CALED Brownfields Committee

Glossary and Terms

Prepared By CALED Brownfields Committee Education/Communication Subcommittee

November 18, 2014 M:/CRA Glossary 7-9-03.XLS Acronyms

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials

AAI All Appropriate Inquiry

BEPA Building Energy Performance Assessment

BF Brownfields

BTEX Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene

BRAG Brownfields Revitalization Advisory Group

CA Corrective Actions

CAA Clean Air Act

CEI U.S. EPA’s Community Engagement Initiative

CEQA Environmental Quality Act

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act

CLRRA California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act

COC Constituent of Concern

CRA California Redevelopment Association

CWA Clean Water Act

DTSC Department of Toxic Substances Control

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ICs Institutional Controls

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NCP National Contingency Plan

NFA No Further Action Letter

NPL National Priorities List

PCB Polychlorinated Biphenyls

PNAs or PAHs Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons

November 18, 2014 Acronyms

POLANCO The Polanco Redevelopment Act. See Health & Safety Code Section 33459 et seq.

PPB Parts Per Billion

PPM Parts Per Million

PRP Potentially Responsible Party

OEHHA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

RAP Remedial Action Plan

RAW Remedial Action Workplan

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RFP Request for Proposal

RP Responsible Party

RQ Reportable Quantity

RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Boards

SVE Soil Vapor Extraction

SWRCB (California) State Water Resources Control Board

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act

UST Underground Storage Tank ug/l Micrograms per liter

VCA Voluntary Cleanup Agreement

VCP Voluntary Cleanup Program

VE Vapor Encroachment

VEC Vapor Encroachment Condition

VI Vapor Intrusion

VOC Volatile Organic Compound

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Action Level A guideline established by environmental protection agencies to Identify the concentration of a substance in a particular medium (water, soil, etc.) that may present a health risk when exceeded. If contaminants are found at concentrations above their action levels, measure must be taken to decrease the contamination.

Aeration For soils, a method of remediating contaminated soil by supplying or exposing the contaminated soil to air. The contaminants volatilize to the atmosphere. For water, the process of bubbling air through water or spraying water into the air to remove dissolved contaminants.

Alluvial Deposits An area of sand, clay or other similar material that has been gradually deposited by moving water, such as a long river bed, on a delta, on a flood plain or at the base of mountain.

Ambient Air Refers to the surrounding air. Generally, ambient air refers to air outside and surrounding an air source location.

Aquifer A geologic formation(s) that is water bearing. A geological formation or structure that stores and/or transmits water, such as to wells and springs. Use of the term is usually restricted to those water-bearing formations capable of yielding water in sufficient quantity to constitute a usable supply for consumptive uses. Aquifer capacity is determined by the porosity of the subsurface material and its area. Under most of the United States, there are two major types of aquifers: confined and unconfined.

Asbestos A general name given a family of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals. Asbestos fibers were used mainly for insulation and as a fire retardant material in ship and building construction and other industries, and in brake shoes and pads for automobiles.

Attenuation The reduction or lessening in amount (e.g., a reduction in the amount of contaminants in a plume as it migrates away from the source).

Bedrock The solid rock beneath the soil and superficial rock. A general term for solid rock that lies beneath soil, loose sediments, or other unconsolidated material.

Boring A hole in the ground created by a drilling device. Usually as part of assessing the lateral and vertical extent of contamination.

November 18, 2014 M:/CRA Glossary 7-9-03.XLS GLOSSARY

Boring (Soil) A vertical hole drilled into the ground from which soil samples can be collected and analyzed to determine the presence of chemicals and the physical characteristics of the soil.

Brownfield An abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial or commercial facility where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.

BTEX Term used for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene volatile aromatic compounds typically found in petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel.

Cap (capping) A layer, such a compacted clay or synthetic material, used to prevent rainwater from penetrating the soil and spreading contamination.

Clean Air Act (CAA) The Clean Air Act is a Federal law passed in 1970 that requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish regulations to control the release of contaminants to the air to protect human health and environment.

Clean Water Act (CWA) Amendment to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, which set the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants to U.S. waters. This law gave EPA the authority to set effluent standards on an industry-by-industry basis and to set water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters.

Cleanup The remediation of a contaminated site. Cleanup is the term used for actions taken to deal with the release or threat of release of a hazardous substance that could affect humans and/or the environment. The term sometimes is used interchangeably with the terms remedial action, removal action, response action, or corrective action.

Comfort Letter A letter issued through a state voluntary cleanup program that typically states that a site complies with the program's requirements, is clean enough for the intended use, and that no future enforcement action is expected, unless conditions of or uses on the site change.

Comprehensive Federal law passed in 1980 that created a special tax to fund a trust Environmental Response, fund, commonly known as , to be used to investigate and Compensation, and Liability clean up abandoned or uncontrolled sites. EPA has Act (CERCLA) primary responsibility for managing cleanup and enforcement activities authorized under CERCLA. Under the program, EPA can pay for cleanup when parties responsible for the contamination cannot be located or are unwilling or unable to perform the work, or take legal action to

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

force parties responsible for contamination to clean up the site or reimburse the Federal government for the cost of the cleanup.

Containment Enclosing or containing hazardous substances in a structure or particular area to prevent the migration of contaminants into the environment.

Contamination Any physical, chemical. biological or radiological substance found in a water or land source that is not naturally occurring in that environment.

Corrective Action Activity necessary to investigate and analyze the effects of an unauthorized release of hazardous substances.

Cross-Contamination A condition created when a drill hole, boring, or improperly constructed well forms a pathway for fluid movement between two groundwater zones.

Data Collectors Any of a variety of devices that provide quantitative physical descriptions of the site and activities (thermometer, PID, pressure transducer, etc.

De Minimis Risk A level of risk that the scientific and/or regulatory community asserts is too insignificant to regulate.

Deed Restriction A private legal restriction on the use of land contained in the deed to the property or otherwise formally recorded.

Dioxins A group of generally toxic organic compounds that may be formed as a result of incomplete combustion (as may occur in incineration of compounds containing chlorine). They are rapidly absorbed through the skin and gastrointestinal tract and are listed as cancer-causing chemicals under Proposition 65.

Direct Push Sampling A technique in which a sampling tube is hydraulically pushed or driven into the subsurface, collecting soil as it advances. This technique can also be used to sample the groundwater.

Discharge The release of hazardous substances into the soil or groundwater.

Dispersion The process by which a substance or chemical spreads and dilutes in flowing groundwater or soil gas.

Downgradient The direction water and contaminants will most likely flow without other influences.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Drainage Basin Land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large drainage basins, like the area that drains into the Mississippi River contain thousands of smaller drainage basins. Also called a "watershed".

Drilling Rig Equipment used for drilling borings and monitor wells.

Dual-Phase Extraction Also known as multi-phase extraction, it is a technology that uses a vacuum system to remove various combinations of contaminated groundwater, separate-phase petroleum product, and vapors from the subsurface. The system lowers the water table around a well, exposing more of the formation. Contaminants in the newly exposed vadose zone then are accessible to soil vapor extraction. Once above the ground the extracted vapors or liquid-phase organics and groundwater are separated and treated.

Due Diligence The process of evaluating the environmental condition of a parcel of land, usually in connection with a real estate transaction.

Easement The portion of a property for which access or use is allowed by a person or agency other than the owner.

Ecosystem A complex system composed of a community of fauna and flora taking into account the chemical and physical environment with which the system is interrelated.

Effluent The discharge of a pollutant or waste in a liquid form, often from a pipe into a stream or river.

Emergency Removal An action initiated in response to a release of a hazardous substance that requires on-site activity within hours of a release or spill.

Enforcement Action An action taken by a governmental agency to compel an environmental investigation or cleanup.

Filtration Treatment process that separates non-dissolved contamination from water by passing the water through a porous medium, such as sand or a manufactured filter.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Free Product The petroleum product that resides in the spaces between the soil particles or floats on top of the groundwater.

Fund The Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund.

Gas Chromatography A technology used for investigating and assessing soil, water and soil gas contamination at a site. It is often used for the analysis of VOCs and SVOCs. The technique identifies and quantifies organic compounds on the basis of molecular weight, characteristic fragmentation patterns, and retention time. Recent advances in gas chromatography that are considered innovative are portable, weather-proof units that have self- contained power supplies.

Geologist and Geophysicist A California law requiring that any firm advertising geological services Act must have a registered professional as an officer of the corporation. Section 7838 of the Business and Professions Code.

Grab Samples A soil sample collected without the aid of a coring device. Collecting a water sample without the aid of a groundwater monitoring well.

Greenfield A property that has not been previously developed.

Groundwater Water located below the ground.

Hand Auger Hand-held earth boring tool.

Hazardous Substance As defined under CERCLA, a hazardous substance is any material that poses a threat to public health or the environment. The term also refers to hazardous wastes as defined under RCRA. Typical hazardous substances are materials that are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive. CERCLA excludes petroleum, crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, or synthetic gas usable for fuel from the definition of hazardous substances.

Heavy Metals A group of elements (such as chromium, lead, copper, and zinc) that can be toxic at relatively low concentrations and tend to accumulate in the food chain.

Hydrocarbon Chemical compounds composed only of carbon and hydrogen.

Hydrogeology The science of groundwater occurrence, movement, and transport.

Hydrology The science that deals with the properties, movement, and effects of water found on the earth's surface, in the soil and rocks beneath the surface, and in the atmosphere.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Impermeable Layer A layer of solid materials, such as rock or clay, which does not allow water to pass through it.

Interim Remedial Actions Actions taken before a final remedial action is chosen as required to prevent further spread or damage to the environment from the contaminants.

Joint and Several Liability A concept, under CERCLA, based on the theory that it may not be possible to apportion responsibility for the harm caused by hazardous

waste equitably among potentially responsible parties (PRP). Joint liability means that more than one PRP is liable to the plaintiff. Several liability means that the plaintiff may choose to sue only one of the defendants and recover the entire amount. One PRP therefore can be held liable for the entire cost of cleanup, regardless of the share of waste that individual PRP contributed.

Landfill A RCRA permitted facility that accepts waste materials. Some landfills are authorized to accept hazardous substances.

Lead A heavy metal present in small amounts everywhere in the human environment. Lead can get into the body from drinking contaminated water, eating vegetables grown in contaminated soil, or breathing dust when playing or working in lead-contaminated areas or eating lead- based paint. It can cause damage to the nervous system or blood cells. Children are at highest risk because their bodies are still developing. Lead and its compounds are listed as a reproductive toxin and a carcinogenic substance under Proposition 65.

Lead Agency A public agency that has the principal responsibility for ordering and overseeing environmental investigation and cleanup.

Local Agency The department, office, or other agency of county or city designated to have oversight authority for directing the remediation of an unauthorized release.

Long-Term Monitoring This is typically performed on a site to verify that contaminants pose no risk to human health or the environment and that natural processes are reducing contaminant levels and risk as predicted.

Mello-Roos Tax A special tax that is levied in an area in order to finance a broad range of public capital facilities and services. A local agency can levy this tax by forming a government entity, called a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District. Mello-Roos funds can be used to clean up contaminated property.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Migration Pathway A potential path or route of contaminants from the source of contamination to contact with human populations or the environment. The existence and identification of all potential migration pathways must be considered during assessment and characterization of a waste site.

Mitigation Actions taken to improve site conditions by limiting, reducing, or controlling hazards and contamination sources.

Monitoring Well A well drilled to sample groundwater at selected depths to determine the direction of groundwater flow and the types and quantity of contaminants present in the groundwater.

Mothballed Sites Large, idle areas that formerly were used for manufacturing and other industrial uses and are not available for sale or redevelopment.

National Contingency Plan Also known as The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency (NCP) Plan, it is a comprehensive body of regulations that outlines a step-by- step process for cleaning up Superfund sites.

National Priorities List EPA's national list of Superfund sites. (NPL)

Natural Attenuation The remedial approach that allows natural processes to reduce concentrations of contaminants to acceptable levels. Monitored natural attenuation involves physical, chemical, and biological processes that act to reduce the mass, toxicity, and mobility of subsurface contamination and include biodegradation, chemical stabilization, dispersion, sorption, and volatilization.

No-Further-Action (NFA) A written statement by a state government that it has no present Letter intention to take legal action or require additional cleanup by a party that satisfactorily cleans up a property.

Non-Point Source (NPS) Pollution discharged over a wide land area, not from one specific Pollution location. These are forms of diffuse pollution caused by sediment, nutrients, and organic and toxic substances originating from land-use activities, which are carried to lakes and streams by surface runoff. Non-point source pollution is contamination that occurs when rainwater, snowmelt, or irrigation washes off plowed fields, city streets, or suburban backyards. As this runoff moves across the land surface, it picks up soil particles and pollutants, such as nutrients and pesticides.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

On-Site Labs Mobile laboratories capable of running analytical tests on-site as work is being performed.

Operator Any person in control of, or having responsibility for the daily operation of activities on real property.

OSHA Equipment Equipment required to protect worker health and safety by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Owner An owner of real property, including any person who has legal title to a UST and any owner of real property who is a de facto owner of a UST located on such property.

Permeability The ability of a material to allow the passage of a liquid. Permeable materials, such as gravel and sand, allow water to move quickly through them, whereas less impermeable materials, such as clay, don't allow water to flow freely.

Pesticide A general term for insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Insecticides kill or prevent the growth of insects. Herbicides control or destroy plants. Fungicides control or destroy fungi.

Phase I Environmental Site A non-intrusive investigation into past and present site use and Assessment inspecting present conditions. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) provides standards for conducting Phase I Environmental Site Assessments.

Phase II Environmental Site An assessment that can follow up a Phase I assessment with physical Assessment sampling and analysis of suspected contaminated areas of a site.

Plume An area of chemicals in a particular medium, such as air or groundwater, moving away from its source in a long band or column. A plume can be a column of smoke from a chimney or chemicals moving with groundwater. It defines the area where exposure would be dangerous.

Plume Migration The movement of the plume is influenced by such factors as local groundwater, or wind direction and the density of contaminants.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls A group of toxic chemicals used for a variety of purposes including (PCBs) electrical applications, carbonless copy paper, adhesives, hydraulic fluid, and caulking compounds. PCBs do not break down easily and are known to cause cancer.

Polynuclear aromatic Natural constituents of crude oil, and also may be formed when organic

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY hydrocarbons (PNA) materials such as coal, fuel, wood, or even foods are not completely burned. PNAs are also found in lampblack, a by-product of the historic gas manufacturing process. They are found in diesel exhaust, roofing tars, asphalt, fireplace smoke and soot, cigarettes, petroleum products, some foods, and even some shampoos. They tend to stick to soil and do not easily dissolve in water, and generally do not move in the environment. Of the 17 varieties of PNA compounds, 7 are suspected of causing cancer in humans.

Potentially Responsible An individual, company, or government body identified as potentially Party or Responsible Party liable for a release of hazardous substances into the environment. By (PRP) federal law, such parties may include generators, transporters, arrangers, and disposers of hazardous waste, as well as present and past site owners and operators.

Pro Forma Financial projections for a real estate project, which include an income statement and show capital costs, operating revenues and expenses, and return on investment over a period of time.

Proposition 65 Passed by California voters in 1986, this legislation requires the to publish a list of chemicals that are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. This list must be updated at least once a year. It also contains a public notice requirement when the public may come in contact with Proposition 65 listed chemicals.

Pump and Treat A technique that brings contaminated groundwater above the ground through the use of extraction wells. The water is then treated, normally using one of the three processes: granulated activated carbon, air stripping, or bioremediation.

Regulatory Agency Any local, state, or federal agency which has responsibility or authority for overseeing the cleanup or regulating hazardous materials.

Release Any spilling, leaking, emitting, discharging, escaping, leaching, or disposing of hazardous substances or wastes into or on the waters, land, subsurface soils, groundwater, or air.

Remedial Action Plan (RAP) A cleanup plan.

Remediation Cleanup of a site to levels determined to be health-protective for its intended use.

Removal Action A short-term effort designed to stabilize or clean up a hazardous waste site that poses an immediate threat to human health or the

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

environment. Removal actions include removing tanks or drums of hazardous substances that were found on the surface and installing drainage controls or security measures, such as a fence at the site. Removal actions also may be conducted to respond to accidental releases of hazardous substances. CERCLA places time and money constraints on the duration of removal actions.

Reportable Quantity (RQ) The quantity of hazardous substances that, when released into the environment, can cause substantial endangerment to public health or the environment. Under CERCLA, the Federal government must be notified when quantities equaling or exceeding RQ's specified in regulations are released.

Requests-for-Proposals A document that asks for a detailed proposal from various vendors. (RFP)

Resource Conservation and A federal statute that regulates the generation, transportation, storage, Recovery Act (RCRA) treatment and disposal of hazardous waste.

Risk Assessment A Risk Assessment looks at the chemicals detected at a site, the frequency and concentration of detected chemicals, the toxicity of chemicals and how people can be exposed, and for how long. Routes of exposure to people are generally through ingestion, contact with the skin, or inhalation. Based on the standard risk assessment guidelines established for use nationwide by U.S. EPA, exposures for an on-site resident are generally assumed to be daily contact over a 30 year period starting with children ages 0-6, and continuing from 6-30 years. The health risk assessment cannot predict health effects; it only describes the increased possibility of adverse health effects, based on the best scientific information available.

Site Closure All remedial response action has been completed and that the site can be removed from the agencies' lists of contaminated properties.

Slurry Wall Barriers used to contain the flow of contaminated groundwater or subsurface liquids. Slurry walls are constructed by digging a trench around a contaminated area and filling the trench with a material that tends not to allow water to pass through.

Soil Boring A process by which a soil sample is extracted from the ground for chemical, biological, and analytical testing to determine the level of contamination present.

Soil Excavation Removing soil from its original resting place.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Soil Remediation Any variety of techniques used to render soil non-contaminated.

Soil Vapor Extraction Draws fresh air into the ground and brings toxic contaminants up to the surface where they can be treated and safely discharged.

Solvent A liquid capable of dissolving another substance to form a solution. Organic solvents are used in paints, varnishes, lacquers, industrial cleaners and printing inks.

Stakeholders Any person or group who directly or indirectly affects, is affected by or has an interest in the actions taken. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to: residents, businesses, developers, regulatory agencies, lenders, and the city.

Storage Tanks Any of a number of devices used to store material such as water, contaminated products, gasoline, diesel, etc.

Strict Liability A concept under CERCLA that empowers the federal government to hold PRPs liable without proving that the PRPs were at fault and without regard to a PRP's motive. PRPs can be found liable even if the problems caused by the release of a hazardous substance were unforeseeable, the PRPs acted in good faith, and state-of-the-art hazardous waste management practices were used at the time the materials were disposed of.

Toxic Pollutant Those pollutants or combinations of pollutants including disease- causing agents, which after discharge and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation or assimilation into any organism, either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food chains, will, on the basis of information available, cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological malfunctions or physical deformations, in such organism or their offspring.

Toxic Substances Control A federal law of 1976 to regulate chemical substances or mixtures that Act may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.

Underground Injection The placing of fluids below the surface of the ground through wells. Fluids injected include hazardous wastes, brine from oil and gas recovery, liquids used in mining, radioactive waste, sewage, natural gas and oil products and storm water runoff. EPA and states regulate underground injection under the Safe Drinking Water Act and RCRA.

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

Underground Storage Tank A Tank (and its associated piping with volume greater than 10% of the (UST) system) underground and designed to hold gasoline, other petroleum products or chemical solutions.

Underground Storage Tank State of California funding for the cleanup of soil contamination from Cleanup Fund Underground Storage Tanks. Also known as 882004, the Fund, and the USTCF. Not to be confused with superfund or other federal programs. Moneys are derived from a fee on each gallon of petroleum placed in an underground storage tank in the state.

Underground Utility Check A check for the location of buried utilities such as power, gas, sewer, water and telephone to prevent accidents during site work.

Upgradient In the direction of increasing static head (potential). The direction water and contaminants will most likely flow from without other influences. Also; In the direction of increasing potentiometric (piezometric) head.

Volatile Organic Compound One of a group of carbon-containing compounds that evaporate readily (VOC) at room temperature. Examples of volatile organic compounds include trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). These contaminants typically are generated from metal degreasing, printed circuit board cleaning, gasoline, drycleaning and wood preserving processes.

Voluntary Cleanup Program A formal means established by many states to facilitate voluntary (VCP) assessment cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields sites.

Water Table The top of the water surface in the saturated part of an aquifer.

Watershed The land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large watersheds, like the Mississippi River basin contain thousands of smaller watersheds. Synonymous with drainage area, drainage basin and catchment.

Well Covers Cover over wells which provide a water tight security structure and adequate well protection to prevent entry of surface waters, accidental damage, unauthorized access, and vandalism.

Wells A monitoring well is different from a water supply well in that it is designed specifically for sampling groundwater. For this reason, domestic, municipal, or agricultural wells can rarely be used for groundwater monitoring, and when they are, supplementary

November 18, 2014 GLOSSARY

monitoring wells are usually located nearby.

Workplans Description of work to be performed that is submitted to the regulatory agency for approval.

November 18, 2014