Thomas Adaaas • • u* i3* *ECM lal-'oso*Eacry and Concinurfd Access Vader CSRCLA
c';r.:_r.-dd iccdss :o facilities by E?A of:"tc*rs, ea?loyees* and ra?r«3*rtci:iv3s :;r :-*pur?:*«* ot response and civil enforieatenc accivicies under CERCLA. la shars. 3.*.*?:1U:-' r«coT.*,ends cha E?A should, in cae first inscanct, saalc co obcair. ac:2 = s :-.r:!irr.^ :r. a « r. c .
'.This memorandum sets forth SPA's policy on entry and •-continued access to facilities by EPA officers, employees, andrepresentatives for the purposes of response and -civil enforce-ment -activities under CERCLA. II tn short, the policy recommendschat EPA should, in the first Tnstance, seek .to obtain, accessthrough consent. Entry on consent is preferable across the. fullrange of onsite activities. . If consent' is denied, EPA shoulduse judicial process or an administrative order co gain access.The appropriate type of.judicial process varies depending onthe nature.of the onsite activity. When entry is needed forshort-term and non-intrusive activities, an ex parte; judicial.warrant should be-sought. In situations involving long-terra orintrusive access, EPA should generally file suit to obtain acourt-order.. ' • : . - . . . - • . - ' . . , ' ; , ' . ; - . ' " ' , ' . ' • ' •
;The memorandum1s first section addresses- the recently amendedaccess provision j.n CERCLA. The-memorandum then :secs forth EPApolicy on obtaining'entry and the procedures- which should :beused;to implement this policy, including separate discussions onconsent, warrants, court orders, and administrative orders.
I/ This policy does not address information requests under"" Section 104(e)(2). ' ; i : '. l- - '
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::. STATUTORY AUTHORITY
i?A p.eeds access ;o priva-e property co conduce: -.or.s , s --.ic-ies , and cleanups. • the Suoerf und Anendireass andRed-: •. :r .is.- i. ; -. Act of '^36 : . SAXAj explicitly' gr«"s i?A 2. :r.eaccrue".-/ co enter. rop«rty for each o; tnese purposes. lector.• • - , ± • ' 1 ' provides :'"ac encry^Ls perniicsd :"or "determining cr.er.eeo cor response, or cr.oosini or :aki;ig any re'spons* accton-i.-.Je'r tiii ciile, or ocrmrwii* enfari :r.i t".« ~r :v! 5 . :-.3 :: :.-.'.::i:le." - ' *
SARA also establishes a standard for when access may besought and defines what property siay be entered. EPA may exerciseLea entry authority "if chere is a reasonable basis to believecadre may be a release or threat of a release of a hazardoussubstance or pollutant or contaminant." S 104(e)(1). SARA,however, does not require chat chere be a release or threatenedrelease on the property co be entered. ]J Places and propertiessubject co entry under Section I04(e) incluue any place anytidzariious substance may be or has been generated, scored, created,disposed of, or cransporced from; any place a hazardous substancehas or nay have been released; any place which is or may bethreatened by the release of a hazardous substance; or any placewhere entry is needed to determine the need for response or cheappropriate response, or to effectuate a response.action underCERCLA.. S 104(e)(3). EPA is also authorized to enter any placeor property adjacent to the places and properties described inche'previous sentence. S 104(e)(1).
EPA is granted explicit, power to enforce, its entry authorityin Section I04(e)(5). Under- that provision EPA may either issuean administrative order directing compliance with an entry requestor proceed immediately to federal district court for injunctiverelief. Orders may be issued where consent to entry is denied.Prior to the effective date of che order, EPA oust provide suchnocice and opportunity for consultation as is reasonably appro-priate under the circumstances. If EPA issues an order, theorder can be enforced in court. Where chere .is a "reasonablebasis to believe there may be a release or threat of a release oc*a hazardous substance or pollutant or contaminant," courts areinstructed to enforce an EPA request or order unless che EPA
II. Although CERCLA and SARA confer authority upon che Presidentchat authority has been delegated to the EPA Administrator.
Exec. Order No. 12580, $ 2(g) and (i), 52 Fed, Reg. 1923 (1937).
3/ The House Energy and Commerce bill at one point containedthis limitation. H.R. Rep. No. 99*253 Part 1, 99th Cong,. isc
Sess., 158 (1985), This limitation, however, was dropped prior cointroduction of the bill for floor debate. See H.R. 2817. 99ch
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- 3 - " "
"ut^ar.j :or encry or lr.$pec:i.2r. L$ arbitrary -and capricious ... ani?:-s<2 :: Jiscrecton, or.5cr-.erwi.se noc in accordance -vl-h law.""< !0-^e;i,5). The legislative ^scory'-sakes clear that'.CO\.T: jsnouLd -e-rrrce in 't?A 'demand or orier for entry is EPA's firv-iip.a:".ac c-.er* i» -i r^-iionaple 343 ;s to relieve chere 'uav'be * releaseor- c.Treac o: release Is noc iriiwrary ar.c capricious'. ^32 Cor.a,!Uc. 61,929 (October 3. i?i6) Scarerr.erft of Sen, Thurnoncj; *32-:r. ; He:. K9332 'CvCtoaer 3. '* so) •'Statement '^f Hep. u1.ii<T;ain, .
»ash. November 3, 193oTI Ln acai-lon, a penalty not • co exceed*""S25,OuO/day ^»ay be assessed by .che :courc for failure co complvwich an EPA order or che previsions of subsection (eK :
Finally, Seccion 104(e).(6) contains a. savings provisionwhich preserves EPA's power co secure access in "any lawfulmanner." This broad savings provision is significant comingin che wake of che Supreme Court's holding that:
When Congress invests an agency wich enforce-ment and investigatory authority, it is notnecessary to identify explicitly each and everytechnique that nay .bt used in, ch'e course ofexecuting the statutory mission. '•-• ' .
, ... -.Regulatory or enforcement authority 'generally carries wich it ail che modes ofinquiry and invescigacion traditionally employedor useful co execute .che authority granted.'
Dow Chemical Co. v. Uniced Scaces.•'•-.90 L.E'd. 2d 226. 234 (1986). 4/One lawful means of gaining access covered by chis paragraph is ~use of judicially-issued warrancs. Sji_e S. Rep. Mo. 99-11, 99chCong. Isc Sess. 26 (1985). ; c : : > ; : ....
In numerous inscances prior co che pass-age of SARA, EPA.obtained court rulings affirming its .authority Co encer propertyco conduct CERCLA activities. / Following enactment of SARA,
4/ "See also, Mobil' Oil Corp. v. EPA, 716 F,2d .M87.; I189-<7ch~" CTr.lTg'a) , cert, denied .' 4661TS. 980 ,(1984) (EPA authorityco sample effluent under Section 308 of che Clean Wacer Actbroadly construed) ; CEDs. Inc. v. EPA, 745 F.2d 1092 (7ch Cir.1984) , cert.t denied. A71 .U.S. 1015"7T985) . ,- ..-. - :5/ United -States v. Pepper Steel and Alloy. Inc.. .No. 83-1717-
C1V-EPS. CS.-D. .Fla. October IQ . :l9db) ;-rBunker Limited -ParcnerahLv. United States'. No. 8SO133 :(D.'::Idaho October 21 .;• 1985); U'niceoStates v. Coleman Evans Wood- Preserving Co.. Wo. 85-211-CIV-J-16(MtQ. Fla* June 1Q/ 1985) ; United States v. Baird & McCuire -,Co. No. S3-3002-Y (D-. Mass, May 2, 1965); Uniced Scaces v*'Tuclear Cor?. , Z2 £RC 1791, -15 £-A 20443 (D.NT.;i. Apri* ^ 3, " ? i 3 )
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several courts have or:sra-- 3 i-zeovr.ers :o penic -?A access.'.'-1. icec 3caces v. Long. No. •:-L-i 7-L6 7 .;5."). Ohio Xay '3. L^7,,"Jr. i ted States v. gicaerson. :io. i-*-7o-VAL (M.j. Ca.'"av •*, 1 9 3 7 - ;L'ntced 5 : aces v. S:ar.?arc £cui?~enc, Inc. , No . C^ J - 2 5 2 :•! -v *'. j."dsr..Nov. J~ ' HT"~!rircher .':he one au/erse r^lina. on'£?A'srii-: or 'Ucea.s -ias bear, /acize-i by'zlie Supreme Cour:. Outac-irJ"arir.e Corg. v. Thosas . "3 r". : J 3 d 3 ; ? t h; C i r. '985), vacacec.—T3 !T! id . TJ •:-#5 ~! i 3^: ' . ' • ——————'
tit. £?A .-\CCE55 POLIC't
EPA needs access co sices :or several cypes of accivicies,inciauing:
9 preliminary sice inveacigacions;
a removal accions;
3 KI/?5s; and . •
3 remedial accions.
Within each of these cacegories, che scope of che work and checime needed co complete thac work may vary substantially. .Thisme-rioranauin sets Agency policy on what means should be used togain access over the range of these various activities.
• EPA may seek access through consent, warrant, administrativeorder, or court order. Consent is che .preferred means of gainingaccess for ail accivicies because ic is consiscenc .wich EPA policyof seeking voluncary cooperacion from responsible parties andche public. In certain circumstances, however, the Region shouldconsider obcaining judicial auchorizacion or issuing an admini-strative order in addicion co obcaining consent. For example,where uncertainty exists whether a siteowner will continue copenic access over an extended period, reliance on consent alonemay result in a substantial delay if chac consenc is withdrawn.
When consenc is denied, EPA should seek Judicial auchori-zacion or should issue an adminiscracive order. If che judicialrouce is chosen', EPA may seek an ejc parce warrant or a courtorder. Warrants are traditionally granced for shorc-cerm entries.Generally, warrants should noc be used when che EPA access willinvolve long-term occupation or highly intrusive accivicies.Clearly, warrancs are appropriate cor preliminary sice invesciga-cions. On che other hand, because of che long, involved nacureof remedial accions, access for such projeccs should be soughtchrough a requesc for a court order. Neither removals nor lU/FSs.however, can be rigidly matched with a given judicial accessprocedure. Depending on the activities co be undertaken and thecircumscances at che sice, either a warrant or a court order maybe appropriate.
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In deciding whecher 10 use a warrant o.r a court order vhe-iccess i..s needed for a removal or co conduce a *U, '•'?$,- che foLlow-Ln^ ier.*rdl principles should oe considered,- ~ JTirsc, -i; cheAcsi-vttv wtCl take Longer chan oO davs a courc order normally is
3*c.'jna, -jven '.; 'hi Activity v;.:. -a(Ce less :.-.kr. :0...lays, whe:: ;-.«2 «r.:ry invjlvii removal j: larg* -^uancicies o: sc,lor cesccuctton oc permanent .fixtures, a 'courc order may again se•ipb.rcuriiee. "Li-.ai.Ly , '' varranzs snoula not a« '-iseu is- fe?A *c"i.o-. .accivicies. .these issues muse be resolved, on a cas«-oy-case basis.
; Ic EPA, needs co gain access for a responsible parcy who hasagreed co undertake cleanup activities under an administrativeorder or judicial decree, EPA may, in appropriate circumstances,uesigriace che responsible party as EPA's authorized representativesolely for the purpose of access, and exercise the aucnoriciesconcained in Section 104(e) on behalf of. Che responsible party.Such a procedure nay only be used where che responsible partydemonstrates co EPA's-satisfaccion chat i*c has made-best effortsco obtain access. A further condition on che use of this- procedureis chac che responsible party agree co indemnify and hold harmlessEPA and che United Scates for all claims relaced to injuries, anddamages caused by aces or omissions of che responsible parcy.The responsible party should also be advised 'that the expensesincurred by the government in .gaining access for the responsible-party are response costs for which the responsible party is liable.•Before designating any responsible' party as an auchorized repre-sentative, che Region should consult wich- che Office of Enforcementand Compliance .Monitoring. , .-.--'-.-IV. ACCESS PROCEDURES . ' ' -
A. Entry on Consenc.1. General Procedures .',- , :
The following procedures should be observed in seekingconsenct -, • , - . :*.,. t - • _ : - . _ , , . / , . . - ^ . - ^ - ' '",'....
•Initial Concacc. Prior to visicing a^site,^EPA personnel 6/should consider contacting the siteowner-co ;decermine if ""consenc will be forthcoming. EPA personnel "should use thisopporcunity to explain EPA s access auchority, che purposefor which entry is needed, and the accivicies ..which will beconducted. ,. I -' ',~ '.' ' -- " -.1 '^..\-. ""
6,7 As used in this guidance, the terra "EPA. personnel" includes~~ concraccors acting as EPA's authorized representacivesi.
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Arrival. EPA per-sor.r.el should arrive at the sic^ at areasonable- time of :ay uncer the ci rcu.r.sc-inces . In r.os:ins tances this will ~<3rip. --rtr.^ nor-.al working hours. *r.*n"here ia i demonstrable nae-i c^ enter a s'i:e it other -i-.eshowever. arri.-.!.. ne^-- n.oc.?e LI-:;. tec to this t im-»:?ra.7.«.i.Ttry :._ • : ~-i r-i =s : nab Id a I van tr.« eti^enci^s oc ~n* 3 it -at
Iter.c if i jacion^ i?.-. p 5 rs •;?.-* = I shrv.l- ;how jr(>'j*r Lc's^t if*. -". -ip 3r. arrival.
Request for Encrv, In asking tor consent, EPA personnelshould state che purpose cor which encry is sought anddescribe che accivicies co be conducted. EPA personnelshould also present a dace-scalped wriccen requesc ca theowner or person-in-charge. A copy of- this request shouldbe retained by SPA. Ccnsenc to encry must be soughtfrom che owner TJ or the person-in-charge ac chac time.
If practicable under che circumscances , consenc co entryshould be memorialized in writing. A' sample consenc form isattached. Although oral consents are routinely approved by checourts, a signed consenc forra protects the Agency by serving asa permanent record of a transaction which may be raised as adefense or in a claim for damages many years lacer. 1C a sice-owner is unwilling co sign a consenc form but nonetheless orallyagrees co allow access,. EPA should document this oral consenc bya to I low-up leccer confirming che consenc.
Since EPA contractors often are involved in gaining accessin che first inscance, che Regions should ensure chat cheircontractors are acquainted wich these procedures.
2. Denial of Entry
If consenc is denied, EPA personnel or contractors, beforeleaving, sinld actampc co determine che grounds for the denial.EPA personnel, however, should noc chreacen che siceowner wicnpenalties or ocher monetary liability or make any ocher remarkswhich could be construed as threatening. EPA personnel nayexplain EPA's statutory access authority, che grounds upon whichchis authority may be exercised, and chac che authority may beenforced in court.
TJ It" EPA's planned sice activities will noc have a physicalet'fect on che property, bPA generally need noc seek, consenc
from che owner of leased propercy where che lessee is in pos-session. .The proper person in chose circumstances is che lesseeBut where EPA entry will have a substantial physical effect onche property, boch che lessee and che property-owner should beconcacced since in chis inscance interests of boch will beinvolved.
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• x w . < _.7.K Conditions Vpon Entry ^
r'irsons on whose property EPA wishes to encer often attemptt3 place -: j? : i: ions !;pon entry. 'EPA personnel snoulj noc azreeto cop.witions whiun restrict or iropede tne^manner or " extent" jf ininspect. jn or response action, impose Indemnity or compensator-/y- Li-idt ions on E?A.. or operace «s a release oc* liabtltc'y. Thei.rpositi^r. of conditions of tnis nature on entry snc-:ld'bi tr-iat-*:as aenial o-c consenc and a warrant or order ' should be oocained.See U.S. EPA, Gr- ral Counsel Opinions, "Visitors' Release andrtoTd Harmless A*/eeme'ncs as a Condition Co Encry of EPA Employeeson Industrial Factlicies," Gen1 I and Admin, ac 125 (11/8/72).'I: persons are concerned about confidentiality, chey should tpemade aware chac business secrecs are protected by the statuteand Agency regulations. : 42 U\S.C. * 9604(e); 40 C.F.R. S 2.203(b).-PA personnel should enter into no furcher; agreemencs regardingcont" tdencialicy. , : r .
To secure a warrant, che following procedures should be.observed: • • • • - . . - . .
. Contact Regional Counsel. EPA personnel should discusswich Regional Counsel the faces regarding che 'denial ofconsen't or other factors Justifying a warrant and che
' circumstances which give rise to the need for entry.Contact Department of Justice. If afcer consultation withRegional counsel a decision is made to seek a warrant, cheRegional Counsel muse contact direcely the Environmental
/Enforcement Section in che Land and Natural Resources Divisionac the Department of Justice. 3/ The person co call acche Department is che Assistant Chief in the EnvironmentalEnforcement. Section assigned to che 'Region. The AssistantChief will then arrange, in a timely manner, for the raaccerco be handled try eicher an Environmencal Enforcemenc Seccionaccorney or a. U.S. Attorney. The Region must send co cheEnvironmencal Enforcemenc Seccion, by Magnafax or ocher
d/ This procedure Is necessary co comply with internal ;Department of Justice delegations of authority. * Referral
to a local U.S. Attorney's office is not sufficient for CERCLAwarrants. The Environmencal Enforcement Section of che Deparcmencot Juscice muse approve all warrane applications,^. (See Memorandumrrora Davio T. Buence, -Jr. co Ail 'Environmencal EnforcemencActorneys, "Proceduras for Authorising Applications for CivilSearch Warrancs Under CERCLA" (4/3/87) accached).
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expedited ^eans , a .iraft warrant application and a sr.srm concisely scat ina; why cr.d warrant ia nee.;eo .
Prepare Warrant Application. The warrant application -us tc o n c d i r, t n e ; o t . o w L n g ;
1 ) a statement .;f E?A* s autnoricy co inspect ;.see § [ I . s-pr a>
2) a clear idencif icacion of. the nane and locationor che site and. if known, che-.nane(s) of theowner and operator of che sice;
3) a statement explaining the grounds for' a findingoc a reasonable basis for entry (i.e., a reasonablebasis co believe chac chere -nay be a release orthreatened release of a hazardous substance orpollucanc or contaminant) *nd che purpose for entry(i.e., determining cne need for response, or choos'i-ngor caking any response accion, or otherwise enforcingCERCLA);
4) affidavits supporting che asserced reasonable basis. for encry and ^describing any act erupts to gain accesson consenc, i£ applicable; and
5) a specific descripcion of che extent, nature, andtiming of the inspection;
Following preparation of che warrant application, cheJustice Department attorney will file che application withche local U.S. Magistrate.
EPA may ask che Justice Department attorney to seek cheassiscance of che United Staces Marshals Service in executing chewarrant where EPA perceives a danger to the personnel executingche warrant or where there is the possibility chac evidence willbe destroyed.
2. Reasonable Basis cor Encry
A warrant for access on a civil rcaccer may be obtained upona showing of a reasonable basis for encry. This reasonablebasis may be established eicher by presenting specific evidencerelating co che facility to be entered or by demonscracing chacche encryia pare of a neucrai adminiscracive inspeccion plan.
A specific evidence scandard is incorporaced in SARA as acondicion on EPA's exercise of ics access auchoricy: EPA musthave "a reasonable basis co believe chere may be a release or
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thrdd.t ••>:" a 'release o: a hazardous substance or pollutant orconcar.inanc. " $ • 1 0-( e; / ; . SAAA' s express" specific evidencestandard is" cons iscent with how courts have fornulaceo thesjeci;ic ev :;•*?.*:* tesc'l.-. cne assents of statutory ^uidanca.£..g. , 'esc ?o:p.c>?epperei.i. Inc. v. ponovan. «td9 - F, ^c *50, 553' i ' t h C i r. 3 9 5i i •, tr.era -ust oe a "showing oc specific evidencesufficient to support a reasonable aus^.cion or a violation'",.
• In urafting a warrant, -applicacion, conclusory allegationsregarding che specific evidence standard umier subsection tj<*(e)will not suffice.' Courts generally have refused co approvewarrants where the application contains mere boilerplate asser-tions of statutory violations. Warrant applications have beengranted, on che other hand, where che application contained.decailed accestations by government officials or chlrd-parcycomplaints which have some indicia of reliability, .Ideally,E?A warrant applications,should contain an affidavit of a personwho has personally observed conditions which indicate chac theremay be a release or threat of * release of a hazardous substance.If they are- available, sampling- result*, although noc required,.should also be attached. Warrant applications based on cictzen, •employee, or competitor complaints should include details thatescablish the complainant's credibility. £// . •' - ' ' - r'=-*" -•--'-,-"-
C. Court Orders : - - "The provisions in CERCLA authorizing EPA access may be
enforced by court order. To obtain a court order for entry, cheRegion should, follow che normal' referral process. If only accessts required, che referral package can obviously be much abbrev-Uced. If timing is critical, EPA HQ will move expeditiousiyand.will refer the case,orally if necessary.:,Tht Regions, how-ever, should atcempc to ancictpace the sites:at which access mayprove problematic and should allow sufficient lead cime for chereferral process and cne operation of che courts, the Regionsshould also not enter lengchy negotiations wich landowners overaccess. EPA and DOJ are prepared co licigate aggressively toestablish EPA's right of access. ;4 "-.",""
9>/ If information gathered in a civil investigation suggests~ that a criminal -violation may have occurred* EPA personnelshould consult the guidance on parallel proceedings. (Memorandumfrom.CouffCney Price co Assistant Adrainiscracors et al. , "Policyand Procedures on Parallel Proceedings ac the 'EnvironmentalProtection Agency" (1/23/84)). Use of CERCLA1 s information-gathering authority in criminal investigations is addressed inseparate guidance. (Memorandum from CourcneyM* Price to AssistantAdministrators et air. "The Use of Administrative DiscoveryJevi;*s i.i ;r.a ;*-.*fclc-;r-.«rc -t "7-;i*3 Xss'.zr.e'i to »:h« Office ofCriminal Investigations11 (2/16/84)).
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Prior co seeking a o > < i r t order. £?A should request access.*e* er.a. ly in wr i" ing , 3.r.u -..s >e~o Le the recora related t j access .The showing.necessary ~o oTtAin a court orier is the sare as for.? r t a;.-. i -. i i »arr inc : ?.-, --s t show a reasonable 3 as is to believetria-t ::\err -.-iy DC a release or d chre-ac of a release of a hazarcou;s-^stance or pollutant or c ;ata~inant. An EPA finding on whetner:~-re . s reason co se. ieve i release has occurred or. is about t D
i ij-^ej(5) (8)(i.). L: the matter is not already in court, £?AT.USC file a complaint seeking injunctive and declaratory relief.SiTiulcan'eous co filing che complaint, EPA may, if necessary,file a -notion, supported by affidavits documenting the releaseor threatened release, requesting an immediate order in aid ofaccess. If the macter is already in liclgacton, EPA may proceedby mocion co seek an order grancing access. 10/
In a nenorandum supporting EP.O s requesc for relief tcshoula be ?ade clear that by invoking jucicial .process, EPA isnot inviting judicial review of its decision Co undertake responseaction or of any administrative determinations wich regard co theresponse accion. Section 113(h) of SARA bars judicial reviewof. removal or.remedial accion except in five enumeraced clrcura-scances. A judicial action co compel access is not one of cheexcepcions. Scacemencs on che floor of che House and che Senaceconfiirn chac EPA enforcemenc of ics access auchoricy does, nocprovide an opporcunicy for judicial review of response decisions..Senator Thurmond, chairman- of che Judiciary Coramiccee, remarkedchac when EPA requescs a courc Co' compel access "chere is nojurisdiccion ac chac time co review any response accion . . .
TO/ Parenthetically, it should be noced chac che broad equitablepower granted co courts in Seccion 106 can also be relied
on to oocain a court oroer. . An additional source of auchorityfor courts in this 'regard is the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. 5 1651.The Act authorizes federal courts co "issue all writs necessaryor appropriate in aid of cheir respective jurisdictions . . . '."2a U.S.C. S 1651. This authority "extends under appropriatecircumstances, to persons who, chough not parties co the originalaction or engaged in wrongdoing are in a position co frustrateche implementation of a court order . , . ." United States v. NewYork Telephone Co.. 434 U.S. 159, 174 (1977).—Thus, che All VrTcsAct nay prove useful as a means of compelling persons noc a partyco a consenc decree co cooperate wich EPA and ocher seedingparties in' execution of che decree. The use of che All Wri.csAct, however, may be limited in Light of cue Supreme Court'sincerprecacion of che Act in Pennsylvania Bureau of Correction v.fJniced States Marshal Service. 8b L. Ed. 2d i89 (1985).
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[TJhe court -nay o-nly review whether che Agency's conclasijn that.there is -i release or. tnreatened release of" hazardous substancesis arbicr-arv or capricious." 132 Cong. Rec. 31*929 (October 3,!.•?*$; C^cacerrent of Sen. th'ur^ona) ; J32 Con«. Hec. 1)9532(Gccob«c 3, 198b) ' (.Scaeeaenc o: 'Reg.' .Ol'ickcan) : see United , States•'• ^"anaarc tquiscent. In:., No.. "C33-252M (*.D. '*asn. :;ov, 3. TTTi" .
D. Administrative Orders ' "J , ' .
If a siceowner denies an EPA request for access, EPA <nayissue an ddminscracive order directing-'compliance with therequest. • S 104(e)(3)(A). Each adtainiscractve order muse includea cinuing by che Regi al Administrator that chere exists areasonable belief chac chere may be a release or threat of releaseof a hazardous substance and a description of che purpose for theencry and of the activities co be .conducted and .their, probableduration. The order should ind'icaee the nature of the priorrequest cor access. Further, che order should advise, che re-spondent chac the administrative record upon which che order wasissued is available for review and chat an EPA officer or employeewill be available to confer wich respondent prior co the effectivedate of the order. The length of che time period during whichsuch a conferences may be requested should be reasonable underthe circumstances.' In deciding whac .is a reasonable-time period, 'con'siueracion should be'given co che interference access will causewith onsite operations, the threat to-human health and the environ-ment posed by the site, and the extent of prior contacts with therespondent. The order should advise che respondent thac penaltiesof up co S25.000 per day may be assessed by a courc againsc anyparcy who-unreasonably fails co comply wich an order. $ 104(e)(5).Following the time period for che conference and any conference,the issuing official should send a document to che respondentsummarizing any conference, EPA's resolution of any objections,and stating the effective date of the order.
If.'following i««uance of.an administrative order, the site*owner continue* co refuse access co EPA, che order may be enforcedin federal courc. EPA should not-use self-help co execute orders.Courcs are required co enforce administrative orders where chereis a reasonable basis co believe chac chere may be a release or*chreac of a release of a hazardous substance. EPA's determinationin this regard muse be upheld unless ic is arbtcrary and capriciousS !04(e)(5) (S) (i). EPA will seek penalcUs from chose parcUs whounreasonably fail co comply wicn orders.
All administrative orders for access must be concurred on bythe Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring prior coissuance.
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The policies and procedures established in chis document arein tencej * :*_e L/ for the guidance of aovernrenc personnel. The-/^re not intense'.:, anc cannot be relied upon to create any riincs,s^r-s tant ive or procedural, enforceable by any party in l i t i g a t i o n-.-•it'"! tne L'nicad States. The Aiency reserves che riant co.-act atv T r . i".c e * tr. tne s e po i.. i: as arc prcc ec -res a" c to cr.an*e t r. =~. =. tany t '.T.e wi thouc public not ice.
Attachments
A R O O O O I 5
0 C. 7 t
• CONSENT fuR ACCESS TO PROPERTY
Name • •• - _____
Address of ?rooertv:
I cor.se'r.c co-officers, employees, and "authorizedrw^reser.cacives of che United Scaces Environmental Proteccior.Agency (EPA) entering and having continued access to myproperty for the • following purposes:
[the caking of such soil, water, and air samples as may'be determined-co be necessary;j • -i .
[the sampling of any solids or liquids"scored or disposed; oc on site; J • _ •*::;...-.• .- . • •-• • . . - . - -
,[che drilling of holes and inscailacion of monicoring wellsfor subsurface investigation.;] • -.; ^ '
..[other accions related'to che investigation of surface orsubsurface contamination;]
^ (che taking ot a response action including fc . . .Jt-realize chac these accion* by EPA are undertaken pursuantto its response and enforcemenc responsibilities under CheComprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and LiabiiicyAce (Superfund), 42-U.S.C* I 9601 ec seq. .
This writcen ptcnltslonvis given by me voluntarily, wit-hkhowlege of my righc co -refuse and without chreacs or promises'ot any kind. ". -. .; ..; . .. .-•; ;•'. ;. -.' . \ ....-/... '. \
Dace . , Signacure
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Procedures for Authorising Application I April 3, 1387for Civil Search Warrants Under CERCLA
T° All EES Attorneys /""" Dav Buente, Jr.Chiefc, ErvirorunentalEn^orciment Section
Under S 104(e) of CERCLA, as amended by SARA, theUnited States aay seek access by warrant, administrative order,or court order. If access is obtained by administrative order,the appropriate documents are issued-by. relevant client agencies.If access is to be obtained by court order, then the AssistantAttorney General of the Land and Natural Resources Division mustapprove the complaint, upon referral from the relevant clientagency according to ordinary procedures, For access to be soughtthrough application on a civil CERCIA warrant,1 the instantmemorandum will confirm the procedures to be used by theDepartment of Justice. . -
Under 1S.320-A-2 of the U.S. Attorney's Manual,application for warrant under CERCLA aay not b« handledunilaterally by the- U.S. Attorneys. Applications for suchwarrants aust be coordinated through the EnvironmentalEnforcement Section.
Clearance through the Environmental Enforceaent Sectionis important for a variety of reasons. First, the nature of thegovernmental activities involved under CERCIA civil warrants maybev much broader and last considerably longer than an inspectionunder the other federal environmental regulatory statutes.Typically the latter require only a few days or weeks to conductroutine environmental sampling. Under CERCIA, access aay besought under a warrant for not only saapling, but even simple
1 The memorandum does not cover procedures for seeking acriminal search warrant where a CERCIA violation aay beinvolved. All such aatters are to be referred to the Director,Environmental Crimes TJnit, SES.
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removal-type activity, e.g.; security/fencing, limited drumremoval. The greater relative complexity of the governmentalactivity involved ,can be expected to provoke more;challenges toCERCLA'civil warrants than those under other, statutes and theissues raised by CERCIA warrants pay be1 much more complex.Second, this is a relatively new and vital area of the law. Wemust ensure .that maximum efforts are Bade to develop thiscritical area of the law in an excellent manner. 'CES lawyersmust make all reasonable efforts to ensure that, exercises of thecivil warrant authority under CERCLA will be vindicated by thefederal courts, through proper presentation of facts and legalarguments by Departmental attorneys with experience in this area.Finally, since our experience has shown that judicial challengesto civil CERCIA warrants,tend 'to move very rapidly, sometimes onan emergency motion basis, EES needs to work closely with client 'agencies on these matters so that the Division's AppellateSection is advised and prepared with sufficient lead time toexpeditiously, address appellate proceedings.
Coordinating these warrant applications through ECSmust be done on an expedited basis so that client agencies'program objectives are achieved. Moreover, our resources mustnot be consumed by duplicative work. Balancing the needs forcareful warrant application preparations with that forexpeditious handling of these matters, we will use the followingprocedures,: • t • > • . • .* • * .
1. The client agency will telephonically notify therelevant CCS Assistant Chief or Senior Lawyer when the Agencyplans to seek a civil* warrant*
2. The client agency will follow-up the request byexpeditiously transmitting a short memorandum conciselyexplaining why the warrant is needed With a draft copy of thewarrant application and supporting affidavits.
3* Upon receipt of the telephonic notification orwritten request, whichever first occurs, the CES Assistant Chief•or Sr. Lawyer will arrange for either an EES staff attorney or anAUSA t6 handle the review and prosecution of the application.Unless a dispute develops between EES/AUSA personnel and theclient agency,, the CCS Assistant Chief or Sr* Lawyer may approvethe application. Xf such a dispute develops, it must be broughtto the attention of the Chief or Deputy Chief, ECS forresolution.
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4. Handling of these aatters is to be affordedpriority on our docket. Moreover, the Chief or Assistant Chiefof the Appellate Section shall be advised of each applicationrequest by the EES Assistant Chief or Sr. Lawyer as soon aspossible after notification by the client agency, so thatAppellate can be prepared to handle expeditiously appeal matters
5. All civil actions to enforce'civil CERCtA warrants,by way of application for civil conter.pt or other judicialorders, shall be authorized in writing by the Assistant AttorneyGeneral. Such actions shall be afforded highest priority on thedocket.
For general advice/guidance on handling CERCLA civilwarrant matters, contact John Fleuchaus, ORCM-Waste, 332-3109.
