**************************************************************** U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FACT SHEET Region 5 Waste Management Division March 1993 EPA's Waste Management Division has four programs for hazardous waste management, hazardous waste cleanups and oil spills in the Region 5 states. The four programs are managed under two office, the Office of Superfund, and the Office of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The six Region 5 states are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Division also works with other Federal agencies, and State and local authority to carry out environmental work in the Region. The four programs are highlighted below. >>>>>> Office of Superfund: CERCLA PROGRAMS <<<<<< The CERCLA Program: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) was passed by Congress to address the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites. This program is often called Superfund, and the waste sites Superfund sites. Cleanups may be done through enforcement orders with responsible parties (responsible party cleanups), or by direct Agency cleanup using CERCLA Trust Fund monies. Since Superfund sites frequently address facilities with long-term and wide-spread contamination, cleanups often take years to complete and cost millions of dollars. In order for sites to be eligible for cleanups under Superfund, they must first be on the National Priorities List (NPL), the nation's roster of sites that need priority attention. >>>>>> Office of Superfund: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAMS <<<<<< The Emergency Response Program: The Emergency Response Program operates under the National Contingency Plan (NCP) to address immediate threats to human health and the environment from hazardous waste releases and oil spills. Emergency responses may be taken at both NPL and non-NPL sites. The Emergency Response Program addresses both classical emergencies (chemical fires and releases, train and truck wrecks, etc.) and time-critical removals. Time critical removals are taken to secure sites, contain releases, and remove sources of hazardous contamination which present a substantial and eminent threat to public health or the environment. Time-critical removals are generally limited to one year and $2 million. >>>>>> Office of Superfund: CHEMICAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMS <<<<<< The Chemical Emergency Preparedness (CEPP) Program: The CEPP Program works with States, local governments, and industries in developing area-wide and site-specific preparedness plans for addressing chemical release and emergency operations at chemical facilities. The CEPP program administers the Community Right to Know provision of CERCLA and the release notification requirements. Data systems are maintained of hazardous materials locations to assist local emergency responders in accurately assessing dangers to both themselves and the general public from fires and releases at chemical facilities. >>>>>> Office of RCRA: RCRA PROGRAMS <<<<<< The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed in 1976, as an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, to ensure that solid wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner. The changes remodeled EPA's solid waste management system and greatly expanded hazardous waste management provisions. In 1984, the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) significantly expanded the scope and requirements of the Act. The broad goals set by RCRA are to protect human health and the environment, to reduce waste and conserve energy and natural resources, and to reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous waste as expeditiously as possible. To achieve these goals, four distinct but interrelated programs exist under RCRA. The first program promotes and encourages the environmentally sound management of solid waste. It includes minimum Federal technical standards and guidelines for State solid waste plans. The second program establishes a management system that regulates hazardous waste from the time it is generated until its ultimate disposal, in effect from "cradle to grave." The third program regulates petroleum products and hazardous substances that are stored in underground storage tanks. The fourth program regulates medical waste generation, treatment, destruction, and disposal. Source: scanned for the COPA BBS from the EPA Fact Sheet ***************************************************************************