United States
            Environmental Protection
            Agency
              Office of
              Solid Waste and
              Emergency Response
  a EPA
DIRECTIVE  NUMBER:  9481.00-11

TITLE:  Status of Contaminated Groundwater and
       Limitations on Disposal and Reuse
              APPROVAL  DATE: 01/24/89

              EFFECTIVE  DATE: 01/24/89

              ORIGINATING OFFICE:  Office of Solid Waste

                 FINAL

                 DRAFT

                   STATUS:   n  A - Pending OMB Approval
                            D  B - Pending AA-OSWER Approval


              REFERENCE  (Other Documents):


              OSWER Directive #9481.00-06
OSWER      OSWER      OSWER      OSWER
  DIRECTIVE    DIRECTIVE     DIRECTIVE

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United Slates Environmental Protection Agency 1 Directive Number
Washington. DC 20460
OSWER Directive Initiation Request 9481.00-11
2. Orlqinator Information
Name of Contact Person Mail Code Office Telephone Code
Dave Fagan -341 OSW (202) 382-4497
3 Title
Status of Contaminated Groundwater and L.uuitations on Disposal and Reuse
4 Summary of Directive (include brief statement of purpose)
This rrerro clarifies the status of contaminated ground water. A contaminated ground
water which has been treated such that it no longer contains hazardous constituents,
need not be considered to be a hazardous waste, and beneficial reuse of the water
is pernu sible.
Keywords
Contained In / Contanunation / Groundwater /
Status
6a Does This Directive Supersede Previous Directive(sy’
XX No
Yes What directive (number, title)
b Does It Supplement Previous Directive(s ’
No
XX Yes What directive (number
title)
#9481.00-06
7 Draft Level
A — Signed by AAID AA B — Signed by Office Director
C — For Review & Comment D — In Development
8. Document to be distributed to States by
Headquarters? Yes No
This Request Meets OSWER Directives System Format Standards
9 Signature of Lead Office Directives Coordinator
Date
Jennifer A. Barker, Office of Solid Waste
7/13/90
10 Name and Title of Approving Official
Date
Sylvia K. Lowrance, Director, Office of Solid Waste
1/24/89
EPA Form 1315-17 (Rev 5-87) Previous editions are obsolete
Os
WER
OSWER
OSWER
0
VE
DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE DIREC
TIVE

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cSWER Directive #9481.00-11
, itO ST 4 p
F UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL. PROTECTION AGENCY
_____ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
PQO ’
OFFICE OF
SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
JAN 24 89
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Status of Contaminated Groundwater and Limitations
on Disposal and Reuse
FROM: Sylvia K. Lowrance, Director,j\J\ ‘1<
Office of Solid Waste
TO: Jeff Zelikson, Director
Toxics and Waste Management Division
Region IX
In your memo of December 16, 1988 and the attached
materials, you stated your understanding of the current policy
on the classification of contaminated groundwater and described
issues which have arisen in California regarding reuse of
contaminated groundwater from a Superfund site.
You have accurately stated the effects of the “contained
in” policy which governs situations such as the one you have
described. Briefly, a contaminated groundwater which has been
treated such that it no longer contains hazardous constituents,
need not be considered to be a hazardous waste, and beneficial
reuse of the water is permissible. We have not yet issued
definitive guidance on levels below which the groundwater is no
longer considered to contain hazardous wastes. Until such
definitive guidance is issued, the Regions may determine these
levels on a case-specific basis.
It is our expectation that ultimately the guidance on
levels of hazardous wastes which may remain will mirror the
levels in the De Minimis rule which is now under development
by OSw. I know that Region IX has been participating in the
Work Group discussions and reviews of this proposal and I urge
you to continue this involvement.
In its present form, the De Minimis approach contemplates
levels based on health—based standards (where available),
assuming direct exposure. With respect to the constituents
of concern at the Fairchild Superfund site —— trichioroethane

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E €R Directive t948l.OO-ll
—2—
and dichloroet :lefle —— the levels remaining in the treated
groundwater ar well below the MCLs and would therefore be
consistent wit the De Kinimis approach.
If you have additional questions, please contact David Fagan
at FTS 382—4740. Questions on the De Minimis rule should be
addressed to Robert Scarberry at FTS 382—4770.
cc: Tina Kaneen
Henry Longest

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