This Handbook is designed to help you as a regulator, member of the regulated community, or member of the public find and understand EPA policies on protecting and cleaning up groundwater at Resource Conservation and Recover Act (RCRA) corrective action facilities. EPA developed this Handbook as part of the RCRA Cleanup Reforms that EPA announced in July 1999 and January 2001 (EPA, 2001d and EPA, 1999c). EPA's goal for this Handbook is to help meet the objectives of these reforms by reducing time-consuming uncertainties and confusion about EPA's policies concerning groundwater protection and cleanup at RCRA facilities. The authors believe clarifying EPA's groundwater policies will help promote faster, focused, and more flexible cleanups, and foster creative solutions.

"September 2002." "EPA/530-R-01-015." "This document is an update to the original version dated September 2001. ... each policy section of the Handbook continues to retain the original September 2001 date since no substantive textural changes were made." Includes bibliographical references.

Overview -- Groundwater protection and cleanup strategy -- Short-term protection (environmental indicator) goals -- Intermediate performance goals -- Final cleanup goals -- Groundwater cleanup levels -- Point of compliance -- Cleanup timeframe -- Source control -- Groundwater use designations -- Institutional controls -- Monitored natural attenuation -- Technical impracticability -- Reinjection of contaminated groundwater -- Performance monitoring -- Completing groundwater remedies.