United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
-Publication 9203.1-021
November 1992
The Superfund Accelerated
Cleanup Model (SACM)
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Outreach and Special Projects Staff, OS-200
Intermittent Bulletin
Volume 1 Number 4
The U.S. EPA currently is developing and implement-
ing a streamlined way to clean up hazardous waste sites
known as the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model,
or SACM. It is designed to make the Superfund Program
more efficient by cutting years off of cleanups and
quickly reducing risks to people and the environment.
SACM will focus Superfund on the very substantial risk
reduction which is now achieved and achievable. Pro-
tection of people and the environment at all Superfund
actions will be the program's measure of success.
Superfund will reduce risk from hazardous wastes
quickly, thoroughly, and appropriately.
The Superfund Program is responding to concerns raised
by all segments of the American public concerning the
pace and focus of hazardous waste cleanups. The pro-
gram was designed in 1980 to accommodate a new and
complicated law. Since then, EPA has learned through
experience what works.
The accelerated cleanup model incorporates five essen-
tial elements:
One-step site screening and risk assess-
ment
Regional Decision Teams to
"traffic cop" all sites
Early Action to reduce im-
mediate risk
Long-term cleanup to re-
store the environment
• Enforcement, community
relations, and public in-
volvement throughout the process
Traditionally, Superfund cleanups are performed after
long periods of site studies and assessments. The heart
of SACM, however, is an approach that fosters immedi-
ate action at a site, at the same time that necessary
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studies are being conducted. Regional Decision Teams
of site managers, risk assessors, community relations
coordinators, Regional attorneys and other experts will
decide whether a site requires Early Action (taking less
than five years), Long-term Action, or a combination of
both.
Any short-term work required to correct immediate
public health or environmental threats will be done
while a site is studied. Besides removing hazardous
materials to prevent human contact, these Early Actions
include taking precautions to keep contaminants from
moving off site and restricting access to the site.
Many hazardous waste problems can be corrected —
and most public and environmental protection can be
achieved — by Early Actions, but some problems will
take longer to correct. Cleanups of mining sites, wet-
lands, and estuaries, as well as projects involving incin-
eration of contaminants or restoration of ground water,
will take more than the three to five years envisioned for
Early Actions — possibly decades.
EPA will continue to pursue potentially responsible
parties (PRPs) who may have caused or con-
tributed to the site contamination. Expe-
dited enforcement and procedures for
negotiating PRP involvement in
cleanups will secure their partici-
pation. EPA's Superfund per-
sonnel will continue to over-
see cleanup work performed
by PRPs. Public and State par-
ticipation and access to infor-
mation will beencouraged dur-
ing all phases of Superfund
cleanups.
Efficient, effective, and geared for results, SACM will
direct more Superfund resources to actually cleaning u p
Superfund sites. By working to correct the worst prob-
lems at a large number of sites, Superfund will be able to
maximize its protection of people and the environment
from the effects of hazardous materials.
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