GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

action memorandum
A document authorizing and outlining the cleanup plan that will be followed as part of a short-term cleanup.


Acute exposure
A single exposure to a hazardous material for a brief length of time.

Administrative record
A compilation of documents supporting an administrative action; under Superfund, administrative actions often compel Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) to undertake or pay for hazardous waste site cleanups.

Advection
Transportation of contaminants by the flow of a current of water or air.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
As the lead agency within the Public Health Service for implementing the health-related provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is charged under the Superfund Act to assess the presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, to help prevent or reduce further exposure and the illnesses that result from such exposures, and to expand the knowledge base about health effects from exposure to hazardous substances.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Hazardous Substance Release/Health Effects Database (ATSDR-HazDat)
HazDat, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Hazardous Substance Release/Health Effects Database, is the scientific and administrative database that provides access to information on both the release of hazardous substances from Superfund sites or from emergency events, and on the effects of hazardous substances on the health of human populations.

Aquifer
An underground geological formation, or group of formations, containing water; sources of groundwater for wells and springs.

ARCO
The Potentially Responsible Party, ARCO (the Atlantic Richfield Company) will be held responsible for any costs associated with cleanup if required. ARCO was recently purchased by BP/AMOCO, a multi-billion dollar international oil and gas conglomerate headquartered in Great Britain.

Arsenic
A naturally occurring metalloid that in even small concentrations can cause cancer in humans. Current drinking water standards for the state of Montana are 20 parts per billion, surface water standards are 18 parts per billion. In heavy concentrations, arsenic is also extremely poisonous.