Where can I find an overview of
the process to identify Potentially
Responsible Parties?

An overview can be found at this web site:

www.epa.gov/compliance/cleanup/superfund/
find.html

Why does EPA send out
information request letters?

These letters are part of EPA's information
gathering process and search for potentially
responsible parties (PRP) under the authority
provided by Section 104(e) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA), the Superfund law
Issuing information request letters provides EPA
with important information about a Superfund site
and is a basic component of nearly all PRP searches.

Who is a Potentially Responsible
Party?

A potentially responsible party can be a:

•	current owner or operator of a facility

•	former owner or operator of a facility at a time
when hazardous substances were disposed

•	person who arranged for treatment or disposal
of hazardous substances

•	transporter of hazardous substances who select-
ed the disposal site

In addition to looking at properties next to the
Lower Duwamish Waterway EPA also looks at
upland properties which may have contributed to
the contamination of the waterway through various
means including storm drains, stormwater runoff,
and groundwater contamination.

Does receiving an information
request letter mean the government
has decided that I am a potentially
responsible party?

No. It means that EPA has reason to believe that
you have information about past or current property
use. The information received in response to an
information request letter is one of the sources EPA
uses to identify potentially responsible parties.

Does receiving a general notice letter
mean the government has decided
that I am a Potentially Responsible
Party?

If a general notice letter accompanies an
information request letter it means that EPA has
reason to believe that you may be a potentially
responsible party.

Can letter recipients choose not to
respond to EPA?

Compliance with the request letter is mandatory,
and if EPA does not receive a complete response,
the recipient may be subject to possible enforcement
action from EPA.

What is the timing of the PRP search
for the Lower Duwamish Waterway
site?

EPA will attempt to send notice letters to parties
that it believes may be PRPs before the Proposed
Plan is released for public comment in early 2013.
Formal negotiations will begin when a remedy is
selected in a Record of Decision currently scheduled
to be completed in 2014.


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Frequently Asked Questions about Information Request Letters and
Potentially Responsible Parties in the Lower Duwamish River Superfund Site



How can I see the responses
of other information request
recipients?

You can submit a request under the Freedom of
Information Act. The more specific your request,
the better able we will be to respond. Requests
can be submitted electronically at:

*43 http://l.usa.gov/FOIA_R10

Can I start cleaning up my property
before the Waterway-wide cleanup?

Contact EPA or the Washington Department
of Ecology before undertaking any significant
voluntary cleanup action. EPA and Ecology
have invested considerable time characterizing
contamination in and along the Duwamish
Waterway.

for More	In

Cleanups

Contact the Washington Department of
Ecology regarding activities on upland sites.
Ecology may allow some work under the
Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP). This
program requires advance review and approval
of all voluntary cleanup activities.

Ecology will decide on a site-by-site basis
if a site is appropriate for the VCP If work
is done through the VCP, additional work
may be required as a part of the larger Lower
Duwamish Waterway cleanup. Ecology
encourages businesses along the waterway

on land

to prevent new sources of contamination from
reaching the waterway. To learn more about the
Department of Ecology's role in the cleanup,
visit:

"ft ti nyurl. c om/ Eco logy ID W
Contact:

Andrew Smith, Senior Environmental Engineer
SI425-649-7138 Andrew.smith@ecy.wa.gov

For general information about Ecology's
programs, visit

^0 ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/policies/tcppoly.html

Cleanups in the waterway

Contact EPA if you are contemplating activities
in the Lower Duwamish Waterway.

Contact:

Aaron Lambert, Remedial Project Manager
8 206-553-5122

^0 Lambert.aaron@epa.gov

To learn more about the EPA's role in the
cleanup, visit:

^0 http://l.usa.gov/duwamish_clean

Other resources
Environmental Coalition of
South Seattle

ECOSS is a free and confidential resource for the
Puget Sound business community.

Contact them at
8 206-767-0432 or

# info@ECOSS.org

If you need materials in an alternative format, please contact Renee Dagseth at 1-800-424-4372 ext. 1889
H TDD users; please call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 and give the operator Renee's phone number.

United States	1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900, ETPA-081

Environmental Protection	Seattle,Washington 98101-3140

** Agency	November 2012


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