--.--;.-..,.~ - - · .. ./<,.' ~~ii..uitl:J '· . .n.'· ~'IJJ~ I ~~ { · $&>-81.(s) "J)....,,UNITED 51 . IES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECl",QN AGENCY.._

WASHINGTON . 0 C 0'0.:5:·

-1"""­NI-Yrs t0 'll

APR 3 0 1981 THI: A0MI N ISTRAT0 111 .

Honorable J. Jostph Garrahy &ovtrnor of Rhode Island Provtdtnco, Rl 02903

De1r Governor:

'l'tlh h fn rtsponse to Mr . W. Edward Wood's letter of f'lbru~ry 16, 1981 to Mr. Wfllta• R. Aduls, Jr , fo,_r Envfrorwntal Protection Agoncy (EPA) Roglonot Aatnhtrotor, EPA Roglon 1. 1 •• plHHd to lnforo YIMI of tile EPA's ..lslon tllot oxponsu lncul'rH by

c~:e::':::~.f:.:o:~:~ ::~:: ~~:~b~: ::.~~~~::r.::~. cost llllrlng rosponslbftltlos undor tilt Co.prtflonstvo Envl-ntlt

.::) .._,., Co.ptnsltlon, and Lllllfllt,y Act of 1980, "Soporfund."

Enclosed pluso find """ dllc:-nt• dotlltlng tllo spoclflc cOMitlons tllot tilt Stltl •st fulff11 to han tlltst sitos olfglblo for cost llflorlng. Funds oxpondtd ot Hell slto ttY bo credited -rds tilt ton porcont s~aro only at tllot slto.

J support your concern over the dlngers assocflttd wfth these sttes and approcflte your lnftfatfve In controlling tlltst ~ozards .

Sincerely yours, .,_,..... ... w,11 r.~~>ar'llll'

Walter C. Barber Actfng Adlllfnfstrator

Enclosures

cc : Ltslfe Carothers, Acting Regional A-.tnfstrator " Roglon I

Mr . W. Edward Wood

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l , LETTER OF ASSURANCE

Sectfon 104(c)( 3) of the Co111prehensfve Envfron111ental Responu , Co11penutton, and lhbt11ty Act of 1980 (the •Act•) (Public La" 96-510) provides that no re• edhl actton will be taken pursuant to Section 104 of the Act unless, tnter alh, the State wfll pay or assure pay111ent of 10 percent of the costs of the reudhl action , fncludtng all future •atntenanc:e. The

!!:!•(~:.~~~~.! j ~a n~h! ·~~~~! ~: st~::.: ~ ~!~" t~! t t~:.S•l th ff el d Envfron•ental Protection Agency (EPA) under tts delegated authority, assure tt that the upenus ft wfll tncur wtll be

~!~t·:~e .~;w~::~~~:, S!~~~~~ ~~k::r~;n~h:r s1~:~t~; ::::~.~~ ,!~:s are subuquently provtded for the proJect .

EPA has dettr•fned that the purposes of the Act would be nrud by upedftious actfon by the State . Therefore , EPA wfll recognfze the el fgfbfl fty of the rusonable costs of the re•edfll actfon under Sectton 104 at the sfte ff the condftfons described below are 11et.

Conditions

1. The State lUSt Obtlfn written £PA per•tnfon fro• the Rtgtonel Project Offfctr (RPO) to fncur the costs tn question before tlli:tng the ect1on . The project •ust be sublftted to the RPO for revtew prtor to co••ence1ent of wort. The RPO wtlt 111111 confor•ance of the project wfth stltutory requtre1ents tn accord1nce wfth gufde11nes tssued by £PA HetdqUirters. Jf the RPO epproves the project, wort 11y proceed.

2. The Stitt ' s ICtfon •ust confor11 to the epproved phn. The RPO wt11 revhw the co•pleted wort for confor1tty wtth the approved plan. Only those expenses tncurrtd pursUint to the lpproved plan will be recognized toward the State's share of the re•edhl cost It that stte.

Jn dfsch1rgtng hfs responsfbflftfu under the above fteftls, the RPO sh1l1 keep the Regional Response Ttlfft fully tnfor11ed sfnce the project ••Y btco111e 1 project under the Act.

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3. The State must enter into a cooperathe agrHIItnt wtth EPA which meets al 1 statutory requirements of Section 104 . Section 104(d)(l) requires EPA, prior to executing such an agreement , to determine that the Stau 1s capable of performing th actions 1t wfll undertake; and, fn the case of re111oval and reMedial actions , that the response actions are fn accordance with the National Contingency Plan. Since the State will have already begun lor even completed) remedtal actfon whtch fs the subject of this letter before an agreement 1s executed, EPA's review and approval of the pre ~ agreement actfon wtll constitute a dettr-mtnatfon that the State fs capable of performing the Sectton 104 action, and that the work statement ts fn accordance wfth the National Contingency Plan.

EPA's regulations (40 CFR 30.345-4) would prohfbft the State fro111 incurring costs prior to the execution of the cooperutve tgreement . A dnfation hu been obtafned from this provtsion for the lt•ited purpose of taktng re11edhl tction 1t the S•tthfhld site . The other general grant requtre•ents contained tn 40 CFR Part 30 w111 apply to the State's prt-1gree111ent action .

4. Money fn the trust" fund •ust be appropriated for the purpose of response actions and EPA •ust •ake Federal funds uofhble for the project. EPA h prohfbfted fro• obl fgotfng funds tn advance of an approprhtfon . Under the Act, taxes are t•posed on certain feedstocks end deposited tn the Heurdous SUbstuce Responst Fund . Money tn the Fund ctnnot be uud for re•tdhl acttons unttl approprhted in the aggregate for such purposes. Funding for the project cannot take place unttl the projtct appttrs on the National Lfst of Prtortty Sttes and the Stitt provides the stltutory essurances concerning future •atntenance, avafhbfltty of 1 hazardous weste •anage•ent hctltty (where nectsnry), and p•y•ent of the State's share of costs . Expenses wtll be recognized toward the State's sharr only when funds are eppropr1ated.

Nefther thh letter nor EPA's prelt•fnary eppronl of the Stitt's tctfon or the cost thereof obltgttes EPA to Make any pay•ent for purposes of the Act .

If you tlave any questfons concerning these tens , pleue contlct Michael B. Cook, Oeputy Asststlnt Ad•fnistrator, Office of Hazardous E•ergency Response at 1202) 382-2180 .

-c­--·walter c. Barber Acting Administrator