Office of Environmental Management Corporate Projects Initiative January 2003

Definition of EM Completion and DOE Site Closure
This fact sheet defines critical points in the cleanup process, specifies where the Office of Environmental Management (EM) programmatic responsibility ends, and clarifies the responsibilities of other Program Secretarial Offices managing a site after EM’s mission is complete. Accordingly, these definitions serve as the framework for developing or revising strategic plans, site baselines, and implementation plans.

Environmental Management (Cleanup) includes those activities necessary to evaluate and mitigate a release or threat of release of a hazardous substance that may pose a risk to human health or the environment. Cleanup activities may include source term remediation, facility disposition, ground water response measures, surface water response measures, and legacy waste management (e.g., transuranic and orphan waste disposition). The term cleanup is used interchangeably with the terms remedial action, removal action, response action, and corrective action. Response Action Completion occurs when a specific response attains its response action objective(s)/cleanup criteria such that no land use restrictions remain (e.g., contaminant concentrations reduced to acceptable, healthbased levels in ground water). EM Completion occurs when: 1) all required short-term response activities at a specific site are complete (e.g., soil excavation, cap construction, building decommissioning); 2) all required long-term response measures (e.g., ground water treatment systems) are constructed and determined to be operational and functional; 3) all necessary documentation is in place (e.g., engineering certifications/and verifications, post-closure or operating

permits, final site condition/configuration records); and 4) the site is