Superfund: Remedial Design / Remedial Action
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.Remedial design (RD) is the phase in Superfund site cleanup where the technical specifications for cleanup remedies and technologies are designed. Remedial action (RA) follows the remedial design phase. It involves the actual construction or implementation phase of Superfund site cleanup. The RD/RA is based on the specifications described in the Record of Decision (ROD). All new fund-financed remedies are reviewed by EPA’s National Risk-Based Priority Panel.
- Remedial Design/Remedial Action Handbook
This handbook provides remedial project managers (RPMs) with an overview of the RD and RA processes. The handbook is designed for RPMs new to RD/RA projects as well as RPMs with significant RD/RA experience. It should be most useful at federal-lead sites where the Superfund Trust Fund is financing the RD or RA. The management principles outlined in the handbook, however, apply generally to all sites.The handbook focuses on how RPMs can use project management principles to implement selected remedies in accordance with a site’s ROD. It is not a conventional engineering manual. It is a general reference document for issues that come up during the RD/RA process.
- Remedial Design/Remedial Action Handbook (June 1995) (PDF)(298 pp, 23 MB)
- Value Engineering
Value engineering (VE) is a specialized cost-control technique. It uses a systematic and creative approach to identify and reduce unjustifiably high project costs without sacrificing reliability or efficiency.
- Value Engineering Fact Sheet (November 2005) (PDF)(2 pp, 70 K)
- Value Engineering Directive (April 2006) (PDF)(4 pp, 264 K)
- Health & Safety
The complexity of site cleanup activities and coordination among the many parties involved can make it challenging to administer a health and safety program. To implement an effective, well-coordinated program, all participants must be made aware of each party’s health and safety roles and responsibilities.
RD/RA Topics on this page:
- Remedial Design and Remedial Action
- RD/RA Resources: Superfund State Contracts
- RD/RA Resources: Potentially Responsible Parties
- RD/RA Resources: USACE
- National Risk-Based Priority Panel
To access the documents listed on this page, please use the document search tool below. Searching by document title or Superfund terms will generate a table of relevant results.
Note: Not all documents may be available at this time. EPA continues to update its website to enhance public access to Superfund-related information.
Remedial Design and Remedial Action
Remedial design (RD) is the phase in Superfund site cleanup where the technical specifications for cleanup remedies and technologies are designed.Remedial action (RA) follows the remedial design phase. It involves the actual construction or implementation phase of Superfund site cleanup. The RD/RA is based on the specifications described in the Record of Decision (ROD).
- Guidance on Expediting Remedial Design and Remedial Action: (August 1990) (PDF)(32 pp, 1.7 MB)
- Guidance for Scoping the Remedial Design (March 1995) (PDF)(198 pp, 2.9 MB)
- Policy on Siting Temporary Areas for Handling Contaminated Waste from Superfund Remedial Cleanups (March 2010) (PDF)(2 pp, 584 K)
- Contractor Signing of Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifests for Materials Leaving a Superfund Site (February 1989) (PDF)(4 pp, 192 K)
- Emergency Responders Agreements for Fund-Lead Remedial Actions (March 1994) (PDF)(4 pp, 293 K)
- Permits and Permit "Equivalency" Processes for CERCLA On-site Response Actions (February 1992) (PDF)(7 pp, 44 K)
RD/RA Resources: Superfund State Contracts
Superfund State Contracts (SSCs) are required at sites where remedial actions will be fund-financed. For more information see the final rule issued by EPA entitled Cooperative Agreements and Superfund State Contracts for Superfund Response Actions (PDF) (27 pp, 478 K). Here you will find RD/RA information related to SSCs.
- Issuance of 2015 Model Superfund State Contract Provisions: OSWER- 9242.3-18 (November 2015) (PDF)(6 pp, 1.3 MB)
- Superfund State Contract Model Provisions (.DOCX)(38 pp, 70 K, November 2015, OSWER- 9242.3-18)
- Model Superfund State Contract Provisions- Questions and Answers (April 2016) (PDF)(8 pp, 560 K)
- Post Construction Completion Considerations in Superfund State Contracts (August 2008) (PDF)(9 pp, 2.3 MB)
- Updated Statement of National Capacity Language for Superfund State Contracts Memo (March 2015) (PDF)(5 pp, 854 K)
- Statement of Capacity Assurance in State Superfund Agreements Memo (July 2009) (PDF) (3 pp, 886 K)
RD/RA Resources: Potentially Responsible Parties
This category includes document related to the remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) phase of site work, with a focus on potentially responsible parties (PRPs) conducting the cleanup.
- 2014 Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) Consent Decree (CD) and new 2014 RD/RA Statement of Work (SOW)
- EPA Oversight of Remedial Designs and Remedial Actions Performed by Potentially Responsible Parties Fact Sheet (February 1990) (PDF) (8 pp, 677 K)
- EPA Oversight of Remedial Designs and Remedial Actions Performed by Potentially Responsible Parties - Interim Final (April 1990) (PDF) (55 pp, 2.8 MB)
- Model Unilateral Administrative Order for Remedial Design and Remedial Action Under Section 106 of CERCLA OSWER 9833.0-2(b), March 1990
RD/RA Resources: US Army Corps of Engineers
This category includes a documents related to the remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) phase of site work, with a focus on working with USACE when conducting the cleanup.
- EPA/USACE Payment Process: Direct Cite/Revised Reimbursement Methods (May 1990) (PDF)(4 pp, 373 K)
- Procedure for Use of USACE Preplaced Contracts to Expedite Superfund Cleanup Tasks (April 1994) (PDF)(4 pp, 332 K)
- Real Estate Acquisition Procedures for USACE Projects (February 1990) (PDF)(6 pp, 380 K)
National Risk-Based Priority Panel
In August 1995, EPA established a National Risk-Based Priority Panel of program experts to evaluate the risk at National Priorities List sites with respect to human health and the environment. The Agency uses these evaluations to establish funding priorities for all new cleanup construction projects in the Superfund program. This national approach is intended as a way for each Region to list its priority projects and rank these projects against priority projects from other Regions, ensuring that scarce resources are allocated to the projects posing the most risk to human health and the environment.
For more information, go to: Superfund National Risk-Based Priority Panel