United States Solid Waste and EPA530-F-01-021
Environmental Emergency Response October 2001
Protection (5305W) http://www.epa.gov/osw
Agency
vxEPA Handbook of Groundwater
Protection and Cleanup Policies
For RCRA Corrective Action
- A user-friendly, comprehensive publication to help you find and understand
numerous policies concerning groundwater protection and cleanup
The Handbook of Groundwater Protection . . . contains the Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA's) latest interpretation of policies on such topics as cleanup
goals, the role of groundwater use, point of compliance, source control, and
monitored natural attenuation. This Handbook ties 15 different topics together with
an overall Groundwater Protection and Cleanup Strategy that emphasizes a phased,
results-based approach to cleaning up contaminated groundwater.
Although the Handbook focuses on RCRA Corrective Action, we believe the plain
language of the policy descriptions, and the Internet links to more detailed resources
make it an invaluable resource for anyone involved with groundwater protection and
cleanup issues. While highlighting flexible approaches, the Handbook reflects EPA's
continuing policy of returning contaminated groundwater to its maximum beneficial
use, and of controlling contamination sources, whenever such activities are
technically possible from an engineering perspective.
Issuing this Handbook certainly does not shut the door on discussions about
groundwater policies. Rather, we hope the Handbook will continue to foster
dialogues on groundwater issues so that groundwater protection and cleanups will
continue to improve. Recognizing that on-going dialogue could result in changes in
policy, EPA designed the Handbook in a format that can be updated to help ensure
that it contains the most current Agency positions.
This Handbook was developed jointly by EPA Headquarters and EPA Region Ill's
Waste and Chemicals Management Division. EPA issued a draft version of the
document for public comment in May 2000. The Agency believes this final version of
the Handbook is an appropriate balance between existing groundwater policies and
comments submitted on the draft version.
Using the Handbook
This publication is only guidance, and does not substitute for statutes or
regulations. Thus, the Handbook does not impose legally binding requirements and
may not apply to a particular situation based upon facility-specific circumstances.
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Furthermore, since most states operate their own Corrective Action programs, you
should consider applicable state requirements and guidance before conducting
investigations and cleanups.
We specifically designed the Handbook to be useful as an electronic resource. For
example, it provides internal links to help you navigate within the document and
external Internet links that allow you to access nearly all of the references in
Appendix 1. Appendices 2 and 3 also provide links to other helpful Internet
resources and glossaries. You can view or download an electronic version of the
Handbook at .
For More Information
For additional information, contact the RCRA Call Center. Callers within the
Washington Metropolitan Area please dial 703-412-9810 or TDD 703-412-3323
(hearing impaired). Long-distance callers please call 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-800-
553-7672. The RCRA Call Center operates weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Address
written requests to: RCRA-Docket@epa.gov or RCRA Information Center (5305W),
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001.
We welcome comments on this Handbook any time, and will consider those
comments in future revisions. Address electronic comments to: RCRA-
Docket@epa.gov, reference Docket number F-2001-CURF-FFFFF, or send hard copy
comments to the RCRA Information Center at the above address.
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