Guidance on Feasibility Studies under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act)

摘要

This guidance document is intended to provide a more detailed structure for identifying, evaluating, and selecting remedial action alternatives under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300). The feasibility study process begins with the development of specific alternatives based on general response actions identified in the remedial investigation to address site contamination problems. The alternatives are screened on the basis of public health and environmental concerns and order-of-magnitude costs. Alternatives that pass the screening process undergo detailed analyses to provide the decision-maker with information for selecting the alternative that is cost-effective. The detailed analyses encompasses engineering, institutional, public health, environmental, and cost analyses. Once the detailed analyses are conducted, the information is organized to compare findings of the evaluations for each alternative. A recommended format for the Feasibility Study Report is also provided. It describes the specific elements to be included, the rationale for their inclusions, the level of detail, and the documentation that should accompany the report.