[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52762-52763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26092]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7084-7]


Announcement of Availability of the Final Version of the 
``Handbook of Groundwater Protection and Cleanup Policies for RCRA 
Corrective Action''

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The intent of this notice is to announce the availability of 
the final version of the ``Handbook of Groundwater Protection and 
Cleanup Policies for RCRA Corrective Action.'' The Office of Solid 
Waste, in partnership with EPA Region III's Waste and Chemicals 
Management Division, developed this Handbook as part of the RCRA 
Cleanup Reforms efforts that EPA announced in July 1999 and January 
2001. The primary objectives of these reforms are to promote faster, 
focused and more flexible cleanups, and foster creative solutions to 
improve program implementation. EPA's goal for this Handbook is that it 
will help meet these objectives by reducing time-consuming 
uncertainties and confusion about EPA's current policies concerning 
groundwater protection and cleanup at RCRA facilities.
    Topics addressed in the Handbook include: Groundwater protection 
and cleanup strategy; short-term protection goals; intermediate 
performance goals; final cleanup goals; groundwater cleanup levels; 
point of compliance; cleanup timeframes; source control; groundwater 
use designations; institutional controls; monitored natural 
attenuation; technical impracticability; reinjection of contaminated 
groundwater; performance monitoring; and, completing groundwater 
remedies.
    This final version of the Handbook is available for immediate use 
by all stakeholders. However, it is important to recognize that issuing 
this Handbook does not foreclose further discussion concerning 
groundwater polices for the RCRA Corrective Action Program. On the 
contrary, we hope that this Handbook will spur new dialogues that will 
lead to improvements in groundwater protection and cleanup in general. 
Furthermore, we recognize that continued dialogue on these important 
topics could result in changes to the policies in this Handbook. So, we 
intend to revise the document as needed to help ensure that it reflects 
current Agency positions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You can view the comments we received 
in response to a 60-day public review of an April 27, 2000 draft 
version of the Handbook, as well as other supporting materials, at the 
RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway I, First 
Floor, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. The RIC is open 
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal 
holidays. To review docket materials, we recommend that you reference 
the docket number F-2000-CURA-FFFFF and make an appointment by calling 
703-603-9230. You may copy a maximum of 100 pages from any regulatory 
docket at no charge. Additional copies cost $0.15 per page. The index 
and some supporting materials are available electronically.
    If you would like to receive a hard copy of the Handbook, please 
call the RCRA Hotline at 800-424-0346 or TDD 800-553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, call 703-412-9810 
or TDD 703-412-3323. However, we designed the Handbook to be a useful 
resource in an Internet-based electronic format. For example, the 
Handbook contains numerous internal and external ``hyperlinks'' to help 
you navigate within the document and to take you directly to the more 
detailed guidance documents concerning individual topic areas. We also 
designed the Handbook to be easily updated because we recognize that 
the policies may evolve as our understanding of complex issues 
associated with groundwater protection and cleanup increases. 
Therefore, we urge you to access an electronic version of the Handbook 
at http://www.epa.gov/correctiveaction so you can take full advantage 
of the ``hyperlinks'' feature and make sure you are reading the most 
current version.
    While this is the final version of the Handbook, we will continue 
to welcome public comment at any time. For more detailed information on 
specific aspects of document, or to submit comments that we will 
consider in any future revisions, contact Guy Tomassoni, Office of 
Solid Waste 5303W, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, (703-308-8622), 
([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, stakeholder comments received on 
the draft version were supportive of the purpose and format of the 
Handbook. Here is how this final version responds to some of the major 
comments we received on the April 2000 draft we issued for public 
comment:
    The Handbook now includes a Groundwater Protection and Cleanup 
Strategy that conveys EPA's overall goals and approaches for dealing 
with contaminated groundwater at RCRA facilities, and serves as a 
common focus for other policies addressed in the Handbook. For example, 
the Strategy emphasizes EPA's long-standing general expectation that 
final cleanups return usable groundwater to its maximum beneficial use 
where practicable. However, the Strategy also conveys that using 
meaningful and measurable short-term and intermediate goals (where 
appropriate) often make sense as part of an overall phased approach to 
address contaminated groundwater.
    The Handbook now describes how a different ``point of compliance'' 
for groundwater cleanups might be appropriate depending on the 
particular goal (short-term, intermediate, or final) a facility and 
overseeing regulator are pursuing.
    The Handbook clearly conveys the need for facilities to control 
sources (using treatment technologies for ``principal threats'') so as 
to reduce or eliminate, to the extent practicable, further releases of 
hazardous waste or hazardous constituents that may pose a threat to 
human health and the environment.
    Consistent with EPA's long-standing policies, the Handbook 
continues to recognize that there can be various uses and purposes of 
groundwater, and that regulators and facilities should consider these 
uses and purposes (and associated exposures), as appropriate, in 
implementing facility-specific corrective action. However, the Handbook 
recognizes that most states identify the majority of their groundwaters 
as actual or potential sources of drinking water, and therefore have 
their own requirements and policies aimed at cleaning up contaminated 
groundwater so that it will be suitable for drinking water purposes.
    We thank those that took the time to comment on the draft version 
of the Handbook, and we look forward to continued interactions 
concerning groundwater protection and cleanup.


[[Page 52763]]


    Dated: October 3, 2001.
Elizabeth Cotsworth,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 01-26092 Filed 10-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P