United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Publication 9355.0-58FS
EPA 540/F-95/025
PB 95-963312
SERA Remedial Design/Remedial
Action (RD/RA) Handbook
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response	Quick Reference Fact Sheet
Hazardous Site Control Division, 5203G	June 1995
This fact sheet presents an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Remedial Design/Remedial Action
(RD/RA) Handbook, 9355.0-04B, PB95-963307, June 1995, a manual for Remedial Project Managers (RPMs) that
serves as a guide for all RPMs on how to manage Federal-lead, Fund-financed Remedial Design (RD) and Remedial
Action (RA) projects. The handbook does not address state- and enforcement-lead RD/RA projects but contains tabbed
dividers for state- and enforcement-lead guidance to be added as developed. The RPM may use the management
principles and techniques outlined in the handbook to implement the selected remedy in accordance with the Record
of Decision (ROD). In addition to chapters on project management, project planning, remedial design, and remedial
action, the handbook contains a number of appendices that will assist the RPM, Figure 1 displays the handbook's
organization. This fact sheet briefly covers the same topics.		

Figure 1
Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) Handbook
Chapter

1 Introduction
2 Project Management
3 Project Planning
4 Remedial Design
5 Remedial Action
Appendices

Appendix A -
Glossary
Appendix B -
Transmittal Forms
Appendix C -
Design Review Checklists
Appendix D -
Model IAGs
Appendix E -
Model SOWs
Appendix F -
RD/RA Fact Sheets

& Other Guidance
Appendix G -
State-Lead*
Appendix H -
Enforc ement-Le ad*
Appendix I -
Operations & Maintenance*
*to be added as developed
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The RPM's ultimate responsibility during the RD/RA
phase is to oversee the achievement of the goals of the
ROD in a timely and cost-effective manner. As aproject
manager, the RPM creates, monitors, and controls the
scope of work, schedule, and budget of an RD/RA
project. To do so effectively, the RPM must rely on the
RD/RA Technical Review Team (TRT) and his or her
own project management skills, such as knowledge,
managerial effectiveness, leadership, and technical com-
petence. The handbook describes methods the RPM
may use to conduct routine proj ect monitoring activities.
The RPM also may employ RD/RA management strat-
egies such as anticipatory actions, work-around strat-
egies, and project modifications. The RPM must con-
sider potential RPM liability and the limits of RPM
authority in the performance of his or her duties.
PROJECT PLANNING
The RPM is responsible for the quality of the RD/RA
project. The RPM that devotes substantial time and
effort to the planning process will face fewer manage-
ment demands as the project progresses and will be able
to address them more effectively as they occur. As part
of the planning process, the RPM:
Develops the project management plan
Assembles a Technical Review Team
Develops a communications strategy
Collects predesign information
• Analyzes project constraints
Develops the RD/RA schedule and budget

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Develops the RD/RA contracting strategy
* Involves the community
Coordinates with the state
Project Management Plan
The project management plan documents project man-
agement goals and operational procedures and serves as
the keystone for the RD/RA project. Figure 2 lists the
typical contents of a project management plan.

Figure 2
Contents of a Project Management Plan
1.
Definition of project objectives
2.
Organizational structure
3.
Communications structure
4.
Project constraints
5.
RD/RA contracting strategy
6.
Schedule development
7,
Budget preparation
8.
Superfund state contract timing
9.
Property access issues
10,
Community relations issues
After the creation of the project management plan, the
RPM assembles a TRT. The TRT, whose members
provide a broad spectrum of technical expertise to assist
the RPM in reviewing crucial deliverables and other
tasks, is comprised of many professionals with knowl-
edge in the applicable fields. During project manage-
ment plan development, the RPM drafts the communica-
tions strategy and collects predesign inforaiation. The
RPM utilizes predesign information and considers gen-
eral RD/RA project constraints to draft the RD/RA
baseline project schedule and budget. General project
constraints include:
Funding
Schedule
Health and safety
Equipment
Weather
Change in RPM
Community relations
* Permits
A baseline project schedule developed by the RPM is the
basis for negotiations with the EPA contractor or is used
to develop agreed-upon timeframes for United States
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)-managed projects.
Then the RPM uses a detailed schedule developed by
the RD or RA contractor, employing the Gantt chart
method or the critical path method to monitor the
RD/RA project. The RPM incorporates both RD/RA
budget and schedule information into the Comprehen-
sive Environmental Response and Liability Information
System (CERCLIS). During the planning stage, the
RPM also develops an RD/RA contracting strategy,
which focuses on overall project scheduling, design
approach, the RA procurement strategy, and RA con-
tract types.
The RPM maximizes community relations by coordinat-
ing with the community early and often and adhering to
all Superfund community relations requirements. For
example, EPA is required by 40 Code of Federal Regu-
lations (CFR) Section 300.435 to review and update the
community relations plan that was created during the
Remedial investigatkm/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) stage
for RD/RAs.
State Coordination
Effective coordination with the state in Federal-lead,
Fund-financed sites is essential to project success. The
RPM should encourage the state to be an actively in-
volved member of EPA's TRT. The RPM consults the
State Memorandum of Agreement (SMOA) for gen-
eral terms ofEPA-statecoordination on remedial projects.
Regardless of whether a SMOA has been signed for a
particular state, the RPM must develop the site-specific
Superfund State Contract (SSC) for each Federal-
lead, Fund-financed site before an RA can be initiated.
Figure 3 highlights state responsibilities under Section
104 of CERCLA for Federal-lead, Fund-financed RD/
RAs.
Figure 3
State Requirements for Federal-Lead, Fund-Financed
Projects under CERCLA
To provide a 10 percent cost share of the
remedial response (could be 50 percent or
more for state-operated facilities)
To conduct and fundall operations and mainte-
nance (O&M) activities
T o accept transfer of all property acquired by
EPA to conduct the RA
FEDERAL-LEAD REMEDIAL DESIGN
The RD, which addresses the technical requirements of
the RA, begins with project planning and ends with the
completion of a detailed set of engineering drawings and
specifications.
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Steps in the RD process include:
Deciding whether to task the RD to an EPA contrac-
tor or USACE
Developing the Statement of Work
Oversight of design development
The RPM consults the TRT in determining whether to
task the RD to an EPA contractor or to USACE. EPA
contractors may be Alternative Remedial Contracting
Strategy (ARCS) or Response Action Contract (RAC)
contractors.
The Statement of Work (SOW) for the RD will vary
depending on the contracting party. If EPA is the
contracting party, the RD SOW developed by the RPM
will become a legally binding component of the ARCS/
RAC contract when issued as a work assignment to the
designer (ARCS/RAC contractor). When developing
the RD SOW for EPA contractors, the RPM should
utilize the RD standard tasks listed in the handbook. The
RPM also should incorporate standard design specifica-
tions by reference (developed by USACE and available
from USACE's Huntsville Construction Division).
Appendix E of the handbook provides a model SOW for
RD.
If USACE is the contracting party, the SOW becomes
part of the Interagency Agreement (IAG) and serves
to facilitate communication between EPA and USACE
regarding design requirements. In this case, the RPM
prepares the IAG SOW with USACE assistance. Ap-
pendix D of the handbook contains model IAGs for RDs,
RAs, and technical assistance.
Remedial Design Schedules and
Independent Government Cost Estimates
The RPM is responsible for developing a preliminary
independent schedule that is a baseline for negotiating
the final schedule with the contracting party. For guid-
ance, the RPM may refer to the remedy-specific RD
schedules EPA developed that are listed in the OSWER
Directive 9355.0-43, titled Guidance for Scoping the
Remedial Design. For USACE-managed RDs, USACE
personnel develop the RD schedule with RPM input and
cooperation.
If EPA is the contracting party, IGCE preparation is
required before issuing a work assignment. Although
not required to prepare an IGCE when USACE is the
contracting party, the RPM should develop a rough
estimate before entering RD scoping discussions with
USACE. The handbook provides additional informa-
tion on IGCEs for RDs.
Overseeing Design Development
Once the RD effort is underway, the RPM must manage
his or her design oversight activities and balance federal,
state, and community relationships. This includes timely
review of deliverables to prevent project schedule delay.
Potential deliverables (or submittals) include:
•	Predesign phase submittals
Treatability screening submittals
Preliminary design phase submittals
•	Intermediate design phase submittals
Prefinal/final design phase submittals
Value engineering (VE) submittals
FEDERAL-LEAD REMEDIAL ACTION
The RA is the process by which the remedy, as selected
in the ROD, is implemented. The handbook outlines the
steps involved before, during, and after the RA process.
Before the RA commences, a number of RA planning
activities need to occur.
The RPM revises the project management plan, as-
sembles a TRT, finalizes the Superfund state contract,
and defines state involvement during the RA. Then the
RPM is responsible for developing the RA SOW, the
IGCE, and the schedule. Appendix E of the handbook
contains amodel SOW forRA. The RPM prepares either
the RA work assignment or an RA IAG. The RPM then
establishes the management procedures for managing
the terms of the approved RA work assignment or RA
IAG. As with RDs, the procedures, which are outlined
in the handbook, vary depending upon the contracting
party.
Remedial Action Procurement
After the preliminary RA steps have been taken, the
contracting party procures the RA contractor (con-
structor). The RPM's role in the procurement process
is limited to monitoring to ensure it proceeds without
delay and without contract award controversy, if pos-
sible.
Construction Activities
Once the RA contract is awarded, preconstruction activi-
ties include:
Issuing the notice to proceed
Conducting the preconstruction conference
•	Delivering preconstruction submittals
Providing site security
•	Constructor mobilization
•	Posting EPA signs at the site
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During construction, the RPM monitors construction
progress by inspection of on-site construction activities,
and reviewing progress reports, progress payments, and
submittals.
Post Construction Activities
Immediately following construction of the remedy, the
remedy enters the operational and functional period.
A remedy, such as a landfill cap or soil vapor extraction,
is operational and functional either one year after con-
struction is complete or when the remedy is determined
concurrently by EPA and the state to be functioning
properly and performing as designed, whichever occurs
first (40 CFR Section 300.435).
The constructor and the contracting party perform
prefmal and final inspections to determine whether the
construction was completed in accordance with the RA
contract. Within 60 days after the final inspection, the
contracting party prepares and submits a Remedial
Action (RA) Report to the RPM for review.
Either concurrently or in addition to the prefinal/final
inspections, EPA and the state must perform a joint
inspection under the National Contingency Plan (40
CFR Section 300.515[gJ) to obtain agreement that the
operational and functional period is ready to com-
mence. Operations & maintenance (O&M) commences
on the date of agreement that the project is operational
and functional, with the exception of ground water
restoration where EPA operates the system for ten years
before operational and functional status is achieved.
Finally, the RPM oversees the site closeout process,
which consists of construction completion, site comple-
tion, and site deletion activities. Construction comple-
tion signifies a major EPA accomplishment which
involves the completion of physical construction and
the preparation of a Close-out Report at the site. Site
deletion from the National Priorities List can occur
once all cleanup standards established in the ROD have
been attained.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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