This Is Quperfund
A Citizen's Guide to
EPA's Quperfund Program
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Emergency & Remedial Response
Washington, DC 20460
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Introduction
If there is a Superfund site in your neighborhood, you are probably wondering, "What will
happen?" and "What can I do?" Hazardous waste sites pose threats to human health
and natural resources. The Superfund Program cleans up these sites to protect people
and the environment, and to return the land to productive use. This brochure will give
you a better understanding of the Superfund process and how you can become
involved.
What Is Quperfund?
Years ago, people did not understand how certain wastes might affect our health and the
environment. Many wastes were dumped on the ground, in rivers, or left out in the
open. As a result, thousands of uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites were
created. Some common hazardous waste sites include abandoned warehouses,
manufacturing facilities, processing plants and landfills.
In response to growing concern over the health and environmental risks posed by
hazardous waste sites, Congress established the Superfund Program in 1980 to clean
up these sites. The Superfund Program is administered by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in cooperation with individual state and tribal governments.
Superfund locates, investigates and cleans up certain hazardous waste sites throughout
the United States. The Superfund trust fund was set up to help pay for the cleanup of
these sites. The money comes mainly from taxes on the chemical and petroleum
industries. The trust fund is used primarily when the companies or people responsible
for contamination at Superfund sites cannot be found, or cannot perform or pay for the
cleanup work.
How Are Quperfund Giles Discovered?
Hazardous waste sites are discovered by local and state government
agencies, businesses, the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and by
people like you. You can report emergencies resulting from a release
of a hazardous substance to the National Response Center Hotline.
To report an emergency, you should call the hotline at
1-800-424-8802. This hotline is operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. You can report potential hazardous waste sites or problems to
your state and local authorities. They are listed separately in your
phone book.
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What Happens When There Is
A Chemical
Emergency?
A number of the sites reported
to the National Response
Center are emergencies and
require immediate action.
Emergency actions are taken to
eliminate immediate risks and
ensure public safety.
Superfund's first priority is to
protect the people and the
environment near these sites.
EPA's Superfund personnel are
on call to respond at a
moment's notice to chemical
emergencies, accidents, or
releases. Typical chemical emergencies may include train derailments, truck accidents,
and incidents at chemical plants where there is a chemical release or threat of a release
to the environment. EPA may respond or may help state and local authorities deal with
these emergencies quickly. The hazardous materials are hauled away from the site for
treatment or proper disposal, or they are treated at the site to make them safe. The risk
to the community is removed.
In an emergency situation, you and your community will be kept informed of the situation
and what steps are being taken to ensure your safety. EPA then evaluates the site and
determines whether additional cleanup is necessary.
What Happens To Qites That Are Not
Emergencies?
When a potential hazardous waste site is reported, EPA reviews
the site to determine what type of action is necessary. EPA look
at existing information, inspects the site, and may interview
nearby residents to find out the history of the site and its effects
on the population and the environment.
Many of the sites that are reviewed do not meet the criteria for Federal Superfund
cleanup action. Some sites do not require any action, while others are referred to the
states, other programs, other agencies, or individuals for cleanup or other action.
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For the sites that do meet the criteria, EPA tests the soil, water, and air to determine
what hazardous substances were left at the site and how serious the risks may be to
human health and the environment.
Early Actions are taken when EPA determines that a site may become a threat to you or
your environment in the near future. For example, there may be a site where leaking
drums of hazardous substances could ignite or cause harm to you if touched or inhaled.
In this kind of situation, EPA acts to make sure the problem is quickly addressed and the
site is safe. Typically, Early Actions are taken to:
• Prevent direct human contact with the contaminants at the site
• Remove hazardous materials from the site
• Prevent contaminants from spreading off the site
• Provide water to residents whose drinking water has been contaminated by the site
• Temporarily or permanently evacuate/relocate nearby residents.
Early Actions may take anywhere from a few days to five years to complete, depending
on the type and extent of contamination. During this time, EPA also determines if Long-
Term Action will be necessary.
Parties responsible for the contamination at the site may conduct these assessments
under close EPA supervision. Their involvement in the study and cleanup process is
critical in order to make best use of Superfund resources. EPA uses the information
collected to decide what type of action, if any, is required.
At this point, EPA prepares a Community Relations Plan (CRP) to ensure community
involvement. This plan is based on discussions with local leaders and private citizens in
the community. In addition, EPA sets up a local information file in the community so that
people living near the site can get information about the site. The information file or
"repository" is usually located at a library or public school and contains the official record
of the site, reports, and activities (called the Administrative Record), as well as additional
site-related information.
Who Is Involved In Quperfund Cleanups?
Superfund cleanups are very complex and require the efforts of many experts in science,
engineering, public health, management, law, community involvement, and numerous
other fields. The goal of the process is to protect you and the environment you live in
from the effects of hazardous substances.
Your involvement is very important. You have the opportunity and the right to be
involved in and to comment on the work being done.
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Technical Assistance Grant (TAG)
Program
EPA values your input and wants to help you understand
the technical information relating to the cleanup of
Superfund sites in your community so that you can make
informed decisions.
Under the Superfund law, EPA can award Technical
Assistance Grants (TAGs) of up to $50,000 per site.
TAGs allow communities to hire an independent expert
to help them interpret technical data, understand site
hazards, and become more knowledgeable about the
different technologies that are being used to clean up
sites.
Your community group may be eligible for a TAG if you are affected by a Superfund site
that is on or proposed to be added to the National Priorities List.
More information about TAGs is available from your Regional EPA Community
Involvement Coordinator. The telephone number for your coordinator is listed at the end
of this brochure.
What Is The National Priorities List?
The National Priorities List (NPL) is a published list of hazardous waste sites in the
country that are eligible for Federal funding to pay for extensive, long-term cleanup
actions under the Superfund program.
How Do The Oites Get On The National Priorities List?
To evaluate the dangers posed by hazardous waste sites, EPA
developed a scoring system called the Hazard Ranking System
(MRS). EPA uses the information collected during the assessme
phase of the process to score sites according to the danger
they may pose to public health and the environment. Sites that
score high enough on the MRS are eligible for the NPL. Once
a site is scored and meets the criteria, EPA proposes that it be
put on the NPL. The proposal is published in the Federal
Register and the public has an opportunity to comment in
writing on whether the site should be included on the NPL. To
obtain more information on a proposed site, contact your Community
Involvement Coordinator.
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The Quperfund Process
The Superfund process begins when a site is discovered.
After EPA screens and assesses the site, the Regional
Decision Team determines if the site requires Early Action,
Long-Term Action, or both. Early Actions are taken at sites
that may pose immediate threats to people or the
environment. Long-Term Actions are taken at sites that
require extensive cleanup. EPA encourages community
involvement throughout the process.
What Happens During A Long-Term
Cleanup?
Early Actions can correct many hazardous waste problems and eliminate most threats to
human health and the environment. Some sites, however, require Long-Term Action.
Long-Term Actions include cleaning up contaminated groundwater and taking measures
to protect wetlands, animals, estuaries, and other ecological resources. Long-term
cleanups are complex and can take many years to complete. This process is conducted
in several phases that lead to the ultimate goal of cleaning up the site and providing a
safe environment for the people living near the site. Throughout the process, there is
opportunity for community involvement.
First, a detailed study of the site is done to identify the cause and extent of
contamination at the site, the possible threats to the environment and the people nearby,
and options for cleaning up the site.
EPA uses this information to develop and present a Proposed Plan for Long-Term
Cleanup to citizens and to local and state officials for comment. The Proposed Plan
describes the various cleanup options under consideration and identifies the option EPA
prefers. The community has at least 30 days to comment on the Proposed Plan. EPA
invites community members to a public meeting to express their views and discuss the
Plan with EPA (and sometimes state) officials.
Once the public's concerns are addressed, EPA
publishes a Record of Decision, which describes
how it plans to clean up the site. A notice is also
placed in the local newspaper to inform the
community of the cleanup decision.
Next, the cleanup method is designed to address
the unique conditions at the site where it will be
used. This is called the Remedial Design. The
design and actual cleanup is conducted by EPA,
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the state, or by the parties responsible for the contamination at the site. If EPA does not
perform the design, it closely oversees this design phase and the development of the
cleanup at the site. When the design is completed, EPA prepares and distributes a fact
sheet to the community describing the design and the action that will take place at the
site.
EPA can supply the equipment and manpower necessary to clean up a site, but it may
take a long time to return a site to the way it was before it was contaminated. Some
sites, due to the extent of contamination, will never return to the way they were prior to
the pollution; however, EPA will make sure that the site will be safe for the people living
around the site now and in the future. EPA regularly monitors every NPL site to make
sure it remains safe. If there is any indication that there is a problem, action will be
taken to make the site safe again.
Who Pays For Quperfund
Cleanup?
Superfund cleanup is either paid for by the people
and businesses responsible for contamination or by
the Superfund trust fund. Under the Superfund law,
EPA is able to make those companies and individuals
responsible for contamination at a Superfund site
perform, and pay for, the cleanup work at the site. EPA
negotiates with the responsible parties to get them to
pay for the plans and the work that has to be done to
clean up the site. If an agreement cannot be reached, EPA issues orders to responsible
parties to make them clean up the site under EPA supervision. Superfund ensures that
the parties responsible for the pollution pay to fix the problems they created. EPA may
also use Superfund trust fund money to pay for cleanup costs, then attempt to get the
money back through legal action.
Conclusion
EPA's Superfund Program is the most aggressive
hazardous waste cleanup program in the world.
Every day Superfund managers are involved in
critical decisions that affect public health and the
environment. They use the best available science
to determine risks at sites. New and innovative
technologies are being developed to help find faster
and less expensive ways to cleanup sites.
Wherever possible, old hazardous waste sites are
being restored to productive use. Millions of people have been protected by Superfund's
cleanup activities.
The Superfund Program has one ultimate goal: to protect YOUR health and YOUR
environment. Protecting communities and the environment is what Superfund is all
about.
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EPA Superfund Community Involvement Offices
EPA wants to remain accessible and responsive to your concerns. Our community
involvement staff is available to answer any questions you may have regarding a
Superfund site or an area you think may be a site. Here is a list of the Community
Involvement Offices at EPA's Regional Offices.
EPA Regional Offices
San
Francisco
Region 1 (617)565-3425
Region 2 (212)637-3675
Regions (215)597-9905
Region 4 (404) 347-3555 x6264
Regions (312)886-6685
Region 6 (214)665-6617
Region 7 (913)551-7003
Regions (303)312-6600
Region 9 (415)744-2175
Region 10 (206)553-1272
Bostot
New York
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