Search Frequent Questions

Displaying 1 - 15 of 51 results

• What questions was EPA trying to find answers to during its first round of sampling at the Norwood Landfill site?

  The main question that EPA seeks to answer is whether the identified waste areas warrant consideration for placement of the Site on the National Priorities List (NPL) or Superfund List. In the first round of sampling, EPA collected surface soil samples (0-2 feet) from the landfill property, and surface water…

  • Last published: March 1, 2024

• What does it mean when EPA finds contamination that “exceeds screening levels?”
  

  Screening levels are not the same as cleanup or action levels. An exceedance of a screening level indicates the need for additional evaluation, potentially including a site-specific risk assessment.

  • Last published: March 4, 2024

• If EPA finds any contamination associated with the Norwood Landfill site that “exceeds” what is considered safe, will EPA clean up that contamination - even if the Agency cannot find any “pathways” for that contamination to reach humans or sensitive environments?

  If the sampling data shows an exceedance of a screening level, EPA will consult with the site Toxicologist and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to conduct a human health risk screening assessment to determine any potential threat to human health. EPA will also consult with the…

  • Last published: March 8, 2024

• How do you know you are not missing some areas that might be contaminated?

  EPA uses all credible information available, including community input, regarding the boundaries and geographic areas of waste that may have been deposited or where contaminated soil may have been placed. The team selects its sampling locations based on those areas and consults historic aerial images that help depict those boundaries.

  • Last published: March 8, 2024

• Will EPA sample the Glenolden Laboratory property?

  The former Glenolden Laboratory property located on South Avenue is a separate site. The previous owners conducted a voluntary cleanup pursuant to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) Environmental Cleanup Program, known as Act 2. Concerns regarding remedial actions conducted under Act 2 should be directed to PADEP as…

  • Last published: March 18, 2024

• What is a reactive and non-reactive solid EHS?

  Reactive solid means any extremely hazardous substance denoted with “a” in the “Notes” column in Appendix A or B of 40 CFR 355. Reactive solids are more likely than other solids to be dispersed into the air due to the energy or heat created from their reactivity with water or…

  • Last published: April 9, 2024

• How did states form their SERCs?

  How are States expected to form their State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) as required under Title III? States are required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Title III. The SERC may consist of existing emergency response organizations or may be an entirely new mechanism to address this…

  • Last published: April 9, 2024

• Pesticide applicator quantity applied to threshold or transportation exemption

  A farmer contracts with an applicator to spray pesticides on his fields. The applicator drives a tank truck onto the farmers' field and sprays the pesticide from the truck onto the fields. For purposes of Section 302 emergency planning requirements, are the EHSs in the truck considered present at the…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• State refusing to comply with the emergency planning provisions

  What will happen if a State refuses to comply with the emergency planning provisions? A governor who does not designate a State emergency response commission becomes the commission by default. While the governor could choose not to fulfill any of the Title III provisions, the public could still request information…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Section 302 notification requirements and mixtures with unknown components

  Are facilities exempt from Section 302 notification requirements if they produce, use, or store mixtures whose extremely hazardous substance component information is not available on the MSDS provided by the manufacturer? If the facility which produces, uses, or stores mixtures knows or reasonably should know the components of the mixture…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Will applicants be evaluated on whether or not they leverage funds?

  Cost share and leveraging of non-federal funds is not a requirement of this Funding Opportunity, but if leveraging is proposed, applicants will be evaluated based on how they will obtain the leveraged resources, the likelihood the leveraging will materialize during grant performance (e.g., if they have letters of commitment), the…

  • Last published: August 5, 2024

• Is it possible to distribute the majority of project funding in Year 2 and 3?

  Yes. Applicants should commit to being able to issue its first Project RFA within one year of being selected as Principal Recipient (page 9 of the RFA), however this is not a threshold eligibility requirement. There are no specific requirements as to the timing of issuing Project RFAs and funding…

  • Last published: August 20, 2024

• Will there be a non-federal cost share or match required of grants made by the principal recipient?

  No, non-federal cost share is not required. If an applicant proposes voluntary cost share, they should carefully review section III.B on page 21, description of Supporting Materials in section IV.D on page 27, and section V.B.

  • Last published: September 5, 2024

• Will EPA conduct sampling in local parks in the Norwood community?

  EPA will sample Norwood Park because of its close proximity to the Old Norwood Dump and Norwood Landfill. There is no current information that would warrant sampling in other parks.

  • Last published: March 1, 2024

• How will the budget for year six be treated in case of a continuation of sampling past 2029?

  Sampling past 2029 will not be covered under this assistance agreement.

  • Last published: March 29, 2024