&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Emergency and Remedial Response Washington DC 20460 Sprina 1986 WH/FS-86-002 The Superfund Remedial Program Under the Superfund Remedial Program, EPA takes long-term cleanup actions to stop or substantially reduce releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances that are serious but not immedi- ately threatening. How Does EPA Learn About Potential Remedial Sites? EPA learns about potential sites for remedial action through a variety of sources, including reguired reporting, routine inspec- tions of facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous wastes, and visible evidence and citizen reports. Once a site is identified, EPA or State officials review any available documents on the site, in what is called a preliminary assessment, to deter- mine if further action is needed. Some sites do not require further action because it is determined they do not threaten public health or the environment. If a potential problem does exist, EPA or the State conducts a site inspection. Typically, the site inspection involves collect- ing information about the site — for example, types of soils on site, streams or rivers on or near the site, number of people in the area, weather conditions, and who owns or operates the site. Samples of wastes, soil, well water, river water, and air are collected to determine what hazardous substances are on the site. Samples are also taken nearby to determine if the substances have traveled, or migrated, away from the site. Based on information obtained from the site inspection, EPA uses its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) to compare the potential risk posed by the site to the potential risk posed by others throughout the nation. Using the HRS, EPA calculates a score for the site that indicates if hazardous substances have migrated In 1080, Congress passed u liiw called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CEKC1.A). CERCLA created a lax on the chemical and petroleum industries. The money collected from the tax goes to a Trust Fund to clean up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The money has come to be called the Super/mid. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for running the Snperfund program. Under the Superfund program, EPA can: • Pay for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites wlion those responsible for such sites cannot be found or are unwilling or unable to clean up u site. • Take legal action to force those responsible for hazardous waste sites that threaten public health or the environment to clean up or pay for the cleanup of those sites or reimburse EPA for the costs of cleanup. The law authorizes two kinds of response actions: • Short-term removal actions where immediate odious may be taken to address releases or threats of releases requiring expedited response. • Longer-term remedial oclions that stop or substantially reduce releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances that are serious but not immediately life-threatening. Response actions may include, but are not limited to: • Removing hazardous materials from the site to an EPA- upproved, licensed hazardous wusle facility tor treatment, containment, or destruction. • Containing the waste on-site so that it can safely remain there ami present no further problem. « Destroying or treating the waste on-site through incineration or other innovative technologies. • Identifying and removing the source of ground water contamination, and halting further spread of the contaminants. This fact sheet is one of a series prepared by the Superfund Community Relations Program to help citizens understand how the Superfund program works. ------- through ground water, surface water, and air or if they have the potential to migrate. Sites with high enough scores are considered for placement on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL). Sites on the NPL present the most serious problems among hazardous waste sites nationwide and are eligible for long-term remedial actions through the Superfund program. \ What Is the State Role in Superfund? States play an important role in the Superfund process. The Superfund law requires that States be consulted in every Superfund remedial response. Some States receive money from EPA for identify- ing and managing Superfund sites through a formal Cooperative Agreement. Further, States are always responsible for the long term maintenance of a site once the response action is finished. What Happens During Remedial Action? Remedial actions have two main phases: Remedial investigation and feasibility study, during which conditions at the site are studied, the problem(s), If any are defined, and alternative methods to clean up the site are evaluated. to two years to complete. The entire process can take up In the Remedial design and action stage, the recommended cleanup is designed and undertaken. The design phase can take up to one year. The time required to complete the remedy may vary according to the complexity of the site. During a remedial investigation, EPA or the State collects and analyzes information to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site. Aerial photographs may be taken of the site and surrounding area to map the physical features of the land, including rock formations and sources of water. A variety of techniques are used to locate contaminated ground water and buried drums or tanks that might contain hazardous substances. Samples are taken from soils, drums, lagoons, rivers and ground water, then analyzed by EPA-approved laboratories to determine if hazardous sunsfances might be present and, if so, the type and amount. EPA or the State reviews and interprets results of the laboratory analysis. Once the extent of contamination is known, the feasibility study can begin. During the feasibility study, specific alternative remedies are considered and evaluated by EPA and the public. The recommended remedy may include: • Removing hazardous materials from the site to an EPA or State approved, licensed hazardous waste facility for treatment, containment., or destruction. • Containing the waste on-site so that it can safely remain there and present no further problem. • Destroying or treating the waste on-site through incineration or other innovative technologies. ------- a Identifying and removing the source of ground water contamination, and halting further spread of the contaminants. Or, instead, the recommended remedy could be to move people away from the site or provide an alternate source of drinking water for area residents. During the remedial design and action phases, the cleanup alternative chosen is constructed or installed. Design and construction activities are conducted under the supervision of EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or the State can manage all site activities on its own. How is the Best Cleanup Alternative Chosen? EPA must take into account certain requirements specified in the National Contingency Plan (NCP), the Federal regulation that guides the Superfund program, for evaluating alternative remedial actions at hazardous waste sites. For each alternative, the following guestions must be answered: • How effective and reliable will a particular remedy be in protecting public health, welfare, and the environment? « Is the remedy technically feasible, considering the location and conditions at the site? • What, if any, effects might the remedy have on the surrounding environment? $ How much will the rernedy cost, including costs of construction and operation and maintenance? The NCP requires EPA to select an alternative that is cost effective. This requirement does not mean that EPA must choose the least expensive alternative. It means that if there are several cleanup alternatives available to deal effectively with the problems at a site, EPA must choose the remedy that is most cost-effective, considering cost, reliability, and permanence. Can EPA Make Those Responsible Pay? EPA always makes a thorough effort to identify and locate those responsible for causing contamination problems at the site ("potentially responsible parties"). Although EPA is willing to negotiate with private parties and encourages voluntary cleanup, it has the authority under the Superfund law to legally force those responsible to take specified cleanup actions. All work performed by those responsible is closely guided and supervised by EPA and mast meet the same standards required for actions financed through Superfund. Because negotiations can take a lot of time, EPA may decide to use Superfund monies promptly to clean up a site. For example, if a site presents an immediate threat to public health and the environment, or if conditions at a site worsen while negotiations are being conducted, it may be necessary to start the cleanup immediately. Those responsible are liable under the law for the money EPA spends in cleaning up the site, and EPA will attempt to recover those costs through legal actions after the cleanup has been completed. ------- Can Local Citizens Get Involved in Superfund Cleanups? To ensure that the local public is involved in Superfund actions, EPA has established a community relations program. The program is designed to inform local officials and residents about conditions and developments at Superfund sites and to make sure that the concerns of the community are communicated to EPA and State officials. For each Superfund site where action takes longer than 45 days, EPA or the State prepares a community relations plan that is tailored to the needs of the community near the site. The plan describes the activities that will be conducted to encourage citizen input and inform the community of progress at the site. Community relations activities may include holding periodic informal meetings of small groups of interested citizens and government staff, or larger public forums that include a presentation about activities at the site and a question and answer period. Information can also be provided through the distribution of fact sheets such as these and technical summaries. Two-way communication is essential throughout the process. For further information on the Superfund Program, call toll free 1-800-424-9346 ------- |