ORNLERASE - EPA REGIONAL REMOVAL MANAGEMENT LEVELS FALL 2024 THQ=3.0

The Regional Removal Management Levels (RMLs) website provides essential tools for On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) and site managers to assess the potential need for removal actions at contaminated sites. RMLs are chemical-specific concentrations applicable to contaminants in tap water, air, and soil, calculated using methodologies similar to those in the EPA's remedial program. However, RMLs focus on risk levels and exposure scenarios specific to identifying areas, contaminants, and conditions where removal authority may be appropriate.

Unlike Regional Screening Levels (RSLs), Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs), or cleanup standards mandated under Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) of CERCLA, RMLs are not intended to serve as cleanup levels. Instead, they help guide decisions on short-term removal actions based on site-specific threats. Final cleanup values must be tailored to address the unique risks at each site.

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), two types of response actions are authorized: remedial and removal. While remedial actions aim for long-term, significant risk reduction, removal actions focus on short-term stabilization or cleanup to address imminent and substantial threats to human health or the environment.

By integrating removal and remedial approaches, the EPA ensures efficient and effective management of environmental contamination, leveraging related triggers for initiating action and pursuing shared goals for site cleanup. The RMLs are a key component of this integrated strategy, facilitating timely responses to urgent environmental risks.