Superfund CERCLA

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 was enacted by Congress to clean up hazardous waste disposal mistakes of the past and to cope with emergencies of the present. It is more often referred to as the Superfund Law because of its key provision, a large trust fund (about 1.6 billion). Later, in 1986, when the law was revised, this fund was increased to almost 9 billion. The revised law is referred to as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). The key requirements under CERCLA include the following  

CERCLA authorizes the USEPA to deal with both short-term problems (emergency situations triggered by a spill or release of hazardous substances) and long-term problems involving abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites for which more permanent solutions are required. 

CERCLA has set up a remedial scheme for analyzing the impact of contamination on sites under a hazard ranking system, from which a list of prioritized disposal and contaminated sites is compiled. This list is known as the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL identifies the worst sites in the nation, based on such factors as the quantities and toxicity of wastes involved, the exposure pathways, the number of people potentially exposed, and the importance and vulnerability of the imderlying groundwater. 

CERCLA also forces those parties who are responsible for hazardous waste problems to pay the entire cost of cleanup. 

Title ni of SARA requires federal, state, and local governments and industry to work together in developing emergency response plans and reporting on hazardous chemicals. This requirement is commonly referred to as the Community Right-to-Know Act, which allows the public to obtain information about the presence of hazardous chemicals in their communities and releases of these chemicals into the environment. 

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The United States has the most laws regarding environmental safety and health. The National Environmental PoHcy Act (NEPA) of 1969 has resulted in the following acts Eederal Insecticides, Eungicide and Rodenticide (EIERA), Resource Conservation and Recovery (RCRA), Superfund (CERCLA), Superfund Amendments and Reauthori2ation Act (SARA) Plus Tide III, Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), Clean Water (CWA), Water Quahty, Safe Drinking Water (SDWA), and Waste Minimi2ation and Control. 

The EPA s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response has set up a telephone call-in service to answer questions regarding RCRA and Superfund (CERCLA) ... 

Contains information on each hazardous waste disposal or spill site nominated or selected for the EPA National Priorities List for cleanup under Superfund (CERCLA) or SARA amendments. Over 44 000 to date. (CIS, WESTLAW)... 

Figure 14.1. Most commonly encountered metals at Superfund (CERCLA) sites in the United States. The numbers represent the sites, and % indicates the percentage of sites relative to the total Superfund sites assessed. (Data from Ma and Kingscott, 1997 Green and Hoffnagle, 2004.)...

Figure 14.3. Remedial actions undertaken at Superfund (CERCLA) sites (1982-2002) for source control. The numbers in parentheses reflect the number of sites where remediation has been conducted, and % is the proportion relative to the total remediated. (From U.S. EPA, 2004b.)...

This hotline provides information to the regulated community and interested parties about the RCRA/Superfund Program. Policies and document referrals are given in the areas of RCRA, underground storage tanks, Superfund/CERCLA, and pollution prevention. 

Under the National Dioxin Strategy, sites found to be contaminated in Tiers 3 through 7 are referred to the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) for possible Superfund (CERCLA) action. These sites are then considered along with the sites in Tiers 1 and 2 and all other hazardous waste sites managed under the Superfund program. 

The EPA Contract Laboratory Program under Superfund (CERCLA) provides another example of how blanks and detection limits are treated.(17)(18) With respect to blanks, the statements of work specify that the laboratory should not blank correct sample responses. In the case of organics analyses, the EPA evaluator and/or data auditor has the authority to blank correct sample responses. In practice this Is never done. For both organics and Inorganics, the absolute blank level Is primarily used as a control to determine If samples need to be reanalyzed. Detection limits are based on replicate analyses of a standard at 3-5 times the required detection limit concentration. The Instrument detection limit Is calculated as being equal to 3 times the standard deviation of the measured value. Since blank correction is not permitted or not done, sample results will all be biased high by an amount equal to the blank response. The absolute blank value (actually usually a multiple of 5 or 10 times the blank value) rather than... 

Many other EPA regulations that are beyond the scope of this book inpact the operation of chemical processing facilities, including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Conpensation, and Liability Act known as Superfund (CERCLA) the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 

In the United States, the reportable quantity of 1-propanol for spills under CERCLA "Superfund" is 100 Ib/d (45.4 kg/d). However, no reportable quantity is assigned for transport (43). The substance is on the list for atmospheric standards, as defined iu 40 CER 60.489 (47). The iatent of these standards is to require all newly constmcted, modified, and reconstmcted manufacturiug units to use the best demonstrated system of continuous emission reduction for equipment leaks of volatile organic compounds (47). 1-Propanol is also on the right-to-know regulations of the states of Connecticut,... 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabihty Act, also known as the Superfund Law (CERCLA)... 

Chromium Exposure Levels and U.S. Government Regulations. The level of exposure to chromium compounds for employees in industry and for the general population via waste disposal and industrial emissions is the subject of much regulation, research, and controversy. Some U.S. Government regulations, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and LiabiUty Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund Act, make no distinction as to the oxidation state of chromium (144). However, there is valence distinction in other regulations. 

Equipment for Superfund Waste Shipment RCRA hazardous waste that has been spilled, improperly landfilled, or dredged from defunct lagoons is a CERCLA waste, more commonly referred to as a Superfuna waste. For clean-ups where offsite treatment is the chosen solution, soil is excavated and placed in 15-m roll-off box or dump body truck. The trucks may be lined with polyethylene to reduce... 

This section provides an overview of the engineering technologies and applications that are currently applicable to the study and remediation of releases of hazardous wastes and constituents from RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) facilities and those sites which parallel Superfund sites. Activities which would be termed removal actions or expedited response actions under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Recovery-Cleanup and Liability Act) are also covered in this section. Information presented in this section represent excerpts from document EPA/625/4-89/020 (September 1989). 

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 reauthorized CERCLA to continue cleanup activities around the country. Several site-specific amendments, definitions, clarifications, and technical requirements were added to the legislation, including additional enforcement authorities. Title HI of SARA also authorized the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund Act, requires EPA to create new processes, policies, and procedures, and develop new technical capabilities for treating and containing hazardous substances. 

Provides information about all RCRA regulations and programs including the Resource Conseiwation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund) and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)/Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III. Operates weekdays from 9 00 a.m. to 6 00 p.m., EST, excluding Federal holidays. Sendees are also available in Spanish. 

The toxicological profiles are developed in response to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 (Public law 99-499) which amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund). This public law directed ATSDR to prepared toxicological profiles for hazardous substances most commonly found at facilities on the CERCLA National Priorities List and that pose the most significant potential threat to human health, as determined by ATSDR and the EPA. The availability of the revised priority list of 275 hazardous substances was announced in the Federal Register on November 17, 1997 (62 FR 61332). For prior versions of the list of substances, see Federal RegisternoiiCQS dated April 29, 1996 (61 FR 18744) April 17, 1987 (52 FR 12866) October 20, 1988 (53 FR 41280) October 26, 1989 (54 FR 43619) October 17, 1990 (55 FR 42067) October 17, 1991 (56 FR 52166) October 28, 1992 (57 FR 48801) and February 28, 1994 (59 FR 9486). Section 104(i)(3) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR to prepare a toxicological profile for each substance on the list. 

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