Resource Spotlight

EPA’s Superfund Program

Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. It is also the name of the fund established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA statute, CERCLA overview). This law was enacted in the wake of the discovery of toxic waste dumps such as Love Canal and Times Beach in the 1970s. It allows the EPA to clean up such sites and to compel responsible parties to perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-lead cleanups.

How Superfund Works

The Superfund cleanup process is complex. It involves the steps taken to assess sites, place them on the National Priorities List, and establish and implement appropriate cleanup plans. This is the long-term cleanup process. In addition, the Agency has the authority to:

The blueprint for these activities is the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), a regulation applicable to all federal agencies involved in responding to hazardous substance releases. Over the past 20+ years, the EPA has located and analyzed tens of thousands of hazardous waste sites, protected people and the environment from contamination at the worst sites, and involved others in cleanup.

Who Implements Superfund

EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) in Washington, D.C. oversees the Superfund program. The Office of Emergency Management within OSWER is responsible for short-term responses conducted under the authority of Superfund. The Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, and the Federal Facilities Response and Reuse Office, also within OSWER, have the lead for managing the long-term Superfund response program, the latter for responses involving Federal Facilities. In addition, OSWER manages the federal Brownfields program.

Cleanup Process

The Superfund cleanup process begins with site discovery or notification to EPA of possible releases of hazardous substances. Sites are discovered by various parties, including citizens, State agencies and EPA Regional offices. Once discovered, sites are entered into the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS), EPA’s computerized inventory of potential hazardous substance release sites (search CERCLIS for hazardous waste sites). Some sites may be cleaned up under other authorities. EPA then evaluates the potential for a release of hazardous substances from the site through these steps in the Superfund cleanup process. Community involvement, enforcement, and emergency response can occur at any time in the process. A wide variety of characterization, monitoring, and remediation technologies are used through the cleanup process. The process is as follows:

  1. PA/SI (Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection)—Investigations of site conditions. If the release of hazardous substances requires immediate or short-term response actions, these are addressed under the Emergency Response program of Superfund.

  2. NPL Listing (National Priorities List) Site Listing Process—A list of the most serious sites identified for possible long-term cleanup.

  3. RI/FS (Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study)—Determines the nature and extent of contamination. Assesses the treatability of site contamination and evaluates the potential performance and cost of treatment technologies.

  4. ROD (Records of Decision)—Explains which cleanup alternatives will be used at NPL sites. When remedies exceed 25 million, they are reviewed by the National Remedy Review Board.

  5. RD/RA (Remedial Design/Remedial Action)—Preparation and implementation of plans and specifications for applying site remedies. The bulk of the cleanup usually occurs during this phase. All new fund-financed remedies are reviewed by the National Priorities Panel.

  6. Construction Completion—Identifies completion of physical cleanup construction, although this does not necessarily indicate whether final cleanup levels have been achieved.

  7. Post Construction Completion—Ensures that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. Included here are Long-Term Response Actions (LTRA), Operation and Maintenance, Institutional Controls, Five-Year Reviews, Remedy Optimization.

  8. NPL Delete (National Priorities List Deletion)—Removes a site from the NPL once all response actions are complete and all cleanup goals have been achieved.

  9. Reuse (Site Reuse/Redevelopment)—Information on how the Superfund program is working with communities and other partners to return hazardous waste sites to safe and productive use without adversely affecting the remedy.

Superfund Community Involvement

Community involvement is the process of engaging in dialogue and collaboration with community members. The goal of Superfund community involvement is to advocate and strengthen early and meaningful community participation during Superfund cleanups. Superfund community involvement staffs at Headquarters and in the Regions strive to:

  • Encourage and enable community members to get involved

  • Listen carefully to what the community is saying

  • Take the time needed to deal with community concerns

  • Change planned actions where community comments or concerns have merit

  • Keep the community well informed of ongoing and planned activities

  • Explain to the community what EPA has done and why

From www.epa.gov/superfund. For more information on how EPA cleans up Superfund sites and administers the Superfund program, visit the Web site.

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