The purpose of the PA is to 1) eliminate from further consideration those properties that pose little or no threat to public health or the environment; 2) determine if there is any potential need for removal action; 3) set priorities for site inspections; and 4) gather existing data to facilitate later evaluation of the release pursuant to the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) conducted by EPA.

The objectives of the SI are to 1) eliminate from further consideration those releases that pose no significant threat to public health or the environment; 2) determine the potential need for removal action; 3) collect or develop additional data, appropriate for HRS scoring by EPA; and 4) collect data, as appropriate, to characterize the release for effective and rapid initiation of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. The SI Is not intended as a full-scale study of the nature and extent of contamination or explosive hazards.

Remedial Investigation (RI)/Feasibility Study (FS). The purpose of the RI/FS is to identify the most appropriate response action to the threat of military munitions at a FUDS property. The RI is intended to adequately characterize the site for the purpose of developing and evaluating effective remedial alternatives. In addition, the RI provides information to assess the risks to human health, safety, and the environment that were identified during risk screening in the SI. The primary objective of the FS) is to ensure appropriate remedial alternatives are developed and evaluated….and an appropriate remedy selected.

Once a course of action is determined through the RI/FS, it is time to start designing exactly how the chosen action will be implemented. This phase includes development of detailed designs, plans, specifications, and bid documents for conducting the remedial action.