Opinion ID: 628601
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Anatomy of a Corrective Action

Text: 22 The statutory framework, as well as logic, dictate that a response to a release of hazardous substances generally consists of three basic steps: assessment, response formulation, and execution. At the assessment stage, there is an evaluation of the nature and the extent of the release and of the risk it poses to the public health and the environment. Various testing, investigations, and studies may be necessary, see, e.g., CERCLA Sec. 104(b), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604(b) (1988); RCRA Sec. 3013, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6934 (1988), and both RCRA and CERCLA have provisions allowing EPA access to the facility in question and to the records of potentially responsible parties. See RCRA Sec. 3007, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6927 (1988); CERCLA Sec. 104(e), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604(e) (1988). Under CERCLA, EPA typically prepares a Preliminary Assessment (PA), and under RCRA, EPA prepares a RCRA Facility Assessment (RFA). 23 Based on the information gathered, some sort of response may be appropriate. Critical to this determination under CERCLA is a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) which identifies, evaluates, and compares alternative approaches to remediation. The typical RCRA process involves roughly analogous steps, namely a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) and a Corrective Measures Study (CMS). The RI portion of the RI/FS, as well as the RFI, generally involves considerable investigation and testing in order to better formulate and analyze approaches to the problem. Ultimately, a plan is devised that, hopefully, will effectively and efficiently eliminate or ameliorate the risk. See 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9621 (1988). Depending in part on the urgency of the situation, a short-term removal action may be necessary, even before the RI/FS is completed. See, e.g., 40 C.F.R. Sec. 415 (1992) (guidelines on removal action). Similarly, under RCRA, Interim Measures (IM) may be deemed appropriate. 24 Finally, the designated response plan is implemented in the field. As previously noted, under CERCLA the plan may be executed by EPA or a responsible party. See CERCLA Secs. 104, 106; 42 U.S.C. Secs. 9604, 9606 (1988). Under RCRA, it is generally the responsible party that performs the corrective action. See RCRA Secs. 3008(h), 7003; 42 U.S.C. Secs. 6928(h), 6973 (1988). 25 When EPA exercises its authority to take correction action itself, it will, of course, perform virtually all of the work associated with each stage, or more commonly, hire contractors to perform the work. Even when a corrective action is carried out by a private party pursuant to a consent or administrative order entered under Sec. 3008(h) or Sec. 7003 of RCRA, or Sec. 106 of CERCLA, however, EPA plays a significant role--a role that necessarily entails expense. 26 In order for EPA to determine whether government intervention is even appropriate in a given situation, it is necessary that EPA conduct most, if not all, of the initial assessment. Thus, under both RCRA and CERCLA, the initial assessment of the risk is performed by EPA, through a RFA or PA, respectively. 27 EPA also plays a necessarily large role in determining what response action is appropriate. Ultimately, it is EPA that decides whether to conduct a response action under CERCLA Sec. 104 or require private corrective action under CERCLA Sec. 106 or RCRA Secs. 3008(h), 7003. Although an RI/FS can be conducted by either EPA or the private party, CERCLA places limitations on a privately conducted RI/FS: a responsible party can only conduct the RI/FS if EPA determines that the party is qualified to do so, if EPA contracts with or arranges for a qualified person to assist [it] in overseeing and reviewing the conduct of such RI/FS, and if the party agrees to reimburse the government for any cost incurred with oversight of the RI/FS. See 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604(a)(1) (1988). 9 EPA also generally oversees RFI's and CMS's conducted by private parties pursuant to RCRA. 28 Private parties have potentially the greatest role in executing the agreed upon response action. However, even during the execution of the agreed upon response plan by the private party, EPA plays a role by overseeing the performance of the private party to assure that the plan is being executed as intended. 29