Environmental Policy, Guidance, and Regulatory Analysis
CSC assists EPA regions in complying with several acts designed to protect the environment.
CSC provides technical/analytical support and mission critical support services in training, planning, management, implementation, and evaluation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Superfund and Oil programs. CSC assists EPA regions and states in complying with the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Oil Pollution Act. Additional services include quality assurance (QA) review of engineering and environmental data, sampling and analysis, and remedial actions.
Major Projects
Contaminated Sediment Remediation Guidance for Hazardous Waste Sites Development: CSC provides support to EPA Headquarters’ Sediment Team in the development of guidance for project managers making risk management decisions for contaminated sediment sites. Sediment-specific guidance is provided on developing alternatives, applying the NCP remedy selection criteria, identifying applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs), evaluating long-term effectiveness and permanence, estimating cost, and using institutional controls. Major risk reduction approaches include dredging and excavation, in-situ capping, and monitored natural recovery.
Hazard Ranking System (HRS) and National Priorities List (NPL) Technical Support: The NPL is EPA’s list of priority hazardous waste sites. Sites on the NPL are eligible for Federal funding to perform remedial actions. Placing sites on the NPL is a two-stage process. First, sites are proposed to the NPL, and a 60-day comment period follows. The public comments on proposed sites are evaluated for technical accuracy and policy issues, and detailed responses are prepared. Second, following analysis and response to the public comments, sites still meeting the scoring criteria are placed on the NPL via a final rule. After a final rule, a period of 90 days is allowed for the public to file legal challenges to the Agency’s decision to place the sites on the final NPL. CSC provides support to the EPA in the NPL process by performing detailed quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) review and analysis of the documentation records prepared to list a proposed site to the NPL; assisting the EPA in responding to public comments associated with proposed NPL sites; providing HRS training; developing HRS guidance; collecting, verifying, compiling and reporting site information; and supporting HRS/NPL meetings and workgroups.
Technical Support for Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) QA Activities: CSC supports implementation of OSRTI’s Quality System and quality assurance activities. The activities conducted are of particular importance to OSRTI because of an increased emphasis of quality assurance across all Agency programs. Agency Order 5360.1 A2, May 5, 2000, Policy and Program Requirements for the Mandatory Agency-Wide Quality System, as well as other initiatives and expanded coverage of quality assurance activities including:
- A close working relationship with the Office of Environmental Information (OEI)
- The greater availability of EPA information to the public
- Increased scrutiny of EPA data and information from parties outside of the Agency in response to the 2001 Data Quality Act
- Application of traditional quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) activities to data management/data storage/data security
- Establishment of an OSRTI Quality System Program consistent with the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Quality Management Plan (QMP).
MNCP Product Schedule Maintenance: CSC is working with EPA to maintain and update the NCP Product Schedule. The Schedule is a list of dispersants and other chemical or bioremediation products that may be authorized for use on oil discharges in accordance with procedures under NCP §300.910. CSC conducts a technical review of toxicity and effectiveness test data, ingredients of products, and their application information to ensure all data requirements have been met before EPA considers listing the product. CSC monitors an Information Line (Hotline) for vendors, response personnel, other federal agencies, state agencies, and the public to request Product Schedule information. In addition, CSC develops alternative countermeasure and bioremediation reference materials (e.g., product use, EPA research, case studies) for the On-Scene Coordinators annual training.
