March 17, 2020

EPA’s Corrective Action Website Updated With 2020 Progress

The RCRA corrective action program, implemented via EPA regions and state agencies, requires the cleanup of thousands of facilities across the country. While CERCLA provides a mechanism for cleaning up abandoned sites, the corrective action program is the driver for cleaning up existing sites subject to RCRA permitting. Specifically, corrective action applies to facilities operating with a RCRA treatment, storage, and/or disposal permit or subject to a corrective action order. In February 2020, EPA revamped its website on corrective action to communicate the program’s progress over the last three decades.

As part of the website revamp, the agency made available their “2020 corrective action baseline,” which includes more than 3,700 facilities subject to corrective action. The goal for this set of facilities was to achieve a 95% corrective action complete rate. To accomplish this goal, EPA identified four corrective action program measures: human exposures under control, migration of contaminated groundwater under control, final remedy constructed, and performance standards attained. On the agency’s corrective action website, there is an interactive map which allows users to see how sites have met these four goals over the years.

There are also myriad resources available for interested parties to learn more about the specific aspects of the corrective action process, such as site characterization, remedy implementation, long-term care, corrective action management units, groundwater protection, and much more. And for individuals interested in cleanup activities occurring in their communities, EPA has a tracker for not only corrective action, but Superfund, brownfields, and emergency responses.

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Disclaimer

Considerable care has been exercised in preparing this document; however, McCoy and Associates, Inc. makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with the publication of this information. McCoy and Associates, Inc. expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use or for the violation of any federal, state, or municipal law or regulation with which this information may conflict. McCoy and Associates, Inc. does not undertake any duty to ensure the continued accuracy of this information.

This document addresses issues of a general nature related to the federal RCRA regulations. Persons evaluating specific circumstances dealing with the RCRA regulations should review state and local laws and regulations, which may be more stringent than federal requirements. In addition, the assistance of a qualified professional should be enlisted to address any site-specific circumstances.