Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Andrew H. Perellis, Kay R. Bonza and Craig B. Simonsen
December 9, 2016
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the EPA adding the consideration of vapor intrusion in its Superfund site investigations, hundreds of sites that previously would not rank high enough to qualify for listing on the National Priorities List of contaminated sites would now likely qualify.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released a pre-publication version of its final rule to add a subsurface intrusion (SsI) component to the Superfund Hazard Ranking System (HRS). EPA defines subsurface intrusion as the migration of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants from the unsaturated zone or the surficial (shallow) ground water into overlying structures. The most common form of subsurface intrusion is vapor intrusion. Vapor intrusion occurs when vapor-forming chemicals from sources including dry cleaning solvents and industrial de-greasers in ground water or soil migrate into buildings and other enclosed spaces, posing a threat to indoor air quality.
We had blogged previously when the Agency proposed this new rule. See EPA Plans to Ease Path to Superfund Listing: Vapor Intrusion Component to be Added to the Hazardous Ranking System. Before this rulemaking, the EPA addressed SsI at sites only when those sites were listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) for another contamination issue. By adding the consideration of vapor intrusion to the HRS, hundreds of sites that previously would not rank high enough to qualify for listing on the NPL could now qualify based soley on the threat of vapor intrusion. NPL listing is a prerequisite to EPA spending sums over $2 million to investigate and conduct remedial actions under Superfund. NPL-listed sites are generally more expensive to remediate and more difficult to sell than are other environmentally distressed properties.
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