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The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (“ASTSWMO”) published a paper titled:

Time-Critical Removal Capabilities (“Paper”)

The Paper was prepared by the ASTSWMO Removals Focus Group with assistance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”).

The Paper’s focus includes the capacities and needs of the 10 EPA regions along with states and territories in the performance of “time-critical removal actions” (“TCRA”). This is stated to have been accomplished by identifying the resources each of these agencies potentially offers for such response action, along with the “dynamics of the partnerships created between federal and state agencies.” The Paper further states that the result:

. . . successfully identifies ways to more efficiently use and share limited resources available at all levels and build synergistic partnerships between agencies in the satisfaction of this vital environmental service that protects human health and the environment.

The questions addressed in the Paper include:

• Do States have the interest or ability to conduct time-critical removal actions themselves?

• How often do States reach out to EPA Regions for assistance on time-critical removal actions?

• Are there certain activities within the time-critical removal process for which EPA Regions may request State assistance?

• Are there certain types of equipment, services, or other resources that EPA Regions or the State can each provide to facilitate time critical removal actions?

• What can States do to help reduce overall costs to EPA performing a TCRA?

• Are there certain contaminants that typically drive time-critical removal actions?

• What are determining factors for EPA Regions declining time-critical removal requests made by the States?

A copy of the Paper can be found here.