INSIGHT: How Interagency Cooperation Played a Critical Role During the Historic Environmental Transformation of Sparrows Point

摘要

Key to the success of the Sparrows Point project was the regulatory agencies’ openness to the different avenues that a remediationprocess can take, while still meeting the cleanup standards and goals of the dierent regulatory programs impacting the site – i.e.,RCRA, CERCLA, and Maryland’s VCP. As discussions with the agencies progressed, it quickly became apparent, especially in light of thesite being in bankruptcy, that there was great potential for productive and time-ecient remediation and redevelopment of SparrowsPoint. Additionally, the regulatory agencies recognized that the federal and state requirements somewhat overlapped and a collectivesolution was best for reaching those goals. The parts of the process that deviated from the more traditional route were memorializedin formal cleanup documents and reect a willingness by EPA and MDE to be exible and creative in order to achieve a timely andprotective cleanup and redevelopment. The non-traditional, collaborative approaches that led to success included: