United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Emergency and
Remedial Response
Superfund
9200.5-12
PB 94-963218
EPA 540-K-93-008
March 1994
THIS Is
SUPERFUND
A Citizen's Guide to
EPAs Superfund Program
SEPA
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9200.5-12
PB 94-963218
EPA 540-K-93-008
March 1994
THIS Is
SUPERFUND
A Citizen's Guide to
EPAs Superfund Program
United Stales Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Emergency &r Remedial Response
Washington, DC 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 Superhmd 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, thou-
sands of uncontrolled or aban-
doned hazardous waste sites
were created. Some common
hazardous waste sites include
abandoned warehouses, man-
ufacturing facilities, processing
plants and landfills.
In response to growing con-
cern over health and environ-
mental risks posed by haz-
ardous 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 taxes on
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the chemical and petroleum
industries. The Trust Fund is
used primarily when those
companies or people responsi-
ble 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 dis-
covered 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 authori-
ties. To report a hazardous
waste site, problem, or emer-
gency, you should call the hot-
line 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 uncon-
trolled 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 chemi-
cal 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 moments
notice to chemical emergen-
cies, 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 environ-
ment. Superfund 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 neces-
sary. 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 popu-
lation and the environment.
Many of the sites that are
screened do not meet the cri-
teria 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 con-
tact with the contami-
nants from the site;
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• remove hazardous materi-
als from the site;
• prevent contaminants from
spreading off the site',
• provide water to residents
whose drinking water has
been contaminated by the
site; or
• temporarily or permanent-
ly evacuate/relocate near-
by residents.
Early Actions may take any-
where from a few days to five
years to complete depending
on the type and extent of cont-
amination. EPA also deter-
mines 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 respon-
sible for the contamination at
the site may conduct these
assessments under close EPA
supervision. Their involve-
ment in the study and cleanup
process is critical in order to
make best use of Superfund
resources. EPA uses the infor-
mation collected to decide
what type of action, if any, is
required.
At this point, EPA prepares a
Community Relations Plan
(CRP) to ensure community
involvement. This plan is
based on discussions with
local leaders and private citi-
zens in the community. In
addition, EPA sets up a local
information file in the com-
munity so that citizens can
have access to information
about the site.' The informa-
tion file or "repository" is usu-
ally located at a library or pub-
lic 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 SUPERFUND CLEANUPS?
SUPERFUND CLEANUPS are very
complex and require the
efforts of many experts in sci-
ence, engineering, public
health, management, law,
community relations, and
numerous other fields. The
goal of the process is to pro-
tect 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 com-
ment 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 you understand
the technical information
relating to the cleanup of
Superfund sites in your com-
munity so that you can make
informed decisions.
Under the Superfund law,
EPA can award 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
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about the different technologies
that are being used to cleanup
sites.
Your community group may be
eligible for a TAG if you are
affected by a Superfund site
that is listed or proposed for
listing on the National
Priorities List.
More information about TAGs
is available from your
Regional EPA Community
Relations 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 col-
lected 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 List. A site
may also be proposed for the
NPL if the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease
Registry issues a health adviso-
ry for the site or if the site is
chosen as the state's top priori-
ty site. The proposal is pub-
lished in the Federal Register
and the public has an opportu-
nity 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 Relations
Coordinator.
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THE SUPERFUND PROCESS
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The Superfund 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 involve-
ment throughout the Superfund process.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A LONG-TERM
CLEANUP?
LONG-TERM CLEANUPS are exten-
sive. 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 citi-
zens 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 contami-
nation 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 iden-
tifies the option EPA prefers.
The community has at least 30
days to comment on the
Proposed Plan. EPA invites
community members to a pub-
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lie meeting to express their
views and discuss the Plan
with EPA (and sometimes
state) officials.
Once the publics 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
is conducted by EPA, the
State, or by the parties respon-
sible 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 action that will
take place at the site.
EPA can put in place the
equipment and manpower
necessary to clean up a site,
but it may take a long time to
return a site to the way it was
LONG-TERM ACTIONS
Early Actions can correct many haz-
ardous waste problems and eliminate
most threats to human health and the
environment. Some sites, however,
require Long-term Action. Long-term
Actions include restoring ground-water
and taking measures to protect wet-
lands, estuaries, and other ecological
resources.
These sites were caused by years of pol-
lution and may take several years, even
decades, to clean up.
1O
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Superfund involves
local communities
to ensure that their
concerns regarding
hazardous waste
sites are addressed.
before it was conlaminated.
Some sites, due to the extent
of contamination, will never
return to the way they were
prior to the pollution; howev-
er, 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 CLEANUP?
SUPERFUND CLEANUP is either
paid for by the parties respon-
sible for contamination or by
the Superfund Trust Fund.
Under the Superfund law, EPA
is able to make those compa-
nies and individuals responsi-
ble 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,
II
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EPA issues orders to responsi-
ble parties to make them clean
up the site under EPA supervi-
sion. EPA may 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 criti-
cal decisions that affect public
health and the environment.
They use the best available sci-
ence to determine risks at
sites. New and innovative
technologies are being devel-
oped to help achieve faster and
less expensive ways to cleanup
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 envi-
ronment.
Superfund ensures
that the parties
responsible for the
pollution pay their
fair share.
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Protecting
communities and
the environment is
what Superfund is
all about.
EPA SUPERFUND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
OFFICES
EPA wants to remain accessible and responsive to your concerns.
Our Community Relations 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 EPAs
Regional Offices.
REGION 1
(CT, ME, MA, NH, SI, VT)
John E Kennedy Federal
Building
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-3425
REGION 2
(NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-7054
REGION 3
(DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)
841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-9905
REGION 4
(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Waste Management Division
345 Courtland Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 347-2643
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REGION. 5
(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
Metcalfe Federal Building
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 886-6685
REGION 6
CAR, LA, NM, OK, no
First International Bank
Tower & Fountain Place
1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75270
(214) 633-6617
REGION 7
(IA, KS, MO, NE)
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7003
REGION 8
(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
999 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303)294-1144
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NATIONAL TECHNICAL
INFORMATION SERVICE
(NTIS)
If you wish to obtain additional copies
of this document, contact:
National Technical Information
Service (NTIS)
U.S. Department of Commerce
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
(703) 487-4600
REGION 9
(AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Guam)
75 Hawthorne Street.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-2178
REGION 10
(AK, ID, OR, WA)
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)553-1272
National Response Center
Hotline: 1-800-424-8802
Superfund Information
Hotline: (703) 412-9810
IS
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