CS/CS/HB 841 - Contaminated Sites Summary

• Defines "background concentration" as naturally occurring or anthropogenic contaminants unrelated to site discharge, and "long-term natural attenuation" as department-approved natural attenuation for more than 5 years

• Requires Department of Environmental Protection to include protocols for long-term natural attenuation in cleanup rules where site conditions warrant

• Requires consideration of interactive additive, synergistic, and antagonistic effects of contaminants when establishing cleanup criteria

• Allows use of site-specific or other relevant data and information when assessing alternative cleanup target levels; permits institutional controls to be waived if alternative cleanup levels meet specific conditions

• Revises cleanup target level application where surface waters are exposed to contaminated groundwater to use the more protective standard unless demonstrated that contaminants do not cause exceedance of surface water quality criteria

• Effective July 1, 2015