What is a Superfund cleanup process?
This stage involves an evaluation of the nature and extent of contamination at a site and assessing potential threats to human health and the environment. This stage of the process also includes evaluation of the potential performance and cost of the treatment options identified for a site.
What percentage of Superfund sites have been cleaned up in the US?
25 percent
Since 1982, about 25 percent of Superfund sites have been cleaned up and deleted from the list, a designation given to a site after “all response actions are complete and all cleanup goals have been achieved” according to the EPA.
What is the hazard ranking system?
What is the Hazard Ranking System? The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is a scoring system the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to evaluate relative risks to human health and the environment posed by uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
What is the most toxic Superfund site?
Using this indicator as a reference, here are the five most toxic Superfund sites:
- McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Co.
- Lipari Landfill.
- Washington County Lead District – Old Mines.
- Washington County Lead District – Richwoods.
- Big River Mine Tailings/St.
What is the largest Superfund site in the US?
Hanford (USDOE) Site The 586 square mile Hanford Site is home to one of the largest Superfund cleanups in the nation.
What is the first step in the Superfund process?
Site Assessment: The first phase of the Superfund process includes the preliminary assessment and site investigation in which EPA gathers the site history and analyzes air, water, and soil samples to determine the risk that the site might pose to people or the environment.
How many hazardous waste sites still need cleaning?
Since that time, the EPA has identified more than 47,000 hazardous waste sites that potentially require some sort of cleanup action.
Which state has the most Superfund sites?
Superfund sites by state The states with the most Superfund sites were New Jersey (113 sites), California (97 sites) and Pennsylvania (95 sites). The states with the fewest Superfund sites were North Dakota (no sites), Nevada (one site) and South Dakota (two sites).
How are Superfund sites scored?
Under the Superfund program, the EPA and state agencies use the HRS to calculate a site score (ranging from 0 to 100) based on the actual or potential release of hazardous substances from a site through air, surface water or groundwater.
Which US state has the most Superfund sites?
What is the most expensive Superfund site in the US?
About the Hanford (USDOE) Site The 586 square mile Hanford Site is home to one of the largest Superfund cleanups in the nation.
How close is too close to a Superfund site?
Research shows adverse health effects most likely occur within a 1.8 mile boundary around a Superfund site. Approximately 21 million people live within a mile (PDF) of a Superfund site, potentially exposing them all to harmful chemicals and toxins such as lead, arsenic, and mercury.
What is the Superfund cleanup process?
The Superfund cleanup process begins with site discovery or notification to EPA of possible releases of hazardous substances. Sites are discovered by various parties, including citizens, State agencies, and EPA Regional offices.
What is EPA’s role in the Superfund cleanup process?
EPA’s goal is to make sure site cleanup is consistent with the likely future use of a site. Consideration of reuse at a site can occur at any point in the Superfund cleanup process, from site investigation activities to deletion from the NPL. EPA works with communities to make sure sites or portions of sites are used safely.
What is a Superfund Site list?
It is a list of the worst hazardous waste sites identified by Superfund. The list is largely based on the score a site receives from the Hazard Ranking System. This stage involves an evaluation of the nature and extent of contamination at a site and assessing potential threats to human health and the environment.
What is the supplemental guidance for soil screening levels for Superfund sites?
The 2002, “Supplemental Guidance for Developing Soil Screening Levels for Superfund Sites,” is a companion guidance to the 1996 Soil Screening Guidance (SSG). It builds upon the soil screening framework for residential land use scenarios established in the original guidance, adding new scenarios for soil screening evaluations.