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Show . ,f":' ~ .. r •• . ' . : ,. .:~ I I FOsrERIN; INrOlATIVE ~ DE.VELOPMENI' '. ", -. FOR SOPERFOW SITES .. . :, .. _ by :l,' . . .. Jolm H. Skinner : and . .' Gregory G. CDiich U.S. Environnental Protection AgeIx:y 'Washington, D.C. 20460 ~ ... . . , \ o· , . .. I "\, ""~" • • . -..:,;' { r~'!~ ~, ,,~,:i.' t;~'" i~J~~: \" .1: ........ ~<, .' . . . , . : Intrcduction " . '. '~}"'~J/' " ;~ 'r, ;' " . ',:' . . _" r.,~~'.~' ....:! ;.--:: . .:! " .. :J.... The 1986 Superfum AIrendments ~ Reautrorization Act establishes ': :.~, ~J,;~~~-=/ ~~~~:.<~/; ..,;. . ... ,.".'. . Bare iIIportant new p:>licies concerning the selection of remedial actions ,!'I.>~:;;t(F~. ',~~,'~i!\f:.· ··: "~':: ... . ' for the cleanup of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites • . EPA is directed . ~'~;.~';~~;,~~. ~;~ '. ii4.~.;~'. .:~ .;.!.~\:-.~.~./;~. •..~ select remedies that utilize pemenent . solutions iIx:orporating ~ter~ " _ :'j I.:;.~.!;;~, I (_:y.:J; :.~ .. -<:'- .. -:.'! .' ~ . .'~native treabnent teclmologies or resource recovery technologies to the ' . ·.~:"f~i.r.:~" ~ ~ ., . ~. .. .~ • • •• ... • • 1;'. ·J.. .i .r-~ ~ .. ; I ~~ :~:~~ <1/ ". . . - ' .. IIBXlllI.Im extent pract~cable. In additl.OIl, retredies DIlSt be protective .; :;.:.:.; .:7 ~~. ~.' l. ' . of human health am the envirorment, " mlSt be cost-effective and IIIlSt meet .:Ir,A;<.~_ .. ·" .. ' applicable or relevant and appropriate Federal and State standards. Treat- ._. Dent technologies which pennanently am significantly reduce the velure, , -:. "; .;:,~, .~.-: .' " '. ' toxicity, or nd:>ility of llazardals coostituents are clearly preferred ;··r;£f~ :· . ~';~', .. ,. ' .... '. .- /-!.:~. y,.. - t "--I . that do t·:'1 ch trea~·t . . -' . :,' ., ·.r "!-"" " .·,J,· .t,' .·'0Ier e(:LILA.I ()Q'l.es IJC) l.DVO~ve au YUC::I..I. . ...... ,:.;:" "~,,, .,;,' ...... J:. ,·t(.'r·~. ..., lt.~. .. . F'~:~',· ~ . .' ": ~ r . , • • • • • I' , .• " •. ' ';' " - ,': .: '.':','·,.:'.{,':.;,./.f' ..• ;):j. : These inportant provisions of the new law are veIy far reaching .: .... .," ...... ".?:,t: " and will have sigtiificant ramifications for the types of teclmologies .'. to be used for Superfurd clean-up efforts in the future. Rem3dial actions ":'-: that attenpt to sinply contain bazal:dous wastes or contaminants on site will be discontinued. Transport. of wastes offsite for disposal witb:JUt , ." trea brent is DOll the least favored retredial action under the SuperfUIx1 law. Instead, recycling technologies and treatnent technologies that pennanently destroy or decontaminate waste will be used to a far greater extent than in the past. The Superfmtl cmaIdrentS also create a carprehensive program of research, developrent, deuonstration, am trairlinJ to prarote the developrent . of alternative and i.nilavative treatnent technologies. The tenDs nalternative or innovative treatment teclmologiesn are defined in the law to . mean tlx>se technologies that penranently alter ~ CQ[IX)Sition of hazard- .11'" ous wastes through chanical, biological, or ph;ysical neans so as to signif- .. " icantly reduce the taKic ity , nd:>ility, or volume. The tenns also include technologies that characterize the extent am nature of site contamination and technologies that assess the stresses inposed by contaminants an ccnplex ecosystems at a site. An Office of Technology Daronstration has been established to carry out this research am deuonstration prOJxalll. EPA is autlx:>rized to enter into contracts, grants, and cooperative agreemmts with pJblic entities am private IBrties to carry out this program. Project selection is required to follCM a schedule and procedures as specified in the law. The Agerry can arrange for the use of actual SuperfuIxi sites for the denonstration, developnent, research, and testing of i.nrx:wative |