"April 5, 2004." Cover letter plus EPA document EP 542-F-04-011, OSWER 9285.6-12FS, Superfund Sediment Resource Center. "OSWER-9200-9355.4-28"--Cover letter, correct on document. Includes bibliographical references.

This guidance document presents a framework for developing and implementing technically defensible Monitoring Plans for hazardous waste sites. In support of the One Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program, this document was written in direct response to, and for, site managers who are legally responsible for managing removal and remedial site acivities. It is intended for use at hazardous waste sites that have completed site characterization, risk assessment, and remedy selection and are in the process of implementing a removal action or site mitigation. This guidance presents a six-step framework for developing and documenting a Monitoring Plan that will support management decisions. The framework includes the identification of monitoring objectives and development of monitoring hypotheses to focus the monitoring program, and the development of decision rules (exit criteria) that include action levels and alternative actions for terminating or continuing the site activity and/or its monitoring program. Within the framework, Steps 1 through 3 document the logic and rationale of the monitoring program by developing monitoring obectives that are directly related to the objectives of the site activity and by developing decision rules that will supoort site management decisions. Steps 4 through 6, which include the development of a Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), ensure that this logic is maintained by focusing data needs and data collection and analysis methods to directly support the monitoring objectives, decision rules, and subsequent management decisions. The framework is iterative and allows for the evaluation of the monitoring data as they are generated, thus supporting adaptive management of the site activity and the monitoring program. This guidance document is not intended to specify the scale, complexity, protocols, data needs, or investigation methods for meeting the needs of site-specific monitoring. Rather, it presents a framework that can be used to develop and implement scientifically defensible and appropriate monitoring plans that promote national consistency and transparency in the decision-making process. This guidance is fully consistent with the Agency-Wide Quality System and may be adapted to meet the regulatory requirements of other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency programs.