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Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance

The Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance, OSWER Directive 9355.7-03B-P, dated June 2001, is intended to promote consistent implementation of the five-year review process.

Section 121 of CERCLA, as amended by SARA, requires that remedial actions which result in any hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remaining at the site be subject to a five-year review. The NCP further provides that remedial actions which result in any hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remaining at the site above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure be reviewed every five years to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

The Five-Year Review requirement applies to all remedial actions selected under CERCLA §121. Therefore, sites with CERCLA remedial actions may be subject to a five-year review. Consistent with Executive Order 12580, other Federal agencies are responsible for ensuring that five-year reviews are conducted at sites where five-year reviews are required or appropriate.

This guidance is designed and intended to:

- Provide an approach for conducting five-year reviews;

- Facilitate consistency across the ten EPA Regions;

- Clarify current policy; and

- Discuss roles and responsibilities of various entities in conducting or supporting five-year reviews.

You will need the free Adobe Reader to view the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Superfund Today: Focus on Five-Year Reviews and Involving the Community (PDF) (2 pp, 35 K)

Transmittal of the Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance (PDF) (2 pp, 8 K) includes:

Transmittal memorandum from Larry G. Reed, Acting Director, Office of Superfund Remediation Technology Innovation, and James E. Woolford, Director, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office

Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance (PDF) (60 pp, 140 K) includes:

Preface
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Overview
Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities for EPA, States, Tribes, and Other Federal Agencies
Chapter 3: Components of the Five-Year Review Process
Chapter 4: Assessing the Protectiveness of the Remedy

Appendices A - E (PDF) (78 pp, 183 K) include:

Appendix A: Community Involvement
Appendix B: Document Review
Appendix C: Five-Year Review Interviews
Appendix D: Five-Year Review Site Inspection Checklist
Appendix E: Five-Year Review Report Template

Appendices F - G (PDF) (52 pp, 3.5 MB) include:
Appendix F: Sample Five-Year Review Report
Appendix G: Methods and Examples for Evaluating Changes in Standards and Toxicity

Wordperfect Version
For a downloadable copy of Appendices A-G use this link
For a downloadable copy of the Blank form use this link

Word Version
For a downloadable copy of Appendices A-G use this link
For a downloadable copy of the Blank form use this link

 

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