Hazardous Waste: Progress Under the Corrective Action Program Is Limited, but New Initiatives May Accelerate Cleanups
RCED-98-3
Published: Oct 21, 1997. Publicly Released: Dec 05, 1997.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program, focusing on: (1) the progress made in cleaning up facilities under the program; (2) factors affecting progress; and (3) any initiatives that EPA, the states, and industry have taken to accomplish cleanups.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should devise a strategy with milestones for ensuring that cleanup managers in EPA's regions and the states authorized to implement the program have a consistent understanding of the new approaches provided by the guidance or regulations as well as how to apply these approaches to cleanup decisions. |
Closed – Implemented
In July 1999, EPA's Office of Solid Waste announced that it is implementing a number of reforms aimed at improving the implementation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. These actions, if successfully implemented, would address the issues GAO identified. Specifically, EPA has formalized the primary corrective action program guidance to be used by cleanup managers and has begun a training program on using the guidance consistently, to be presented to all EPA and state cleanup managers during 1999 and 2000.
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| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should oversee program implementation to determine if cleanup managers are appropriately using the new approaches as they direct cleanups. |
Closed – Implemented
The Office of Solid Waste has continued to implement various forms of oversight of the program to evaluate whether new approaches are being used to improve the pace of cleanups. These approaches include conducting regional corrective action program visits; issuing the 1998 Beginning of the Year Plan guidance and interacting with the regions pertaining to implementation of that guidance; and continuing to place more emphasis on the results-based tracking measures embodied within the Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) database. In addition, as part of the RCRA reforms announced in July 1999, EPA is making information about cleanup methods and progress more transparent and available to stakeholders via training sessions and the Internet, enabling stakeholders to assist EPA in its oversight efforts.
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Environmental lawEnvironmental policiesstate relationsHazardous substancesIndustrial wastesLiability (legal)Pollution controlState programsWaste disposalHazardous waste site remediation