June 1997

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .............................................................••.•.•....................... 1

BACKGROUND •...............•.......................................................................... 2

AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN FEDERAL

FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE ...............................•.........••.................4

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN

FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE ..........................•..•.....•......... 7

FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE 8

FEDERAL FACILITIES ENFORCEMENT OFFICE .................•........................... 10

REGIONAL FEDERAL FACILITY OFFICES .•.•••....•...............•......................... 12

OTHER EPA OFFICES ....•...•.......•.•.....•............................•....................... 14

Office of Emergency and Remedial Response

Office of Environmental Justice

Office of Federal Activities

Office of General Counsel

Office of Radiation and Indoor Air

Office of Research and Development

Office of Solid Waste

Office of Underground Storage Tanks

Technology Innovation Office

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERAL FACILITIES .......•.......................... 18

SUMMARy ••••.•••.••.••••••••••••••.•.••••.•.••.••••••••.•.••.••.....••.•••.••.••••..••••••...•.•.•••••• 19

INTRODUCTION

Many offices at theu.s. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) provide information about orassistance with environmental issuesrelated to federal facilities. More than

10 offices at EPA, each having a distinctrole and mission, provide a wide rangeof products and services related to thecleanup and reuse of federal facilities.

These offices are located at EPAHeadquarters and in the EPA regions.

Some of these offices are dedicatedsolely to issues affecting federal

facilities, while others are involved inactivities that affect federal facilities, as

well as other types of sites.

With so many EPA offices involved infederal facilities cleanup, getting theassistance you need-from the right

office-can be a puzzling process. Thisbrochure is designed to help you

understand how the manypieces fit together.

June 1997 1

BACKGROUND

"By working collaboratively and focusing on teamwork, partnering,and public involvement, EPA has delivered a truly successful programto federal facility communities. And we've done so while protecting,and even improving, the conditions ofhuman health, the environment,and local economies."

- JAMES WOOLFORD, DlREcrORFEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE

Across the country, thousands offederal facilities are contaminatedwith hazardous waste, unexploded

ordnance, radioactive waste, fuels, and avariety of other toxic contaminants. Thosefacilities include many different types of sites,such as abandoned mines, nuclear weaponsproduction plants, fuel distribution areas,and landfills. The Department of Energy(DOE) is responsible for more than 10,000potentially contaminated sites, theDepartment of Defense (000) for more than21,000, and the Department of the Interior(DOl) for more than 26,000. Current

estimates indicate that it will cost between$200 and $350 billion to address DOE's sites,about $30 billion to address DoD's sites, andbetween $4 and $8 billion to address 001'ssites. Other federal entities face environmentalchallenges, as well, although to a lesser degree.The federal facilities profile below summarizesthe environmental problems at selected federalentities.

To facilitate cleanup and reuse, EPA hastaken on a major role in forging proactive,creative solutions to environmental problemsat federal facilities. Within EPA, there areseveral offices that conduct activities relating

Federal Facilities Profile*

Most Common Types ofContamination

• Radioactivewastes

• Hazardouswastes

• Mixed wastes• Fissile material

• Fuels• Solvents• Industrial

wastes• Unexploded

ordnance

• Miningwastes

• Municipalwastes

• Industrialwastes

• Hazardouswastes

• Mining wastes• Chemical

wastes

• Fuels• Solvents• Industrial waste

Major Source Types • Formerweaponsproductionfacilities

• Undergroundstoragetanks

• Landfills• Spill areas• Storage areas

$3Obillkm

• Abandonedmines

• Oil and gasproductionfacilities

• Landfills

• Abandonedmines

• Landfills

• Undergroundstorage tanks

• Spill areas

lion

Source: EPA 1996. "Superfund/Oil Program Implementation Manual, Fiscal Year 1997."• Does not include all federal agencies.

2 June 1997

to federal facilities. To provide a unifiedprogram to federal facility communities, theseoffices often collaborate on initiatives to meetstakeholder needs. The offices which are mostinvolved in federal facility activities include:

• Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office(FFRRO)

• Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO)

• EPA regional offices that handle federalfacility activities

Several other EPA offices also are involved inactivities pertaining to federal facilities. Theseoffices include:

• Office of Emergency and RemedialResponse (0ERR)

• Office ofEnvironmental Justice (OE!)

• Office ofFederal Activities (OFA)

• Office of General Counsel (OGC)

• Office ofRadiation and Indoor Air (ORIA)

• Office ofResearch and Development (ORD)

• Office of Solid Waste (OSW)

• Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST)

• Technology Innovation Office (TIO)

The following pages provide an overview of themission and role of these offices as they relate tofederal facilities.

June 1997 3

AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED INFEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE

EPA Office

FFRRO

FFEO

EPA RegionalOffices

OERR

OEI

Federal Facility Activities

• Supports policy developmentand reuse of federal facilities

• SUJ;'F¥?rts polfY development anOeanup Programfor closing and

• Facilitates participation by stak

• Provides outreach and supportsand less costly cleanups

• Participates in enforcement negotiations

• Tracks compliance by federal facilities

• Oversees enforcement activities undertaken by the EPA Regions

• Develops national federal facility enforcement and compliance policy andguidance

• Provide regulatory and technical oVler.ll~gb:tojffelie

programs

• Implement the Fast Track Oeanup

-Promote community involvemenfin

- Manage enforcement programs

- Manage tracking, oversight, and cotrlpn.

• Develops national policy, regulations, and guidelines for the control ofhazardous waste sites and the prevention of and response to spills of oiland hazardous substances

• Provides technical guidance to federal facilities on implementing theFederal Superfund Response Program

• Develops and provides national guidance for the implementation ofSuperfund administrative reforms

- Manages a nationalenvironmentaljustice programenvironmental justice into all agency operations

- Ensures that the agency evaluatesti'teeffect5ofenv'on minority populations, low-incomep<>pulations,Indian tribes

- Implements remedies to reduce disprc>porti<:lnalte

4 June 1997

AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN

FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE (CONTINUED)

EPA Office Federal Facility Activities

OGC • Provides legal advice and counsel in rulemakings, dispute resolution, andgrant and contract matters related to the cleanup of federal facilities

• Assists in the formulation and administration of the Agency's guidanceand policies for federal facilities

ORD • Leads efforts to meet the research and development needs of EPA

• Develops technical guidance on natural attenuation and active processes

• Provides site-specific technical assistance ranging from reviewingdocuments to conducting field studies

• Assists in research activities in which federal facilities are involved

• Coordinates research efforts with other EPA offices

June 1997 5

AT A GLANCE: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED IN

FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE (CONTINUED)

EPA Office Federal Facility Activities

TID • Promotes the use of innovative treatment technologies

• Streamlines the permitting process and development of orders to enable theuse of innovative treatment technologies

• Chairs and coordinates the activities of the Federal Remediation TechnologyRoundtable

• Facilitates efforts to establish public-private partnership demonstration andtesting of technologies at federal facilities through the Clean Sites Programand Remedial Technologies Development Forum

6 June 1997

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART*: EPA OFFICES INVOLVED INFEDERAL FACILITIES CLEANUP AND REUSE

OECA

Federal Facilities Office of Enforcement and Office of Environmental U.S. Environmental Office of ResearchEnforcement Office Compliance Assurance Justice Protection Agency Regions and Development

OAR

Office of Airand Radiation

Office of GeneralCounsel

Office of Radiationand Indoor Air

Office of FederalActivities

* This organizational chart does not includeall of EPA's many offices. Rather, itincludes only those that are involved in thecleanup and reuse of federal facilities.Puzzle pieces denote offices which aredescribed in this brochure.

Federal Facilities Restorationand Reuse Office

OSWER EX;----r"-"

IOffice of Solid Waste and

Emergency ResponseTechnology_Innovation

Office

Office of Emergency andRemedial Response

Office of Solid Waste Office of UndergroundStorage Tonks

FEDERAL FACILITIESRESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE

"Our mission is to build partnerships that provide faster, moreeffective, and less costly cleanup and reuse offederal facilities. "

- JAMES WOOLFORD, DIRECTOR, FFRRO

MissionTo overcome the difficulties posed bycontamination at federal facilities, theFederal Facilities Restoration and ReuseOffice (FFRRO) works with DoD, DOE, andother federal entities to help them developcreative, cost-effective solutions to theirenvironmental problems. FFRRO's overallmission is to facilitate faster, more effective,and less costly cleanup and reuse of federalfacilities. By focusing on partnering andpublic involvement, FFRRO and itscounterpart offices in the EPA regions havemade great strides in improving federalfacilities cleanup.

RoleFFRRO is located in the Office of SolidWaste and Emergency Response (OSWER).FFRRO has the lead role in communicatingwith Congress, other federal agencies, states,and program stakeholders in these matters.Formed in 1994, FFRRO functions with thefollowing specific goals in mind:

• Protect human health and the environmentat and nearfederal facilities, while alsominimizing the expenditure of taxpayerdollars

• Rebuild local communities whileprotecting human health and theenvironment

• Enhance the cleanup process

8

• Ensure effective stakeholderinvolvement at federal facilities by puttingcitizens first

In support of these goals, FFRRO isresponsible for activities that support policydevelopment and implementation, outreachand training, stakeholder participation, andinteragency coordination.

Support for policy development andimplementation: Active participation in thedevelopment and implementation ofpolicy and guidance that affect cleanupand reuse at federal facilities is acommitment of FFRRO. Particularemphasis is placed on policy developmentand resource management for the FastTrack Cleanup Program at closing andrealigning military bases.

To ensure that policies are implementedconsistently throughout the nation, FFRROcommunicates regularly with staff of theEPA regions. This coordinated effort allowsthe quick identification and resolution ofimplementation issues.

Outreach and Training: Outreach effortsby FFRRO include the dissemination ofinformation through the production ofpublications. FFRRO produces brochures,success stories, and fact sheets on issues suchas partnering, stakeholder involvement,innovative technology use, andenvironmental justice at federal facilities.

June 1997

In addition, FFRRO provides support fortraining courses that enhance the knowledgeand capabilities of federal and state stafftasked with implementing the cleanupprogram. Information about workshops,conferences, meetings, and seminarscan be found on FFRRO's home page(http://www.epa.gov/swerffrr), whichprovides users with an interactive calendarof events.

Stakeholder participation: FFRROcoordinated meetings and managed theFederal Facilities Environmental RestorationDialogue Committee (FFERDC), whichbrought together various stakeholders todevelop consensus recommendations aimed atimproving the process for making decisionsfor cleanup efforts at federal facilities. Theserecommendations are outlined in the FFERDCreport. As a result of the FFERDC report,about 250 restoration advisory boards(RAB) and 10 site-specific advisory boards(SSAB) have been established at installationsnationwide. RABs, which include communitymembers, military officials, and state andfederal regulators, foster teamwork bybringing members of the community togetherwith military officials and governmentregulators to discuss cleanup issues. Similarly,DOE's SSABs are independent citizen boardsthat develop consensus recommendations forgovernment decision makers.

Environmental groups, labor organizations,and community groups with which FFRROcurrently collaborates include:

• Citizens for Environmental Justice

• The Association ofState and Territorial SolidWaste Management Officials

• The National Association ofAttorneys General

• The International City/CountyManagement Association

Working with representatives of these entitieshelps FFRRO to ensure that social, cultural,and economic factors are considered whenmaking decisions at federal facilities.

Interagency coordination: FFRRO iscommitted to close participation with otherfederal agencies. To that end, FFRROparticipates on the Defense EnvironmentalResponse Task Force (DERTF). The DERTFwas created by Congress to providerecommendations on environmentalrestoration at BRAC facilities.

FFRRO also participates on DOE'sEnvironmental Management Advisory Board(EMAB), which provides a forum forrepresentatives of EPA, academia, and privateindustry to research and discuss issuesconcerning OOE's EnvironmentalManagement Program. These issues includeprivatization, the 2006 Plan, and strategicintegration. After recommendations areapproved by the EMAB, they are forwarded toDOE's Assistant Secretary for EnvironmentalManagement for consideration and response.

In addition, FFRRO co-chairs the FFLC, acoordinating body within EPA that providesdirection and leadership on federal facilitycleanup efforts. The FFLC is a forum foraddressing a wide spectrum of federal facilitycleanup issues, including compliance,technical, enforcement, financial, budgeting,and legislative and political issues. TheFederal Facilities Leadership Council (FFLC)includes regional federal facility projectmanagers, regional counsels, andHeadquarters staff from FFRRO and FFEO.

June 1997 9

FEDERAL FACILITIES ENFORCEMENT OFFICE

"Our goal is to work closely with federal agencies to improvemanagement ofenvironmental programs and specifically to ensurecompliance with the nation's environmental laws by using a widevariety ofenforcement and compliance tools to provide equalprotection ofhuman health and the environment."

- CRAIG HOOKS, ACTING DIRECToR, FFEO

10

MissionThe Federal Facilities Enforcement Office(FFEO) is EPA's front-line office in ensuringthat federal facilities take all necessary actionsto prevent, control, and abate environmentalpollution. FFEO efforts include:

• Participating in enforcement negotiations

• Tracking compliance by federal facilities

• Overseeing enforcement activities undertakenby the EPA regions

• Developing national federal facility enforce-ment and compliance policy and guidance

FFEO is responsible for resolving federalenforcement disputes between EPA and otheragencies. In nationally significant cases, FFEOcoordinates actions with the EPA regions toissue compliance orders and developinteragency agreements.

RoleFFEO is located in the Office of Enforcementand Compliance Assurance (OECA). FFEOcoordinates OECA's federal facilitiesenforcement, compliance assurance, andassistance efforts to meet those requirementsand has the lead role in communicatingwith Congress, other agencies, states, andprogram stakeholders on those matters.

FFEO's Site Remediation and Enforcementstaff work primarily with federal agencies andother offices in EPA to streamline enforcement

and cleanup at federal facilities. Specificresponsibilities include:

• Reviewing, coordinating, and participatingin the negotiation and implementation ofinteragency agreements and memoranda ofunderstanding under the ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation,and Liability Act (CERCLA)

• Coordinating development ofCERCLAenforcement policy with EPA regionsthrough the Federal Facilities LeadershipCouncil (FFLC)

• Developing regulations, policies, guidance,and strategies for federal facilities enforce­ment under the Resource Conservationand Recovery Act (RCRA) and otherenvironmental statutes

FFEO's Planning, Prevention, and Compliancestaff are responsible for initiatives to preventnoncompliance and to oversee complianceand enforcement activities at federal facilities.Responsibilities include:

• Developing, coordinating, and trackingcompliance assurance and assistance effortsrelated to federal facilities, thereby improvingenvironmental management and auditingprograms

• Promoting goals related to pollutionprevention and environmental justicethrough implementation ofExecutiveOrders 12856, 12898, and otherExecutive Orders

June 1997

• Managing the Federal Facilities Multi-MediaEnforcement and Compliance Program, theenvironmental management program foroversight offederal agencies' environmentalcompliance budget requests (known asthe uFed Plan" [formerly known as theA-l06 program])

• Facilitating the use of innovativeenvironmental technologies to attainprevention, compliance, andcleanup goals

FFEO heads up the EPA/Federal AgencyEnvironmental Roundtable, in which50 federal departments and agenciesparticipate. The roundtable was establishedunder authority of Executive Order 12088to fulfill EPA's mandate to provideconsultation and technical assistance to otherfederal agencies. The roundtable has been incontinual operation at EPA for more than 10years, and offers staff of federal agencies asteady stream of information to keep themup-to-date on EPA policy, existing andpending standards and regulations, and thelatest in environmental research.

June 1997 11

REGIONAL FEDERAL FACILITY OFFICES

"In addition to staffat EPA Headquarters, over 300 staffsupport thefederal facilities program at EPA's ten regional offices. Most of the successof the federal facilities program can be attributed to EPA's regional federalfacilities site managers, support staff, and their management."

- JAMES WOOLFORD, DIRECTOR, FFRRO

EPA regional federal facility offices areresponsible for assuring compliance withenvironmental laws, such as RCRA andCERCLA, and regulations. They also areresponsible for the coordination andimplementation of the policies and programsof FFRRO and FFEO at the regional level.Regional offices are involved in a variety ofactivities associated with federal facilities,including:

• Managing enforcement programs

• Managing tracking, oversight, andcompliance planning activities

• Providing technical and programassistance, training, and outreach forfederal facilities

• Encouraging pollution prevention atfederal facilities

• Encouraging use ofinnovative remedialtechnologies

• Fostering innovative project management inthe execution ofstreamlined response actions

• Working to creatively solve problems withfederal facility partners in the use ofresources

• Acting as mediator between the state'shazardous waste authority and the federalfacility

• Implementing the Fast Track CleanupProgram at closing and realigning bases

• Promoting community involvement inrestoration and reuse decision making

EPA regional project managers have played asignificant role in accelerating the cleanupprogram at federal facilities. Following are afew of their many success stories.

Fostering Innovation

At the Sacramento Army Depot, located inSacramento, California, a partnershipconsisting of EPA Region 9, the Army, stateand local agencies, and the communityexpedited cleanup of the installation'scontaminated soil and groundwater, whichfacilitated the transfer and reuse of property.This·successful base conversion effort hascontributed to the revitalization of the localeconomy. Packard-Bell relocated its worldheadquarters to the installation, creating morethan 3,000 new jobs.

Bergstrom Air Force Base, located in Austin,Texas was placed on a fast-track cleanupschedule to meet the city's need for a newairport. An executive team made up of staff ofEPA Region 6, city agencies, state agencies,and the Air Force Base Conversion Agencywas formed to facilitate restoration andconversion. The team is working to expeditesite investigation and cleanup plans. As aresult, the April 1999 deadline for the openingof the Austin-Bergstrom International Airportwill be met.

12 June 1997

Working for CreativeProblem Solving

At Umatilla Chemical Depot, located inHermiston, Oregon, EPA Region 10 advocatedthe use of innovative treatment and on-siteanalytical technologies for the cleanupof explosives and metals in soil andgroundwater. Use of bioremediation andsolidification/stabilization treatment andon-site colorimetric, immunoassay, and x-rayfluorescence field methods has avoided morethan $14 million in cleanup costs. The on-sitecolorimetric and immunoassay methods haveprovided real-time data for monitoring soiland groundwater treatment processes,reducing sample costs from $250 per sampleto $60 per sample, and reducing the timeneeded to conduct analysis from three weeksto one day. Technology evaluation andimplementation was made possible by closecoordination among Umatilla ChemicalDepot, EPA Region 10, the OregonDepartment of Environmental Quality, the

U.s. Army Environmental Center, theU. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Seattle District,and the Army Cold Regions Research andEngineering Laboratory.

The efforts of the cleanup team at Naval AirStation Cecil Field, located in Jacksonville,Florida, resulted in cost-avoidance of more than$9 million. These efforts clearly show howeffective partnerships based on mutual trust cansolve environmental problems, while saving timeand money. The Navy, EPA Region 4, and theFlorida State Department of EnvironmentalProtection developed several time-savingmethods of reviewing cleanup documents. Thecommunity, through the RAB, also was involvedin the review process. The partners reachedconsensus on cleanup decisions andimplemented innovative ways of conductingsampling of contamination at the site. Thesuccess of these common-sense approachesdepended on mutual trust among team members.The team developed a rapid investigationprogram and revamped its approach toreviewing decision documents.

Naval Air StationCecil Field

EPA Region 4Bergstrom Air Force

BaseEPA Region 6

4.1

/1

,'/• I

/1/1

/ ;/ /'--1

Sacramento ArmyDepot

EPA Region 9

June 1997 13

OTHER EPA OFFICES

Office ofEmergencyand RemedialResponseEPA's Office ofEmergency and

Remedial Response (OERR) is committed toprotecting human health and theenvironment now and in the future byreducing risks posed by abandoned anduncontrolled hazardous waste sites; ensuringthose responsible for contamination are heldaccountable for cleaning it up; promotingeconomic redevelopment of contaminatedproperties; and by involving the public earlyand in a meaningful way in the Superfundprocess. OERR does these things bydeveloping national policy, regulations, andguidelines for control of hazardous wastesites, and preventing and responding to spillsof oil and hazardous substances.

OERR provides technical guidance to federalfacilities on implementing the SuperfundProgram, including emergency response andlong-term site cleanup and remediation.OERR focuses on accelerating cleanups atboth federal facilities and other sites, andseeks to find ways to make clean ups faster,fairer, and more efficient by involvingaffected communities early in the Superfundprocess and giving them a voice, includingproviding assistance in the form of TechnicalAssistance Grants, support throughCommunity Advisory Groups, and involvingthe affected community in the riskassessment and remedy selection.

Office of Environmental JusticeEPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEDmanages a national program to ensureintegration of environmental justice into alloperations of EPA. OEJ ensures that EPAevaluates the impacts of environmentalburdens on minority populations, low-incomepopulations, and American Indian Tribes.OEJ also identifies and implements remediesthat can reduce disproportionate risks incommunities. Through the InteragencyWorking Group on Environmental Justice,EPA provides leadership to the other federalagencies as they work to implement ExecutiveOrder 12898, and use the Council onEnvironmental Quality's (CEQ) draftguidance on environmental justice to meet therequirements of the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA).

Office of Federal ActivitiesThe Office of Federal Activities (OFA) hasprogram responsibilities for the EnvironmentalReview Process, also known as EPA's "309Review Process." The program implementsthe Administrator's responsibilities underSection 309 of the Clean Air Act, whichauthorizes EPA to review certain actions ofother federal agencies in accordance with therequirements of NEPA and to make the resultsof those reviews public.

If another federal agency prepares anenvironmental impact statement (a NEPAdocument) related to a cleanup action, EPAwill review that document in accordance withits authority under Section 309. In mostsituations, the environmental impactstatement is reviewed by the EPA regionaloffice in which the project is located.

14 June 1997

Office of General CounselThe Office of General Counsel (OGC) worksclosely with FFRRO, FFEO, and other EPAprogram offices involved in federal facilitiescleanup. Specifically, aGC provides legaladvice and counsel in rule makings, disputeresolution, and grant and contract matters thatmay arise in the federal facilities cleanupprocess. OGC also assists in the formulationand administration of EPA's guidances andpolicies for federal facilities.

The Office of Radiation andIndoor AirThe EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air(ORIA) protects the public and theenvironment from exposures to radiation andindoor air pollutants. In carrying out itsradiation protection activities, the office playsan important role in the cleanup andoperation of federal facilities that use or storeradioactive materials. Working closely withthe Office of Solid Waste and EmergencyResponse (OSWER), ORIA develops directivesand guidance for radiation cleanups atSuperfund sites, some of which are operatedby DOE and DoD. To further supportSuperfund radiation cleanups, ORIA alsoproduces technical documents on riskassessment and remediation technologies.Additionally, through its Headquarters staff,EPA regions, and two laboratories, ORIAprovides technical assistance with modelingand land use issues to other EPA programsand to other federal agencies involved incleaning up radioactive contamination.

Since 1992, ORIA has been extensivelyinvolved in regulating the release ofradionuclides from a Waste Isolation PilotPlant (WIPP), operated by DOE. ORIAresponsibilities include finalizing EPA safetystandards for radioactive waste disposal andissuing compliance criteria. Further, before theplant can begin operation, ORIA must certify

that the facility complies with EPA standardsand, every five years thereafter, must recertifycompliance. ORIA also is responsible forsetting EPA radiation health and safetystandards for the potential disposal of high­level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuelat a DOE site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Under the Uranium Mill Tailing RadiationControl Act, ORIA standards limit radonemissions from DOE-controlled uranium milltailings piles. Mill tailings are wastesgenerated during the refining of uranium ore.

Office of Research andDevelopl11entEPA's Office of Research and Development(ORD) is the scientific and technological armof EPA, responsible for the research anddevelopment needs of EPA. ORD pursues abasic strategy of risk assessment and riskmanagement to remediate environmental andhealth problems. ORD is active in a numberof research activities in which federal facilitiesare involved, such as development ofguidance 0;" the use of natural attenuationand other bioprocesses. In carrying out suchresearcl), ORD interacts with a number ofother EPA offices, such as OSWER; the Officeof Water; the Office of Pesticides, Prevention,and Toxic Substances; regional and stateoffices; DoD; industry; and academia. ORDfocuses on the advancement of basic, peer­reviewed scientific research and theimplementation of cost-effective, common­sense technology.

Office of Solid WasteThe mission of the Office of Solid Waste(OSW) is to protect human health and theenvironment by fostering responsible nationalwaste management practices. The program'sgoals are: to conserve resources by reducingwaste; to prevent future waste disposalproblems by writing results-oriented

June 1997 15

regulations; and to clean up areas wherewaste may have spilled, leaked, or beenimproperly disposed of. OSW programs areprimarily managed and implemented byindividual states.

In addition to states, OSW works closely withother federal agencies, tribes, industry, and theconcerned public to ensure the safemanagement of hazardous and nonhazardouswaste. These shared responsibilities help tomore accurately measure programperformance. Nearly all RCRA policies andregulations are directly relevant to federalfacilities.

In administering the national wastemanagement program, OSW maintains anational inventory system of RCRAhazardous waste handlers. The inventorycontains the identification and location datafor all hazardous waste handlers, includingfederally owned and operated facilities thattreat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste.

OSW routinely partners with other federalagencies to develop and pilot many wastemanagement programs. Of particular note isthe Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, initiated byDOE several years ago. This project is one ofthe first attempts to safely dispose ofradioactive waste using RCRA-approveddisposal methods. More recently, OSWworked closely with DoD and the individualmilitary services to issue a rule that identifieswhen conventional and chemical militarymunitions become hazardous waste underRCRA. This rule also contains provisions forstoring and transporting munitions that arehazardous waste.

OSW's RCRA responsibilities also are toensure the safe management of municipal,industrial, and extractive solid wastes.Management policies for these wastes relyheavily on voluntary and educationalprograms directed at all sectors, includingfederal facilities.

One of RCRA's chief provisions establishes agovernment buy-recycled program to enhancemarkets for materials diverted or recoveredfrom the solid waste stream. OSW designatesitems that are made with recovered materialsand recommends practices for procuring theseitems. Once such items are designated,federal facilities (and their contractors) thatuse appropriated federal funds must beginpurchasing the designated recycled items.OSW designates these recycled content itemsin a Comprehensive Procurement Guidelineand its related Recovered Materials AdvisoryNotice. Currently, there are 19 items in sevenproduct categories containing recycled contentthat are available for government procuringagencies to purchase. Item designations arecodified in 40 Code of Federal Regulations(CFR) Part 247.

Office of UndergroundStorage TanksMany federal facilities own or operateunderground storage tanks (UST) that containpetroleum and other regulated substances.Under Subtitle I of RCRA, EPA's Office ofUnderground Storage Tanks (OUST) hasdeveloped regulations to prevent, detect, andclean up releases from UST systems. OUSTdeveloped the regulations and the USTprogram to be flexible and to be implementedby state agencies. Every state and many localgovernments now have active UST cleanupprograms. Federal facilities, like other ownersand operators of USTs, work with their stateagencies to remediate sites affected byleaking USTs.

One of OUST's highest priorities is to helpstate UST agencies achieve faster, cheaper,and more effective cleanups. OUST's ongoingefforts focus on three approaches to meetingthat goal: encouraging risk-based correctiveaction programs in states, promoting the useof alternative cleanup technologies, and

16 June 1997

supporting activities that streamline stateadministrative procedures.

OUST has developed a variety ofoutreach materials to assist tank ownersand operators to comply with UST regulationsand to improve UST cleanups. For moreinformation on the federal program or toorder publications, contact theRCRA/Superfund/UST Hotline at1-800-424-9346 or visit OUST's Web siteat http://www.epa.gov/OUST/.

Technology Innovation OHiceEPA's Technology Innovation Office (TIO)promotes the development and use ofinnovative technologies for site assessmentand remediation. TID's mission is to increasethe application of innovative treatmenttechnologies by government and industry atcontaminated waste sites. Increased use ofsuch technologies will be accomplishedthrough the removal of regulatory andinstitutional impediments, and the provisionof better technology and market informationto TIO's targeted audience which includesfederal agencies, states, consultingengineering firms, potentially responsibleparties, technology developers, and theinvestment community.

TIO accomplishes its mission at federalfacilities by:

• Promoting the use of innovative treatmenttechnologies when such treatment isappropriate

• Encouraging the evaluation and use ofnewfield measurement and monitoring methods

• Streamlining the permitting process anddevelopment oforders to enable the use ofinnovative treatment technologies

• Researching and disseminating informationabout innovative technologies that aid in thecharacterization and cleanup of contamination

TIO sponsors the Federal RemediationTechnologies Roundtable, which wasestablished in 1990 as an interagencycommittee to exchange information andprovide a forum for joint action to support thedevelopment and demonstration of innovativetechnologies for remediation of hazardouswaste. The Roundtable includes membersfrom EPA, DoD, DOE, DOl, NASA, and otherfederal agencies. Members currently areworking to standardize the collection andreporting of cost and performance informationon innovative technologies.

June 1997 17

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERAL FACILITIES

EPA Office Main Telephone Mailing Address Internet Addressand Fax Number

u.s. EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyHeadquarters(General Information)

Ph (202) 260-2090 401 M Street, SW http://www.epa.govWashington, DC 20460

18 June 1997

June 1997

SUMMARY

EPA has many resources that canprovide assistance on environmental issuesrelated to federal facilities. Understanding

the distinct roles of the various officesat EPA will enable you to locate more

easily a vast wealth of information andresources. Once you know which offices

of the Agency are responsible forhandling the various aspects of the

federal facilities program, you can gostraight to the source for the informationyou need most. Hopefully, this b!ochure

will help you to forge sound workingrelationships with key personnel

at the Agency and solve the puzzleof how to communicate effectively

with EPA.

To order additional copies of this brochure,contact the Superfund Document Center at:

Phone (703) 603-9232Facsimile (703) 603-9240.

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