s Office of Emergency and EPA
Environmental Protection Remedial Response PB93-963255
Agency Washington, DC 20460 January 1993
Superfund
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version
Prepared by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Superfund Program
Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
Table of Contents
Introduction and Overview 3
NPL Site Distribution 6
A Note on the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model 7
Emergency Removal 8
Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI) 9
National Priorities List (NPL) 10
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) 11
Record of Decision (ROD)/Remedial Design (RD) 12
Remedial Action (RA) 13
Enforcement 14
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
Introduction and Overview
Superfund is the nation's program for cleaning up
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. It was established
by the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980. The
Removal Program responds quickly to emergencies
where hazardous materials are, or may be, released. The
Remedial Program is dedicated to long-term cleanup of
hazardous waste sites that pose the greatest threat to
public health or the environment. Removals can occur
anywhere, at any time. Federally funded remedial
actions are limited to sites on the National Priorities List
(NPL).
The Superfund process is rigorous and detailed. It has to
be to ensure that the greatest protection is afforded the
public and the environment, while at the same time the
rights of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and other
participants are protected. The flow chart below shows
the Superfund cleanup process. The major steps in the
process are:
Site discovery and investigation.
EPA evaluation of possible hazards from site
contaminants and, if warranted, addition of the site to
the NPL. Sites ineligible for federal cleanup are
referred to state or local government, business, or
individuals for cleanup.
Site Discovery
Problem disclosed by:
Citizen complaints
Routine reports
Regular inspections
Reports of emergencies
Removal Action
Short-term correction of
immediate or imminent publ c
health threat
Occurs anytime during the
Superfund process
, . -I-L. Appe
I Seric
Preliminary
Assessment
^ Review of documents
Identifies site contaminants
Hazard Ran
Potentially ^ Scores thr
Serious Ranks site
threats
Site Inspection
ars _^ On-site investigation to
us identify:
Evidence of hazards
Exposure routes
Affected populations
Affected areas
1
Continuous
Community Relations
. ' »
eats of sites National Priority List
s by severity of Above Sites eligible for i
~" Cul-ofl - ^ federally lunded cleanup
Below Cut-off Score ,
^f
Superfund Evaluation
Accomplished Remedial Action
Refers sites for cleanup by: Detailed site charaterization
State or local governments Long-term cleanup of NPL sites
Businesses
^
W
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30, 1992 3
-------
Negotiations to compel Responsible Parties (RPs) to
pay for cleaning up the hazardous waste problems they
helped create.
On-going community relations.
Thorough studies to develop detailed site
characterization in order to determine which cleanup
methods may be most effective, given the contaminants
present and their potential harm to public health or the
environment.
Selection, design, and implementation of a cleanup
plan, including periods of public comment on proposed
cleanup techniques.
Follow-up to ensure cleanup is effective.
EPA records in its CERCLIS database every
hazardous waste site considered for a Superfund
cleanup and every site where a removal action is
performed. (CERCLIS stands for the
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Information System.)
The system tracks the identification, evaluation,
and, if necessary, cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
Whether a site requires a short- or a long-term
cleanup is determined by the oil and hazardous
materials National Contingency Plan. The
Remedial Project managers in each EPA Region,
who oversee cleanup efforts, add information about
the sites they manage to CERCLIS. Currently, there
are 36,319 sites in CERCLIS. The Superfund Site
Tally shows the current status of each CERCLIS
site.
More than 90 percent of the sites in CERCLIS have been
evaluated to determine whether they pose immediate
threats to public health or the environment. Emergency
removals have been, or are being, taken where
warranted. NPL sites are inspected at least once every
two years to determine if changing conditions mean a
removal action is required.
The hazardous waste sites on the NPL are the nation's
worst. They are eligible for federally funded cleanup,
although Superfund's "enforcement first" policy means
that Responsible Parties (RPs) pay for as much of the
cleanup work as possible. But no matter who pays for, or
performs, the cleanup work, EPA is in charge of selecting
cleanup methods, setting, cleanup levels, and overseeing
site work to make sure sites are safe and people and the
environment are protected.
Superfund Site Tally
(Including Federal Facilities)
,K\ wm
Construction Completed
Remedial Actions
Remedial Designs
RODS
RI/FS
Removals Only
Awaiting Action
Total NPt Sites
ti$fa&^ffig&jj8&fctetjbtf&H&&tMt^tf& *-'fV*1
y^^^^^^^w%j^^^p^^p^^^^%>^ *£ "* ,
PA/SI Completed
Total Awaiting PA/SI
Sites with Removal only
,425-
*i$f^ffS*p"%*
***> '^"'S* x^' ** ^ J*
t4& ^i Vf Z&*P*s ' "' -
374 ^^^1^*%" fr# *"
' 2«
; 1* tj^/ftS^l',
39o ^ ^ fc ^w's "',, .'*',
to ^;«%&^ u ^4^' ' *
86 ?'&$'&**
__. ^!';»f%«C»5;
i,*ra ' ** * -«.» , ,, ,
^-* * - ^' '' ^"
,iK~ >,fic' '^'"t'v-s^'ipSiiii''
TOTAL SITES IN CERCUS
CEROLJS
3t,397
4,994
423
36,814
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
The NPL currently stands at 1,275
sites, including federal facility sites.
Clean-up construction has been
completed at 149 sites, and surface
cleanup only has been completed at
196 sites. In addition:
Remedial Actions are occurring at
374 sites (29%).
Remedial Designs are underway at
212 sites (16%), and have already
been completed at 437 sites for a
total of 649 sites.
Records of Decision have been
signed for 795 sites (62%).
Remedial Investigations/Feasibility
studies are underway or have been
completed at 1,170 sites (92%).
And 56 sites (4%) are awaiting
action.
The map on page 6 shows the distribu-
tion of current NPL sites nationwide.
Superfund Progress Report
(Fund and Enforcement Projects, excluding Federal Facilities)
(Inventory = 35,220 Sites)
Current Quarter Total FY 1992
Actions at Sites CPs Sites CPs Sites
Removals Completed
Removals Started
Sites Awaiting PAs
PAs Completed
S!s Completed
Site Evaluation Accomplished
Sites Proposed for NPL
Total NPL Sites
RI/FSs Started
Records of Decision Signed
RDs Completed
RDs Started
RAs Completed
RAs Started
Sites Completed
Sites Deleted
143 127
142 115
340
455
24
1,148
35 15
78 59
49 24
63 28
40 23
69 37
68
0
351 287
382 310
1,280
1,344
24
1,148
92 41
120 87
121 65
183 92
88 57
113 63
85
2
FY 1980 to Date
CPs Sites
2,636 2,134
3,149 2,512
1,655
33,565
15,312
20,453
43
1,148
1,652 1,064
1,023 744
612 413
1,033 629
323 230
667 442
148
40
This report documents the progress Superfund is making in fulfilling its mission of protecting people and the environ-
ment from exposure to hazardous waste. The Superfund Progress Report on this page summarizes these activities, and the
sections that follow detail the progress EPA is making at each step in the Superfund process.
It is important to note that those 1,275 NPL sites have been placed on the list in phases with the most recent addition of 30
proposed sites in FY 92. Sites are not eligible to receive long-term funds until they are listed on the NPL.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
NPL Site Distribution
(Total = 1,245 sites)
.
_
:
-
No. of NPL Sites
B over 50
n 21 to 50
" 1 to 20
Puerto Rico has 9 Superfund sites, Guam has 2, and the U.S. Virgin Islands has 1.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
A Note on the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model
The Superfund process is changing as EPA adopts the
Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model (SACM) to speed
hazardous waste site cleanups and quickly reduce risks
to people and the environment.
SACM (pronounced sack-em), combines Early Actions,
such as removing hazardous wastes or contaminated
materials, with ongoing studies so that public health and
environmental threats are taken care of while long-term
cleanups are being planned.
removals will not be reported separately from remedial
actions, and no administrative distinctions will be made
between Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections and
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies. Rather than
focus on the number of starts made at each step of the
current Superfund process, FY94 issues of Superfund
ProgressAficionado's Guide will stress the public health
and environmental protection the Program provides.
Early Actions will take, by definition,
less than five years to complete. They
likely will eliminate most of the risks
posed to people by hazardous waste
sites. While these activities are
underway, a Regional Decision Team of
Superfund site managers, risk assessors,
community relations coordinators,
Regional counsel, and other experts will
monitor site studies to determine
precisely what short- and long-term
actions are required. Cleanups of
mining sites, wetlands, and estuaries, as
well as projects involving incineration of
contaminants or restoration of ground
water are examples of long-term actions
to return.
EPA's adoption of SACM also will
change how Superfund progress is
reported. By Federal Fiscal Year 1994,
which begins October 1,1993, all
hazardous waste sites will be considered
Superfund sites. Similarly, emergency
THE NEW STREAMLINED PROCESS
Public Notification of Early Action Start
Early Action To Reduce
Risk
(<5 Years)
Public Notification
Issue Order/
Negotiate
All
Sites
Start PBP Saarch
Long-Term
Action for
Media
Restoration
(>5 Years)
Delete
Long-Term
Cleanup
Completed
Enforcement Activities
State/Public Participation/Community Relations
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
Emergency Removal
The Superfund Removal Program
responds to short-term emergencies that
involve hazardous materials and threaten
public health. By law, they can take up to
a year to finish and can cost as much as $2
million. However, exemptions to this can
be granted. By law, EPA's removal
activities can include:
Evacuating, if necessary, people living
near a hazardous materials emergency.
Removing the hazardous substances
from the area to be disposed of properly.
Emergency Removal Program
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY 1992
Sites CPs
Total Removals Started 31 0 382
Total Removals Completed 287 351
Non-NPL Removals Started 279 321
Non-NPL Removals Completed 246 282
NPL Removals Started 31 61
NPL Removals Completed 41 69
FY 1980 to Date
Sites CPs
2,512 3,149
2,134 2,636
2,029 2,286
1 ,708 1 ,903
483 863
426 733
Supplying clean drinking water to people whose water has been contaminated by hazardous materials: and
Posting warning signs and taking other precautions to keep people and animals away from hazardous waste sites.
A single hazardous waste site or accidental spill may require more than one removal action if more than one pollutant is
present. The removal of pollutants that pose different hazards and require different cleanup techniques could be
considered separate actions. Each action is known as a clean-up project (CP).
While Responsible Party cleanup is desirable, the key is quick response. PRPs are encouraged to participate in the
Removal Program wherever possible, provided EPA's ability to respond quickly is not limited.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
8
-------
Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI)
Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
PAs Completed
Total FY 1992
Sites
1,280
FY 1980 to Date
Sites
33,565
Site Inspections Completed
1,344
15,312
Disposition of Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections
A Preliminary Assessment (PA) is the first
step in determining whether a hazardous
waste site requires long-term cleanup. EPA
or the State reviews site reports and
documentation to identify what hazardous
materials may be at the site and how they
may spread. They also identify who may
be harmed by the chemicals. If a PA
indicates that a site is dangerous, EPA will
conduct a more detailed inspection called a
Site Inspections (SI).
Sites determined by the PA to warrant
further inspection become the subject of Site
Inspections. In a typical SI, a Regional EPA
staff member visits a site to collect
information about its soil types, the streams or rivers that flow through or near it, the local weather, the people who live
nearby and the site's owner (s). Air, soil, and water samples taken on and off the site help investigators determine
whether hazardous materials have traveled away from a site.
Usually, the PA or SI shows that a Superfund cleanup action is not warranted. This does not mean, however, that the site
is safe. It just means that this particular site is unlikely to qualify for a Superfund cleanup. Instead, other federal
programs, or state or local governments, companies, or private citizens become responsible for cleaning up these sites.
Site Evaluation Accomplished
20,453
Sites Awaiting Preliminary Assessments
Sites Awaiting Site Inspection
1,655
2,628
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
-------
National Priorities List (NFL)
National Priorities List (NPL)
(Includes Federal Facilities)
Sites Proposed for NPL
Sites Removed From Proposal
Sites Deleted From NPL
Total FY 1992
Sites
30
4
2
FY 1980 to Date
Sites
52
79
40
Total NPL
1,275
EPA uses the Hazard Ranking System (HRS)
to evaluate the public health and
environmental threats posed by hazardous
waste sites considered for a Superfund
cleanup. Each site receives a numerical score
based on the likelihood that people will be
exposed to hazardous materials on or off the
site. Sites that score at least 28.50 on the
Hazard Ranking System's 100-point scale are
eligible for the National Priorities List (NPL)
of Superfund sites. (The 28.50-point cutoff
has its origins in the 1980 law that
established Superfund.)
Sites that rank lower than 28.50 also may be potentially dangerous and should be considered as candidates for cleanup by
state or local government.
EPA also can place on the NPL sites that score less than 28.50 if (1) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) of the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a public health advisory that recommends people be moved from
the site, (2) EPA determines that the site poses a significant threat to public health, and (3) EPA anticipates that a remedial
cleanup would be more cost effective than a removal action.
The NPL is EPA's list of the nation's worst hazardous waste sites. Sites on the NPL are eligible for federally funded
cleanups. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of the sites EPA evaluates using the HRS eventually are placed on the NPL.
Currently, more than 1,200 sites are on the NPL, three times more than Congress envisioned in 1980, when Superfund
began. EPA lists sites on the NPL by state and indicates whether a site is a federal facility. About 100 sites are added to
the NPL each year, and EPA expects the NPL to grow to more than 2,000 sites by the end of the century.
Each NPL site has been assessed to determine if an emergency removal is necessary to protect neighboring populations.
And every NPL site is re-assessed at least every two years to determine if conditions have changed to warrant an
emergency removal.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
10
-------
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
NPL sites are considered for
long-term cleanup of their
contamination problems
under the Superfund
program. The cleanup
process has two major
phases. The first is the
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY 1992 FY 1980 to Date
% RP/Site % RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead Sites (CPs) Lead
RI/FSs Started 41 92 48% 1,064 1,652 37%
Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study (RI/FS). It
includes a detailed review of site conditions and a listing and evaluation of the possible courses of action that could
correct problems at the site. An RI/FS can begin even before a site is given an HRS score. On average, an RI/FS costs
$750,000 and takes approximately 30 months to perform. Wherever possible EPA negotiates with Responsible Parties to
conduct these studies, but ultimately it is EPA's responsibility, with public input, to chose the long-term cleanup method.
Because many sites have more than one contamination problemand even a single problem has more than one aspect
EPA often breaks down the RI/FS and subsequent steps into clean-up projects (CPs). Each clean-up project is
tantamount to a phase of a particular activity. The most common CPs are the "source control clean-up project" and the
"management of migration clean-up project." The former is concerned with problems associated with the source of site
contamination; the latter is concerned with controlling the source of contaminants. Each step in the long-term cleanup of
a Superfund site may be performed separately for each clean-up project.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992 11
-------
Record of Decision (ROD)/Remedial Design (RD)
After EPA determines
the best of several
alternatives for site
cleanup, it solicits
public input. Based on
that input and data
collected, EPA decides
how a site will be RDs Started 92 183 74% 629 1,033 54%
Records of Decision (RODs)/Remedial Designs (RDs)
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY 1992 FY 1980 to Date
% RP/Site % RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead Sites (CPs) Lead
RODs Completed 87 120 N/A 744 1,023 N/A
RDs Completed 65 121 69% 413 612 50%
cleaned up and issues a
Record of Decision
(ROD). The ROD
discusses the various cleanup techniques that were considered and explains why a particular course of action was
selected. If a site has more than one CP, a ROD for each CP may be issued. The selection process solicits public
involvement, and the ROD also contains EPA's responses to public concerns regarding cleanup options for a site. Even if
responsible parties have conducted the RI/FS, it is EPA's responsibility to select the most cost-effective cleanup method
that will meet EPA cleanup goals.
Sometimes EPA determines that no cleanup activity is necessary; for example, a chemical may be so diluted in ground
water that the water meets national or state safety standards. (Or an Emergency Removal Action took care of the problem
before the ROD phase was reached.) In such cases where no cleanup activity is required, EPA may issue a "no-action
ROD." (The term is a bit of a misnomer, however, for monitoring or other activities will be performed even if no cleanup
is performed.)
Once EPA chooses a clean-up remedy, it must fit the technique to the site conditions. This adaptation, called the
Remedial Design (RD), kicks off the second phase of a cleanup. A Remedial Design can take 12 to 18 months and cost an
average of $1 million. If Responsible Parties are conducting the design, it is EPA's responsibility to approve final plans
and specifications for the actual cleanup.
This stage, in conjunction with the actual site cleanup, is the most costly, and Responsible Party participation in this effort
is essential. Thus, EPA negotiates with Responsible Parties to conduct the Remedial Design and Remedial Action. Given
current resource levels, EPA would be unable to achieve the progress it has without Responsible Party participation.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992 12
-------
Remedial Actions (RAs)
Sites
RAs Started 63
RAs Completed 57
Remedial Action (RA)
Total FY
(CPs)
113
88
1992
%RP/Site
Lead
75%
66%
FY 1980 to
Sites (CPs)
442 667
230 323
Date
%RP/Site
Lead
51%
45%
The actual clean-up work at a
Superfund site is done during the
Remedial Action phase. This is
when the earth-moving equipment
arrives and when necessary
structures are built to treat
contaminants on site. Depending
on the contaminants involved, and
the treatment techniques used to
clean them up, this phase may take as long as six years to complete. If contaminated ground water must be cleaned up,
the work may continue for decades.
The cost of Remedial Actions averages $25 million. Thus, Responsible Party participation in this phase of the project is
most important. If Responsible Parties are conducting this phase, EPA conducts extensive oversight to ensure that the
remedy is implemented consistent with the ROD and the design specifications and that protective cleanup levels are
achieved.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
13
-------
Enforcement
Whenever possible, EPA begins looking
for PRPs before beginning any clean-up
work paid for out of the Superfund Trust
Fund. PRPs are liable for all costs incurred
by the Federal Government. The search
for PRPs can be lengthy, and site cleanup
often begins before all PRPs are identified.
In any event, the search for PRPs and the
negotiations to get the site cleaned up will
not delay work to reduce imminent threats
to public health.
Once PRPs and RPs are identified, EPA
will attempt to negotiate consent decrees
with them. These documents specify the
duties and responsibilities of each RP
regarding a cleanup. If consent
negotiations fail, EPA can issue a
unilateral administrative order for
cleanup. The Agency also may begin
cleaning up the site, then sue the RPs to
recover its costs.
EPA can refer to the United States
Department of Justice for prosecution
cases against RPs who fail to comply with
federal cleanup orders. Under the
Superfund law, EPA can recover its
cleanup costs plus triple that amount in
damages for those that fail to comply with
these orders.
Enforcement In Superfund
ACTIVITY
Total RP Response
Settlements"
RD/RA Settlements
Total Unilateral Orders
Issued***
UAOs Issued for RD/RA
Total AOCs Signed
AOCs for RD (only)
Cost Recovery Referrals to
DOJ
Total Cost Recovery
Settlements
Total Cost Recovery
Collections
Total
Actions
228
88
110
45
135
3
75
243
* Thru FY92
FY92
Value (M)
$1,527.0
$1,369.8
$556.3
$467.8
$98.4
...
$137.4
$280.3
$183.7
Program-To-Date*
Action Value (M)
1,766 $7,477.5
421 $5,232.1
778 $1,950.8
175 $1,756.3
1 ,086 $1 ,426.4
15
516 $913.0
1 ,293 $850.0
$524.7
Source: CERCLIS
** Does not include State Lead Settlements, and Federal Facilities
Inter-Agency Agreements. Includes RD/RA Settlements below.
*" Includes UAOs issued for RD/RA.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of September 30,1992
14
------- |