Engineering Overview of the Corrective Action Program

Abstract

This chapter provides an engineering overview of the corrective action program. The technical differences between site problems at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities and Comprehensive Environmental Recovery-Cleanup and Liability Act (CERCLA) sites sometimes may be difficult to distinguish, owing to similarities in present or past uses of the site, in hydrogeologic setting, and/or in the types of substances disposed, spilled, or otherwise managed at the site. Corrective actions at RCRA facilities are developed and implemented by the owner/operator under EPA or state supervision, either through the facility permit or an enforcement order. Some RCRA facilities the Corrective Action process may be somewhat more streamlined than at a CERCLA site. Corrective Action regulations are expected generally to parallel those offered in the proposed revisions to Superfund's National Contingency Plan, cost and cost-effectiveness may not be used as a basis for selecting remedies under the RCRA statute. Finally, in many cases Corrective Actions at a RCRA facility may culminate in its return to normal operating status; while at most Superfund sites these activities typically culminate in final cleanup or closure of the site.