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GLOSSARY
AGREED ORDER: A legal document issued by Ecology which formalizes an agreement between the department and potentially liable persons (PLPs) for the actions needed at a site.*

CLEANUP ACTION: Any remedial action, except interim actions, taken at a site to eliminate, render less toxic, stabilize, contain, immobilize, isolate, treat, destroy, or remove a hazardous substance that complies with cleanup standards, utilizes permanent solutions to the maximum extent practicable, and includes adequate monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the cleanup action.

CLEANUP ACTION PLAN: A document which identifies the cleanup action and specifies cleanup standards and other requirements for a particular site. After completion of a comment period on the Draft Cleanup Action Plan, Ecology will issue a final Cleanup Action Plan.

CONSENT DECREE: A legal document, approved and issued by a court which formalizes an agreement reached between the state and potentially liable persons (PLPs) on the actions needed at a site.*

ENFORCEMENT ORDER: A legal document issued by the department requiring remedial action. Failure to comply with an enforcement order may result in substantial liability for costs and penalties.*

HAZARDOUS SITES LIST: A list of ranked sites that require further remedial action.

INDEPENDENT CLEANUP ACTION: Any remedial action without department oversight or approval and not under an order or decree.

INTERIM ACTION: Any remedial action that partially addresses the cleanup of a site.

 INTERIM STATUS LETTER: An interim status letter is issued when a remedial action conducted at an independent remedial action (IRAP) site is appropriate for the type of problem being addressed at the site, but more monitoring data is required before Ecology can make a determination whether or not further action is required at the site. A no further action letter will be issued to the site if the additional monitoring data confirms that cleanup standards have been met.

REMEDIAL ACTION: Any action to identify, eliminate, or minimize any threat posed by hazardous substances to human health or the environment, including any investigative and monitoring activities of any release or threatened release of a hazardous substance and any health assessments or health effects studies.

SITE HAZARD ASSESSMENT (SHA): An assessment to gather information about a site to confirm whether a release has occurred and to enable Ecology to evaluate the relative potential hazard posed by the release. If further action is needed, an RI/FS is undertaken.

STATE REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION/ FEASIBILITY STUDY (RI/FS): A study to define the extent of the problems at a site and evaluate alternative cleanup actions. A comment period on the final report is required. Ecology selects the preferred alternative after reviewing those documents.

WASHINGTON RANKING METHOD (WARM): The method used to rank sites placed on the Hazardous Sites List. A report describing this method is available from the department.

* Orders and decrees are subject to public comment. If an order or decree is substantially changed, an additional comment period is provided.