![[logo] US EPA](../gif/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Facilities Fill Out EI Forms for Texas and Louisiana
In Region 6, Texas and Louisiana have employed an innovative approach to meet the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) corrective action goals for their baseline facilities. The GPRA goals require documentation that two facility wide Environmental Indicators (EIs) are met: Human Exposures Controlled (CA725) and Migration of Contaminated Groundwater Under Control (CA750). The states' strategy included mailing letters requesting that the facilities complete and return the EI documentation forms developed by EPA and other information regarding the status of RCRA corrective action at the facilities.
To date, 79 of 92 (86%) Texas facilities and 37 of 40 (93%) Louisiana facilities have responded. The responses are evaluated by the state's staffs to determine those facilities which are controlled in respect to human exposures to hazardous constituents and migration of contaminated groundwater. Further evaluations will be made at facilities where controls are not in place or where there is a lack of data to support a conclusion that controls are in place. The states will work with those facilities and track their progress to achieve the GPRA goals by the 2005 deadline.
The approach taken by Texas and Louisiana is an efficient way to use staff resources that already are responsible for a heavy corrective action workload. It is a universal approach that quickly screens and categorizes nearly all facilities as to their present status and is also a long range planning and tracking tool. The correspondence is an excellent way of clearly communicating with the regulated community in an open manner the mutual need to control human exposures and contaminated ground water migration and also opens new dialogue in respect to RCRA Corrective Action. EPA Region 6 and all the States in the region are unified in viewing the GPRA initiative as a way to reinvigorate the RCRA Corrective Action Program to move it forward to effect "faster, focused, and more flexible cleanups".