Savannah River Site Aiken, Aiken County, South Carolina

Progress in Reaching Interagency Agreement

DOE, EPA Region IV, and the State of South Carolina negotiated an IAG for SRS during calendar years 1990 through 1992. The IAG was executed on January 15, 1993 and became effective on August 16, 1993.

Specific Cost Estimates and Budgetary Proposals Involved in Each Interagency Agreement

Funds budgeted for environmental restoration under the IAG total $76.7 million of appropriated funding for FY 96 and $93.0 million for FY 97 according to the request in the President's Budget.

Public Comments Regarding Interagency Agreements

The IAG Notice of Intent was signed on December 2, 1991. The document was released for 60-day public review on December 17, 1991; the public comment period ended on February 14, 1992. A public meeting was held on January 23, 1992. Significant public comments focused on the specific roles and jurisdictions of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and EPA Region IV in maintaining and enforcing DOE SRS cleanup actions.

The public comments also included concerns that the IAG should not limit SCDHEC's RCRA authority. The IAG was revised to better clarify dispute resolution procedures and authorities of the two regulators for oversight of RCRA and CERCLA cleanup activities.

Additionally, public comments showed the need to revise SRS' system of prioritizing waste units. The IAG was revised to include a priority system recommended by EPA, and a responsiveness summary addressing public comments was issued in 1993.

Comments requesting a site advisory board consisting of members of the public were addressed in a revised public involvement plan. SRS developed a site-specific advisory board, called the Citizens Advisory Board, which began functioning in 1994 and has made ten recommendations to DOE.

Progress in Conducting Remedial Investigations/Feasibility Studies

A RCRA 3004(u) permit was issued by EPA Region IV and the State of South Carolina on September 29, 1987. A program plan, which outlines the requirements for the preparation of unit-specific investigation plans and proposed plans, was revised on August 20, 1993. The following activities were accomplished during FY 95:

• Submitted 15 RFI/RI Plans;

• Signed four remedial RODs;

• Submitted 13 RFI/RI and Baseline Risk Assessments;

• Conducted field characterization sampling and began data analysis at 38 waste sites;

• Completed site screening/evaluation at 24 additional sites and submitted 24 site Evaluation Reports;

• Continued implementation of the Field Investigation Plan at the Mixed Waste groundwater unit and Burial Ground Complex;

• Submitted two Corrective Measure Studies/FS Reports on CERCLA sites;

• Received approval on final RCRA closure plans for the Acid-Caustic Basins, Sanitary Landfill, and Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility;

• Submitted three RD/RA Work Plans; and

• Received approval on the F & H Area Groundwater Operable Unit Proposed Plan from EPA and SCDHEC.

Progress in Conducting Remedial Actions

The following activities were accomplished in FY 95:

• Completed five remedial actions;

• Began operation of four vadose zone units to clean groundwater in A/M Area;

• Began operation of A-2 air stripper to clean groundwater in A/M Area;

• Reached 2.25-billion-gallon mark in groundwater cleanup in A/M Area, with more than 360,000 pounds of solvents removed;

• Completed Interim Actions at 15 additional waste sites;

• Completed Sanitary Landfill foundation layer construction to prepare for remediation;

• Completed Burial Ground Complex drainage system construction and completed sedimentation basins;

• Began operating an M-1 stripper air abatement system to treat organics from groundwater remediation system; and

• Began processing purge water using an onsite treatment system.