National QA Standard for Environmental Programs for Hazardous Waste ManagementActivities

摘要

The clean-up of Federally-owned facilities contaminated by mixtures of hazardouschemical and radioactive wastes involves critical decisions based on environmental data. Federal agencies are currently using several different standards or sets of requirements, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance, for establishing the quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures for these sites. Shortcomings in these standards have led to efforts by several public and private sector groups to develop a uniform, consistent standard that produces the needed type and quality of environmental data in a more cost-effective manner. These efforts are being conducted under the auspices of the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) and involve participation by EPA, the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and others in the contractor and regulated communities. The paper describes the progress which has been made toward establishing a consensus standard and associated requirements for use by DOE, EPA, and others for hazardous waste management activities. It is expected that the proposed standard will provide the basis for a needed revision and expansion of EPA guidance.