Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) generated the 6 Superfund sites based on interpretation of records included in the National Priorities List (NPL), which is a part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Sites that contain the worst toxic waste problems are included on the NPL for oversight and clean-up. Superfund site identification, monitoring, and response activities in Alaska are coordinated through the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Albers X-Y locations input (generate file) for the Suprfund dataset:
1,329034.500000, 1651503.000000
2,302358.500000, 1665725.000000
3,224094.200000, 1257974.000000
4,298437.700000, 1665204.000000
5,222672.100000, 1256670.000000
6,297447.800000, 1668057.000000
END
COORDINATE SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Projection ALBERS
Units METERS
Spheroid CLARKE1866
Parameters:
Items Definitions for SUPRFUND:
| COLUMN | ITEM NAME | WIDTH | OUTPUT | TYPE | N.DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AREA | 4 | 12 | F | 3 |
| 5 | PERIMETER | 4 | 12 | F | 3 |
| 9 | SUPRFUND# | 4 | 5 | B | - |
| 13 | SUPRFUND-ID | 4 | 5 | B | - |
Processing History:
Date Time User Command
-------- ----- ------- ------------------------
03/30/97 21:56 sharon generate suprfund
03/30/97 21:56 sharon build suprfund point
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COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, AND LIABILITY ACT(CERCLA): SUPERFUND 42 U.S.C. 9601 (1980)
CERCLA (pronounced SERK-la) provides a federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites as well as accidents, spills and other releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. Through the Act, Congress gave EPA power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup. EPA cleans up orphan sites where potentially responsible parties (PRPs) cannot be identified or located, or when they fail to act. EPA obtains private party cleanup through orders, consent decrees, and other small party settlements. Once a response action has been completed, EPA also recovers costs from financially viable individuals and companies.
EPA is authorized to implement the Act in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Superfund site identification, monitoring, and response activities in Alaska are coordinated through the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Pursuant to CERCLA, EPA developed a ranking system to determine clean-up priorities among the many hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. Using this system in conjunction with input from the state in which a site is located, EPA determines whether to include the site on its National Priorities List. NPL designation must occur before EPA can use funds from the Superfund to clean up a site, although it is not necessarily a guarantee that the site will be cleaned up.
If a site makes it onto the NPL, EPA must then enter into an agreement with the state in which the site is located concerning maintenance of the site once clean-up is complete, disposal of wastes from the clean-up and the state’s portion of remedial clean-up costs. Additionally, EPA may enter into an agreement with the state or Indian tribe, to define who will be responsible for conducting the remedial actions at the site. This agreement established responsibilities between the parties and also serves as an authorizing mechanism for EPA to transfer funds for the clean-up from the Superfund to the state or tribe if they will be conducting the necessary work. These agreements also ensure that states and tribes have opportunity to review, consult on and concur with EPA decisions about clean-up plans.
If a site does not make it on the NPL, no money from the federal Superfund can be used to help clean it up, although EPA may still be involved in a shorter-term clean-up action. For the most part, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will have primary responsibility for ensuring that clean-up occurs, and may do so with more flexibility as to the ultimate standard to which clean-up occurs.
Public participation in remedial clean-up plans is an integral part of CERCLA. Remedial plans are long term strategies to clean-up the contaminated site. Before a plan can be approved by the government, it must be published, at a minimum, in a major local newspaper. After notice there must be a reasonable opportunity for public comment and an opportunity for a public meeting at or near the facility at issue.
Public participation is an important step in adopting a remedial action. Comments and concerns are often reflected in the final decision and can modify clean-up procedures. If there is a Superfund site near you, the only way you can ensure that the best steps for your community are taken is to actively participate in the process.
Alaska Native Tribes are treated in a manner similar to states under CERCLA. A Tribe may assume all levels of enforcement responsibility, from acting as the lead agency to conduct a cleanup response to acting as a support agency. As with other EPA delegations of authority, a Tribe would have to demonstrate that it meets various requirements before it can assume such responsibility. The benefit to a Tribe of assuming a significant role in the cleanup process is the amount of control the Tribe would then have in ensuring the cleanup is done correctly and to standards acceptable to the Tribal community.
EPA contacts for the Superfund program include the following:
Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Response/On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs):
The National Response Center 1 (800) 424-8802
Seattle (24 hours) (206) 553-1263
Alaska, Carl Lautenberger (907) 271-4306
Matt Carr (907) 271-3616
Illegal Dumping
EPA Criminal Investigation Office (206) 553-8306
Patty Kelsch, Criminal Investigator in Alaska (907) 271-6626
Site Discovery, Preliminary Investigation and
Evaluation, Mark Ader (206) 553-1808
NPL Sites/Tribal Involvement, Christine Psyk (206) 553-1748
Contact Alaska Community Action on Toxics:
Questions, comments, suggestions?
Please offer feedback to Pamela K. Miller
info@akaction.net
(907) 222-7714
http://www.akaction.net/