What Does
National Priority List Mean?
The National Priority List (NPL) catalogs sites in the United States and its territories that are at risk from known or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates the list each year to include the most serious, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. Sites on the list are deemed to require further investigation to assess the nature and extent of the risk to the public and the environment.
Unless a site is listed on the NPL, it is not eligible to receive remedial intervention from the Superfund.
Safeopedia Explains National Priority List
The National Priority List is Appendix B of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (“NCP”) and it is a requirement under section 105(a)(8)(B) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The section defines the NPL as a list of releases and the highest priority facilities and requires annual revision.
The NPL has two sections:
- A list of sites that get a general evaluation and are to be cleaned up by the EPA
- A list of sites overseen by other federal agencies
Each federal agency is responsible for sites under its jurisdiction that require response action. However, the EPA is responsible for preparing a Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score and determining if the facility must be placed on the NPL.
The three mechanisms for placing sites on the NPL according to 40 CFR 300.425(c) of the NCP are:
- Scoring high enough on the HRS: A site can be included in the NPL if it has a minimum score of 28.5 on the HRS.
- Designation by states: Each state can designate a single site as top priority and have it be listed on the NPL without an HRS score.
- Certain sites can be listed on the NPL with an HRS score below 28.5, provided:
- A health advisory has been issued by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recommending individuals to dissociate from the release.
- The EPA has determined that public health will be affected by the release.
- The EPA anticipates that using remedial authority to respond to the release will be more cost-effective than using removal authority.
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