United States Office of Emergency and EPA 9200.1 -12B
Environmental Protection Remedial Response PB92-963278
A9ency Washington, DC 20460 August 1992
Superfund
Superfund Progress Aficionadofs Version
Prepared by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Superfund Program
Progress as of June 30,1992
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Table of Contents
Introduction and Overview 3
NPL Site Distribution 6
Emergency Removal 7
Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections 8
National Priorities List (NPL) 9
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) 10
Record of Decision (ROD)/Remedial Design (RD) 11
Remedial Actions (RAs) 12
Enforcement 13
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Introduction and Overview
Superfund is the nation's program for cleaning up
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Established by the
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980,
Superfund is in many ways two programs. The Removal
Program responds quickly to emergencies where
hazardous materials are, or may be, released. The
Remedial Program is dedicated to long-term cleanup of
hazardous waste sites that pose the greatest threat to
public health or the environment. Removals can occur
anywhere, at any time. Federally funded remedial
actions are limited to sites on the National Priorities List
(NPL).
Site Discovery
Problem disclosed by:
Citizen complaints
Routine reports
Regular inspections
Reports of emergencies
Removal Action
Short-term correction of
immediate or imminent public
health threat
Occurs anytime during the
Superfund process
T
Potentially
Serious
. Imminent Threat
Appears
Serious
Non-Emergency -
Preliminary
Review of documents
Identifies site contaminants
The Superfund process is rigorous and detailed. It has to
be to ensure that the greatest protection is afforded the
public and the environment, while at the same time the
rights of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and other
participants are protected. The flow chart below shows
the Superfund cleanup process. The major steps in the
process are:
Site discovery and investigation.
EPA evaluation of possible hazards from site
contaminants and, if warranted, addition of the site to
the NPL. Sites ineligible for federal cleanup are
referred to state or local government, business, or
individuals for cleanup.
Hazard Ranking System
Scores threats of sites
Ranks sites by severity of
threats
Site Inspection
On-site investigation to
identify:
Evidence of hazards
Exposure routes
Affected populations
Affected areas
National Priority List
Sites eligible for
federally funded cleanup
Below Cut-off Score
Not Serious
Superfund Evaluation
Accomplished
Refers sites for cleanup by:
State or local governments
Businesses
Private citizens
Remedial Action
Detailed site charaterization
Long-term cleanup of NPL sites
Continuous
Enforcement and
Community Relations
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Negotiations to compel Responsible Parties (RPs) to
pay for cleaning up the hazardous waste problems t
helped create.
Iped
On-going community relations.
Thorough studies to develop detailed site
characterization in order to determine which cleanup
methods may be most effective, given the contaminants
present and their potential harm to public health or the
environment.
Selection, design, and implementation of a cleanup
plan, including periods of public comment on proposed
cleanup techniques.
Follow-up to ensure cleanup is effective.
EPA records in its CERCLIS database every
hazardous waste site considered for a Superfund
cleanup and every site where a removal action is
performed. (CERCLIS stands for the
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Information System.)
The system tracks the identification, evaluation,
and, if necessary, cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
Whether a site requires a short- or a long-term
cleanup is determined by the oil and hazardous
materials National Contingency Plan. The
Remedial Project managers in each EPA Region,
who oversee cleanup efforts, add information about
the sites they manage to CERCLIS. Currently, there
are 36,319 sites in CERCLIS. The Superfund Site
Tally shows the current status of each CERCLIS
site.
More than 90 percent of the sites in CERCLIS have been
evaluated to determine whether they pose immediate
threats to public health or the environment. Emergency
removals have been, or are being, taken where
warranted. NPL sites are inspected at least once every
two years to determine if changing conditions mean a
removal action is required.
The hazardous waste sites on the NPL are the nation's
worst. They are eligible for federally funded cleanup,
although Superfund's "enforcement first" policy means
that Responsible Parties (RPs) pay for as much of the
cleanup work as possible. But no matter who pays for, or
performs, the cleanup work, EPA is in charge of selecting
cleanup methods, setting, cleanup levels, and overseeing
site work to make sure sites are safe and people and the
environment are protected.
Superfund Site Tally
(Including Federal Facilities)
Construction Completed
Remedial Actions
Remedial Designs
RODS
RI/FS
Removals Only
Awaiting Action
PA/SI Completed
Total Awaiting PA/SI
Sites with Removal only
* TOTAL SITES tNCERCUS
36,319-
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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The NPL currently stands at 1,275
sites, including federal facility sites.
Clean-up construction has been
completed at 100 sites, and surface
cleanup only has been completed at
196 sites. In addition:
Remedial Actions are occurring at
367 sites (29%).
Remedial Designs are underway at
215 sites (17%), and have already
been completed at 405 sites for a
total of 620 sites.
Records of Decision have been
signed for 725 sites (57%).
Remedial Investigations/Feasibility
studies are underway or have been
completed at 1,146 sites (90%).
And 74 sites (6%) are awaiting
action.
The map on page 6 shows the distribu-
tion of current NPL sites nationwide.
Superfund Progress Report
(Fund and Enforcement Projects, excluding Federal Facilities)
(Inventory = 36,319 Sites)
Current Quarter Total FY1992 FY1980 to Date
Actions at Sites CPs Sites CPs Sites CPs Sites
Sites Awaiting PAs
PAs Completed
370
940
RI/FSs Started
RDs Completed
RDs Started
27
30
62
18
19
31
57
72
120
26
41
64
1,610
564
967
2,223
33,749
t5,309
20,193
43
t,t48
1,047
389
597
This report documents the progress Superfund is making in fulfilling its mission of protecting people and the environ-
ment from exposure to hazardous waste. The Superfund Progress Report on this page summarizes these activities, and the
sections that follow detail the progress EPA is making at each step in the Superfund process.
It is important to note that those 1,275 NPL sites have been placed on the list in phases with the most recent addition of 30
proposed sites in FY 92. Sites are not eligible to receive long-term funds until they are listed on the NPL.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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. ta,
NPL Site Distribution
-~
(Total = 1,245 sites)
No. of NPL Sites
over 50
21 to 50
1 to 20
Puerto Rico has 9 Superfund sites, Guam has 2, and the U.S. Virgin Islands has 1.
^^ -^
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Emergency Removal
The Superfund Removal Program
responds to short-term emergencies that
involve hazardous materials and threaten
public health. By law, they can take up to
a year to finish and can cost as much as $2
million. However, exemptions to this can
be granted. By law, EPA's removal
activities can include:
Evacuating, if necessary, people living
near a hazardous materials emergency.
Removing the hazardous substances
from the area to be disposed of properly.
Emergency Removal Program
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY 1992
Sites CPs
Total Removals Started 195 240
Total Removals Completed 160 208
Non-NPL Removals Started 167 191
Non-NPL Removals Completed 137 160
NPL Removals Started 28 49
NPL Removals Completed 23 48
FY 1980 to Date
Sites CPs
2,337 2,941
1,954 2,431
1,858 2,095
1,542 1,724
479 846
412 707
Supplying clean drinking water to people whose water has been contaminated by hazardous materials: and
Posting warning signs and taking other precautions to keep people and animals away from hazardous waste sites.
A single hazardous waste site or accidental spill may require more than one removal action if more than one pollutant is
present. The removal of pollutants that pose different hazards and require different cleanup techniques could be
considered separate actions. Each action is known as a clean-up project (CP).
While Responsible Party cleanup is desirable, the key is quick response. PRPs are encouraged to participate in the
Removal Program wherever possible, provided EPA's ability to respond quickly is not limited.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI)
Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
PAs Completed
Total FY 1992
Sites
940
FY 1980 to Date
Sites
33,749
Site Inspections Completed
889
15,309
Disposition of Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections
A Preliminary Assessment (PA) is the first
step in determining whether a hazardous
waste site requires long-term cleanup. EPA
or the State reviews site reports and
documentation to identify what hazardous
materials may be at the site and how they
may spread. They also identify who may
be harmed by the chemicals. If a PA
indicates that a site is dangerous, EPA will
conduct a more detailed inspection called a
Site Inspections (SI).
Sites determined by the PA to warrant
further inspection become the subject of Site
Inspections. In a typical SI, a Regional EPA
staff member visits a site to collect
information about its soil types, the streams or rivers that flow through or near it, the local weather, the people who live
nearby and the site's owner(s). Air, soil, and water samples taken on and off the site help investigators determine
whether hazardous materials have traveled away from a site.
Usually, the PA or SI shows that a Superfund cleanup action is not warranted. This does not mean, however, that the site
is safe. It just means that this particular site is unlikely to qualify for a Superfund cleanup. Instead, other federal
programs, or state or local governments, companies, or private citizens become responsible for cleaning up these sites.
Site Evaluation Accomplished
20,193
Sites Awaiting Preliminary Assessments
Sites Awaiting Site Inspection
2,223
3,381
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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National Priorities List (NFL)
National Priorities List (NPL)
(Includes Federal Facilities)
Sites Proposed for NPL
Sites Removed From Proposal
Sites Deleted From NPL
Total NPL
Total FY 1992
Sites
30
4
2
FY 1980 to Date
Sites
52
79
40
1,275
EPA uses the Hazard Ranking System
(HRS) to evaluate the public health and
environmental threats posed by hazardous
waste sites considered for a Superfund
cleanup. Each site receives a numerical
score based on the likelihood that people
will be exposed to hazardous materials on
or off the site. Sites that score at least 28.50
on the Hazard Ranking System's 100-point
scale are eligible for the National Priorities
List (NPL) of Superfund sites. (The 28.50-
point cutoff has its origins in the 1980 law
that established Superfund.)
Sites that rank lower than 28.50 also may be potentially dangerous and should be considered as candidates for cleanup by
state or local government.
EPA also can place on the NPL sites that score less than 28.50 if (1) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) of the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a public health advisory that recommends people be moved from
the site, (2) EPA determines that the site poses a significant threat to public health, and (3) EPA anticipates that a remedial
cleanup would be more cost effective than a removal action.
The NPL is EPA's list of the nation's worst hazardous waste sites. Sites on the NPL are eligible for federally funded
cleanups. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of the sites EPA evaluates using the HRS eventually are placed on the NPL.
Currently, more than 1,200 sites are on the NPL, three times more than Congress envisioned in 1980, when Superfund
began. EPA lists sites on the NPL by state and indicates whether a site is a federal facility. About 100 sites are added to
the NPL each year, and EPA expects the NPL to grow to more than 2,000 sites by the end of the century.
Each NPL site has been assessed to determine if an emergency removal is necessary to protect neighboring populations.
And every NPL site is re-assessed at least every two years to determine if conditions have changed to warrant an
emergency removal.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
NPL sites are considered for
long-term cleanup of their
contamination problems
under the Superfund
program. The cleanup
process has two major
phases. The first is the
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY1992 FY 1980 to Date
% RP/Site % RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead Sites (CPs) Lead
RI/FSs Started 26 57 42% 1,047 1,610 37%
Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study (RI/FS). It
includes a detailed review of site conditions and a listing and evaluation of the possible courses of action that could
correct problems at the site. An RI/FS can begin even before a site is given an HRS score. On average, an RI/FS costs $1
million and takes 18 to 30 months to perform. Wherever possible EPA negotiates with Responsible Parties to conduct
these studies, but ultimately it is EPA's responsibility, with public input, to chose the long-term cleanup method.
Because many sites have more than one contamination problemand even a single problem has more than one aspect
EPA often breaks down the RI/FS and subsequent steps into clean-up projects (CPs). Each clean-up project is
tantamount to a phase of a particular activity. The most common CPs are the "source control clean-up project" and the
"management of migration clean-up project." The former is concerned with problems associated with the source of site
contamination; the latter is concerned with controlling the source of contaminants. Each step in the long-term cleanup of
a Superfund site may be performed separately for each clean-up project.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992 10
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Record of Decision (RODVRemedial Design (RD)
Records of Decision (RODs)/Remedial Designs (RDs)
(Excluding Federal Facilities)
Total FY1992 FY1980 to Date
% RP/Site % RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead Sites (CPs) Lead
RODS Completed 28 42 N/A 686 945 N/A
RDs Started 64 120 78% 597 967 54%
RDs Completed 41 72 66% 389 564 49%
After EPA determines
the best of several
alternatives for site
cleanup, it solicits
public input. Based on
that input and data
collected, EPA decides
how a site will be
cleaned up and issues a
Record of Decision
(ROD). The ROD
discusses the various cleanup techniques that were considered and explains why a particular course of action was
selected. If a site has more than one CP, a ROD for each CP may be issued. The selection process solicits public
involvement, and the ROD also contains EPA's responses to public concerns regarding cleanup options for a site. Even if
responsible parties have conducted the RI/FS, it is EPA's responsibility to select the most cost-effective cleanup method
that will meet EPA cleanup goals.
Sometimes EPA determines that no cleanup activity is necessary; for example, a chemical may be so diluted in ground
water that the water meets national or state safety standards. (Or an Emergency Removal Action took care of the problem
before the ROD phase was reached.) In such cases where no cleanup activity is required, EPA may issue a "no-action
ROD." (The term is a bit of a misnomer, however, for monitoring or other activities will be performed even if no cleanup
is performed.)
Once EPA chooses a clean-up remedy, it must fit the technique to the site conditions. This adaptation, called the
Remedial Design (RD), kicks off the second phase of a cleanup. A Remedial Design can take 12 to 18 months and cost an
average of $1 million. If Responsible Parties are conducting the design, it is EPA's responsibility to approve final plans
and specifications for the actual cleanup.
This stage, in conjunction with the actual site cleanup, is the most costly, and Responsible Party participation in this effort
is essential. Thus, EPA negotiates with Responsible Parties to conduct the Remedial Design and Remedial Action. Given
current resource levels, EPA would be unable to achieve the progress it has without Responsible Party participation.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992 11
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Remedial Action (RA)
Remedial Actions (RAs)
Total FY1992
%RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead
RAs Started 26 44 81%
RAs Completed 34 48 74%
FY 1980 to Date
%RP/Site
Sites (CPs) Lead
409 605 50%
209 285 ' 45%
The actual clean-up work at a
Superfund site is done during the
Remedial Action phase. This is
when the earth-moving equipment
arrives and when necessary
structures are built to treat
contaminants on site. Depending
on the contaminants involved, and
the treatment techniques used to
clean them up, this phase may take as long as six years to complete. If contaminated ground water must be cleaned up,
the work may continue for decades.
The cost of Remedial Actions averages $25 million. Thus, Responsible Party participation in this phase of the project is
most important. If Responsible Parties are conducting this phase, EPA conducts extensive oversight to ensure that the
remedy is implemented consistent with the ROD and the design specifications and that protective cleanup levels are
achieved.
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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Enforcement
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Whenever possible, EPA begins looking
for PRPs before beginning any clean-up
work paid for out of the Superfund Trust
Fund. PRPs are liable for all costs incurred
by the Federal Government. The search
for PRPs can be lengthy, and site cleanup
often begins before all PRPs are identified.
In any event, the search for PRPs and the
negotiations to get the site cleaned up will
not delay work to reduce imminent threats
to public health.
Once PRPs and RPs are identified, EPA
will attempt to negotiate consent decrees
with them. These documents specify the
duties and responsibilities of each RP
regarding a cleanup. If consent
negotiations fail, EPA can issue a
unilateral administrative order for
cleanup. The Agency also may begin
cleaning up the site, then sue the RPs to
recover its costs.
EPA can refer to the United States
Department of Justice for prosecution
cases against RPs who fail to comply with
federal cleanup orders. Under the
Superfund law, EPA can recover its
cleanup costs plus triple that amount in
damages for those that fail to comply with
these orders.
Enforcement In Superfund
ACTIVITY
Total RP Response
Settlements**
RD/RA Settlements
Total Unilateral Orders
Issued"*
UAOs Issued for RD/RA
Total AOCs Signed
AOCs for RD (only)
Cost Recovery Referrals to
DOJ
Total Cost Recovery
Settlements
Total Cost Recovery
Collections
Total
Actions
135
58
75
30
59
3
30
126
* Thru FY91
FY92
Value (M)
$765.8
$645.5
$292.0
$262.5
$3.6
$1.7
$46.8
$49.0
$115.0
Program-To-Date*
Action Value (M)
1,673
391
743
164
1,010
15
471
1,176
...
Source: CERCLIS
** Does not include State Lead Settlements, and Federal Facilities Full Date(s): 1 1/18/91
Inter-Agency Agreements. Includes RD/RA Settlements below. 04/07/92 - FY92 data
"* Includes UAOs issued for RD/RA.
$6,434.0
$4,266.5
$1,686.5
$1,551.0
$1,331.6
$822.4
$618.7
$474.0
- FTD data
Superfund Progress Aficionado's Version: Progress as of June 30,1992
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