BBL provides information that comes from multiple Government Sources. All databases are supplied from the responsible agency, and are updated in a timely manner. The sources will change depending on the State we are working in, and too numerous to list here. Below is an example of the Databases searches in the BBL Standard and Extended reports in the State of California, if you would like a list of referenced sources for other states, please call us.

FEDERAL SOURCES

NPL National Priority List

  • EPA has prioritized sites with significant risk to human health and the environment. These sites receive remedial funding under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Conservation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

    • CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System

  • CERCLIS is a database used by the EPA to track activities conducted under the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act CERCLA (1980) and the amendment the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act SARA (1986).

    Sites to be included are identified primarily by the reporting requirements of hazardous substances Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) facilities and releases larger than specific Reportable Quantities(RQ), established by EPA.

    Using the National Oil and hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan(National Contingency Plan) the EPA set priorities for cleanup.

    The EPA rates National Contingency Plan sites according to a quantitative Hazard Ranking System (HRS) based on the potential health risk via any one or more pathways: ground water, surface water, air, direct contact, and fire/explosion.

    The EPA and state agencies seek to identify potentially responsible parties (PRP) and ultimately Responsible Parties(RP) who can be required to finance cleanup activities, either directly or through reimbursement of federal Superfund expenditures.

    • NFRAP No Further Remedial Action Planned sites (CERCLIS)

  • As of February 1995, CERCLIS sites designated 'No Further Remedial Action Planned' NFRAP have been removed from CERCLIS. NFRAP sites may be sites where, following an initial investigation, no contamination was found, contamination was removed quickly without the site being placed on the NPL, or the contamination was not serious enough to require Federal Superfund action or NPL consideration.
    EPA has removed these NFRAP sites from CERCLIS to lift unintended barriers to the redevelopment of these properties. This policy change is part of EPA's Brownfields Redevelopment Program to help cities, states, private investors and affected citizens promote economic redevelopment of unproductive urban sites.

    • FEDFAC Federal Facilities

  • As part of the CERCLA program, federal facilities with known or suspected environmental problems, the Federal Facilities Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket is tracked separately to comply with a Federal Court order.

    • ERNS Emergency Response Notification System

  • The ERNS is a national computer database used to store information on unauthorized releases of oil and hazardous substances. The program is a cooperative effort of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation Research and Special Program Administration's John Volpe National Transportation System Center and the National Response Center. There are primarily five Federal statutes that require release reporting: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) section 103; the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act(SARA) Title III Section 304; the Clean Water Act of 1972(CWA) section 311(b)(3); and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act of 1974(HMTA section 1808(b).

    • Hazardous Material Incident Report System
  • The Hazardous Material Report Incident Report Subsystem HMIRS of the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) Hazardous Material Information System was established in 1971 to fulfill the requirements of the Federal hazardous material transportation law. Part 171 of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) contains the incident reporting requirements of carriers of hazardous materials. An unintentional release of hazardous materials meeting the criteria set forth in Section 171.16, 49 CFR, must be reported on DOT Form 5800.1.
    •
    Site Enforcement Tracking System (SETS)

  • When expanding Superfund monies at a CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act) Site, EPA must conduct a search to identify parties with potential financial responsibility for remediation of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. EPA regional Superfund Waste Management Staff issue a notice letter to the potentially responsible party (PRP). The status field contains the EPA ID number and name of the site where the actual pollution occurred.

    • Enforcement Docket System (DOCKET)/Consent Decree Tracking System(CDETS)

  • DOCKET tracks civil judicial cases against environmental polluters, while CDETS processes court settlements, called consent decrees.

    • Criminal Docket System (C-DOCKET)

  • The Criminal Docket System is a comprehensive automated system for tracking criminal enforcement actions. C-Docket handles data for all environmental statues and tracks enforcement actions from the initial stages of investigations through conclusion.

    • RCRA Violators List (CORRACTS)

  • The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 provides for "cradle to grave" regulation of hazardous wastes. RCRA requires regulation of hazardous waste generators, transporters, and storage/treatment/disposal sites. Evaluation to potential violations, ranging from manifest requirements to hazardous waste discharges, is typically conducted by the US EPA. This data base is also known as Corrective Action Report (CORRACTS)

    • Federal Enforcement Dockets

  • The US EPA, Office of Enforcement, maintains a list of sites under enforcement by the US EPA.

    •  

    CALIFORNIA STATE SOURCES

    ANNUAL WORKPLAN

  • The California Health and Safety code, as amended by AB 129, requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to develop a site-specific expenditure plan as the basis for an appropriation of California Hazardous Substance Cleanup Bond Act of 1984 funds.

    The Agency is also required to update the report annually and report any significant adjustments to the Legislature on an ongoing basis. The plan identifies California hazardous waste sites targeted for cleanup by responsible parties, the California and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency over the next five years.

    • CALSITES

  • The Historical Abandoned Site Survey Program identified certain potential hazardous waste sites. The identification of these sites were generally not made via sampling and site characterization, they were made as a result of file searches and windshield surveys. Some of the sites may have had a site inspection with sampling.

    The information has been compiled into this database by the California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) in accordance with Section 25359.6 of the California Health and Safety Code.

    This database was previously known as The Abandoned Sites Program Information System ASPIS.

    • CALSITES - No Further Action

  • This section includes the sites on the Calsite list which have been flagged for no further action by the California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) in accordance with Section 25359.6 of the California Health and Safety Code.

    • Voluntary Cleanup Program
    • This category contains low threat level properties with either confirmed or unconfirmed releases and the project proponents have requested that DTSC oversee investigation and/or cleanup activities and have agreed to provide coverage for DTSC's costs.

    Properties Needing Further Evaluation
    • This category of The Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program Database (SMBRPD), contains properties that are suspected of being contaminated. These are unconfirmed contaminated properties that need to be assessed using the PEA process.

    Referred Unconfirmed Properties
    • This category of The Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program Database (SMBRPD), contains properties where contamination has not been confirmed and which were determined as not requiring direct DTSC Site Mitigation Program action or oversight. Accordingly, these sites have been referred to another state or local regulatory agency.

    School Property Evaluation Program
    • This category of The Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program Database (SMBRPD) contains proposed and existing school sites that are being evaluated by DTSC for possible hazardous materials contamination. In some cases, these properties may be listed in the CalSites category depending on the level of threat to public health and safety or the environment they pose.
    CORTESE State of California Office of Planning and Research

  • This database is a consolidation of information from various sources. It is maintained by the State Office of Planning and Research and lists potential and confirmed hazardous waste or substances sites.

    • LUST Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

  • The Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Information System is maintained by the State Water Resource Board pursuant to Section 25295 of the Health and Safety Code.

    • Solid Waste Information System
    • As legislated under the Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery Act of 1972, the California Waste Management Board maintains lists of certain facilities, i.e. Active solid waste disposal sites, Inactive or Closed solid waste disposal sites and Transfer facilities.

    Well Investigation Program
    • The Well Investigation Program (AB1803) identifies groundwater that is already contaminated and empowers the California Department of Health Services and local health officers to order ongoing monitoring programs. The focus of this program is to monitor and protect drinking water.
    WQ Drinking Water Program

  • The California Health and Safety Code section 116275-116300 stipulates that it is the intent of the Legislature to improve laws governing drinking water quality to improve upon the minimum requirements of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986, to establish primary drinking water standards that are at least as stringent as those established under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and to establish a program under this chapter that is more protective of public health than the minimum federal requirements.

    In order to provide for the orderly and efficient delivery of safe drinking water the State Department of Health Services collect information on the quality of public drinking water wells under the California Drinking Program.

    Below, the latest and maximum analysis of contaminants are reported (only positive reading are included). MCL is the Maximum Contaminant Level or enforceable drinking water standard. RPHL is the Recommended Public Health Level. Additional information is available from BBL upon request.

    •  

    REGIONAL SOURCES

    [BACK TO TOP]

    NT Toxic Releases

    • The California Regional Water Quality Control Boards or local Department of Health Services keeps track of toxic releases to the environment. These lists are known as Unauthorized Releases, Spill, Leaks, Investigations and Cleanups (SLIC), Non-Tank Releases, Toxics List or similar, depending on the local agency.

    TPC Toxic Pits

    • The Toxic Pits Clean-Up Act (Katz Bill)places strict limitations on the discharge of liquid hazardous wastes into surface impoundments, toxic ponds, pits and lagoons. Regional Water Quality Control Boards are required to inspect all surface impoundments annually, in addition, every facility was required to file a Hydrogeological Assessment Report. Recent legislation allows the Department of Health Services to exempt facilities that closed on or before December 31, 1985, if a showing is made that no significant environmental risk remains (AB1046).

    • Special exemption provisions have been created for surface impoundments that receive mining wastes.

    SWAT(R) Solid Waste Assessment Test - Regional

    • This program, provided for under the Calderon legislation (Section 13273 of the Water Code), requires that disposal sites with more than 50,000 cubic yards of waste provide sufficient information to the regional water quality control board to determine whether or not the site has discharged hazardous substances which will impact the environment.

    • Site operators are required to file Solid Waste Assessment Test reports on a staggered basis. Operators of the 150 highest ranking (Rank 1) sites were required to submit Solid Waste Assessment Tests by July 1, 1987, Rank 2 in 1988 and so on.

    • Operators submit water quality tests to the Regional Water Quality Control Board, describing surface and groundwater quality and supply; and the geology within 1 mile of the site. Air quality tests are submitted to the local Air Quality Management District or Air Pollution Control District.

    • This program is currently not funded.

     

    OPERATING PERMITS

    [BACK TO TOP]
    NOTE

    Various agencies issue operating permits or regulate the handling, movements, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and require mandatory reporting. The inclusion in this section does not imply that an environmental problem exists presently or has in the past.

    RCRA-G Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System - Generators

    • The Environmental Protection Agency regulates generators of hazardous material through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). All hazardous waste generators are required to notify EPA of their existence by submitting the Federal Notification of Regulated Waste Activity Form (EPA Form 8700-12) or a state equivalent form. The notification form provides basic identification information and specific waste activities.

    RCRA-D Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System

    • The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous material through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). All hazardous waste TSD facilities are required to notify EPA of their existence by submitting the Federal Notification of Regulated Waste Activity Form (EPA Form 8700-12) or a state equivalent form as well as part A (EPA form 8700-23) and Part B of their Hazardous Waste Permit Application.

    SARA

    • SARA Title III, section 313 (TRIS) Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, Section 313, also known as Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 requires owners or operators of facilities with more than 10 employees and are listed under Standard Industrial Classification(SIC) Codes 20 through 39 to report the manufacturing, processing or use of more than a threshold of certain chemical or chemical categories listed under section 313. This data base is also known as Toxic Release Information System (TRIS).

    Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licensees

    • The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards has been mandated (10 CFR Ch 1.42) to protect the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment by licensing, inspection, and environmental impact assessment for all nuclear facilities and activities, and for the import and export of special nuclear material.

    PCB Waste Handlers Database

    • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tracks generators, transporters, commercial stores and/or brokers and disposers of PCB's in accordance with the Toxic Substance Control Act.

    PCS Permit Compliance System

    • PCS is a database which contains data on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit holding facilities. PCS was developed by The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to meet the information needs of the NPDES program under the Clean Water Act. PCS tracks permit, compliance, and enforcement states of NPDES facilities.

    AFS AIRS Facility System

    • AFS contains emissions and compliance data on air pollution point sources tracked by the U.S. EPA and state and local environmental regulatory agencies. There are seven "criteria pollutants" for which data must be reported to EPA and stored in AIRS: PM10 (particulate matters less than 10 microns in size), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, reactive volatile organic compounds (VOC), and ozone.

    • AFS replaces the former Compliance Data System (CDS), the National Emission Data System (NEDS), and the Storage and Retrieval of Aeromatic Data (SAROAD).

    PE Section Seven Tracking System (SSTS)

    • SSTS evolved from the FIFRA and TSCA Enforcement System (FATES). SSTS tracks the registration of all pesticide producing establishments and tracks annually the types and amounts of pesticides, active ingredients, and devices that are produced, sold or distributed each year.

    FIFRA/TSCA Tracking System/ National Compliance Database (FTTS/NCDB)

    • NCDB supports implementation of the Federal Insecticide, Funguside and Rodenticide Control Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA).

    Federal Facilities Information System (FFIS)

    • Federal Facilities Information System (FFIS) contains a list of all Treatment Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSD’s) owned and operated by federal agencies.

    Chemicals in Commerce Information System (CICIS)

    • Chemicals in Commerce Information System contains an inventory of chemicals manufactured in commerce or imported for Toxic Substances Control Act regulated commercial purposes. CICIS allows EPA to maintain a comprehensive listing of over 70,000 chemical substances that are manufactured or imported and are regulated under TSCA.

    FINDS EPA Facility Index System

    • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains an index system of all facilities which are regulated or have been assigned an identification number for other purposes.

    HWIS Hazardous Waste Information System

    • The Department of Toxic Substance Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, maintains a a data base keeping track of the movement and disposal of hazardous waste. The data is used to support the Tanner legislation, AB 2948.

    UST Permitted Underground Storage Tanks

    • The Corteses Bill (AB2013), enacted in 1983, required registration of all underground storage tanks (UST) with the State Water Quality Control Board by July 1, 1984. About 176,000 tanks and surface impounds were registered between 1984 and 1987. An amendment (AB 1413) was passed in 1987, effectively removing the State Board from the registration process starting January 1, 1988. The data reflects the information collected by the state between 1984 and 1987 as well as recent time and includes all tanks and surface impounds in use or closed after 1974.

    • Home and farm heating fuel tanks with capacities of 1,100 gallons or less and "structures such as sumps, separators, storm drains, catch basins, oil field gathering lines, refinery pipelines, lagoons, evaporation ponds, well cellars, separation sumps, lined and unlined pits, sumps and lagoons" except those defined as UST under HSWA or may be regulated to protect water quality under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act are excluded.