UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                         WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
                                                       OFFICE OF

                                              SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
OCT  8 1992

                      OSWER Directive # 9320.2-05
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:  Amendment to Historical Definitions  of  NPL Deletion
          Start and Completion  Dates
FROM:     Henry L. Longest II,  Director
          Office of Emergency and RemedialtyRe'Spbnse

TO:       Superfund Program Management Branch  Chiefs,
          Regions I-X

PURPOSE

     The purpose of this memorandum  is to notify you of an
amendment to two historical CERCLIS  definitions.   Specifically,
this memo amends the definitions of  the NPL deletion process
start and completion dates in the Superfund Comprehensive
Accomplishments Plan (SCAP) Manual of FY 1987, the Superfund
Program Management Manual of FY 1988, and any  other  pre-FY 89
guidance relevant to this aspect of  the deletion process.

BACKGROUND

     I sent a memo out on September  4, 1992 requesting your
assistance in verifying the accuracy of CERCLIS with respect to
completion/deletion data.  Attached  to the memo was  a list of
proposed v/.an^ss to CEP.CLT-S rtat.^.  one of the  changes addressed
discrepancies between CERCLIS start  and completion dates for
deleted sites and dates appearing in the Federal Register for
notice of intent to delete ("NOID")  and notice of  deletion.   The
memo suggested replacing the start and completion  dates currently
in CERCLIS with the appropriate Federal Register dates.

     Prior to FY 89, the start  of the NPL deletion process was
defined as the date the Regional Administrator transmitted a
complete deletion recommendation package to the AA-OSWER for
formal concurrence.  Similarly, the  completion date  definition
was the date the AA signed the  deletion package recommendation.
In FY 89, these definitions were changed by wedding  the deletion
start and completion dates to the publication  dates  of the notice
of intent to delete and notice  of deletion in  the  Federal
Register.

-------
OBJECTIVE

     The Hazardous Site Control Division believes that, for
tracking purposes, it is important that the historical
definitions of the deletion start and completion be amended to
make them consistent with the Federal Register dates.  Thus, this
memo officially amends the definitions found in the SCAP Manual
of FY 1987, the Superfund Program Management Manual of FY 1988,
and any other relevant guidance from pre-FY 89.  The new
definitions for deletion start and completion dates will be the
dates the notice of intent to delete and the notice of deletion
appear in the Federal Register.

IMPLEMENTATION

     Please make the changes to the deletion event as outlined in
the completion/deletion memo of September 4, 1992.  The site
backup from that memo detailing the appropriate changes is
attached.  This memo will be filed and will serve as
documentation of the amendment for the IG and other related
purposes.

     If you have questions or comments about this issue or
related ones, please contact Lois Gartner at (202) 260-8101.

Attachment

cc:  Information Management Coordinators, Regions I-X
     Robin Richardson
     Schatzi Fitz-James
     Bill Ross
     Tracy Hopkins
     Awilda Fuentes

-------