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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 California 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 pollution 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 Superfund, to be used to investigate and Compensation, and Liability clean up abanDoneD or uncontrolleD hazarDous waste 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