RCRA GROUND WATER MONITORING:

DRAFT TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

INTRODUCTION

The hazardous waste management regulations for permitted facilities (40 CFR Part

264) were promulgated in July 1982 under Subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as

amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), and the

Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). Subpart F of these regulations,

Releases From Solid Waste Management Units, sets forth performance standards for

ground water monitoring systems at permitted hazardous waste land disposal facilities. These

standards require owners and operators of land based hazardous waste management facilities

to sample and analyze ground water at specific time intervals to determine whether or not

hazardous wastes or constituents released from these facilities are contaminating ground

water.

This Manual was prepared by the Office of Solid Waste of the United States

Environmental Protection Agency ("USEPA" or "Agency") to provide guidance for

implementing the ground water monitoring regulations for regulated units contained in 40

CFR Part 264 Subpart F (hereafter referred to as "Subpart F"), and the permitting standards of

40 CFR Part 270. The Manual also provides guidance to owners and operators of treatment,

storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) that are required to comply with the requirements of

40 CFR Part 264 Subparts J (Tank Systems), K (Surface Impoundments), L (Waste Piles), N

(Landfills), and X (Miscellaneous Units). While sections of this Manual can be used as

guidance for implementation of the ground water monitoring regulations governing interim

status facilities contained in 40 CFR Part 265, the methods and procedures presented in this

Manual are designed for permitted facilities that are subject to the Part 264 regulations.

November 1992