CLU-IN.ORG | Ground Water Task Force: Cross-Program Resources

Cross-Program Resources

General Web Sites and Resource Collections

Alphabetical Listing of Subjects; Catalog of Hazardous and Solid Waste Publications: Ground Water [PDF]: This catalog lists hazardous and solid waste documents released by the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste. It is a select list of publications that are frequently requested and is not a comprehensive list of all documents available. This catalog does not list documents originating in other EPA offices.
Browse EPA Topics: Ground Water: Provides links to water standards, guidance to private well users, regulations on the storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes which may infiltrate groundwater systems, and resources and expertise to facilitate the rehabilitation of contaminated ground water sources.
California Department of Water Resources Groundwater Glossary: Provides definitions for common groundwater terms
Citizen's Guide to Groundwater Protection: This guide is intended to help citizens take an active and positive role in protecting their community's ground-water supplies.
Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection Programs (CSGWPPs): CSGWPPs establish a partnership between the states, tribal governments, and the EPA to implement EPA's ground water protection goal and principles.
Environment Canada Freshwater Website: Groundwater: A thorough introduction to the topic of ground water and its management.
Groundwater Central: Groundwater Central^© is a portal for Internet-based groundwater information that consists of several integrated components that may be publicly accessed for no fee.
Groundwater Performance Assessment Project: The Groundwater Performance Assessment Project, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, provides integrated site-specific and site-wide assessments of groundwater quality on the Hanford Site through groundwater sampling and analysis and computer modeling.
Ground Water Primer: This program is written for community leaders, public water system suppliers and the general public that has an interest in protecting both their water supply and ground water in general.
Key OSWER Ground Water Guidances and Reports: Lists of key U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) ground water guidances and selected other reports on ground water which are used frequently by Superfund Remedial Project Managers
Sole Source Aquifer Protection Program: Sole Source Aquifer designations are one tool to protect drinking water supplies in areas with few or no alternative sources to the ground water resource, and where if contamination occurred, using an alternative source would be extremely expensive. The designation protects an area's ground water resource by requiring U.S EPA review of any proposed projects within the designated area that are receiving federal financial assistance. All proposed projects receiving federal funds are subject to review to ensure they do not endanger the water source.
Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program: The UIC Program works with state and local governments to oversee underground injection of waste in order to prevent contamination of drinking water resources.
U.S. EPA Draft Report on the Environment: The Draft Report on the Environment describes current national environmental conditions and trends using existing data and indicators, identifies data gaps and research needs, and discusses the challenges government and our partners face in filling those gaps. It contains sections on hydrology and geomorphology and water and watersheds.
U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water: EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water protects public health and the environment by setting standards for drinking water contaminants and protecting sources of drinking water.
U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water: Regulations & Guidance: Lists all current drinking water rules, sorted by date issued
U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water: Source Water Protection: Basic information about the water used for drinking water and the federal, state, and local programs that assess and manage potential public health risks.
U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division: The Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division in Ada, Oklahoma, conducts EPA-investigator led laboratory and field research to provide the scientific basis to support the development of strategies and technologies to protect and restore ground and surface water quality within a watershed perspective.
U.S. EPA Regional Water Offices: Provides links to all ten EPA regional water offices
U.S. EPA Technical Support Project Ground Water Forum: The Ground Water Forum is a group of ground-water scientists that support the Superfund and RCRA programs in each of the ten EPA Regional Offices. The group was organized to exchange up-to-date information related to ground-water remediation issues at Superfund and RCRA sites. Additional participants come from the EPA Laboratory System and EPA Headquarters.
USGS Ground-Water and Surface-Water Interactions: Lists publications, web sites, and software relevant to ground-water and surface-water interactions
USGS Ground Water Information Pages: These pages are designed to provide useful information about ground-water resources of the Nation and ground-water activities of the USGS.
Wellhead Protection (WHPP) Program: The Wellhead Protection (WHPP) Program is a pollution prevention and management program used to protect underground based sources of drinking water. The national WHP Program was established in 1986 by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The law specified that certain program activities, such as delineation, contaminant source inventory, and source management, be incorporated into State Wellhead Protection Programs, which are approved by EPA prior to implementation. While Section 1428 applies only to States, a number of Tribes are implementing the program as well. All States, except Virginia, have EPA approved State WHPP Programs.

Organizations and Partnerships

Center for Groundwater Research, Oregon Health & Science University: The Center for Groundwater Research coordinates a range of projects relating to the transport and fate of contaminants in soils and groundwater. The scope of the center includes the development of new sampling and site characterization techniques, the development of new analytical techniques, and other improved groundwater remediation techniques.
The Centre for Groundwater Studies: The Centre for Groundwater Studies is an international cooperative research and education venture with strong focus on processes of groundwater recharge, discharge, contamination, remediation and management. It addresses major land and water resources issues in Australia and overseas through interdisciplinary research by its member organisations, agencies and companies.
The Groundwater Foundation: The Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and motivating people to care for and about groundwater.
Ground Water Protection Council: The Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) is a nonprofit organization whose members consist of state and federal ground water agencies, industry representatives, environmentalists and concerned citizens, all of whom come together within the GWPC organization to mutually work toward the protection of the nation’s ground water supplies. The purpose of the GWPC is to promote and ensure the use of best management practices and fair but effective laws regarding comprehensive ground water protection.
Interstate Council on Water Policy: The Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) is a national organization of state and regional water resource management agencies. ICWP focuses on water quality and water quantity issues, and on the dynamic interface between state and federal roles. ICWP is committed to seeking more comprehensive and coordinated approaches to water management that integrate quality and quantity concerns, ground as well as surface water management, and economic and environmental values.
UK Groundwater Forum: The Forum is a voluntary association existing to benefit the whole groundwater community. Its objective is to close the existing gaps between regulators, suppliers and effluent producers, bringing in researchers to shed light on what's happening underground.

Policy & Guidance

CLU-IN Regulatory Information: Information on federal regulations related to hazardous waste
Guidance for Evaluating Technical Impracticability of Ground-Water Restoration: This interim final guidance clarifies how EPA will determine whether ground water restoration at Superfund and RCRA sites is technically impracticable and if so, what alternative measures must to undertaken to ensure that a final remedy is protective. Topics include the types of technical data needed, the criteria for decisions, the types of documentation needed, and alternative remedial strategies for sites with dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs).
Handbook of Groundwater Protection and Cleanup Policies for RCRA Corrective Action: Contains the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) latest interpretation of policies on such topics as cleanup goals, the role of groundwater use, point of compliance, source control, and monitored natural attenuation. This Handbook ties 15 different topics together with an overall Groundwater Protection and Cleanup Strategy that emphasizes a phased, results-based approach to cleaning up contaminated groundwater.
Key OSWER Ground Water Guidances and Reports: Lists of key Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) ground water guidances and selected other reports on ground water which are used frequently by Superfund Remedial Project Managers
Monitoring for Liquids on the Groundwater: Leak detection monitors the groundwater table near an UST for the presence of released free product on the water table. Monitoring wells near the UST are checked frequently to see if petroleum can be detected. The regulations describe several requirements for the use of this method.
MTBE Groundwater Clean-up Levels for LUST Sites: Current & Proposed: Lists current groundwater regulations (established or site-specific), forthcoming regulations, states waiting for MCL/Health Advisory, and states with no regulations
Musts For USTs: A Summary Of Federal Regulations For Underground Storage Tank Systems [PDF]: These regulations describe the steps an UST owner or operator needs to take. These steps also avoid the high cost of cleaning up the environment and legal actions that can result if from leaks.
Pesticides and Ground Water State Management Plan Regulation: This proposed rule implements a key component of the Agency's 1991 Pesticides and Ground Water Strategy, and reflects many years of discussions and input from States and other stakeholders. Through the development and use of State Management Plans (SMPs), EPA is proposing to restrict the use of certain pesticides by providing States with the flexibility to protect the ground water in the most appropriate way for local conditions.
The Role of CSGWPPs in EPA Remediation Programs: This Directive recommends that EPA remediation programs be familiar with Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection Programs (CSGWPPs) and utilize them as a means of giving more flexibility to a State for management of ground-water resources.
Use of Monitored Natural Attenuation at Superfund, RCRA Corrective Action, and Underground Storage Tank Sites, OSWER Directive 9200.4-17 [PDF]: This Directive provides guidance to EPA staff, the public, and the regulated community on how EPA intends to exercise its discretion in implementing national policy on the use of Monitored Natural Attenuation for the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater at sites regulated under Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) programs.

Statutes & Laws

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) 42 U.S.C. s/s 9601 et seq. (1980): The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.: The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) authorizes EPA to set maximum residue levels, or tolerances, for pesticides used in or on foods or animal feed.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); 7 U.S.C. s/s 135 et seq. (1972): The primary focus of FIFRA was to provide federal control of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. EPA was given authority under FIFRA not only to study the consequences of pesticide usage but also to require users (farmers, utility companies, and others) to register when purchasing pesticides. Through later amendments to the law, users also must take exams for certification as applicators of pesticides. All pesticides used in the U.S. must be registered (licensed) by EPA. Registration assures that pesticides will be properly labeled and that if in accordance with specifications, will not cause unreasonable harm to the environment.
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Public Law 104-170, Aug. 3, 1996: The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). These amendments fundamentally changed the way EPA regulates pesticides. The requirements included a new safety standard-reasonable certainty of no harm-that must be applied to all pesticides used on foods. This web site provides background information on FQPA's provisions and discusses some of the specific issues raised by FQPA, as well as status of implementation of this important law.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); 42 U.S.C. s/s 321 et seq. (1976): RCRA gave EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous wastes. The 1986 amendments to RCRA enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. RCRA focuses only on active and future facilities and does not address abandoned or historical sites. HSWA—The Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments are the 1984 amendments to RCRA that required phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste. Some of the other mandates of this strict law include increased enforcement authority for EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and a comprehensive underground storage tank program.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); 42 U.S.C. s/s 300f et seq. (1974): The Safe Drinking Water Act was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources. The Act authorized EPA to establish safe standards of purity and required all owners or operators of public water systems to comply with primary (health-related) standards. State governments, which assume this power from EPA, also encourage attainment of secondary standards (nuisance-related).
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. (1986): The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) on October 17, 1986. SARA reflected EPA's experience in administering the complex Superfund program during its first six years and made several important changes and additions to the program.
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan—40 CFR 300: The purpose of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) is to provide the organizational structure and procedures for preparing for and responding to discharges of oil and releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants.

Characterization & Monitoring

Ground-Water Sampling Guidelines for Superfund and RCRA Project Managers: Differences in personnel, procedures, and equipment all lead to variability in data results when collecting a “representative” ground water sample. A number of factors come into play when determining the best sampling method for a particular site and use of the data in decision-making. EPA released a Ground Water Forum Issue Paper, Ground-Water Sampling Guidelines for Superfund and RCRA Project Managers in May 2002 to discuss how to choose the optimal sampling method and equipment.
Vendors from EPA REACH IT System: EPA REACH IT is an online database with powerful search options for information on treatment and characterization technologies, plus updated information from remediation projects undertaken by EPA and other Federal Agencies.

Modeling Software

Center for Subsurface Modeling Support (CSMoS): The Center for Subsurface Modeling Support (CSMoS) provides public domain ground-water and vadose zone modeling software and services to public agencies and private companies throughout the nation.
Department of Defense Groundwater Modeling System (GMS): The Department of Defense, in partnership with the Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and 20 academic partners, has developed the DoD Groundwater Modeling System. The GMS provides an integrated and comprehensive computational environment for simulating subsurface flow, contaminant fate/transport, and the efficacy and design of remediation systems.
Environmental Modeling Research Laboratory at Brigham Young University: The Environmental Modeling Research Laboratory creates state of the art environmental modeling software specializing in ground water, watershed, and surface water modeling. This software is being used by over 4,000 consulting firms, universities and government agencies in over 60 countries.
International Ground Water Modeling Center, Colorado School of Mines: The International Ground Water Modeling Center (IGWMC) is an internationally oriented information, education and research center for ground-water modeling. IGWMC advises on ground-water modeling problems, distributes ground-water modeling software, organizes short courses and workshops, conducts research in practical, applied areas of ground-water hydrology and modeling, and provides technical assistance on problems related to ground-water modeling.
OnSite OnLine Tools for Site Assessment: The OnSite set of online tools for site assessment contains calculators for formulas, models, unit conversion factors, and scientific demonstrations to assess the impacts from ground water contaminants.
SCI-GROW Screening Model: SCI-GROW is a screening model which the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) in EPA frequently uses to estimate pesticide concentrations in vulnerable ground water. The model provides an exposure value which is used to determine the potential risk to the environment and to human health from drinking water contaminated with the pesticide. The SCI-GROW estimate is based on environmental fate properties of the pesticide (aerobic soil degradation half-life and linear adsorption coefficient normalized for soil organic carbon content), the maximum application rate, and existing data from small-scale prospective ground-water monitoring studies at sites with sandy soils and shallow ground water.
U.S. EPA Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling (CEAM) Groundwater Models: The EPA Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling (CEAM) distributes simulation models and database software designed to quantify the movement and concentration of subsurface contaminants.
USGS Ground-Water Software: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a number of computer codes designed to model various ground-water and related hydrologic and geochemical processes and to help estimate related parameters. This software and related material (data and documentation) are made available by the USGS to be used in the public interest and the advancement of science.

Treatment Technologies

Annual Status Report Remediation Database: The Annual Status Report (ASR) Remediation Database documents the status and achievements, as of March 2003, of 1,760 treatment technology applications for soil, other solid wastes, and groundwater at Superfund sites.
CLU-IN Site Profile Databases: CLU-IN Site Profile Databases contain information on thousands of projects where innovative approaches have been used to deal with contamination problems.
Examples of Groundwater Cleanup Approaches: Examples of groundwater cleanup approaches being implemented around the country that are consistent with the protective yet flexible policy framework provided in the Handbook of Groundwater Protection and Cleanup Policies for RCRA Corrective Action
Groundwater Cleanup: Overview of Operating Experience at 28 Sites: This report summarizes information about the groundwater remediation systems at 28 sites across the United States at which completed or ongoing groundwater cleanup programs are in place, including: design, operation, and performance of the systems; capital, operating, and unit costs of the systems; and factors that potentially affect the cost and performance of the systems. Data from the case studies are compared and contrasted to assist those involved in evaluating and selecting remedies for groundwater contamination at hazardous waste sites.
Groundwater Remedies Selected at Superfund Sites: This report documents the selection of groundwater treatment and MNA remedies at Superfund remedial action sites. It presents data on groundwater treatment and MNA remedy decisions and analyzes trends in these decisions over time. The focus of this report is on groundwater treatment and MNA remedies that result in a reduction of contaminant concentrations or mobility. Groundwater containment and groundwater-other remedies are not addressed.
Technology Innovation News Survey Archives: The Technology Innovation News Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development. This report is updated every two weeks.
Vendors from EPA REACH IT System: EPA REACH IT is an online database with powerful search options for information on treatment and characterization technologies, plus updated information from remediation projects undertaken by EPA and other Federal Agencies.

Conferences & Seminars

Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Resources

Department of the Navy’s Environmental Restoration Program: DNAPL Contamination Focus Area: Groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents, either as dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) or as their dissolved components, is a widespread problem. According to the Navy’s NORM (normalized) database, there are approximately 867 chlorinated solvent sites at Navy and Marine Corps installations.
DNAPLs in Groundwater: An educational resource dedicated to Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids, presented by the University of Sheffield
DNAPL Characterization Methods and Approaches: These papers from Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation provide a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of many of the methods being used for detecting and delineating DNAPL contaminant source zones and compare the costs for implementing various characterization approaches using synthetic unit model scenarios.
DNAPL Surface Chemistry: Its Impact on DNAPL Distribution in the Vadose Zone and its Manipulation to Enhance Remediation: A three-year collaborative research project between researchers at Clarkson University and Westinghouse Savannah River Company allowed concurrent field and laboratory research to provide an improved understanding of the distribution of DNAPL (dense non-aqueous phase liquid) in the vadose zone at the A-14 outfall area at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and the causes and significance of this distribution.
Geophysical Techniques to Locate DNAPLs: Profiles of Federally Funded Projects: This report is intended to provide a status report for researchers and practitioners on federal projects that are using noninvasive geophysical techniques to locate DNAPLs in the subsurface.
Guidance for Evaluating Technical Impracticability of Ground-Water Restoration: This interim final guidance clarifies how EPA will determine whether ground water restoration at Superfund and RCRA sites is technically impracticable and if so, what alternative measures must to undertaken to ensure that a final remedy is protective. Topics include the types of technical data needed, the criteria for decisions, the types of documentation needed, and alternative remedial strategies for sites with dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs).
An Illustrated Handbook of DNAPL Transport and Fate in the Subsurface [PDF]: The purpose of this handbook is to provide a user-friendly overview of the nature of DNAPL contamination in a UK context. It is intended to assist site investigators, site owners and regulators in conducting site investigations, conducting risk assessments and selecting remediation approaches.
In Situ Treatment of Groundwater Contaminated with Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid Contamination: Fundamentals and Case Studies: EPA's Technology Innovation Office, in cooperation with EPA Region 5 and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council, presented a technology information seminar on current experience and future directions for the remediation of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in groundwater on December 10-12, 2002. You may access a complete archive (slides and audio) for one or more of the conference's four topical sessions.
Interagency Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Consortium: In April 1999, the Interagency Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) Consortium (IDC), a strategic alliance of several government agencies, was formed with the mission of demonstrating innovative DNAPL remediation and monitoring systems.
Interstate Technology Regulatory Council Dense Nonaqueous Phase Liquids Team: The DNAPLs Team began in 1999 to foster a better understanding of the applicability, cost, and limitations of technologies for characterizing and remediating dense, nonaqueous-phase liquids
Interstate Technology Regulatory Council Surfactant/Cosolvent Flushing of DNAPL Source Zones: The purpose of this training is to familiarize you with the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance for Surfactant/Cosolvent Flushing of DNAPL Source Zones (DNAPL-3). This document provides technical and regulatory information to help you understand, evaluate and make informed decisions regarding potential surfactant/cosolvent flushing projects. Included is a description of the technology, system operation, performance assessment, regulatory considerations, stakeholder concerns, case studies, and technical references.
Oak Ridge DNAPL Project: The TechCon and Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration (ITRD) Programs are providing technical assistance to the DOE-Oak Ridge and Bechtel Jacobs project team for remediation of DNAPL in fractured bedrock and CCl4-contaminated groundwater at the DOE Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Site Characterization Technologies for DNAPL Investigations [PDF]: The U.S. EPA has compiled this summary of information on the current state of technologies available for locating and characterizing dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminated sites. This document is intended to help managers at sites with potential or confirmed DNAPL contamination identify suitable characterization technologies, screen the technologies for potential application, learn about applications at similar sites, and locate additional information on these technologies.

U.S. EPA Technical Support Project Ground Water Forum Reference List: DNAPL: The Ground Water Forum is a group of ground-water scientists that support the Superfund and RCRA programs in each of the ten EPA Regional Offices. The group was organized to exchange up-to-date information related to ground-water remediation issues at Superfund and RCRA sites. Additional participants come from the EPA Laboratory System and EPA Headquarters.
USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Glossary: DNAPLs: The Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provides objective scientific information to improve characterization and management of contaminated sites, to protect human and environmental health, and to reduce potential future contamination problems.

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Last Updated on Monday, October 15, 2007
URL: http://gwtf.clu-in.org/resources/default.cfm