U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response

The EPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) has responsibility for managing the analysis programs required under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The approved analytical methods are designed to analyze water, soil, and sediment from potentially hazardous waste sites to determine the presence or absence of certain environmentally harmful organic compounds. The methods described here all require the use of GC/MS. 

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. 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Aet (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq ], as amended by the Superflind Amendments and Reauthorization Aet (SARA) [Pub. L. 99-499], requires that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) develop jointly with the US. Enviromnental Protection Agency (EPA), in order of priority, a list of hazardous substances most commonly found at facilities on the CERCLA National Priorities List (NPL) prepare toxicological profiles for each substance included on the priority list of hazardous substances and assure the initiation of a research program to fill identified data needs associated with the substances. 

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). Section 211 of SARA also amended Title 10 of the U. S. Code, creating the Defense Environmental Restoration Program. Section 2704(a) of Title 10 of the U. S. Code directs the Secretary of Defense to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services of not less than 25 of the most commonly found unregulated hazardous substances at defense facilities. Section 2704(b) of Title 10 of the U. S. Code directs the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to prepare a toxicological profile for each substance on the list provided by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (b). 

In the U.S., three pieces of federal legislation that were passed from 1969 to 1980, and the implementing rules and regulations that followed, initiated a series of fundamental changes in the management of waste and byproduct materials. They presently affect the way in which regulatory agencies address waste and byproduct material use. These acts include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1969), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA, 1976, 1980), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA) or Superfund (1980). 

Federal Register, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), 42 U.S. Code s/s 9601 et seq. 1980, U.S. Government, Public Laws, 2009. Available at http //www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title42/chapterl03. html... 

In 1980, the U.S. Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the first comprehensive federal law addressing the protection of the environment from the threat of hazardous substances. The primary goal of CERCLA is to establish an organized cost-effective mechanism for response to abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that pose a serious threat to human health and the environment.8 9 To accomplish this goal, two types of response capabilities are mandated by CERCLA13 ... 

ATSDR believes that one way to ensure that the system continues to operate in a manner consistent with operating conditions specified in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) contract15 is for U.S. EPA to conduct frequent, random, unannounced facility inspections and to routinely provide the results to the public. Under some circumstances, permanent on-site inspectors might be advisable. 

The U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 required careful analysis of the consequences of any federally funded project. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 established guidelines for handling, transport, and hauling of hazardous materials, such as required in cleanup of soil contaminants. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 established, for the hrst time, strict mles on legal liability for soil contamination. CERCLA stimulated identihcation and cleanup of thousands of contaminated land sites, and consequently raised awareness of property buyers and sellers to make soil contamination a focal issue of land use and management practices (US-EPA 2007c). 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by the U.S. Congress on 11 December 1980. CERCLA created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. Over 5 years, 1.6 billion was collected and the tax went to a tmst fund for cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites (US-EPA 2007c). 

Forrester Environmental Services, Inc. s heavy-metal stabilization technologies have been issued several U.S. patents and are commercially available in the United States and Japan. The vendor claims these technologies have been permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and have been used at resource conservation and recovery act (RCRA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) sites in several states. In addition, these technologies have been implemented at U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. 

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