[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 151 (Friday, August 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47988-47989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19789]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6846-1]


Notification of Proposed Policy Change; Superfund Construction 
Completion List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of proposed policy change.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today proposing 
to revise its policy with respect to the Construction Completion 
category established in the National Priorities List (NPL) under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 
as amended (CERCLA). Existing Agency

[[Page 47989]]

policy had limited sites eligible for inclusion to the Construction 
Completion List (CCL) to sites that are on the NPL at the time a 
determination is made that all physical construction has been 
completed. As a result, deleted sites would never qualify for the CCL 
if physical construction remains at the time of deletion from the NPL.
    The proposed policy would allow all sites that are on the NPL or 
have been deleted from the NPL to be eligible for the CCL when all 
physical construction under all authorities is complete and all other 
applicable construction completion policy criteria have been satisfied. 
This will allow Superfund to track and report completion of all 
construction activities at NPL sites.

DATES: Comments on the proposed policy change must be submitted by 
September 5, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Mr. Richard Jeng, Office of Emergency and 
Remedial Response (5204-G), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Jeng, Office of Emergency 
and Remedial Response (5204-G), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460 at (703) 603-8749 or 
e-mail [email protected] or the RCRA/Superfund Hotline from 8:30 
a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, toll free at 1-(800)-424-9346.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    During the initial years of the Superfund program, outside 
audiences often measured Superfund's progress in cleaning up sites by 
the number of sites deleted from the NPL as compared to the number of 
sites on the NPL. This measure, however, did not and still does not 
fully recognize the substantial construction and reduction of risk to 
human health and the environment that has occurred at NPL sites. In 
response, the National Contingency Plan Preamble Federal Register (FR) 
Notice (55 FR 8699, March 8, 1990) established a Construction 
Completion category of NPL sites to more clearly communicate to the 
public the status of cleanup progress among sites on the NPL.
    A later Notification of Policy Change Federal Register Notice (58 
FR 12142, March 2, 1993) introduced the Superfund Construction 
Completions List (CCL) ``* * * to simplify its system of categorizing 
sites and to better communicate the successful completion of cleanup 
activities.'' A total of 155 sites were included on this initial list. 
The same notice that introduced the CCL also indicated that ``* * * 
deleted sites will not qualify for the CCL if physical construction 
remains to be conducted under another statutory authority.'' As a 
result, EPA adopted the policy where only sites on the NPL (i.e., not 
proposed or deleted sites) should qualify for inclusion to the CCL. In 
EPA's Close Out Procedures for National Priorities List Sites (Office 
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Directive 9320.2-09 A-P, January 
2000) guidance, EPA defined a construction completion site as a former 
toxic waste site where physical construction of all cleanup actions is 
complete, all immediate threats have been addressed, and all long-term 
threats are under control.

B. Notice of Proposed Policy Change

    Construction Completion List (CCL) will now include sites deleted 
from the NPL.
    EPA now believes it is important to assess all NPL Superfund sites, 
including those that have been deleted, to ensure that all construction 
of response actions has been completed. In doing so, EPA believes that 
although a site is deleted from the Superfund NPL, it should be 
accounted for on the CCL when EPA determines that all physical 
construction is complete under all statutory authorities and all 
applicable construction completion policy criteria have been satisfied. 
Any previously listed NPL Superfund site added to the CCL as a result 
of this proposed policy change will be subject to all report 
documentation requirements as currently required for construction 
completions at NPL sites. Program projections indicate that this 
proposed policy revision could eventually affect up to eight sites 
currently deleted from the NPL. This includes sites deleted from the 
NPL as a result of deferral of physical construction to another 
authority. Should the proposed policy change become effective during 
the current fiscal year, one of the eight sites will have all physical 
construction completed under all authorities and will be added to the 
CCL in fiscal year 2000.
    Notice: This document does not substitute for EPA's statutes or 
regulations, nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it does not impose 
legally-binding requirements on EPA, states, or the regulated 
community. EPA may change this guidance in the future, as appropriate.

    Dated: July 27, 2000.
Timothy Fields, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 00-19789 Filed 8-3-00; 8:45 am]
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