The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation will host two web-based listening sessions on June 18 and June 30, 2020, to solicit public and stakeholder input related to Recommendation 6 on groundwater from the Agency’s Superfund Task Force Recommendations Report.  This is part of the Agency’s efforts to increase public participation and transparency, and strengthen communication with stakeholders.

Input from these sessions and other sessions will be used to inform potential future actions as the Agency strives to increase efficiency, reduce time and costs, and to improve groundwater cleanup.

Date and Time

Thursday, June 18, 2020
Preference for requests for speaking will be for environmental groups and the general public.
1:00pm – 2:30pm ET
Registration: https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/SFTFRec6-EGGP/

Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Preference for requests for speaking will be for the regulated and consulting communities.
1:00pm – 2:30pm ET
Registration: https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/SFTFRec6-RCC/

During the sessions, OSRTI will provide an overview and update on activities on Recommendation 6, followed by live verbal remarks from registered participants.

Participation Options

Participants may register to either share live verbal remarks during this listening session or observe the session. Participants may also share written comment before the listening session and up to 30-days after the listening session (osrti-sftf6-listeningsession@epa.gov with the subject:  LS6).

Participants who register to share live verbal remarks must join the teleconference to provide comments verbally. Participants will receive up to 2 minutes to share their remarks verbally. The teleconference dial-in number and access code will be included with your registration confirmation.

Background

Under the Superfund Task Force Recommendation 6: Provide Clarification to the Principles for Superfund Groundwater Restoration, EPA identified a need to better communicate Superfund groundwater policy and guidance, specifically groundwater flexibilities.  Recommended actions included analyzing a select group of major policies and guidances with special emphasis on: 1)beneficial use designation of aquifers in the near- or long-term, 2) remedial timeframe, 3) phased remedial approaches, and 4) completion strategy. This activity has been broadened to also include additional flexibilities such as the use of 5) monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and 6) technical impracticability (TI) waivers.

EPA is seeking input on how groundwater remediation under CERCLA currently incorporates these flexibilities, limitations to and issues associated with their use, and potential ways to increase knowledge and application in future.