Regional Priorities - Clean-up of Contaminated Sites
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
View the Updated Region 10 Environmental Strategy
Our Goal: To protect public health and the environment from uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances to the environment.
Background
Numerous sites of contamination - by old mining wastes, metals, organic and inorganic chemicals, and other hazardous substances - exist throughout the region. These sites present human health risks through releases to soil, air, ground and surface waters, and sediment. Additionally, many sites also threaten sensitive habitats for fish and wildlife. EPA Region 10 has already completed clean-up:
- at 55 of 94 Superfund National Priorities List Sites;
- at 22 of 100 RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Corrective Action Sites;
- at 9,800 of 16,000 LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) Sites (including 84 of 131 on tribal lands); and
- at 19 of 34 federal facility sites that are Superfund National Priorities List and/ or RCRA Corrective Action Sites.
Environmental Outcomes by 2007
- Clean-up projections for Superfund National Priorities List, high priority RCRA Corrective Action, and leaking underground storage tank sites have been achieved.
- Human exposure to contaminants is controlled to acceptable levels at 95% of high priority RCRA Corrective Action sites.
- The spread of contaminated ground water is controlled at 70% of high priority RCRA Corrective Action sites.
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NPL Cleanup Status
Region 10
The Focus of Our Efforts
Our focus is on cleaning up sites contaminated by:
- historical activities (Superfund),
- currently operating facilities (RCRA Corrective Action), and
- leaking underground storage tanks (LUST).
Additionally, Region 10 is committed to integrating the concept of land revitalization and reuse into the process of clean-up through programs such as
Brownfields.
Removals/Emergency Response
Environmental Indicators for Measuring Success
- SUPERFUND: Number of sites where remedial construction activities are completed
- SUPERFUND: Number of emergency removal actions
- RCRA: Percent of sites controlled for human exposures to contaminants
- RCRA: Percent of sites controlled for the spread of contaminated ground water
- LUST: Number of sites where clean-up activities have been completed
RCRA Corrective Action
Environmental Indicator Progress
Key Actions: Next 1-2 Years
- SUPERFUND: Complete construction at five additional National Priorities List sites, and perform emergency and timecritical cleanups as necessary.
- SUPERFUND: Enhance our capacity to protect the public from terrorist incidents and other emergencies by hiring and training an additional four On-Scene Coordinators.
- SUPERFUND: Begin awarding grants in 2003 under the new Brownfields Revitalization Act to expedite cleanup and reuse of eligible properties.
- RCRA: Control human exposure to contaminants to acceptable risk levels at 6 additional high priority corrective action sites.
- RCRA: Control the spread of contaminated groundwater at 5 additional high priority corrective action sites.
- LUST: Provide funding and assistance to states and tribes to achieve targets of ~650 LUST clean-ups completed annually over the next five years.
- LUST: Begin work on petroleum contaminated sites addressed in the Brownfields Revitalization Act (recently passed by Congress authorizing $50 million nationally for this work).