Remedy Selection Guidance and Policies

This compilation of documents covers a broad range of criteria used in evaluating remedy decisions. Some are overview guidance, while others focus on a specific type of contamination problem.

Key Principles of Remedy Selection
Several documents that provide guidance on the primary considerations of remedy selection which are universally applicable at Superfund sites. Key guidance here include: Rules of Thumb for Superfund Remedy Selection and Role of the Baseline Risk Assessment in Superfund Remedy Selection Decisions.

Contaminant-Specific Remedies
Several groups of documents that provide remedy selection and removal guidance for sites with a specific type of contaminant. Contaminants addressed include: Asbestos, Dioxin, Metals, Lead, MTBE, Mercury, Methane, Pesticides, PCBs, Radiation, and VOCs.

Media-Specific Remedies
Remedy selection guidance specifically designed for cleanup of contaminated ground water, sediments, and soils.

Site Type-Specific Remedies
Recommended remedies for specific types of sites. Site types covered include: Buildings, Landfills, Mining Sites, Wetlands, or Wood Treating Facilities. Many of these Site Type-Specific remedies are also considered Presumptive Remedies.

Presumptive Remedies
Superfund's extensive experience in complex toxic waste site cleanup has revealed certain consistencies in site characteristics and remedies. The "presumptive remedy" initiative looks for remedies that are appropriate for specific site types and/or contaminants. Its objective is to streamline site investigations and make remedy selection speedier and more predictable. The five types of sites for which there is presumptive remedy guidance include: VOCs in Soils, Municipal Landfills (including application to military landfills), Metals in Soils, Wood Treaters, and Contaminated Ground Water.

Reforms By Type - Cleanups
Begun in 1993, the Superfund Reforms program consists of various initiatives and pilots designed to make the Superfund program work faster, fairer, and more efficiently. This page summarizes those initiatives developed to enhance remedy assessment and performance.

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Remedy Selection Guidance and Policies

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