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a U~T ELEANiJP ~1~f~GRAM - CQST ~C(IVEItY Since Oregon began a~idministering the federal leaking underground storage tank (US'1~ program in 1988, over 6400 petroleum r~eleases have been reported to the Departmerrt of Environmental QualitY (DE~• Approximately 2000 of these releases (sites) have been cleaned up, leaving over ~{4U0 active sites. As DEQ must focus it's efforts on environmental priorities, (e.g. sites with significant groundwater contamination), maay of tkese sites are simply not boing adciressed by DEQ and are becoming part of a growing b~cklog of sit~e.s needing c~sure, or "no fiuther action" lctters from DEQ. Federal funding for Oregon's UST Cleatiup Program provides a minimum (core) program to carry out the federal requirements, as well as the Oregon public and legislative mandate to protect human health, safety and ~e environment from lealdng peholeum USTs. The bulk of these resources are spent on high priority sites. Federal and state law also require that DEQ recover all rea.sonable costs associated with a cleanup project, including our oversight costs. Because of the very lazge number of sites ne~ding cleanup and DEQ ovexsight, a prioritization sy~tem is necded to adequately address these sites and make b~st use of limited DFQ sta,#~ resources. This system creates t~u+ee categories of sites. Tl~ey are: 1) hi,gh envimnmental priori~y sites, 2) responsib~e party priority sites and 3) res~onsible pa~ty cleanup without DF,Q oversigtrt. HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY SITES - WE CONTACT YOU If your site is a lugh envimnmental prio~ity, you can expect to heaz from us. As mentioned above, DEQ is focusang its limited resources primarily on t~iose sites presentieg the greatest ~sk to human health, safety and the enviranmen~ To make tfiis det~rmmation, DEQ uses a prioritization sysxem to determine the risk the site poses. As one high priority site is completed or is determined to be a lower environmental priority, the next highest priority site is select~d for work. Currenfly, DEQ oversight and payment of oversight costs is done inforr~mlly without any written ag~+eement betvveen the responsible party and DEQ. For these sites, as long as the cleanup is progressing and the responsible party continues to pay our oversight costs, no change in this an~ngement will occur. ~or sites where the infoRnal arrangement is not working, DEQ may require the responsible party to conduct cteanup and enter into a formal agreement with DEQ as part of an enforcement action. When a site is no loager a h~gh environinental priority, DEQ may decide not to actively provide ov~rsight. A rssponsible p~riy can reqtlest that D,~Q continue providing oversi~ht by signing a voluntary agreemen~ 'i'he agreemextt wiil allow us to ~o~e effectively sehedule our reso~es. RESPONSIBLE PARTY P~IURITY SITES - XOU CONTACT US This option is being set up for those responsible parties who wish to proceed wtth cleanup and need DEQ s~gnoff (e.g. to sell th~eir property, obtain financing or insurance, etc.). The responsible party must sign a voluntary agc~ement requesting DEQ oversight and agrce to ~y ov~rsight costs. The signed agreemeat should be sent to the appmpriate regional office. These sites are handled on a first come, first serve basis and there may be a waiting list. The agreem~nt is used as a taol for assigning sites to a project manager for review. Not signing the agreement does not release you from an obligation to pay oversight costs or conduct cleanup. A"no fiuther acxion" l~ter will be issued when all regulatory requirements have been me~