Test 3 Flashcards
CERCLA
Comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability Act
Why the superfund act?
Love canal, make liability so high that no one could possibly do it
Explain what is regulated by CERCLA
Hazardous substances: CWA haz. Substances and toxic pollutants, CAA hazardous air pollutants, RCRA listed and characteristic hazardous wastes. NOT petroleum
Who regulates CERCLA
Implemented by the EPA and the states
What constitutes a release under CERCLA
Almost any time a hazardous substance is freed from its normal container
What does not constitute a release according to CERCLA
Releases confined within workplace, exhaust from motor vehicles, nuclear release, application of fertilizer
Describe the reposting requirements of CERCLA (NRC= national response center)
Immediate report to the NRC by person in charge of vessel or facilities of any release of a reportable quantity, diluted or not. failure to report can result in civil or criminal penalties including 3 years in prison first offense
Identify the four categories of PRPs (CERCLA)
- Owner/operator of facility/vessel from which hazardous waste was released
- Parent companies and individual corporate officers
- Generators of hazardous waste
- Transporters of hazardous waste
Discuss strict liability (CERCLA)
Doesn’t matter if you did everything right, it’s still your fault
Discuss quasi-retroactive liability (CERCLA)
You get charged even if it happened before the act was made
Discuss join and several liability (CERCLA)
First found by EPA pays and then they blame someone else and they both pay etc etc
Discuss reopener (CERCLA)
If more contamination is discovered after a settlement PRPs are subject to further liability
Explain the Hazardous ranking system (HRS) and he national priorities list (NPL) and how sites get listed
EPA evaluates ever release and gives it a score based on population risk, severity of hazard, and potential for contaminating drinking water and ambient air. Then ranked on the NPL if they are high on the HRS, updated annually by the EPA, and highest level are given highest priority response
Explain what the superfund act can be used for and how it is funded
EPA cleanups, enforcement costs, reimbursements of private parties, the money comes from tax revenue and reimbursement of responsible parties
Explain short term and long term response actions under superfund
Short term response is limited, doesn’t necessarily remove everything, adds signs and fences, 1 year $2 mill max by superfund, long term is permanent clean up cost from $1-30 mill, high level remediationk
Explain judicial review of CERCLA decisions
No one want to be on the NPL, EPA decision to asa a site to the NPL is a formal agency action subject to notice public comment and review, these challenges are usually unsuccessful
RCRA
Resource conservation and recovery act
Describe the broad legislative goal of the RCRA
Management of hazardous waste in order to protect human health and the environment
Explain what is regulated by the RCRA
Solids, liquids, and containerized gases (solid waste), discardsand solids that may become hazardous or pose a threat (municipal industrial hazardous)
Who regulates RCRA
EPA and the states have EPA approved programs at least as strict as EPA if not more
Explain how RCRAs cradle to grave regulation of hazardous waste works, including the role of the manifest
We have to know what how much where when everything! Until it’s disposed of. The manifest must cover it all and EPA gets copy made by producers and passed and checked along the way till the end where it goes back to the generator again at the end
Explain the participants subject to regulation, the major responsibilities of each and how the waste is tracked
Generators who create, the transporters moving it and the TSD facilities (treatment storage or disposal) tracked through the hazardous waste manifest
What is a solid waste according to the RCRA
Solids, liquids and containerized gases as well as most spent materials and sludge but not recyclables
RCRA loopholes/exception
Mixture, the derived from rule, the contained in policy, the recycle exemption, exclusion