroleum industries. The
Trust Fund is used primarily
when those companies or
people responsible for
contamination at Superfund
sites cannot be found, or
cannot perform or pay for the
cleanup work.
How ARE SUPERFUND SITES DISCOVERED?
•HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES are.
discovered by local and state
agencies, businesses, the U.S.
EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard,
and by people like you. You
can report potential hazardous
waste sites to the National
Response Center Hotline or to
your state and local
authorities. To report a
hazardous waste site,
problem., or emergency, you
should call the hotline at
1-800-424-8802. This hotline is
operated 24-hours-a-day,
seven-days-a-week.
NATIONAL RESPONSE
CENTER HOTLINE
If you know of an
uncontrolled hazardous
waste site or problem, contact
the National Response Center
Hotline at 1-800-424-8802.
The hotline is operated
24-hours-a-day to receive
emergency calls.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE Is A
CHEMICAL EMERGENCY?
Superfund quickly
responds to chemical
emergencies to
ensure your safety.
A NUMBER OF THE SITES reported
to the National Response
Center are emergencies and
require immediate action.
Emergency actions eliminate
immediate risks to ensure
your safety. Superfund's
number one priority is to
protect the people in
communities near sites and
their environment.
Superfund personnel are on
call to respond at a moment's
notice to chemical
emergencies, accidents, or
releases. Typical chemical
emergencies may include train
derailments, truck accidents,
and incidents at chemical
plants where there is a
chemical release or threat of a
release to the environment.
Superftind may respond, or
may help state and local
authorities to deal with these
emergencies quickly. The
hazardous materials are
hauled away from the site for
treatment or proper disposal,
or they are treated at the site
to make them safe. The risk to
the community is removed.
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In an emergency situation, you
and your community will be
kept informed of the situation
and what steps are being
taken to ensure your safety.
EPA then evaluates the site
and determines whether
additional cleanup is
necessary.
WHAT HAPPENS To SITES THAT
ARE NOT EMERGENCIES?
WHEN A POTENTIAL hazardous
' waste site is reported, EPA
screens the site to determine
what type of-action is
necessary. EPA reviews
existing data, inspects the site,
and may interview nearby
residents to find out the
history and the effects of the
site on the population and the
environment.
Many of the sites that are
screened do not meet the
criteria for federal Superfund
cleanup action. Some sites do
not require any action, while
others are referred to the
states, other programs, other
agencies or individuals for
cleanup, or other action.
EARLY ACTION
Early Actions are taken when
EPA determines that a site
may become a threat to you
or your environment in the
near future. For example,
there may be a site where
leaking drums of hazardous
substances could ignite or
cause harm to you if touched
or inhaled. In an instance
such as this, EPA takes steps
to make sure the situation is
quickly addressed and the site
is safe. Typically Early
Actions are taken to:
• prevent direct human
contact with the
contaminants from the
site;
® remove hazardous
materials from the site;
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• prevent contaminants
from spreading off the
site;
• provide water to residents
whose drinking water has
been contaminated by the
site; or
« temporarily or
permanently evacuate/
relocate nearby residents.
Early Actions may take
anywhere from a few days to
five years to complete
depending on the type and
extent of contamination.
EPA also determines if Long-
term Action will be
necessary.
For the remaining sites, EPA
tests the soil, water, and air to
determine what hazardous
substances were left at the site
and how serious the risks may
be to human health and the
environment. Parties
responsible for the
contamination at the site may
conduct these assessments
under close EPA supervision.
Their involvement in the
study and cleanup process is
critical in order to make best
use of Superfund resources.
EPA uses the information
collected to decide what type
of action, if any, is required.
At this point, EPA works with
local leaders and citizens to
prepare a Community
Involvement Plan (CIP). The
CIP ensures local residents
have an opportunity to
participate in the decision-
making process. In addition,
EPA sets up a local
information file in the
community so that citizens can
have access to information
about the site. The information
file or "repository" is usually
located at a library or public
school and contains the official
record of the site, reports, and
activities (called the
Administrative Record), as
well as additional site-related
information.
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WHO Is INVOLVED IN SUPERFUNO CLEANUPS?
SUPERFUND CLEANUPS are very
complex and require the
efforts of many experts in
science, engineering, public
health, management, law,
community involvement, and
numerous other fields. The
goal of the process is to protect
you and the environment you
live in from the effects of
hazardous substances.
Your involvement is very
important. You have the
opportunity and the right to
be involved in and to
comment on the work being
done.
WHAT Is THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST?
THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST
(NPL) is a published list of
hazardous waste sites in the
country that are eligible for
extensive, long-term cleanup
action under the Superfund
program.
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE GRANT
(TAG) PROGRAM
EPA values your input and
wants to help yon
understand, the technical
information relating to the
cleanup of Superfund sites in
your community so that you
can make informed decisions.
Under the Superfund law,
EPA can aioard Technical
Assistance Grants (TAGs) of
up to $50,000 per site. TAGs
allow communities to hire an
independent expert to help
them interpret technical data,
understand site hazards, and
become more knowledgeable
about the different
technologies that are being
used to clean up sites.
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Your community group may
be eligible for a TAG if you
are affected by a Superfund
site that is listed on the
'National Priorities List
(NPL) or proposed for listing
on the NPL where a response
action is underway.
More information about
TAGs is available from your
Regional EPA Community
Involvement Coordinator. .
An address and number
where your coordinator can
be reached is listed in the
back of this brochure.
How Do THE SITES GET ON THE
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST?
TO EVALUATE THE DANGERS pOSed
by hazardous waste sites, EPA
has developed a scoring
system called the Hazard
Ranking System (HRS). EPA
uses the information collected
during the assessment phase
of the process to score sites
according to the danger they
may pose to public health and •
the environment. Sites that
score high enough on the HRS
are eligible for the NPL. Once
a site is scored and meets the
criteria, EPA proposes that it
be put on the NPL. A site may
also be proposed for the NPL
if the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease
Registry issues a health
advisory for the site or if the
site is chosen as the state's top
priority site. The proposal is
published in the Federal
Register and the public has an
opportunity to comment in
writing on whether the site
should be included on the
NPL. To obtain more
information on a proposed
site, contact your Community
Involvement Coordinator.
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THE SUPERFUND PROCESS
Community Involvement
Throughout Process
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The Superfimd process begins when- a
site is discovered. After EPA screens and
assesses the site, the Regional Decision
Team determines if the site requires Early
Action, Long-term Action, or both. Early
Actions are taken at sites that may pose
threats to people or the environment in
the near future. Long-term Actions are
taken at sites that require extensive
cleanup. EPA encourages community
involvement throughout the Superfimd
process.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A LONG-TERM
CLEANUP?
LONG-TERM CLEANUPS are
extensive. Built into this
process are several phases that
lead to the ultimate goal of
cleaning up the site and
providing a safe environment
for the citizens living near the
site. Throughout the process,
there is opportunity for citizen
involvement.
First, a detailed study of the
site is done to identify the .
cause and extent of
contamination at the site, the
possible threats to the
environment and the people
nearby, and options for
cleaning up the site.
EPA uses this information to
develop and present a
Proposed Plan for Long-term
Cleanup to citizens and to
local and state officials for
comment. The Proposed Plan
describes the various cleanup
options under consideration
and identifies the option EPA
prefers. The community has at
least 30 days to comment on
the Proposed Plan. EPA
invites community members
to a public meeting to express
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their views and discuss the
Plan with EPA (and sometimes
state) officials.
Once the public's concerns are
addressed, EPA publishes a
Record of Decision, which
describes how the agency
plans to clean up the site. A
notice is also placed in the
local newspaper to inform the
community of the cleanup
decision.
Next, the cleanup method is
designed to address the
unique conditions at the site
where it will be used. This is
called the Remedial Design.
The design and actual cleanup
are conducted by EPA, the
state or the parties responsible
for the contamination at the
site. EPA closely oversees this
design phase and the
development of the cleanup at
the site. When the design is
completed, EPA prepares and
distributes a fact sheet to the
community describing the
design and the actions that
will take place at the site.
EPA can put in place the
eqxiipment and resources
necessary to clean up a site,
but it may take a long time to
return a site to the way it was
before it was contaminated.
Some sites, due to the extent of
LONG-TERM ACTIONS
Early Actions can correct many
hazardous ivaste problems and
eliminate most threats to hitman
health and the environment. Some
sites, however, require Long-term
Action. Long-term Actions include
restoring groundwater and taking
measures to protect wetlands,
estuaries, and other ecological
resources.
These sites were caused by years of
pollution and may take several years,
even decades, to clean up.
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Superfund involves
local communities to '.'
ensure that their '
concerns regarding
hazardous waste sites '
are addressed.
contamination, will never
return to the way they were
prior to the pollution;
however, EPA will make sure
that the site will be safe for the
people living around the site
now and in the future. EPA
regularly monitors every NPL
site to make sure it remains
safe. If there is any indication
that a problem has arisen,
immediate action will be taken
to make the site safe again.
WHO PAYS FOR SUPERFUND CLEANUPS?
SUPERFUND CLEANUP is either
paid for by the parties
responsible for contamination
or by the Superfund Trust
Fund. Under the Superfund
law, EPA is able to make those
companies and individuals
responsible for contamination
at a Superfund site perform,
and pay for, the cleanup work
at the site. EPA negotiates with
the responsible parties to get
them to pay for the plans and
the work that has to be done to
clean up the site. If an
agreement cannot be reached,
EPA issues orders to
responsible parties to make
them clean up the site under
EPA supervision. EPA may
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also use Superfund Trust Fund
money to pay for cleanup
costs, then attempt to get the
money back through legal
action.
CONCLUSION
EPA's SUPERFUND PROGRAM is
the most aggressive hazardous
waste cleanup program in the
world. Everyday, Superfund
managers are involved in
critical decisions that affect
public health and the
environment. They use the
best available science to
determine risks at sites. New
and innovative technologies
are being developed to help
achieve faster and less
expensive ways to clean up
sites. And, where possible, old
hazardous waste sites are
being restored to productive
use. Millions of people have
been protected by Superfund's
cleanup actions.
The Superfund Program has
one ultimate goal: to protect
YOUR health and YOUR
environment.
Superfund ensures
that the parties
responsible for the
pollution pay their
fair share.
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Protecting
communities and the
environment is what
Superfimd is all about.
EPA SUPERFUND COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT OFFICES
EPA wants to remain accessible and responsive to your concerns.
Our Community Involvement staff is available to answer any
questions you may have regarding a Superfund site or an area
you think may be a site. Here is a complete list of EPA's Regional
Offices (800 and 888 numbers only work within the Region, except for
Region 4).
U.S. EPA REGION 1 (RAA)
(CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
One Congress Street,
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1064 or
(888) 372-7341
U.S. EPA REGION 2 (26-OEP)
(NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
290 Broadway, 26* floor
New York, NY 10007-1866
(212) 637-3675 or
(800) 346-5009
U.S. EPA REGION 3 (3HS43)
(DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
(215) 814-5131 or
(800) 553-2509
U.S. EPA REGION 4
(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Waste Management Division
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303
(800) 435-9234 or
(800) 435-9233 13
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U.S. EPA REGION 5 (PS19-J)
(II, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
Metcalfe Federal Building,
19th floor
77 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312) 353-2072 or
(800) 621-8431
U.S. EPA REGION 6 (6SF-P)
(AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Wells Fargo Bank
Tower at Fountain Place
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214) 665-8157 or
(800) 533-3508
U.S. EPA REGION 7
(IA, KS, MO, NE)
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7003 or
(800) 223-0425
U.S. EPA REGION 8 (8-OC)
(CO, MT, ND, SD, LIT, WY)
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
(303) 312-6312 or
(800) 227-8917
U.S. EPA REGION 9 (SFD-3)
(AZ, CA, HI, NV, us. TERRITORIES)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-2175 or
(800) 231-3075
U.S. EPA REGION 10 (ECO-081)
(AK, ID, OR, WA)
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
,(206) 553-1352 or
(800) 424-4372
If you wish to obtain additional
copies of this document, contact the
Superfund Document Center at:
(703) 603-9232
superfund.documentcenter@epa.gov
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National Response
Center Hotline:
1-800-424-8802
zvwiv.nrc.uscg.mil
RCEAISuperfund
Information Hotline:
1-800-535-0202
wwiv.epa.gov/superftind
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