The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) was pleased to invite State and Territorial (State) RCRA hazardous waste cleanup/corrective action (hereafter referred to as “cleanup”) program staff, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters and Regional staff, other federal agency officials, and other partners to the ASTSWMO Hazardous Waste Cleanup Workshop on September 15-16, 2026 in Louisville, KY.
Agenda
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The Conference was structured to provide a forum for information-sharing and dialogue among participants. Workshop sessions, a mix of plenary and concurrent sessions, were developed with both new and more experienced cleanup program staff in mind. Concurrent sessions were geared to experience levels of cleanup program staff with Basic and Advanced tracks Plenary sessions will address issues relevant to both newer and more experienced staff.
Presentations
After 30 years of the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program, it is time to take stock of our achievements and acknowledge current and future challenges. EPA has set ambitious goals for 2030, that address cleanups and long-term stewardship of facilities. The recent focus on cleanup completion and making facilities available for redevelopment is raising questions and highlighting programmatic issues. These issues facing the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program set the stage for this workshop.
An introduction to RCRA Facility Assessments (RFAs) for new Corrective Action Project Managers.
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An overview of RCRA Corrective Action cost estimates, emphasizing the regulator's role in the process. Participants will learn a practical 12-step methodology to confidently review and validate cost estimates.
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This presentation addresses how States and EPA can move away from costly, time-consuming, and ineffective vapor intrusion (VI) indoor air exposure-point concentration assessments by following RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) guidelines to stop the further migration and dilution of contamination. This is the same approach used for contamination dissolved in groundwater, now extended to the vapors lost from groundwater plumes wherever they occur, with priority on stopping those vapors before they enter the built environment, where human exposure is inevitable.
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A discussion of hydrogeology at hazardous waste cleanup sites with a focus on vadose zone transport and groundwater flow for plume delineation.
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An introduction to RCRA Facility Investigations (RFIs) for new Corrective Action Project Managers. Key discussion topics will include “Where do I start with an RFI?” and “What important questions need to be answered by an RFI?”
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This session will explore why monitored natural attenuation (MNA) remedies can underperform, how source control affects cleanup timeframes, and how plume behavior can reveal gaps in understanding source architecture or transport pathways. It will also discuss strategies for successful MNA, including transitions from active remediation, performance monitoring, contingency planning, and adaptive management.
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EPA Region 4 staff will present approaches they have used to meet the goals of an effective long-term stewardship program.
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This presentation will cover the basics of RCRAInfo/Metabase and provide guidance on managing data entry and using these systems to accurately track and report data on RCRA Corrective Action cleanups.
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This session will explain the RCRAInfo code series CA900 and CA999. Participants will discuss challenges in determining which code to use, as well as issues in interpreting the data.
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This session will discuss the issues that arise when an owner of a RCRA treatment, storage, and/or disposal facility sells a parcel of the facility. The speaker will provide an overview of the benefits of parceling, as well as the concerns that it raises, and present some factors that program staff may consider when addressing a parceling scenario, particularly at a permitted facility. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their firsthand experiences with parceling.
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An introduction to the CMS for new Corrective Action Project Managers. Key discussion topics include the purpose of a CMS and its four steps: (1) identifying & developing Corrective Measure alternatives, (2) Evaluation of Corrective Measure alternatives, (3) justifying and recommending Corrective Measures, and (4) reporting.
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In this session, Utah and U.S. EPA will present on Corrective Action Management Units (CAMUs) at permitted facilities and contrast CAMUs with Areas of Contamination, Staging Piles, and Temporary Units. CAMUs, along with these other units, have special provisions designed to facilitate cleanups. Utah will present a case study of a recently approved CAMU at a former steel manufacturing facility.
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This session concludes the “Basic Track’s” beginning-to-end walkthrough of the Corrective Action process, covering the implementation of selected remedies and the final “completion” of hazardous waste cleanups.
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This session will discuss questions that arise as facilities cease treatment, storage, and disposal activities and seek to terminate RCRA obligations, particularly permit obligations. The EPA speaker will provide an overview of some of the questions EPA has received about ending RCRA obligations. The State speaker will discuss Georgia’s process for closing permits once Corrective Action is complete. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their experiences.
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