United States
            Environmental Protection
            Agency
           Office of
           Solid Waste and
           Emergency Response
    vvEPA
DIRECTIVE NUMBER:   9481.02(84)

TITLE: -:  Agency Policy on ACL Determinations



APPROVAL DATE:   3-2-84

EFFECTIVE DATE:  "3-2-84
ORIGINATING OFFICE:

0 FINAL

D DRAFT
                             Office'of Solid Waste
              STATUS:
            [ ]
            [ ].
            f ]
A- Pending OMB; approval
,B-? Pending,"AA-OSWER;approval
REFERENCEfather documents}:'"
                                     .headquarter
OSWER      OSWER      OSWER
E   DIRECTIVE   DIRECTIVE   D

-------
 PARTS  264 AND  265  SUBPART F - GROUND-WATER PROTECTION        DOC:  9481.02(34)


 Key Words:     Alternate Concentration Limits, Appendix VIII, Closure

 Regulations:   40 CFR  264.94

 Subject:       Agency  Policy on ACL Determinations

 Addressee:     James H. Scarborough, Chief, Residuals Management Branch,
               Region  IV

 Originator:    John H. Skinner, Director, Office of Solid Waste

 Source Doc:    #9481.02(84)

 Date:          3-2-84

 Summary:

     The memo  is in response to three issues:  guidance and assistance in making
 ACL determinations; allowable concentrations in soil at closure; and national
 concentration  limits  for all Appendix VIII constituents.

     OSW provides technical guidance to. the Region on making ACL determinations
 through permit writers training programs and guidance manuals.  OSW also provides
 case-by-case assistance to the Regions on individual ACL reviews.  Headquarters
 has asked that all requests for ACLs be sent in for review.

     OSW will address the second issue through a regulatory package that., con-
 tains amendments to §265.228 to make that provision conform to §264.228.

     The Office of Drinking Water established maximum allowable concentration
 limits for the 14 constituents listed in §264.94.  It is unrealistic to  expect
 that OSW will be able to set limits for the remaining 380 constituents promptly.

     According to the preamble on ACLs, "EPA will not allow consideration of ACL
demonstrations to unreasonably delay the establishment of a ground-water protec-
 tion standard for a facility."  Regions should require corrective action when
site circumstances dictate such actions.

-------
                                                                      9^81.02 (34)
                                     HAP  2
        tUBJCCTt  Xssves la XCRA Land Disposal Permitting  Program
                       a. 8* inner,  Director
                  Office of  soils: waste  (wa-542)

        rot       James H. scartorough, Chief
                  Residuals Management Branch
                  EPA legion  XV


3    «       la* writing In  response to your  letter  of January 26 «  1984,
5    ^  i» which fow ra2«ed  three issues la th*  ftCAA  permitting program.
g    —  Am jrour Latter noted, tbeee  la»uea hare  been  dlaevaeed by OSW
£    n  mas«9era and staff in e aoaber of meeting*  with Regional permit
f       personnel.  I vould  like to  restate ««r  current policy and  plana
*    J  In each of tne areas  you aentloneds
     4J
     c,       <1)  O8W has provided  technical guidance to  the Region*
*    9  on aaklng Xlternate Concentration Li* It  (ACL) determination*,
x    5  through several permit writer's  training  programs a ad guidance
H       ssanuals.  for esasiple» the  draft frerm it  Writer' •  Manual en Part
^j       1*4 Oroand-Mater Protection  provides guidance on  evaluating
^       the potential migration of  contaminant plumes and the health and
<•<       environmental impacts of alternate limits,  as well as guidance
£       on establishing monitoring  prograna to validate predictions.
^       Me intend to provide  additional  assistance  as follows.
 - S
y c u x
c a c °       ACL r**l«v* are  neca**arily *ite-*p«cif ic determinations
* £ J- ^  which entail the exercise of be»t engineering, hydrogeolo^ ical  ,
5*.^ "  and toxieological judgement*.  OSW participation  will ensure
£? o '-I z  tnat thc approach used in making »ucn  judgement*  and the results
- ~Z a -H  °f ACL fevievs are consistent nationally.  We will *hare theac
^   , o  finding* with all Regions «* they are  developed.
iC'   .1 U
   - Jj
   «5 C
^ , £ O
5 'J CJ ^

-------
                               -2-


      (1)  oaw plans  to  addrasa the  iaau»  of  allow*Ola  concentrations
 of  hazardous constituents  in soil at  clcaura through a regulatory
 ^askago no* baiag  reviewed by the Assistant  Adaini3tra tor.  This
 package contains aaendaenta to the  closure proviaions  of 9265.228
 to  Bake tboae iateria status raqulranenta conform to tha language
 of  S2S4.228.  Tha  prsasbla to theae amendments vill expand upon
 SPA1* policy regard lay  levels of contamination.

      Tfea regulatory  packaya addressing  this  isau« will be sent
 to  tha 3egions  this  spring for comment.   Our currant achedule
 antieipatas publication in tha rsdaral  Hegi»t«r  thia auanar*
      (3)  ?ou racoansand  that BPA aata±>liah grouno^watar protection
standard* for all Apparvdix VIII eonatituant*.  Maxiaiun allcrwacl«
eoncantrationa  have  already baan aataJblishad by  tha  Office of
Drinking Matar  (ODW) for tha fourtaan  conatituante liatad  in
|2i4.f4.  Th« taalc of aatabliahiny national concentration  lialts
for tha raaalnin^ 380 or ao Appendix VIII eonstituanta i«  anor-
aoualy ooaplos, tlae—conauain^, and azpanaiva*   Uaithar OOW nor
OtfW haa tha data, raaourca*^ or •ulti*di*eiplinary expertise
to aren bay in aach a maaaive undertaking, »uch laaa  to proniae
valid raaulta in a raaaonaola pariod of  tlae.

     Tha Office of Raaearch and Oavalopnant ia conducting  eztanaive
raaaarch on haalth affacta of Hasardoua  eonatltuants aa  a  aajor
objective of tha Agency'* reaaarch pro^raa.  The/ have offered
to vork with ua on raviawing •pacific  raquaata for Alternate
Concentration Lialta and aiatllar activitiea.  As haalth  and
anvironawntal data are obtained, Off* can sove to aatabliah
additional li»ita through regulatory aodificationa and ACL
daaonatrationa.  But it  ia unraaliatic to expect proapt  rul»-
•aicing which aata ll«ita for hundrada  of cona tituanea, given
tha difficultiea W»A haa axpariancad over tha paat dacada  in
determining acoaptabla lerela for even a s»all auaber of  auo-
ataneaa acroaa  all of tha environmental  prograai* and given tha
ourrattt atatua of tha) raaaarch program.

     Tha overall scenario daacribad at tha end of your  latter
•uggeata that many facilities will request ACL*.  Zt has  been our
expectation fro* tha atart that few ACLa will be requested and
granted, due to tha extensive data required by such  requests, the
high costs of developing such data, and  the difficult regulatory
standard aatablishad in  1264.94.  I also call your attention  to
tha preamble discussion  on ACLs, which notes that "SPA will not
allow tha consideration  of such a demonstration  to unreasonably
delay the establishment  of the ground-water protection  standard
for a facility" (47 TR 32293, July 26, 1982).  Regions  should
therefore press forward  to require corrective action when site
•:ircuaatancas so dictate.

-------
                                -3-
 '   .1 vnderstand yewr  desire far aora detailed guidance and*    "
regulatory ftttAdarda In the  areas you raised. • gatortua«taly. •*•
ar« «ot abi« at tat« tiM  to 90 beyond tfe« |>oliai^a and aatiitanc,
deacribed abcr«.  «• do plaa to prt^ride additional infoniatlon to
            the M«hanlam« I've oatliaed aa mtr experience grow*.
sot  Basardoua Vast* Branch Chief*
     Keqione I-III, V-X
     Bruce Weddie
     Jack Lehaan

-------