[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 250 (Friday, December 30, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-31939]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 30, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5129-3]

 

Draft Soil Screening Guidance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability with request for comment on Draft Soil 
Screening Guidance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed 
and is requesting public comment on a draft Soil Screening Guidance. 
This guidance presents a framework for developing soil screening levels 
(SSLs), including simple equations and generic levels. The guidance, 
when finalized, will serve as a tool to expedite the evaluation of 
contaminated soils at sites addressed under the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 
commonly known as Superfund. While the guidance is intended to be used 
as a screening tool to determine if further study is warranted at a 
site, it is not intended to have the force of a regulation and does not 
represent cleanup standards for a site. The Draft Soil Screening 
Guidance, on which EPA seeks comment, is presented in a Fact Sheet and 
supported by the Technical Background Document, which presents the 
technical foundation for calculation of the SSLs. Along with these EPA 
is providing an Issues Document which reviews comments that have been 
made in outreach discussions of the Soil Screening Guidance. These 
three documents are available from the National Technical Information 
Service at the addresses listed below. Additional supporting 
information, including summaries of previous outreach activities, is 
available for inspection in the Superfund Docket at the address listed 
below.
    EPA is also conducting formal peer review of the draft Soil 
Screening Guidance, concurrently with public review. The guidance is a 
draft for review only and should not be used until it is finalized, 
following public comment and peer review. We take this measure to avoid 
misuse of ``draft'' numbers until further consideration of technical 
and policy issues that may be raised during the comment period. For the 
same reason this draft is not intended to be utilized at this time at 
facilities where remedial activities are being undertaken pursuant to 
RCRA corrective action authorities. As described in the Issues 
Document, EPA is considering the value or impact of the guidance in 
other phases of Superfund cleanup, and in other Agency or State 
programs. The Issues Document accompanying the draft guidance contains 
a brief discussion of the potential uses of the Soil Screening Guidance 
both inside and outside of Superfund. EPA has conducted a number of 
outreach activities during the development of this guidance, including 
a public, informational meeting held on December 1, 1994.

DATES: Comments received by March 1, 1995, will be considered. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent feasible; 
however, EPA will not delay finalizing the guidance in order to 
accommodate late comments.

ADDRESSES: Members of the public are invited to submit written comment 
to: EPA, Superfund Docket SSL, Room 2615, Mail Code 5201, 401 M St. 
SW., Washington DC 20460. The Fact Sheet, the Technical Background 
Document, the Issues Document and supporting information for this Draft 
Guidance are located in the Superfund Docket, Room M2615 at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20460 [Docket Number SSL]. The docket is available for inspection 
between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
Federal holidays. Appointments to review the docket can be made by 
calling (202) 260-3046. The public may copy a maximum of 266 pages from 
the docket free of charge, however a charge of 15 cents will be 
incurred for each additional page, plus a $25.00 administrative fee. 
Copies of the draft Soil Screening Guidance may be ordered through the 
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at (703)487-4650 as 
follows:

Soil Screening Guidance Quick Reference Fact Sheet, 9355.4-14FS PB95-
963529 EPA540/R-94/101
Technical Background Document for Draft Soil Screening Guidance, 
9355.4-1 PB95-963530 EPA540/R-94/102
Draft Soil Screening Guidance: Issues Document, 9355.4-16 PB95-963531 
EPA540/R-94/105

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cooper, Remedial Operations and 
Guidance Branch, Hazardous Site Control Division, Office of Emergency 
and Remedial Response (5203G), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460, at (703) 603-8820, or the 
RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346 (in the Washington, DC 
metropolitan area, (703) 412-9810). The Telecommunications Device for 
the Deaf (TDD) Hotline number is (800) 553-7672 (in the Washington, DC 
metropolitan area, (703) 412-3323).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responds to 
releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances under the 
authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Regulations governing such 
responses are found in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances 
Pollution Contingency Plan or NCP. The process for remedy selection in 
the NCP generally requires that a remedial investigation be performed 
to identify the nature and extent of contamination at National 
Priorities List (NPL) sites. From sampling results, as well as site 
observations obtained in the field, specific contaminants and exposure 
pathways of concern are identified and used in a baseline risk 
assessment performed to determine whether remedial action is 
warranted.\1\\2\
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    \1\U.S. EPA. 1989. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: 
Volume 1: Human Health Evaluation Manual, Part A, Interim Final. EPA 
540/1-89/002. Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, Washington, 
D.C. NTIS PB90-155581/CCE.
    \2\U.S. EPA. 1991. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, 
Volume 1: Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part B, Development of 
Risk-Based Preliminary Remediation Goals). Publication 9285.7-01B. 
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, Washington, DC NTIS PB92-
963333.
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    Today's Federal Register notice introduces a draft of a new tool 
which may reduce significantly the time it takes to complete soil 
investigations and cleanup actions, as well as improve the consistency 
of these actions across the nation. The draft guidance was written for 
remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) work at Superfund 
National Priorities List (NPL) sites. This guidance on developing soil 
screening levels is expected to assist site managers in quickly 
identifying contaminated soil of potential concern and in screening out 
from further consideration those soils that do not warrant additional 
study.
    The framework in the draft Soil Screening Guidance presents three 
recommended methods for developing risk-based, soil screening levels. 
These levels are then compared to on-site soil contaminant levels. The 
framework provides the three methods for developing soil screening 
levels, but emphasizes the simple, site-specific approach. Areas of a 
site which fall below such levels may be screened out from further 
assessment. Areas above the values in the guidance suggest that a 
further evaluation of the potential risks that may be posed by site 
contaminants is appropriate to determine the need for a response 
action. While the guidance is recommended for use as a screening tool 
to determine if further study is warranted at a site, the levels it 
recommends do not represent cleanup standards for a site. The formulae 
and exposure assumptions upon which the draft guidance is based have 
been taken from the Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund12 and 
have been widely accepted in the Superfund program for a number of 
years.

Background

    In 1993 EPA's Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR) 
developed a draft fact sheet entitled: ``Interim Soil Screening Level 
Guidance.'' This guidance discussed the development and use of risk-
based Soil Screening Levels (SSLs) for 30 common Superfund soil 
contaminants. The document was issued on September 30, 1993, to provide 
the basis for discussion of the SSL project with stakeholders and is 
available for review as background information in the Superfund Docket. 
Efforts to develop such a guidance were requested under both the EPA 
Administrator's June 19, 1991, ``30-Day Study,'' and the more recent 
Superfund Administrative Improvements Initiatives announced by the 
Deputy Administrator on June 23, 1993.

Goals

    EPA's goal is to receive feedback on the draft Soil Screening 
Guidance from the widest range of interested parties possible. The soil 
screening project has already enjoyed the benefits of considerable 
input and broad public comment will improve it even further. EPA will 
review public comments received on the draft Soil Screening Guidance 
along with the results of the independent scientific peer review that 
will be conducted concurrent with this public comment and, where 
appropriate, incorporate changes responsive to those comments.
    This guidance is not intended to be, and should not be construed as 
a rule. Use of the guidance is not legally binding either on EPA staff 
or on other parties; rather it is intended to be a tool available for 
use as site-specific conditions warrant. EPA is seeking public comment 
at this time in order to ensure hearing the widest range of views and 
obtaining all information relevant to the development of policy, not 
because doing so is a legal requirement. EPA does, however, expect to 
respond to the principal comments received on the draft guidance as a 
matter of public information. EPA staff applying the guidance will have 
discretion to follow it or diverge from it as site-specific conditions 
may warrant, and each site-specific action will be explained on its own 
record.
    Please contact individuals and offices listed in the sections of 
this notice entitled ``Addresses'' and ``For Further Information 
Contact'' to learn more about the draft Soil Screening Guidance. EPA 
looks forward to receiving your comments.

    Dated: December 20, 1994.
Elliott P. Laws,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-31939 Filed 12-29-94; 8:45 am]
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