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O
OAH – Office of Administrative Hearings (California)
OAL – Office of Administrative Law (California)
OCPSF – Organic chemical, plastics and synthetic fibers
OEA – Office of Environmental Affairs (California)
OES – Office of Emergency Services (California)'
O&M – Operations and Manuals
OMB – Office of Management and Budget; advisory body to the Executive Office of the President on budgetary administration.
ONWI – Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (Federal)
OPPT – Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (U.S. EPA)
ORD – Office of Research and Development (U.S. EPA)
ORM – Other Regulated Material (DOT terminology)
OSA – Office of the Sate Architect (California)
OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, federal agency with safety and health regulatory and enforcement authorities for most U.S. industry and business. Also see "MSHA."
OSW – Office of Solid Waste (U.S. EPA)
OSWER – Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; part of EPA responsible for management of the Superfund program.
OTA – Office of Technology Assessment; federal office responsible to congress for carrying out research and identifying policy alternatives on technology-related issues.
OTC – Organic toxic compound
P
PA – Preliminary Assessment, the first step required by CERCLA when hazardous substance has reportedly been released. This assessment involves collecting all available background information to determine the size of the site, the types and quantities of waste that may have been disposed of these, the potentially responsible parties, local hydrological and meteorological conditions, and the potential impact of contamination if it has taken place.
PAHs – Polyaromatic hydrocarbons.
PAIR – Preliminary Assessment Information Rule
PA/SI – Preliminary assessment/site investigation
PAT – Proficiency analytical testing
PB – Particle beam
PCA – Property Clearance Assessment
PCB – Polychlorinated biphenyl; a pathogenic and teratogenic industrial compound used as a heat-transfer agent; PCBs may accumulate in human or animal tissue.
PCDD – Pentachlorodibenzodioxin
PCDF – Pentachlorodibenzofuran
PCM – Phase contrast microscopy
PE – Professional Engineer
PEL – Permissible Exposure Limit; an exposure limit established by OSHA regulatory authority. May be a time weighted average (TWA) limit or a maximum concentration exposure limit. Also see "SKIN."
PEM – Performance evaluation material
PFTPA – Perfluorotributylamine
PID – Photoionization detection (or detector)
PL – Public Law (Federal)
PLM – Polarized-light microscopy
PM – Particulate matter
PMCC – Pensky-Martens Closed Cup; a flash point test method.
PMN – Pre-Manufacture Notification
PMP – Project management plan
P-M – Pensky-Martens (closed cup flash point test)
PNA – Polynuclear/polycyclic aromatic
POTW – Publicy Owned Treatment Works
PPA – Pollution Prevention Act (1990); federal law establishing a national policy of pollution prevention and waste reduction.
ppb – Parts per billion
PPE – Personal protective equipment; safety gear, including chemical protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
ppm – Parts per million
ppt – Parts per trillion
PQL – Practical Quantitation Limit, the concentration of a substance that can be measured and reported within specified limits of precision and accuracy.
PR – Preliminary review
PRP – Potentially Responsible Parties (CERCLA)
PSD – Prevention of Significant Deterioration (Clean Air Act)
PTFE – Polytetrafluoroethylene
Q
QA – Quality assurance
QAMS – Quality Assurance Management Staff (U.S. EPA)
QAPP – Quality Assurance Project Plan, required by CERCLA. This plan sets forth policies, procedures, and activities for ensuring that the data collected meet quality standards.
QA/QC – Quality assurance/quality control
QC – Quality control.
QEL – Quantity exclusion limit
R
RA – Remedial Action (a CERCLA term), the implementation of the remedial design at the site. Remedial actions include encapsulation, incineration, neutralization, and collection and removal as well as nonengineering solutions like institutional controls and relocation.
RACM – Reasonably available control measures
RACT – Reasonably available control technology; controls required under the CAA Amendments for certain sources of VOC and NOx emissions.
RAL – Recommended allowable limit
RAP – Remedial Action Plan, required by CERCLA. The remedial action plan details the remedy selected from the feasibility study and the methods to be used in implementation of this action.
RAS – Routine analytical services
RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; federal environmental legislation, administrated by EPA or Coast Guard under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act.
RCW – Revised Code of Washington
RD – Remedial Design, the phase of cleanup under CERCLA in which the remedy selected is developed into engineering plans and specifications for implementation.
R&D – Research and Development
RDX – Royal Demolition Explosion
REA – Registered Environmental Assessor (California)
RF – Response factor
RFA – RCRA facility assessment
RfD – Reference dose
RFI – RCRA facility investigation
RG – Registered Geologist
RI – Remedial Investigation, the phase of cleanup under CERCLA during which data are collected and analyzed and the site is characterized. The RI involves both existing data on the site and data collected through new field studies.
RI/FS – Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study; EPA investigation at a Superfund site to assess contamination and environmental problems, and evaluate cleanup alternatives.
RIN – Regulation Identifier Number
RIP – RCRA Implementation Plan
RMLC – Recommended maximum contaminant level
RMP – Radon measurement proficiency
RMPP – Risk Management and Protection Plans
ROD – Record of Decision; EPA's statement of remedy for a Superfund site cleanup.
ROM – Read-only memory
RP – Responsible Party
RPD – Relative percent difference
RQ – Reportable Quantity - the quantity of a material which, if spilled to the environment, must be reported to the EPA or Coast Guard under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act.
RQG – Reduced Quantity Generator (100-1000 kg/mo)
RRT – Relative retention time
RSD – Relative standard deviation
RSPA – Research and Special Programs Administration of DOT; encompasses several offices emphasizing safety regulation, emergency preparedness, and research and development associated with transportation of hazardous materials.
RTK – Right-to-Know (vernacular for HCS)
RWQCB – Regional Water Quality Control Board (California)
S
SAED – Selected-area electron diffraction
SAP – Sampling and analysis program
SARA – Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (1986); federal law reauthorizing and expanding CERCLA jurisdiction.
SARA TITLE II – Section of SARA requiring public disclosure of chemical release information and development of emergency response plans; see TRI and EPCRA.
SB – Senate Bill (California)
SCBA – Self-contained breathing apparatus; breathing equipment designed to provide clean air in a hazardous atmosphere.
SCRI – Steel Can Recycling Institute
SDWA – Safe Drinking Water Act; establishes maximum containment levels for drinking water.
SEA – Secretary of Environmental Affairs (California)
SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission; quasi-judicial federal agency regulating publicly held businesses.
SEM – Scanning electron microscopy
SEPA – State Environmental Policy Act
SEQR – Site Environmental Quality Review
SETA – Setaflash Closed Tester; a flash point test method.
SETAC – Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
SFE – Supercritical fluid extraction
SI – Site Investigation, the step following preliminary assessment in a cleanup under CERCLA. The SI involves visiting the site to collect all data required for ranking the hazard potential.
SIC – Standard Industrial Classification (company description)
SIM – Selected ion monitoring; also, standards injection module
SIP – State Implementation Plan (Clean Air Act)
SITE – Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation; EPA supported program to demonstrate and evaluate innovative remediation technologies.
SMART – Save Money and Reduce Toxics; Chevron Corp.'s waste minimization program implemented in 1987.
SMCL – Secondary maximum contaminant level
SMF – Standard Monitoring Framework
SMO – Sample Management Office (U.S. EPA)
SMOA – Superfund Memorandum of Agreement; a voluntary agreement between EPA and a state to establish a working relationship regarding Superfund remediations; introduced in 1988 in the proposed NCP.
SMU – Site Mitigation Unit, of California DHS, TSCD
SNUR – Significant New Use Rule (TSCA)
SO2 – Sulfur Dioxide; gas released from burning fossil fuels; associated with atmospheric ozone depletion and ground-level ozone (smog) production.
SOx – Oxides of Sulfur
SOC – Synthetic organic compound
SOP – Standard Operating Procedures
SOW – Statement of Work
SPCC – Spill, Prevention, Containment and Countermeasures
SPE – Solid-phase extraction
SPP – Suspended particulate phase
SQG – Small Quantity Generator (less than 100 kg/mo)
SR – Senate Report (Federal bill originated in Senate)
SRM – Standard reference material; also, single residue method
SRP – Scientific Review Panel (California)
SSE – Stationary Source Enforcement
SSSD – Small-scale, short-duration (projects or operations)
S-T – Setaflash (closed cup flash point test)
STEL – Short-term Exposure Limit; ACGIH terminology. See "TLV-STEL"
STP – Standard Temperature and Pressure
STPF – Stabilized-temperature platform furnace
SU – Standard Unit
SUD – Safe Use Determination
SV – Sampling visit
SWA – Solid Waste Act (a.k.a. RCRA)
SWAT – Solid Waste Assessment Test
SWMU – Solid Waste Management Unit, a unit for disposal of solid hazardous wastes, as defined by RCRA. Includes such facilities as waste piles, landfills, ponds, landfarms, and incinerators.
SWRCB – State Water Resources Control Board (California)
SWTR – Surface water treatment rule
T
TAC – Technical Advisory Committee
TAG – Technical assistance grants; the term is used in association with grants supported by various environmental laws, including Superfund.
TAP – Toxic air pollutant
TAT – Technical assistance team
TC – Toxicity characteristic
TCC – Tag (Tagliabue) Closed Cup; a flash point test method.
TCDD – Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin
TCE – Trichloroethylene
TCLP – Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure; required test under RCRA to determine toxicity and mobility characteristics of hazardous wastes.
TC/MS – Thermal chromatography/mass spectrometry
TEM – Transmission electron microscopy
THM – Trihalomethane
TIMS – Technical information management system
TISAB – Total ionic strength adjustment buffer
TLC – Thin-layer chromatography (or chromatograph)
TLV – Threshold Limit Valve; a term used by ACGIH to express the airborne concentration of a material to which nearly all persons can be exposed day after day, without adverse effects. ACGIH expresses TLVs in three ways.
TLV-TWA: – The allowable Time Weighted Average concentration usually expressed for a normal 8-hour workday and 40-hour work week.
TLV-STEL: – Short-Term Exposure Limit, or maximum concentration for continuous 15-minute exposure period (maximum for 4 such periods per day, with at least 60 minutes between exposure periods, and provided that the daily TLV-TWA is not exceeded).
TLV-C: – The Ceiling Exposure Limit-the concentration that should not be exceeded even instantaneously.
TME – Test Marketing Exemption
TO – Toxic organic (methods)
TOC – Total Organic Carbon
TOC-TAG – Open Cup; a flash point test method.
TOD – Total oxygen demand
TOX – Total organic halide (or halogen)
TPCA – Toxic Pits Cleanup Act
TPH – Total petroleum hydrocarbon
TPO – Technical project officer
TPQ – Threshold planning quantity
TQM – Total quality management
T-R – Transformer-Rectifier
TRI – Toxic Release Inventory; annual report on chemical releases regulated industries must file with EPA under SARA Title II
TSCA – Toxic Substances Control Act; federal environmental legislation, administered by U.S. EPA, for regulating the manufacture, handling, and use of materials classified as "toxic substances."
TSCD – Toxic Substances Control Division (of California DHS)
TSD – Treater, Storer, Disposer
TSDF – Treatment, storage or disposal facility; hazardous waste facility regulated under RCRA.
TSP – Thermospray
TSS – Total Suspended Solids
TTU – Transportable Treatment Unit
TWA – Time Weighted Average exposure; the airborne concentration of a material to which a person is exposed, averaged over the total exposure time. Also see "TLV."
TSD – Treatment, Storage and Disposal (RCRA facility)
U
UBC – Uniform Building Code
UEL, or UFL – Upper Explosive Limit or Upper Flammable Limit of a vapor or gas; the highest concentration (highest percentage of the substance in air), that will produce a flash of fire when an ignition source (heat, arc, or flame) is present. At higher concentrations, the mixture is too "rich" to burn. Also see "LEL."
UFC – Uniform Fire Code
UGST – Underground Storage Tank
UGT – Underground Tank
UIC – Underground Injection Control
UM – Uniform Manifest
USATHAMA – U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency
USC – United States Code
USCE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture; prior to 1971, USDA performed tests and issued approvals on respirators for use with pesticides. In 1971, the Bureau of Mines took over the pesticide respirator testing/approval functions-procedures later delegated to the Testing and Certification Branch (TCB) of NIOSH. Also see "BOM."
USDI – U.S. Department of the Interior
USDW – Underground Source of Drinking Water
USEPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency
USGS – U.S. Geological Survey; part of the Interior Department; identifies the nation's land, water, energy and mineral resources; classifies federally owned lands for minerals, energy resources and water power potential; investigates natural hazards; and conducts the National Mapping Program.
USPHS – U.S. Public Health Service
UST – Underground Storage Tanks
UV – Ultraviolet
UV/Vis – Ultraviolet/visible (spectrum)
V
VEO – Visible Emissions Observation
VES – Vapor extraction system
VHAP – Volatile Hazardous Air Pollutant
VOA – Volatile organics analysis
VOC – Volatile organic compound; family of highly evaporative organic materials used in a variety of industrial applications, such as paints and solvents; emissions are a component in formation of ground-level ozone (smog).
W
WDR – Waste Discharge Requirements
WEF – Water Environmental Federation (formerly WPCF)
WHO – World Health Organization
WLA-TMDL – Wasteload Allocation/Total Maximum Daily Load
WPCF – Water Pollution Control Federation (former name; see WEF)
WQA – Water Quality Act of 1987 (Federal)
WWTP – Wastewater Treatment Plant
X
XRF – X-ray fluorescence (spectrometry)
Y
Z
ZI – Zero intercept
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