United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response
EPA 505-F9-7001
June 1997
Fitting the Pieces Together:
The Role of EPA Offices in
Federal Facilities Cleanup
and Reuse
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
BACKGROUND 2
AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN FEDERAL
FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE 4
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE 7
FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE 8
FEDERAL FACILITIES ENFORCEMENT OFFICE 10
REGIONAL FEDERAL FACILITY OFFICES 12
OTHER EPA OFFICES 14
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Office of Environmental Justice
Office of Federal Activities
Office of General Counsel
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
Office of Research and Development
Office of Solid Waste
Office of Underground Storage Tanks
Technology Innovation Office
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERAL FACILITIES 18
SUMMARY 19
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INTRODUCTION
Many offices at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) provide information about or
assistance with environmental issues
related to federal facilities. More than
10 offices at EPA, each having a distinct
role and mission, provide a wide range
of products and services related to the
cleanup and reuse of federal facilities.
These offices are located at EPA
Headquarters and in the EPA regions.
Some of these offices are dedicated
solely to issues affecting federal
facilities, while others are involved in
activities that affect federal facilities, as
well as other types of sites.
With so many EPA offices involved in
federal facilities cleanup, getting the
assistance you needfrom the right
officecan be a puzzling process. This
brochure is designed to help you
understand how the many
pieces fit together.
June 1997
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BACKGROUND
"By working collaboratively and focusing on teamwork, partnering,
and public involvement, EPA has delivered a truly successful program
to federal facility communities. And we've done so while protecting,
and even improving, the conditions of human health, the environment,
and local economies."
JAMES WOOLFORD, DIRECTOR
FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE
Across the country, thousands of
federal facilities are contaminated
with hazardous waste, unexploded
ordnance, radioactive waste, fuels, and a
variety of other toxic contaminants. Those
facilities include many different types of sites,
such as abandoned mines, nuclear weapons
production plants, fuel distribution areas,
and landfills. The Department of Energy
(DOE) is responsible for more than 10,000
potentially contaminated sites, the
Department of Defense (DoD) for more than
21,000, and the Department of the Interior
(DOI) for more than 26,000. Current
estimates indicate that it will cost between
$200 and $350 billion to address DOE's sites,
about $30 billion to address DoD's sites, and
between $4 and $8 billion to address DOI's
sites. Other federal entities face environmental
challenges, as well, although to a lesser degree.
The federal facilities profile below summarizes
the environmental problems at selected federal
entities.
To facilitate cleanup and reuse, EPA has
taken on a major role in forging proactive,
creative solutions to environmental problems
at federal facilities. Within EPA, there are
several offices that conduct activities relating
Federal Facilities Profile"
FEDERAL ENTITY
Most Common Types of
Contamination
Estimated Number of
Potentially Contaminated Sites
Major Source Types
Current Estimate of Cost to
Complete Cleanup
DOE
Radioactive
wastes
Hazardous
wastes
Mixed wastes
Fissile material
10,000
Former
weapons
production
facilities
$200 to $350
billion
DoD
Fuels
Solvents
Industrial
wastes
Unexploded
ordnance
21,400
Underground
storage
tanks
Landfills
Spill areas
Storage areas
$30 billion
DOI
Mining
wastes
Municipal
wastes
Industrial
wastes
26,000
Abandoned
mines
Oil and gas
production
facilities
Landfills
$4 to $8 billion
USDA
Hazardous
wastes
Mining wastes
Chemical
wastes
3,000
Abandoned
mines
Landfills
$2.5 billion
NASA
Fuels
Solvents
Industrial waste
730
Underground
storage tanks
Spill areas
$1.5 to $2 billion
Source: EPA 1996. "Superfund/Oil Program Implementation Manual, Fiscal Year 1997."
* Does not include all federal agencies.
June 1997
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to federal facilities. To provide a unified Office of Federal Activities (OFA)
program to federal facility communities, these . Qffice ofGeneml Counsd (OGC)
offices often collaborate on initiatives to meet
stakeholder needs. The offices which are most * °ffice of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA)
involved in federal facility activities include: Office of Research and Development (ORD)
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office Office of Solid Waste (OSW)
(FFRRO) . office of Under ground Storage Tanks (OUST)
Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO) . Technology Innovation Office (TIO)
EPA regional offices that handle federal The following pages provide an overview of the
facility activities mission and role of these offices as they relate to
Several other EPA offices also are involved in federal facilities.
activities pertaining to federal facilities. These
offices include:
Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response (OERR)
Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ)
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AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE
EPA Office
Federal Facility Activities
FFRRO
Supports policy development and implementation regarding restoration
and reuse of federal facilities
Supports policy development and resource management for the Fast Track
Cleanup Program for closing and realigning bases
Facilitates participation by stakeholders in cleanup and reuse activities
Provides outreach and supports training to promote faster, more effective,
and less costly cleanups
FFEO
Participates in enforcement negotiations
Tracks compliance by federal facilities
Oversees enforcement activities undertaken by the EPA Regions
Develops national federal facility enforcement and compliance policy and
guidance
EPA Regional
Offices
Provide regulatory and technical oversight of federal facility cleanup
programs
Implement the Fast Track Cleanup Program at closing and realigning bases
Promote community involvement in restoration and reuse decision making
Manage enforcement programs
Manage tracking, oversight, and compliance planning activities
OERR
Develops national policy, regulations, and guidelines for the control of
hazardous waste sites and the prevention of and response to spills of oil
and hazardous substances
Provides technical guidance to federal facilities on implementing the
Federal Superfund Response Program
Develops and provides national guidance for the implementation of
Superfund administrative reforms
OEJ
Manages a national environmental justice program to ensure integration of
environmental justice into all agency operations
Ensures that the agency evaluates the effects of environmental burdens
on minority populations, low-income populations, and American
Indian tribes
Implements remedies to reduce disproportionate risks in communities
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AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE (CONTINUED)
EPA Office
Federal Facility Activities
OFA
Implements the Administrator's responsibilities under Section 309 of the
Clean Air Act
Reviews documents in accordance with its authority under Section 309
OGC
Provides legal advice and counsel in rulemakings, dispute resolution, and
grant and contract matters related to the cleanup of federal facilities
Assists in the formulation and administration of the Agency's guidance
and policies for federal facilities
ORIA
Develops directives and guidance for radiation cleanups at Superfund
sites
Produces technical documents on risk assessment and remediation
technologies
Provides monitoring assistance and technical assistance with modeling
and land use issues regarding radioactive contamination cleanup
Sets EPA radiation health and safety standards for the potential disposal
of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel
ORD
Leads efforts to meet the research and development needs of EPA
Develops technical guidance on natural attenuation and active processes
Provides site-specific technical assistance ranging from reviewing
documents to conducting field studies
Assists in research activities in which federal facilities are involved
Coordinates research efforts with other EPA offices
OSW
Works closely with other federal agencies, tribes, industry, and the
concerned public to ensure the safe management of hazardous and
nonhazardous waste
Works in partnership with other federal agencies to develop and pilot test
waste management programs
Ensures the safe management of municipal, industrial, and extractive solid
wastes
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AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE (CONTINUED)
EPA Office
Federal Facility Activities
OUST
Develops federal regulations to prevent, detect, and clean up releases from
underground storage tank systems containing petroleum and hazardous
substances
Provides information materials that can help federal facilities comply with
leak prevention, leak detection, and corrective action requirements
Encourages risk-based corrective action, alternative cleanup technologies,
and streamlined administrative procedures
TIO
Promotes the use of innovative treatment technologies
Streamlines the permitting process and development of orders to enable the
use of innovative treatment technologies
Chairs and coordinates the activities of the Federal Remediation Technology
Roundtable
Facilitates efforts to establish public-private partnership demonstration and
testing of technologies at federal facilities through the Clean Sites Program
and Remedial Technologies Development Forum
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ORGANIZATIONAL CHART*: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE
Office of the
Administrator
Office of General
Counsel
Office of Air
and Radiation
Office of Radiation
and Indoor Air
Federal Facilities
Enforcement Office
Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance
Office of Environmental U.S. Environmental
Justice Protection Agency Regions
Office of Research
and Development
Office of Federal
Activities
Technology Innovation Office of Solid Waste and
Office Emergency Response
Federal Facilities Restoration
and Reuse Office
This organizational chart does not include
all of EPA's many offices. Rather, it
includes only those that are involved in the
cleanup and reuse of federal facilities.
Puzzle pieces denote offices which are
described in this brochure.
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response
Office of Solid Waste
Office of Underground
Storage Tanks
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FEDERAL FACILITIES
RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE
"Our mission is to build partnerships that provide faster, more
effective, and less costly cleanup and reuse of federal facilities."
JAMES WOOLFORD, DIRECTOR, FFRRO
Mission
To overcome the difficulties posed by
contamination at federal facilities, the
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse
Office (FFRRO) works with DoD, DOE, and
other federal entities to help them develop
creative, cost-effective solutions to their
environmental problems. FFRRO's overall
mission is to facilitate faster, more effective,
and less costly cleanup and reuse of federal
facilities. By focusing on partnering and
public involvement, FFRRO and its
counterpart offices in the EPA regions have
made great strides in improving federal
facilities cleanup.
Role
FFRRO is located in the Office of Solid
Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER).
FFRRO has the lead role in communicating
with Congress, other federal agencies, states,
and program stakeholders in these matters.
Formed in 1994, FFRRO functions with the
following specific goals in mind:
Protect human health and the environment
at and near federal facilities, while also
minimizing the expenditure of taxpayer
dollars
Rebuild local communities while
protecting human health and the
environment
Enhance the cleanup process
Ensure effective stakeholder
involvement at federal facilities by putting
citizens first
In support of these goals, FFRRO is
responsible for activities that support policy
development and implementation, outreach
and training, stakeholder participation, and
interagency coordination.
Support for policy development and
implementation: Active participation in the
development and implementation of
policy and guidance that affect cleanup
and reuse at federal facilities is a
commitment of FFRRO. Particular
emphasis is placed on policy development
and resource management for the Fast
Track Cleanup Program at closing and
realigning military bases.
To ensure that policies are implemented
consistently throughout the nation, FFRRO
communicates regularly with staff of the
EPA regions. This coordinated effort allows
the quick identification and resolution of
implementation issues.
Outreach and Training: Outreach efforts
by FFRRO include the dissemination of
information through the production of
publications. FFRRO produces brochures,
success stories, and fact sheets on issues such
as partnering, stakeholder involvement,
innovative technology use, and
environmental justice at federal facilities.
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In addition, FFRRO provides support for
training courses that enhance the knowledge
and capabilities of federal and state staff
tasked with implementing the cleanup
program. Information about workshops,
conferences, meetings, and seminars
can be found on FFRRO's home page
(http://www.epa.gov/swerffrr), which
provides users with an interactive calendar
of events.
Stakeholder participation: FFRRO
coordinated meetings and managed the
Federal Facilities Environmental Restoration
Dialogue Committee (FFERDC), which
brought together various stakeholders to
develop consensus recommendations aimed at
improving the process for making decisions
for cleanup efforts at federal facilities. These
recommendations are outlined in the FFERDC
report. As a result of the FFERDC report,
about 250 restoration advisory boards
(RAB) and 10 site-specific advisory boards
(SSAB) have been established at installations
nationwide. RABs, which include community
members, military officials, and state and
federal regulators, foster teamwork by
bringing members of the community together
with military officials and government
regulators to discuss cleanup issues. Similarly,
DOE's SSABs are independent citizen boards
that develop consensus recommendations for
government decision makers.
Environmental groups, labor organizations,
and community groups with which FFRRO
currently collaborates include:
Citizens for Environmental Justice
The Association of State and Territorial Solid
Waste Management Officials
The National Association of
Attorneys General
The International City/County
Management Association
Working with representatives of these entities
helps FFRRO to ensure that social, cultural,
and economic factors are considered when
making decisions at federal facilities.
Interagency coordination: FFRRO is
committed to close participation with other
federal agencies. To that end, FFRRO
participates on the Defense Environmental
Response Task Force (DERTF). The DERTF
was created by Congress to provide
recommendations on environmental
restoration at BRAC facilities.
FFRRO also participates on DOE's
Environmental Management Advisory Board
(EMAB), which provides a forum for
representatives of EPA, academia, and private
industry to research and discuss issues
concerning DOE's Environmental
Management Program. These issues include
privatization, the 2006 Plan, and strategic
integration. After recommendations are
approved by the EMAB, they are forwarded to
DOE's Assistant Secretary for Environmental
Management for consideration and response.
In addition, FFRRO co-chairs the FFLC, a
coordinating body within EPA that provides
direction and leadership on federal facility
cleanup efforts. The FFLC is a forum for
addressing a wide spectrum of federal facility
cleanup issues, including compliance,
technical, enforcement, financial, budgeting,
and legislative and political issues. The
Federal Facilities Leadership Council (FFLC)
includes regional federal facility project
managers, regional counsels, and
Headquarters staff from FFRRO and FFEO.
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FEDERAL FACILITIES ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
"Our goal is to work closely with federal agencies to improve
management of environmental programs and specifically to ensure
compliance with the nation's environmental laws by using a wide
variety of enforcement and compliance tools to provide equal
protection of human health and the environment."
CRAIG HOOKS, ACTING DIRECTOR, FFEO
Mission
The Federal Facilities Enforcement Office
(FFEO) is EPA's front-line office in ensuring
that federal facilities take all necessary actions
to prevent, control, and abate environmental
pollution. FFEO efforts include:
Participating in enforcement negotiations
Tracking compliance by federal facilities
Overseeing enforcement activities undertaken
by the EPA regions
Developing national federal facility enforce-
ment and compliance policy and guidance
FFEO is responsible for resolving federal
enforcement disputes between EPA and other
agencies. In nationally significant cases, FFEO
coordinates actions with the EPA regions to
issue compliance orders and develop
interagency agreements.
Role
FFEO is located in the Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance (OECA). FFEO
coordinates OECA's federal facilities
enforcement, compliance assurance, and
assistance efforts to meet those requirements
and has the lead role in communicating
with Congress, other agencies, states, and
program stakeholders on those matters.
FFEO's Site Remediation and Enforcement
staff work primarily with federal agencies and
other offices in EPA to streamline enforcement
and cleanup at federal facilities. Specific
responsibilities include:
Reviewing, coordinating, and participating
in the negotiation and implementation of
interagency agreements and memoranda of
understanding under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Coordinating development of CERCLA
enforcement policy with EPA regions
through the Federal Facilities Leadership
Council (FFLC)
Developing regulations, policies, guidance,
and strategies for federal facilities enforce-
ment under the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) and other
environmental statutes
FFEO's Planning, Prevention, and Compliance
staff are responsible for initiatives to prevent
noncompliance and to oversee compliance
and enforcement activities at federal facilities.
Responsibilities include:
Developing, coordinating, and tracking
compliance assurance and assistance efforts
related to federal facilities, thereby improving
environmental management and auditing
programs
Promoting goals related to pollution
prevention and environmental justice
through implementation of Executive
Orders 12856,12898, and other
Executive Orders
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Managing the Federal Facilities Multi-Media
Enforcement and Compliance Program, the
environmental management program for
oversight of federal agencies' environmental
compliance budget requests (known as
the "Fed Plan" [formerly known as the
A-106 program])
Facilitating the use of innovative
environmental technologies to attain
prevention, compliance, and
cleanup goals
FFEO heads up the EPA/Federal Agency
Environmental Roundtable, in which
50 federal departments and agencies
participate. The roundtable was established
under authority of Executive Order 12088
to fulfill EPA's mandate to provide
consultation and technical assistance to other
federal agencies. The roundtable has been in
continual operation at EPA for more than 10
years, and offers staff of federal agencies a
steady stream of information to keep them
up-to-date on EPA policy, existing and
pending standards and regulations, and the
latest in environmental research.
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REGIONAL FEDERAL FACILITY OFFICES
"In addition to staff at EPA Headquarters, over 300 staff support the
federal facilities program at EPA's ten regional offices. Most of the success
of the federal facilities program can be attributed to EPA's regional federal
facilities site managers, support staff, and their management."
JAMES WOOLFORD, DIRECTOR, FFRRO
EPA regional federal facility offices are
responsible for assuring compliance with
environmental laws, such as RCRA and
CERCLA, and regulations. They also are
responsible for the coordination and
implementation of the policies and programs
of FFRRO and FFEO at the regional level.
Regional offices are involved in a variety of
activities associated with federal facilities,
including:
Managing enforcement programs
Managing tracking, oversight, and
compliance planning activities
Providing technical and program
assistance, training, and outreach for
federal facilities
Encouraging pollution prevention at
federal facilities
Encouraging use of innovative remedial
technologies
Fostering innovative project management in
the execution of streamlined response actions
Working to creatively solve problems with
federal facility partners in the use of resources
Acting as mediator between the state's
hazardous waste authority and the federal
facility
Implementing the Fast Track Cleanup
Program at closing and realigning bases
Promoting community involvement in
restoration and reuse decision making
EPA regional project managers have played a
significant role in accelerating the cleanup
program at federal facilities. Following are a
few of their many success stories.
Fostering Innovation
At the Sacramento Army Depot, located in
Sacramento, California, a partnership
consisting of EPA Region 9, the Army, state
and local agencies, and the community
expedited cleanup of the installation's
contaminated soil and groundwater, which
facilitated the transfer and reuse of property.
This successful base conversion effort has
contributed to the revitalization of the local
economy. Packard-Bell relocated its world
headquarters to the installation, creating more
than 3,000 new jobs.
Bergstrom Air Force Base, located in Austin,
Texas was placed on a fast-track cleanup
schedule to meet the city's need for a new
airport. An executive team made up of staff of
EPA Region 6, city agencies, state agencies,
and the Air Force Base Conversion Agency
was formed to facilitate restoration and
conversion. The team is working to expedite
site investigation and cleanup plans. As a
result, the April 1999 deadline for the opening
of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
will be met.
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Working for Creative
Problem Solving
At Umatilla Chemical Depot, located in
Hermiston, Oregon, EPA Region 10 advocated
the use of innovative treatment and on-site
analytical technologies for the cleanup
of explosives and metals in soil and
groundwater. Use of bioremediation and
solidification/stabilization treatment and
on-site colorimetric, immunoassay, and x-ray
fluorescence field methods has avoided more
than $14 million in cleanup costs. The on-site
colorimetric and immunoassay methods have
provided real-time data for monitoring soil
and groundwater treatment processes,
reducing sample costs from $250 per sample
to $60 per sample, and reducing the time
needed to conduct analysis from three weeks
to one day. Technology evaluation and
implementation was made possible by close
coordination among Umatilla Chemical
Depot, EPA Region 10, the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality, the
U.S. Army Environmental Center, the
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Seattle District,
and the Army Cold Regions Research and
Engineering Laboratory.
The efforts of the cleanup team at Naval Air
Station Cecil Field, located in Jacksonville,
Florida, resulted in cost-avoidance of more than
$9 million. These efforts clearly show how
effective partnerships based on mutual trust can
solve environmental problems, while saving time
and money. The Navy, EPA Region 4, and the
Florida State Department of Environmental
Protection developed several time-saving
methods of reviewing cleanup documents. The
community, through the RAB, also was involved
in the review process. The partners reached
consensus on cleanup decisions and
implemented innovative ways of conducting
sampling of contamination at the site. The
success of these common-sense approaches
depended on mutual trust among team members.
The team developed a rapid investigation
program and revamped its approach to
reviewing decision documents.
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OTHER EPA OFFICES
Office of
Emergency
and Remedial
Response
EPA's Office of
Emergency and
Remedial Response (OERR) is committed to
protecting human health and the
environment now and in the future by
reducing risks posed by abandoned and
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites; ensuring
those responsible for contamination are held
accountable for cleaning it up; promoting
economic redevelopment of contaminated
properties; and by involving the public early
and in a meaningful way in the Superfund
process. OERR does these things by
developing national policy, regulations, and
guidelines for control of hazardous waste
sites, and preventing and responding to spills
of oil and hazardous substances.
OERR provides technical guidance to federal
facilities on implementing the Superfund
Program, including emergency response and
long-term site cleanup and remediation.
OERR focuses on accelerating cleanups at
both federal facilities and other sites, and
seeks to find ways to make clean ups faster,
fairer, and more efficient by involving
affected communities early in the Superfund
process and giving them a voice, including
providing assistance in the form of Technical
Assistance Grants, support through
Community Advisory Groups, and involving
the affected community in the risk
assessment and remedy selection.
Office of Environmental Justice
EPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ)
manages a national program to ensure
integration of environmental justice into all
operations of EPA. OEJ ensures that EPA
evaluates the impacts of environmental
burdens on minority populations, low-income
populations, and American Indian Tribes.
OEJ also identifies and implements remedies
that can reduce disproportionate risks in
communities. Through the Interagency
Working Group on Environmental Justice,
EPA provides leadership to the other federal
agencies as they work to implement Executive
Order 12898, and use the Council on
Environmental Quality's (CEQ) draft
guidance on environmental justice to meet the
requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA).
Office of Federal Activities
The Office of Federal Activities (OFA) has
program responsibilities for the Environmental
Review Process, also known as EPA's "309
Review Process." The program implements
the Administrator's responsibilities under
Section 309 of the Clean Air Act, which
authorizes EPA to review certain actions of
other federal agencies in accordance with the
requirements of NEPA and to make the results
of those reviews public.
If another federal agency prepares an
environmental impact statement (a NEPA
document) related to a cleanup action, EPA
will review that document in accordance with
its authority under Section 309. In most
situations, the environmental impact
statement is reviewed by the EPA regional
office in which the project is located.
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June 1997
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Office of General Counsel
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) works
closely with FFRRO, FFEO, and other EPA
program offices involved in federal facilities
cleanup. Specifically, OGC provides legal
advice and counsel in rule makings, dispute
resolution, and grant and contract matters that
may arise in the federal facilities cleanup
process. OGC also assists in the formulation
and administration of EPA's guidances and
policies for federal facilities.
The Office of Radiation and
Indoor Air
The EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
(ORIA) protects the public and the
environment from exposures to radiation and
indoor air pollutants. In carrying out its
radiation protection activities, the office plays
an important role in the cleanup and
operation of federal facilities that use or store
radioactive materials. Working closely with
the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response (OSWER), ORIA develops directives
and guidance for radiation cleanups at
Superfund sites, some of which are operated
by DOE and DoD. To further support
Superfund radiation cleanups, ORIA also
produces technical documents on risk
assessment and remediation technologies.
Additionally, through its Headquarters staff,
EPA regions, and two laboratories, ORIA
provides technical assistance with modeling
and land use issues to other EPA programs
and to other federal agencies involved in
cleaning up radioactive contamination.
Since 1992, ORIA has been extensively
involved in regulating the release of
radionuclides from a Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant (WIPP), operated by DOE. ORIA
responsibilities include finalizing EPA safety
standards for radioactive waste disposal and
issuing compliance criteria. Further, before the
plant can begin operation, ORIA must certify
that the facility complies with EPA standards
and, every five years thereafter, must recertify
compliance. ORIA also is responsible for
setting EPA radiation health and safety
standards for the potential disposal of high-
level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel
at a DOE site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
Under the Uranium Mill Tailing Radiation
Control Act, ORIA standards limit radon
emissions from DOE-controlled uranium mill
tailings piles. Mill tailings are wastes
generated during the refining of uranium ore.
Office of Research and
Development
EPA's Office of Research and Development
(ORD) is the scientific and technological arm
of EPA, responsible for the research and
development needs of EPA. ORD pursues a
basic strategy of risk assessment and risk
management to remediate environmental and
health problems. ORD is active in a number
of research activities in which federal facilities
are involved, such as development of
guidance on the use of natural attenuation
and other bioprocesses. In carrying out such
research, ORD interacts with a number of
other EPA offices, such as OSWER; the Office
of Water; the Office of Pesticides, Prevention,
and Toxic Substances; regional and state
offices; DoD; industry; and academia. ORD
focuses on the advancement of basic, peer-
reviewed scientific research and the
implementation of cost-effective, common-
sense technology.
Office of Solid Waste
The mission of the Office of Solid Waste
(OSW) is to protect human health and the
environment by fostering responsible national
waste management practices. The program's
goals are: to conserve resources by reducing
waste; to prevent future waste disposal
problems by writing results-oriented
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regulations; and to clean up areas where
waste may have spilled, leaked, or been
improperly disposed of. OSW programs are
primarily managed and implemented by
individual states.
In addition to states, OSW works closely with
other federal agencies, tribes, industry, and the
concerned public to ensure the safe
management of hazardous and nonhazardous
waste. These shared responsibilities help to
more accurately measure program
performance. Nearly all RCRA policies and
regulations are directly relevant to federal
facilities.
In administering the national waste
management program, OSW maintains a
national inventory system of RCRA
hazardous waste handlers. The inventory
contains the identification and location data
for all hazardous waste handlers, including
federally owned and operated facilities that
treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste.
OSW routinely partners with other federal
agencies to develop and pilot many waste
management programs. Of particular note is
the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, initiated by
DOE several years ago. This project is one of
the first attempts to safely dispose of
radioactive waste using RCRA-approved
disposal methods. More recently, OSW
worked closely with DoD and the individual
military services to issue a rule that identifies
when conventional and chemical military
munitions become hazardous waste under
RCRA. This rule also contains provisions for
storing and transporting munitions that are
hazardous waste.
OSW's RCRA responsibilities also are to
ensure the safe management of municipal,
industrial, and extractive solid wastes.
Management policies for these wastes rely
heavily on voluntary and educational
programs directed at all sectors, including
federal facilities.
One of RCRA's chief provisions establishes a
government buy-recycled program to enhance
markets for materials diverted or recovered
from the solid waste stream. OSW designates
items that are made with recovered materials
and recommends practices for procuring these
items. Once such items are designated,
federal facilities (and their contractors) that
use appropriated federal funds must begin
purchasing the designated recycled items.
OSW designates these recycled content items
in a Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
and its related Recovered Materials Advisory
Notice. Currently, there are 19 items in seven
product categories containing recycled content
that are available for government procuring
agencies to purchase. Item designations are
codified in 40 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Part 247.
Office of Underground
Storage Tanks
Many federal facilities own or operate
underground storage tanks (UST) that contain
petroleum and other regulated substances.
Under Subtitle I of RCRA, EPA's Office of
Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) has
developed regulations to prevent, detect, and
clean up releases from UST systems. OUST
developed the regulations and the UST
program to be flexible and to be implemented
by state agencies. Every state and many local
governments now have active UST cleanup
programs. Federal facilities, like other owners
and operators of USTs, work with their state
agencies to remediate sites affected by
leaking USTs.
One of OUST's highest priorities is to help
state UST agencies achieve faster, cheaper,
and more effective cleanups. OUST's ongoing
efforts focus on three approaches to meeting
that goal: encouraging risk-based corrective
action programs in states, promoting the use
of alternative cleanup technologies, and
16
lune 1997
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supporting activities that streamline state
administrative procedures.
OUST has developed a variety of
outreach materials to assist tank owners
and operators to comply with UST regulations
and to improve UST cleanups. For more
information on the federal program or to
order publications, contact the
RCRA/Superfund/UST Hotline at
1-800-424-9346 or visit OUST's Web site
at http://www.epa.gov/OUST/.
Technology Innovation Office
EPA's Technology Innovation Office (TIO)
promotes the development and use of
innovative technologies for site assessment
and remediation. TIO's mission is to increase
the application of innovative treatment
technologies by government and industry at
contaminated waste sites. Increased use of
such technologies will be accomplished
through the removal of regulatory and
institutional impediments, and the provision
of better technology and market information
to TIO's targeted audience which includes
federal agencies, states, consulting
engineering firms, potentially responsible
parties, technology developers, and the
investment community.
TIO accomplishes its mission at federal
facilities by:
Promoting the use of innovative treatment
technologies when such treatment is
appropriate
Encouraging the evaluation and use of new
field measurement and monitoring methods
Streamlining the permitting process and
development of orders to enable the use of
innovative treatment technologies
Researching and disseminating information
about innovative technologies that aid in the
characterization and cleanup of contamination
TIO sponsors the Federal Remediation
Technologies Roundtable, which was
established in 1990 as an interagency
committee to exchange information and
provide a forum for joint action to support the
development and demonstration of innovative
technologies for remediation of hazardous
waste. The Roundtable includes members
from EPA, DoD, DOE, DOI, NASA, and other
federal agencies. Members currently are
working to standardize the collection and
reporting of cost and performance information
on innovative technologies.
lune 1997
17
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERAL FACILITIES
EPA Office
Federal Facilities Restoration
and Reuse Office (FFRRO)
Federal Facilities Enforcement
Office (FFEO)
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response (OERR)
Office of Environmental
Justice (OEJ)
Office of Federal Activities
(OFA)
Office of General Counsel
(OGC)
Office of Radiation and
Indoor Air (ORIA)
Office of Research and
Development (ORD)
Office of Solid Waste (OSW)
Office of Underground
Storage Tanks (OUST)
Technology Innovation
Office (TIO)
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Headquarters
(General Information)
Main Telephone
and Fax Number
Ph (202)260-9924
Fax (202) 260-5646
Ph (202)564-2466
Fax (202) 501-0069
Ph (703)603-8960
Fax (703) 603-9146
Ph (202)564-2515
Fax (202) 501-0740
Ph (202)564-2400
Fax (202) 564-0070
Ph (202)260-8040
Fax (202) 260-8046
Ph (202)233-9320
Fax (202) 233-9651
Ph (202)260-7676
Fax (202) 260-9761
Ph (703)308-8895
Fax (703) 308-0513
Ph (703)603-9900
Fax (703) 603-9163
Ph (703)603-9910
Fax (703) 603-9135
Ph (202)260-2090
Mailing Address
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 5101
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 2261A
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 5201G
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 2201A
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20044
MC: 2251A
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 2310
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 6601J
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 8101
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 5301W
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 5401G
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
MC: 5102G
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Internet Address
http://www.epa.gov/
swerffrr
http://www.epa.gov/
oecarth/index/html
http://www.epa.gov/
oswer/superfund
http://es.inel.gov/oeca/
oej.html
http://es.inel.gov/oeca/
OFA
None
http://www.epa.gov/
oar/oria.html
http://www.epa.gov/
ORD
http://www.epa.gov/
epaoswer
http://www.epa.gov/
OUST/
http://www.cluein.com
http://www.epa.gov
18
June 1997
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SUMMARY
EPA has many resources that can
provide assistance on environmental issues
related to federal facilities. Understanding
the distinct roles of the various offices
at EPA will enable you to locate more
easily a vast wealth of information and
resources. Once you know which offices
of the Agency are responsible for
handling the various aspects of the
federal facilities program, you can go
straight to the source for the information
you need most. Hopefully, this brochure
will help you to forge sound working
relationships with key personnel
at the Agency and solve the puzzle
of how to communicate effectively
with EPA.
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To order additional copies of this brochure,
contact the Superfund Document Center at:
Phone (703) 603-9232
Facsimile (703) 603-9240.
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