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}:'"
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OSWER OSWER OSWER
E DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE D
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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.
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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 ^
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-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.
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-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
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