United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(OS-240)
EPA 9200.5-07A
September 1991
&EPA
Superfund:
>xr
Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
Enmranmmt&i InMcmtors
HIGHLIGHTS
Superfund is the Nation's program to clean up uncontrolled hazardous
waste sites. Since 1980 when the program began, Superfund has taken thou-
sands of actions to protect both people and the environment from the dangers
posed by these sites. Some of the sites have required responses to emergencies
such as hazardous waste spills, while others have needed long-term actions to
clean up contamination that may have been accumulating for decades. The sites
include those on the National Priorities List (NPL), as well as non-NPL sites
where EPA takes emergency action to reduce hazards. The sites are located in
every State and potentially affect millions of people. There are over 41 million
people who live within four miles of sites included on the NPL.
This is the second Superfund Environmental Indicators report to summa-
rize the results of Superfund cleanup activities through environmental progress
indicators that are derived from the program's mandate to protect people and
the environment from uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The first report
documented progress from the program's inception in 1980 through 1989. The
second report captures the additional environmental progress that occurred
during 1990.
The report summarizes Superfund's cleanup activities in terms of three
environmental indicators. The three indicators, accompanied by highlights from
the report, are:
1. Reducing Immediate Threats: Controlling Threats to People and the
Environment
Superfund has taken action to reduce or eliminate immediate threats to
people and the environment at 1,760 NPL and non-NPL sites.
507 NPL sites have had actions to reduce or eliminate immediate
threats, an increase of 85 sites from October 1989. As a result of these
actions, the potential risks posed by exposure to hazardous waste have
been reduced for 23.5 million people who live within 4 miles of these
sites, including more than 950,000 people who had been at risk to
threats posed by direct contact with hazardous waste.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library ;i5L-12J)
77 West Jacks;/'. Boulevatf, J2th Floor
Chicago, IL 6C604-3590
-------
2. Progress toward Permanent Cleanup Goals
Progress toward permanent cleanup (e.g., achievement of long-term
health and environmental goals) has occurred at 373 of the 507 NPL
sites that have had actions to reduce immediate threats, an increase of
55 sites from the last report.
Of the 373 sites with progress toward permanent cleanup goals,
cleanup activity has been undertaken with respect to land contamina-
tion at 333 sites, surface water at 64 sites, and groundwater at 97 sites.
The threat of direct contact with hazardous waste has been eliminated
at 196 (59%) of the 333 sites where long-term cleanup of land contami-
nation has begun.
3. Bringing Technology to Bear: Removing Contamination from the
Environment
Over 54% of NPL sites with Progress toward Permanent Cleanup
Goals have used treatment technologies to remedy past contamination.
Superfund is increasing its use of treatment technologies in 1990,
79% of the sites where remedies were selected to control the source of
contamination specified treatment-based remedies.
Superfund has handled large quantities of hazardous waste in its
cleanup activities. Wastes handled to date include:
- Nearly 13 million cubic yards of contaminated soils and other solid
wastes, a volume which would cover a football field more than a
mile high;
- Over 6 billion gallons of groundwater, enough to provide the popu-
lation of New York City their drinking water for nearly 5 years;
- Over 1 billion gallons of liquid wastes, or 4 gallons for every person
in the United States; and
- Over 300 million gallons of surface water, or 1 gallon for every
person in the United States.
-------
Environmental Indicators
Introduction. Superfund is the federal program for protecting human
health and the environment from abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste
sites throughout the United States. Superfund involves federal, state, and local
government agencies in applying health and environmental standards to de-
velop appropriate site-specific plans for cleanup efforts.
Since its creation in 1980, Superfund has taken many actions to address
acute threats and achieve health and environmental cleanup goals at hazardous
waste sites. The purpose of this report is to summarize the results of Superfund
cleanup work throughout the Nation since the beginning of the program and
specifically for the period from September 1989 through December 1990. (This is
the period from the end of the first collection of Superfund environmental indica-
tor data to the end of the second collection.) The report summarizes the results
in terms of environmental indicators reflecting the three management tenets of
the Superfund program: reduce immediate threats, make sites clean, and bring
the best available technology to bear to achieve these ends.
Sites Targeted for Cleanup. Whether the goal is to reduce immediate
threats or permanently clean up a site, Superfund targets the worst kinds of sites,
and works to address the worst problems first at those sites. Both NPL and non-
NPL sites are targeted. NPL sites require long-term cleanup and monitoring to
achieve and maintain site-specific health and environmental goals. Non-NPL
sites include sites that present immediate threats to safety and health. Emer-
gency intervention is required to eliminate threats at these sites.
Reducing Immediate Threats. When an uncontrolled hazardous waste
site is identified, Superfund's first responsibility is to respond to immediate
threats to human health and the environment. Such activities include treating,
removing or containing wastes; installing site security; providing alternative
water supplies; or relocating populations. In reporting progress toward the goal
of reducing immediate threats, Superfund counts those sites where acute threats
have been addressed (includes both NPL and non-NPL sites) and where progress
toward the achievement of long-term health and environmental goals has been
made (NPL sites only). These are the sites where progress is measured by the
indicator "Reducing Immediate Threats: Controlling Threats to People and the
Environment."
-------
Since 1980, Superfund activities have resulted in making 1,760 sites safer
throughout the Nation by reducing acute threats (see Figure 1). At the majority
of these sites (88%), wastes have been removed, treated, or contained. Of the
1,760 sites, 507 are NPL sites, and another 1,253 are non-NPL sites.
Results of Cleanup Activities at Hazardous Waste Sites
Reducing Immediate Threats: All Sites
307
= 1,760
Sites
NPL Sites
= 507 NPL Sites
Non-NPL Sites
= 1,253
Non- NPL
Sites
NPL Sites With Progress Toward Permanent Cleanup Goals
= 373 Sites
Bringing Technology to Bear: NPL Sites With Treatment Remedies Applied
= 203 Sites
,1980-September30, 1989 Q Octoberl, 1989- December31, 1990
FIGURE 1
-------
Activities at 507 NPL sites where work has been performed to make them
safer by reducing immediate threats are shown in Figure 2. These NPL sites
include sites where acute threats have been addressed or where progress toward
the achievement of long-term cleanup goals has been accomplished. Of the 507
NPL SITES
Nature of Actions Taken to Protect Human Health and the Environment
Reducing Immediate Threats: Total NPL Sites
Removal, Treatment, or Containment
= 403 Sites
Site Security
= 264 Sites
Alternative Water
= 92 Sites
411,000 people provided with
an alternative water supply.
Population Relocation
= 26 Sites
4,000 people either temporarily
or permanently relocated.
1980 - September 30, 1989
October 1, 1989 December 31, 1990
Note: Number of actions add up to more than total number of sites.
Any site may have more than one kind of cleanup action.
FIGURE 2
-------
sites, 85 have been made safer in the period between October 1989 and December
1990. Since 1980, alternative water supplies have been supplied to 411,000
people at 92 sites, and 4,000 people have been temporarily or permanently relo-
cated away from 26 sites.
The net result of Superfund cleanup work at NPL sites has been to reduce
the potential risks from exposure to hazardous waste for more than 23.5 million
people who live within four miles of these sites. This work includes the elimina-
tion of threats posed by direct contact with hazardous waste to more than
950,000 people, 580,000 of whom were threatened by contact with land contami-
nation and 411,000 of whom have had alternative water supplied.
Activities at 1,253 non-NPL sites to reduce immediate threats are shown in
Figure 3. These activities include work that can best be characterized as emer-
gency, short-term cleanup work. Although activities dealing with wastes may
decontaminate non-NPL sites, Superfund does not report this decontamination
as progress toward health or environmental goals. Nonetheless, at the over-
whelming majority of these sites, the actions taken either treated, contained, or
removed the hazardous wastes. Of the 1,253 non-NPL sites currently being
adressed, 222 have been made clean in the period between October 1989 and
December 1990.
Progress toward Permanent Cleanup Goals. When an uncontrolled
hazardous waste site is identified as posing a severe and persistent threat to
human health and the environment, Superfund places the site on the NPL. Then
it studies the site, and in coordination with other governmental agencies, sets
long-term goals for site cleanup. These goals are defined in terms of the contami-
nant levels necessary to be protective of human health and the environment in
each of the environmental media. This report details the results of cleanup
activities in three media: land, surface water, and groundwater - and measures
that progress according to the indicator "Progress toward Permanent Cleanup
Goals."
Since 1980, Superfund has made progress toward achieving permanent
cleanup goals at 373 NPL sites. This is an increase of 55 sites from the progress
last reported through September 1989. At 97 of the 373 sites, Superfund has fully
achieved the goals for cleaning one or more of the affected media; at the other
276 sites, it has made measurable progress toward cleanup goals. Cleanup activi-
ties have reduced or eliminated land contamination at 333 sites, surface water
-------
NON-NPL SITES
Nature of Actions Taken to Protect Human Health and the Environment
Reducing Immediate Threats: Non-NPL Sites
222
= 1,253
Sites
Removal, Treatment, or Containment
264
= 1,149
Sites
Site Security
= 267
Sites
Alternative Water
= 73 Sites
More than 37,000 people provided
with an alternative water supply.
Population Relocation
= 67 Sites
1980 -September 30, 1989
More than 25,000 people either
temporarily or permanently relocated.
October 1, 1989 - December 31, 1990
Note: 1) Number of actions add up to more than total number of sites. Any site may
have more than one kind of cleanup action.
2) Number of sites with these actions is based on a study universe of 578 sites.
FIGURE 3
contamination at 64 sites, and groundwater contamination at 97 sites. This
represents increases of 59 sites with progress in the cleanup of land contamina-
tion, 21 sites with surface water contamination, and 5 sites with groundwater
contamination. (See Figure 4.)
-------
Environmental Indicators
NPL Sites With Progress Toward Permanent Cleanup Goals
Sites with Cleanup Progress
Land
= 373
Sites
= 333 Sites
Surface Water
= 64 Sites
Groundwater
= 97 Sites
| 1980-September 30, 1989 Qj October 1, 1989 - December 31, 1990
Note' Any site may have more than one medium contaminated
;'"'"'.'.., - , .;" FIGURE 4 .__', .": ..." . ;": -
In addition, these activities have eliminated the threat of direct contact
with hazardous waste at 196 of the 333 sites with land contamination, thereby
protecting more than 580,000 people who live within a 1-mile radius of these
sites. (See Figure 5.)
Direct Contact Threats Have Been Eliminated at 59% of Sites Where Land
Contamination Is Being Addressed
196 Sites with
Direct Contact
333 Sites
FIGURE 5
8
-------
Bringing Technology to Bear. Superfund uses a variety of technologies to
reduce immediate threats and achieve permanent cleanup goals. This variety
reflects the diversity of contaminants that must be dealt with and the media in
which they occur. Increasingly, Superfund relies on treatment technologies
designed to reduce the volume and toxicity of the hazardous wastes. Treatment
technologies were utilized at 203 of the 373 NPL sites where progress toward
long-term cleanup goals is documented in this report. This represents an in-
crease of 52 sites from the last report. Given the increase in treatment remedies
that have been chosen in the past several years (see Figure 6), the trend toward
increased use of treatment technologies will continue in the near future.
Bringing Technology to Bear:
The Increasing Use of Treatment at NPL Sites
100
80
Percent of
Source 60
Control
Remedies
Using 4Q
Treatment
20
74%
76%
79%
1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
''^f. -' -P:T '::::-v- '." FIGURE 6
-------
The volumes of waste that Superfund has managed are another measure
of the application of technologies and the achievement of human health and
environment goals. (See Figure 7.) While the figures are rough estimates, they
are nevertheless impressive.
Bringing Technology to Bear:
Waste Volumes Managed
PATHWAY
Land Surface:
Soil
Solid Waste
Liquid Waste
Groundwater:
Surface Water:
Sediments
CUMULATIVE VOLUMES
MANAGED
Cumulative Volume
1980 -December 31, 1990
5,930,000 cubic yards
7,000,000 cubic yards
1 ,055,000,000 gallons
6,350,000,000 gallons
31 6,000,000 gallons
15,000 cubic yards
i-;v ' ' 1 . ::;;. ^\\:\ ^:::;.;;"'' :- FIGURE? --"; I;-'1''-" :: :.:fV;i«'-: -/:*.:=:! ' -
Future Reports on Environmental Indicators. This brief report summa-
rizes information from a comprehensive data base against which to measure
future progress. Superfund has completed historical research to establish the
documentary basis for this data base and will publish annual reports based on
environmental indicators that focus on activities during the previous year. In
particular, these reports will summarize the number of sites where immediate
threats to human health and the environment have been reduced and progress
toward achieving permanent clean up goals have been made, the activities which
have made them so, the technologies used, and the volumes of waste managed in
these cleanup activities. Superfund will also continue to seek better ways to use
environmental indicators to report cleanup progress. Studies now underway
will likely enhance the current set of Superfund environmental indicators.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
?«8«on 5 Library (PL-12J)
// West Jackson Boulevard 12th n««.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590 l00f
10
*U.S. Government Printing office : 1992 - 312-014/40058
-------
f.n"?^mentaf Prote<*on Agency
ion 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard 10*1, r,
Chicago, IL 60604.3590 '°°r
------- |