Components, levels, and opportunities in the five-year review process
- Eckenfelder Inc., Nashville, TN (United States). Waste Management Div.
Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) at federal Superfund sites have been burdened with extraordinary expenditures for clean-ups over the past 15 years. Many of these dollars have been spent for the investigation and remedy selection/design/construction process. More recently, however, it has been recognized that the long-term operation and maintenance (O and M) chores of these sites will also weigh heavily upon the economic viability of PRP Companies. Certainly, it is worthwhile to examine the long-term O and M activities and costs at each site to verify that they are all necessary and appropriate. By law, USEPA is required to assess the remedy every five years at some National Priorities List (NPL) sites for which the Record of Decision or ROD was signed after the 1986 Superfund Amendments. This five-year review is a significant opportunity for PRPs to influence their long-term costs. After a brief description of the statutory authority and purpose for the five-year review at NPL sites, this paper describes the levels of review defined by USEPA as well as the components of the review. The Agency`s priorities for this review process are summarized. Recently, both the USEPA Office of Inspector General and the GAO have documented some of the shortcomings of the government`s handling of the five-year reviews, which are summarized herein. Finally and most importantly, this document concludes with a summary of opportunities for PRPs to reduce clean-up costs by participating in the five-year review process.
- OSTI ID:
- 488834
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9610152-; TRN: IM9728%%25
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 17. Superfund hazardous waste conference, Washington, DC (United States), 15-17 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Hazwaste world, Superfund XVII: Conference proceedings; PB: 879 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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