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REGULATORY PROGRAMS. USEPA PERSPECTIVE ON THE REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED WOOD PRESERVING SITES.
Citation:
Grosse*, D W. REGULATORY PROGRAMS. USEPA PERSPECTIVE ON THE REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED WOOD PRESERVING SITES. Proceedings of the American Wood Preservers' Association, Information and Technical Development Committee, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 5/15/99.
Description:
Since the enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended, many directives and initiatives have been established which govern various aspects of remedial activities at wood preserving sites. Regulatory impacts have created many challenges in remediating these sites. In December, 1995 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) produced a directive which established presumptive remedies or preferred technologies and approaches to be used at similar types of sites. The primary objective of the presumptive remedies initiative was to use the experience gained from the Superfund Program and prior cleanup actions to better define risk management, streamline site characterization, expedite the selection of remedial technologies and implement cleanup actions. For example, when pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been used as a wood preservative at this type of facility, dioxin compounds, more often than not, can be found in surficial and underlying soils-substrate. Similarly, when creosote has been used as the preferred wood preservative, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) tend to be the primary contaminants found in soil and groundwater. Current regulatory perspective will be presented that deals with issues relating to site remediation approaches, including dioxin contamination at CERCLA and RCRA sites. In addition, information will be provided on the application of presumptive remedies, as well as, other innovative approaches.