Site Assessment and Cleanup Programs for Contaminated Sites

The HEER Office’s Site Discovery and Response (SDAR) Section protects human health and the environment by identifying, investigating, and remediating sites contaminated with hazardous substances (non-emergency site investigations and cleanup).  The SDAR staff is composed of Remediation Project Managers (RPM) that oversee investigations/cleanups at sites in one or a number of these programs:

Programs

• Site Discovery Program – identifies and assesses sites that are contaminated or potentially contaminated, and managed under HEER Office jurisdiction.  Discovery of sites may occur from various initiatives including:
  • Targeted sampling of suspect contaminated sites to determine presence or absence of significant contamination
  • Assessment and site inspection funded by and coordinated with USEPA under the federal CERCLA program
  • Investigations of public or media reports regarding hazardous substances
  • Follow-up on referrals from other government agencies
• State Sites Program – includes sites managed under an existing agreement or by voluntary cooperation with the HEER Office.  These generally include non-military sites, initiated by non-emergency release reporting or by referral from the Site Discovery Program, where levels of contamination are being assessed or cleaned-up to address applicable Environmental Action Levels.  This program primarily includes sites where the responsible party voluntarily cooperates with HEER Office oversight, but either may not be eligible or not interested in the requirements necessary under Fast Track Cleanups or the Voluntary Response Program (described below).
• Fast Track Cleanups (FTC) – enables landowners and other private parties to conduct a voluntary assessment or cleanup under a simple agreement with HDOH.  The focus of FTC is to streamline and expedite site closure at low and medium priority removal action sites.
• Voluntary Response Program (VRP) – is a voluntary assessment and cleanup program intended to address a wide range of site conditions, contamination, and property transactions.  In some cases, successful completion of the VRP can include an exemption from future liability.
• Brownfields Redevelopment Program – is supported by and reflects the goals of the national brownfields program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The program facilitates assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of contaminated property.
• Department of Defense State Memorandum of Agreement (DSMOA) Program – is a formal agreement whereby the HEER Office provides oversight for assessments and cleanups of Department of Defense (DoD) sites. The agreement includes DoD funding to support several HEER Office RPM positions.

Tools and References

• HEER Office Report Review Worksheet – is a tool intended to be used by the HEER RPM for reviewing and evaluating reports.  This tool can also be used by preparers of reports as a checklist to ensure that the report sufficiently fulfills investigation/cleanup guidance presented in the HEER Technical Guidance Manual.

Office of Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response
State of Hawai‘i Department of Health
919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 206
Honolulu, HI 96814

Webpage maintained by Marsha Mealey