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RCRA Sites
National Information
Region 4 RCRA Information
Past and present activities at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities have sometimes resulted in releases of hazardous waste and hazardous constituents into soil, ground water, surface water, sediments, and air; requiring the investigation and cleanup, or remediation, of these hazardous releases. A potential RCRA Brownfield site is a RCRA facility that is not in full use, where there is redevelopment potential, and where reuse or redevelopment of that site is slowed due to real or perceived concerns about actual or potential contamination, liability, and RCRA requirements.
- RCRA Program Background
- Redevelopment of RCRA Sites
- Legal Issues at RCRA Sites
- RCRA Tools & Resources
- RCRA Program Activities and Initiatives
- RCRA Reuse Partnerships
- RCRA Program Contacts
RCRA Program Background
RCRA’s goals are to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, to conserve energy and natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to ensure that wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner. More RCRA Information.
Redevelopment of RCRA Sites
The RCRA Brownfields Prevention Initiative was established by EPA to encourage the reuse of potential RCRA Brownfields so that the land can better serves the needs of the community either through more productive commercial or residential development or as greenspace. The RCRA Brownfields Prevention Initiative seeks to capitalize on the redevelopment of potential RCRA Brownfields to achieve successful cleanup and long-term sustainable reuse of these sites.
Legal Issues at RCRA Sites
RCRA sites are governed by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The RCRA Corrective Action Program compels facility owners and operators to address the investigation and cleanup of hazardous releases themselves. When RCRA sites, or portions of RCRA sites, are being sold or transferred to new owners for reuse, questions of liability for any further cleanup actions often arise.
- EPA’s RCRA liability page summarizes the liability issues that could arise at RCRA sites.
- In April 2003, EPA issued a memorandum entitled Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Other Tools to Facilitate Cleanup and Reuse of RCRA Sites (4 pp, 3.7 MB, about PDF).
RCRA Tools & Resources
EPA and Region 4 have developed many tools and resources that can help implement redevelopment activities at contaminated sites and properties. The links below provide RCRA-specific tools, resources, and information from a number of sources.
- Informational Tools
- Policy and Guidance - The Land Revitalization Initiative offers select information about RCRA policy and guidance. General RCRA Corrective Action guidance and resources are also available on-line.
- Program Information - This link takes you to an index of reuse-related RCRA documents compiled by EPA's RCRA Brownfields Prevention Initiative.
- Technical Tools
- Frequently Used Tools - EPA has developed a number of informational resources about RCRA Brownfields prevention and reuse efforts. Samples of available fact sheets include:
- Brownfields Funding for RCRA Facilities
- RCRA Brownfields Prevention: Working Together to Clean Up and Revitalize RCRA Facilities
- How Can The RCRA Brownfields Prevention Program Help You?
- General Information
- Brownfields - The Brownfields Tools and Technical Information web page is a clearinghouse of resources associated with brownfields topics.
- The national Land Revitalization Initiative also offers a listing of tools and technical information about the cleanup and revitalization of Brownfields.
RCRA Program Activities and Initiatives
At the national level, EPA has undertaken several activities related to the reuse of RCRA sites.
- Ecological and Recreational Reuse
- Targeted Site Efforts
(TSE)
TSEs are designed to showcase brownfield tools and RCRA Cleanup Reforms and also to emphasize the importance of addressing brownfield issues in RCRA cleanups.
RCRA Partnerships
EPA’s offices and programs continue to build partnerships with other Federal agencies, organizations, and across other EPA offices to coordinate efforts and combine resources to help cleanup and revitalize contaminated land. RCRA partnerships have helped to provide case studies of techniques, tools, and strategies that can be used elsewhere where RCRA issues are confronted during brownfield redevelopment.
- For lessons learned about RCRA partnerships, click here (4 pp, 314 K, about PDF).
- For information on public involvement in RCRA corrective action activities, click here.
RCRA Program Contacts
An appropriate Region 4 contact for reusing a RCRA site can be found on the Revitalization Contacts page.