Federal Register Notice

[Federal Register: September 9, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 174)]
[Notices]
[Page 47495-47506]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09se97-98]

[[Page 34201]]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5890-5]
Notice of Availability of Final Draft Guidance for Developing Superfund Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) Language Concerning State Voluntary Cleanup Programs

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

Summary:

This notice announces the availability of the document "Final Draft Guidance for Developing Superfund Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) Language Concerning State Voluntary Cleanup Programs'' and the Agency's request for stakeholder comment on both aspects of the document, i.e., the final draft guidance and the site screening or designation process. In this document, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging its Regions to develop partnerships with States by negotiating MOAs that delineate roles and responsibilities for the cleanup of hazardous substance sites, such as Brownfields, that do not pose the type of risk usually addressed by Federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) cleanups. These MOAs are designed to facilitate the expeditious cleanup of these lower risk sites under State voluntary cleanup programs. This document sets out baseline criteria that EPA will use to evaluate State voluntary cleanup programs. This evaluation will be part of the negotiation of an MOA, or work planning document. As explained more fully in the draft guidance, for those sites included within the scope of the MOA, EPA will not exercise cost recovery authority and does not generally anticipate taking removal or remedial actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund) at these sites except under the limited circumstances detailed in the draft guidance.