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Superfund Frequently Asked Questions: General Questions About Superfund
- What is the Superfund?
- What is the purpose of the Superfund program?
- What does the Superfund cleanup process involve?
- What are "removal actions" and "remedial responses"?
- What is the job of the natural resource trustees?
- Who are the Natural Resource Trustees?
- How can I find out if there is a Superfund site near my home?
- How can I find out the names of polluters who contributed to a Superfund site (potentially responsible parties or PRPs)?
- How do I report a release of hazardous substances?
- Which are the main EPA headquarters offices with primary responsibility for managing activities under the Superfund program?
- How can I find more Frequently Asked Questions about Superfund?
1. What is the Superfund?
Congress established a Hazardous Substance Trust Fund, referred to as "Superfund," to pay for responses by the federal government to releases of hazardous substances in cases in which there are no viable potentially responsible parties (PRPs) or the PRPs are unable to pay for the response. EPA's "enforcement first" philosophy is designed to conserve Fund monies for such circumstances. In some cases, such as emergency actions, resources of the Fund are used to conduct cleanup, after which EPA pursues cost recovery from the responsible parties. The term "Superfund" is also often used to refer to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law that created the Superfund cleanup program.
2. What is the purpose of the Superfund program?
The purpose of the Superfund program is to reduce and eliminate threats to human health and the environment that result from releases or potential releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants from abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
3. What does the Superfund cleanup process involve?
Each Superfund site is unique, but the steps to be taken to identify the site, assess the extent of contamination, and achieve cleanup are set forth in the law, a set of regulations called the National Contingency Plan, and the policies and guidance documents that provide the framework for the program. The basic steps in the cleanup process are:
- Site Discovery and Notification
- Site Assessment
- Inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL) for Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites, as appropriate
- Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
- Record of Decision (ROD)
- Remedial Design (RD)
- Remedial Action (RA)
- Long term Operation and Maintenance (O&M), as needed
4. What are "removal actions" and "remedial responses"?
A removal action is a short-term action intended to stabilize or clean up an incident or site which poses an imminent threat to human health or the environment. Removal actions can occur at any point in the cleanup process. Removal actions may be conducted, for example, to clean up the spill of hazardous materials when a truck or train overturns, to keep the public from being exposed to hazardous substances, or to protect a drinking water supply from contamination. Typical removal actions include removing tanks or drums of hazardous substances on the surface, installing fencing or other security measures, or providing an alternate source of drinking water to local residents. In the event of longer-term cleanup requirements, the site is referred to the remedial program for further investigation and assessment.
Because removal actions are generally intended to reduce or eliminate imminent threats from contamination and are short-term actions, environmental problems such as area-wide contamination of ground water are not normally addressed as part of a removal. However, removal actions may reduce the cost of longer-term cleanup by controlling the migration of the hazardous substance or by eliminating the source of the additional contamination.
Remedial responses are generally longer-term actions that eliminate or substantially reduce releases, or threatened releases, of hazardous substances that pose a threat to human health and the environment. By law, Trust Fund-financed remedial responses are undertaken only at sites on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL).
5. What is the job of the natural resource trustees?
The natural resource trustees are government agencies that have been given the authority to assess the injury to natural resources caused by the release of hazardous substances and to seek the restoration, replacement, or acquisition of equivalent natural resources.
6. Who are the Natural Resource Trustees?
The Federal Natural Resource Trustees include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy and Interior. In addition, States and Tribes are Natural Resource Trustees.
7. How can I find out if there is a Superfund site near my home?
EPA's "Locate Superfund Sites" web site which can help you locate any Superfund site near your home using maps and/or databases.
8. How can I find out the names of polluters who contributed to a Superfund site (potentially responsible parties or PRPs)?
This information is available on CD-ROM from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and is entitled, "CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980) PRP (Potentially Responsible Party) Data (Raw Data File on CD-ROM)." The document order number is PB2001-500055. The data file is on one CD-ROM disc. This product contains data only. Customers must provide their own search and retrieval software, such as EXCEL which can be used to view data. The price is $112 plus charges and handling fees. The price is higher outside the U.S. You can order directly from the NTIS web site or dial 1-800-553-6847.
Alternatively, if you would like EPA to provide this CD-ROM or format a report for you, you can send a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request to the EPA FOIA Officer, Mail Code 1105A, Freedom Of Information Act Office, U.S. EPA, .1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW , Washington DC 20460 . There is a charge for this service based on the time spent by EPA. In your request letter be sure to specify the maximum dollar amount you are willing to pay EPA.
9. How do I report a release of hazardous substances?
Releases should be reported to the National Response Center (NRC) at (202) 267-2675 or (800) 424- 8802. The U.S. Coast Guard staffs the NRC, a central location for reporting discharges or releases of hazardous substances into all media. If the NRC cannot be reached, the EPA Regional Office or district office of the U.S. Coast Guard may receive reports, with the NRC notified as soon as possible. Examples of releases to be reported are:
- Discharge of oil to U.S. waters,
- Transportation accidents involving hazardous substances,
- Release from fire or explosion at an operating facility, resulting in a threat to human health or the environment,
- Release of hazardous substances from uncontrolled waste sites.
(Regulations require that releases of specific volumes and weights of various substances be reported to the federal government. Quantities that constitute a reportable release are listed at 40 CFR part 302.4.)
10. Which are the main EPA headquarters offices with primary responsibility for managing activities under the Superfund program?
Offices with primary responsibility for managing the Superfund program are:
- The Office of Site Remediation Enforcement under the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. See Cleanup Enforcement - Superfund.
- The Federal Facilities Enforcement Office under the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. See Cleanup Enforcement - Federal Facilities.
- The Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (Superfund/Oil Programs) under the Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
- The Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office under the Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
- The EPA Regional Offices are responsible for implementing the Superfund program at individual hazardous waste sites.
11. How can I find more Frequently Asked Questions about Superfund?
These frequently asked questions and more can be found by visiting EPA's Superfund Frequently Asked Questions web site.