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 S Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) A federal law that ensures that tap water is fit to drink. Passed in 1974, SDWA sets national drinking water standards for public systems that deliver water to the tap. SDWA is used with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to protect and clean up groundwater by setting water quality standards. Sampling The collection of representative specimens analyzed to characterize site conditions. Saturated zone The area below the water table where all open spaces are filled with water under pressure equal to or greater than that of the atmosphere. Scoping meetings Public meetings held in communities near the Superfund site for the public review of and comment on feasibility studies and proposed plans. Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) A group of chemicals composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen that have a tendency to evaporate (volatilize) into the air from water or soil. Some of the compounds that make up asphalt are examples of SVOCs. Short-term cleanup A cleanup process that addresses immediate threats to public health and the environment that typically consist of less complex or less extensive contamination problems than those which require a long-term cleanup. There are three types of short-term cleanups: emergencies (e.g., fire or explosions), time-critical actions, and non-time-critical actions. Also referred to as removal actions. Site assessment The process by which EPA determines whether a potential site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL); it can consist of a Preliminary Assessment (PA) or a combination of a PA and a Site Inspection (SI). Site Inspection (SI) A technical phase in Superfund site cleanup following the Preliminary Assessment (PA), during which EPA gathers information (including sampling data) from a site in order to use the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) to determine whether the site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Slickens Riparian areas along the Clark Fork River that are devoid of vegetation because of high concentrations of toxic material. Source reduction The design, manufacture or use of products that in some way reduces the amount of waste that must be disposed of; examples include reuse of by-products, reducing consumption, extending the useful life of a product, and minimizing materials going into production. Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) A plan that outlines how a facility will prevent oil spills, as well as how it plans to control and contain an oil spill to keep it from reaching surface water. Examples include: installing a secondary containment such as a dike, and making sure oil tanks are located within a fenced or locked area. Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) were developed by the EPA's Oil Spill Program to aid in the prevention, assessment, control, and treatment of oil spills. The guidelines are often used to help draft plans of action when dealing with oil spill disasters. Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1986. SARA's changes stressed the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites; required Superfund actions to consider the standards and requirements found in other state and federal environmental laws and regulations; provided new enforcement authorities and settlement tools; increased state involvement in every phase of the Superfund program; increased the focus on human health problems posed by hazardous waste sites; encouraged greater citizen participation in making decisions on how sites should be cleaned up; and increased the size of the trust fund to $8.5 billion. Superfund Chemical Data Matrix (SCDM) The Superfund Chemical Data Matrix (SCDM) is a source for factor values and benchmark values applied when evaluating potential National Priorities List (NPL) sites using the Hazard Ranking System (HRS). Factor values are part of the HRS mathematical equation for determining the relative threat posed by a hazardous waste site and reflect hazardous substance characteristics, such as toxicity and persistence in the environment, substance mobility, and potential for bioaccumulation. Benchmarks are environment- or health-based substance concentration limits developed by or used in other EPA regulatory programs. Superfund Enhanced State and Tribal Role Initiative (STROLE) Superfund Enhanced State and Tribal Role Initiative (STROLE) is a comprehensive plan that encourages states and tribes to share in Superfund program responsibilities, thus enabling the cleanup of more sites. Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) supports job training opportunities in communities affected by Superfund sites, and encourages trainee employment in site cleanup activities. Superfund trust fund A public trust fund created with passage of CERCLA in 1980 to be used to help pay for the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites. Surface water Bodies of water that form and remain above ground, such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, bays and oceans.