| Administrative
Consent Agreement |
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A legally binding contract between a lead agency
and responsible party that serves to resolve an environmental violation
through an administrative settlement agreement rather than through
a court action. |
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| Applicable, Relevant, and Appropriate
Requirements (ARARs) |
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Federal or state laws, regulations, standards, criteria or requirements
which would apply to the cleanup of hazardous substances at a particular
site. |
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| California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) |
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A law mandating environmental impact review of
governmental action. It requires that public agencies study the significant
environmental effects of proposed activities and that the public be
informed and allowed to comment on project decisions. |
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| Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) |
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Commonly known as Superfund, this law created a tax on the chemical
and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond
directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances
that may endanger public health or the environment. CERCLA established
prohibitions and requirements concerning closed and abandoned hazardous
waste sites; provided for liability of persons responsible for releases
of hazardous waste at these sites; and established a trust fund to
provide for cleanup when no responsible party could be identified.
The law authorizes two kinds of response actions: Short-term removals,
where actions may be taken to address releases or threatened releases
requiring prompt response. Long-term remedial response actions, that
permanently and significantly reduce the dangers associated with releases
or threats of releases of hazardous substances that are serious, but
not immediately life threatening. |
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| Corrective Action Consent Agreement |
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A voluntary agreement between a lead agency and responsible party
in which the company commits to investigate the nature and extent
of contamination at and surrounding a site governed by RCRA, and to
take corrective action. |
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| Corrective
Action Measures |
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Specific activities designed to clean up contamination
at a site resulting from present and past hazardous waste handling
practices. |
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| Corrective Action Process |
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A process designed to evaluate the nature and extent of releases
of a hazardous substance and implement appropriate measures to protect
public health and the environment. |
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| Corrective Measures Study
(CMS) |
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A study conducted by the facility owner/operator
to identify and evaluate alternative remedies (i.e., cleanup options)
to address contaminant releases at a site. |
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| Consultative Workgroup (CWG) |
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A group consisting of stakeholders and multiple state and federal
agencies who have an interest in the cleanup of a contaminated site,
and meet regularly to discuss actions and make decisions. |
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| Department of Toxic
Substances Control (DTSC) |
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A department within the California Environmental
Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) that oversees the investigation and remediation
of hazardous waste sites. |
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| Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
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A detailed review of a proposed project, its potential adverse impacts
upon the environment, measures that may avoid or reduce those impacts,
and alternatives to the project. |
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| Final Remedy |
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The final cleanup action proposed for dealing with
contaminants at a site. |
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| Groundwater |
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Water beneath the earth's surface that flows through soil and rock
opening, and; often serves as a primary source of drinking water. |
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| Hexavalent chromium
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Hexavalent chromium is a form of chromium, a metal
naturally found in rocks, soil and the tissue of plants and animals.
Also used in industrial products and processes, hexavalent chromium
is a known carcinogen when inhaled (i.e., through breathing). |
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| Information Repository |
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Designated locations that provide public access
to site-related documents as required by the DTSC. |
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| Initial Study |
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Pursuant to CEQA, an analysis of a project's potential
environmental effects and their relative significance. An initial
study is preliminary to deciding whether to prepare a negative declaration
or an EIR. |
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| Interim Measures |
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Cleanup actions taken to protect public health and the environment
while long-term solutions are being developed. |
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| Notice of Exemption |
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The environmental document that is prepared for
projects or actions that meet specific criteria for exemption from
the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. Examples
of actions meeting such criteria include those taken to restore property
damaged in a disaster area and specific actions designed to prevent
an emergency. |
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| Notice of Preparation |
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A notice that is sent by the lead agency to notify agencies and
the public that an EIR is being prepared and to request input on the
content of the EIR. |
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| Parts per billion |
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A unit of measure used to describe levels or concentrations of contamination.
One part per billion is the equivalent of one drop of contaminant
in one billion drops of water. |
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| Plume |
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A body of contaminated groundwater flowing from
a specific source. |
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| Proposed Plan |
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A plan for a site cleanup that is available to
the public for comment. |
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| Public Participation Plan |
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A plan that documents community concerns about a site and identifies
specific actions to respond to them. The Plan outlines the preferred
ways to involve the community in the DTSC decision-making process. |
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| Record of Decision |
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A public document that explains which cleanup
alternative(s) will be used at cleanup sites under CERCLA. |
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| Remedy |
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The cleanup action proposed for dealing with contaminants
at a site. |
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| Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) |
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A 1976 amendment to the first federal solid waste
legislation, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. In RCRA, Congress
established initial directives and guidelines for U.S. EPA to regulate
and manage solid waste, including hazardous waste. RCRA established
a regulatory system to track hazardous substances from the time of
generation to final disposal. The law requires safe and secure procedures
to be used in treating, transporting, storing and disposing of hazardous
wastes. RCRA was designed to prevent new, uncontrolled hazardous waste
sites. |
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| RCRA Facility Assessment (RFA) |
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A detailed, preliminary site assessment of a treatment, storage,
and disposal facility that may be required to undergo some form
of corrective action under RCRA.
The first step in the corrective action process, an investigation
to determine whether or not potential substances or other constituents
of concern exist in soils or groundwater at or near a facility.
A lead agency, such as DTSC, gathers information about potential
chemical releases relative to chemical usage, storage and treatment
at the site. |
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| RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) |
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An investigation that is the subsequent step in the corrective action
process following a RCRA Facility Assessment. |
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| Risk Assessment |
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A study prepared to assess health and environmental risks due to
potential exposure to hazardous substances. |
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| Statement of Basis |
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A document which describes the basis for DTSC's proposed remedy
and cleanup standards. |
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