Clean Air Act (CAA)(CAA)The Superfund law incorporates those substances listed as hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) as CERCLA hazardous…
Clean Water Act (CWA)(CWA)The Superfund law incorporates those substances listed as hazardous water pollutants under section 311 (b)(4) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) as CERCLA…
Community Advisory Groups (CAG)(CAG)A Community Advisory Group (CAG) is made up representatives of diverse community interests.
Construction Completion List (CCL)(CCL)EPA has developed a construction completion list (CCL) to simplify its system of categorizing sites and to better communicate the successful completion of…
Contract Laboratory Program (CLP)(CLP)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) is a national network of EPA personnel, commercial laboratories, and support…
Data Element Dictionary (DED)(DED)The Data Element Dictionary (DED) is a table in which the data element that you are searching for is located.
Department of Defense (DOD)(DOD)The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country.
Department of Energy (DOE)(DOE)In 1989, the Department of Energy (DOE) created the Office of Environmental Management (EM) to mitigate the risks and hazards posed by the legacy of…
Department of Transportation (DOT)(DOT)Established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, the Department of Transportation's (DOT) mission is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast…
Ecotox Thresholds (ET)(ET)Ecotox Thresholds (ET) are defined as media-specific contaminant concentrations above which there is sufficient concern regarding adverse ecological…
Emergency Response (ER)(ER)The U.S. EPA's Emergency Response (ER) Program coordinates and implements a wide range of activities to ensure that adequate and timely response measures…
Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS)(ERNS)The Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) is a database used to store information on notifications of oil discharges and hazardous substances…
Environmental Justice (EJ)(EJ)Environmental Justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with…
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(EPA)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established as an independent agency on December 2, 1970 during President Nixon's term in office.
Environmental Response Team (ERT)(ERT)In 1978, the Environmental Response Team (ERT) was established under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act to provide on-site national expert as required by…
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)(FAQ)On the Superfund Web site, you may search for frequently asked questions by topic or by typing in a keyword or phrase.
Hazard Ranking System (HRS)(HRS)The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is the principal mechanism EPA uses to place waste sites on the NPL.
Hazardous Substance Research Centers((HSRC)): Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRC) are a set of national organizations that carry out an active program of basic and applied research…
INFOTERRAINFOTERRA is an international environmental referral and research network made up of about 175 countries coordinated by the United Nations Environment…
Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model (IEUBK)(IEUBK)Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children (IEUBK) and the Technical Review Workgroup for Lead (TRW) is an interoffice workgroup…
National Contingency Plan (NCP)(NCP)The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, more commonly called the National Contingency Plan (NCP), is the federal…
National Priorities List (NPL)(NPL)Sites are listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) upon completion of Hazard Ranking System (HRS) screening, public solicitation of comments about the…
Natural Resources Damage (NRD)(NRD)Natural Resources Damages (NRD) are defined as injury to, destruction of, or loss of natural resources, including land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, water…
No Further Remedial Action Planned (NFRAP)(NFRAP)The Archive, or No Further Remedial Action Planned (NFRAP), database contains information on sites which have been removed from the inventory of Superfund…
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)(OSHA)The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers.
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)(OAR)EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) deals with issues that affect the quality of our air and protection from exposure to harmful radiation.
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)(OECA)The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is responsible for ensuring the compliance of the regulated community with Federal environmental…
Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)(OPP)The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) regulates the use of all pesticides in the United States and establishes maximum levels for pesticide residues in…
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)(OPPT)The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), formerly the Office of Toxic Substances, was formed in 1977 with the primary responsibility for…
Office of Research and Development (ORD)(ORD)The Office of Research and Development (ORD) is the scientific and technological arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Office of Science Coordination and Policy (OSCP)(OSCP)The Office of Science Coordination and Policy (OSCP), newly created in January of 1999, provides coordination ,leadership, peer review, and synthesis of…
Office of Solid Waste (OSW)(OSW)The Office of Solid waste (OSW) operates under authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)(OSWER)The Office of the Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response provides Agency-wide policy, guidance and direction for the Agency's…
Oil Pollution Act (OPA)(OPA)The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) was signed into law in August 1990, largely in response to rising public concern following the Exxon Valdez incident.
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)(O&M)Operations and maintenance (O&M) activities protect the integrity of the selected cleanup plan for a Superfund site.
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (OSPS)(OSPS)The Outreach and Special Projects Staff (OSPS) serves to coordinate and implement for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) the…
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP)(PRP)The Superfund law (CERCLA) allows EPA to respond to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment.
Preliminary Assessment / Site Inspection (PA/SI)(PA/SI)The Preliminary Assessment (PA) and Site Inspection (SI) are used by EPA to evaluate the potential for a release of hazardous substances from a site.
Record of Decision (ROD)(ROD)The Record of Decision (ROD) is a public document that explains which cleanup alternatives will be used to clean up a Superfund site.
Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA)(RD/RA)Remedial Design (RD) is the phase in Superfund site cleanup where the technical specifications for cleanup remedies and technologies are designed.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)(RCRA)The primary goals of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste…
Risk Assessment Guidance (RAGS)(RAGS)Part A of RAGS describes how to conduct a site-specific baseline risk assessment. The information in Part A is necessary background for Part D.
Risk Management Plans (RMP)(RMP)Facilities are required to submit risk management plans (RMP) to EPA. Risk management plans will be available to State and local governments and citizens…
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)(SDWA)The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) ensures that our tap water is fit to drink. Passed in 1974, SDWA sets national drinking water standards for public…
Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC)(SPCC)In April 1995, EPA conducted a national survey of oil storage facilities potentially subject to its Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC)…
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)(SARA)The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) on…
Superfund Chemical Data Matrix (SCDM)(SCDM)The Superfund Chemical Data Matrix (SCDM) is a source for factor values and benchmark values applied when evaluating potential National Priorities List…
Superfund Job Training Initiative (SUPERJTI)(SUPERJTI)The Superfund Job Training Initiative's (SuperJTI) mission is to provide or support job training opportunities for economically disadvantaged citizens…
Technical Assistance Grants (TAG)(TAG)A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) provides money for activities that help communities participate in decision-making at eligible Superfund sites.
Technical Outreach for Communities (TOSC)(TOSC)Technical Outreach for Communities (TOSC) uses educational and technical resources to help community groups understand the technical issues involving the…
Technical Review Workgroup for Lead (TRW)(TRW)The Technical Review Workgroup for Lead (TRW) and the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children (IEUBK) is an interoffice workgroup…
Technology Innovation Office (TIO)(TIO)The Technology Innovation Office (TIO) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1990 to act as an advocate for new technologies.
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)(TRI)The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) database, contains information concerning waste management activities and the release of toxic chemicals by facilities…
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)(TSCA)The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), passed in 1976, requires tests of chemicals that may harm human health or the environment; reviews of new…
Underground Storage Tank (UST)(UST)An underground storage tank system (UST) is a tank and any underground piping connected to the tank that has at least 10 percent of its combined volume…