Yet Another RAMP Industries Update

[jdelahunt@cc.colorado.edu (John DeLaHunt)]

Greetings from (one of) the RAMP Industries information clearinghouses.

On November 27, 1995, as many of you know, EPA Region VIII mailed out
initial requests for information (First Request for Information) from every
generator who had ever sent hazardous and/or radioactive waste through the
RAMP Industries site in Denver, CO.  EPA allowed generators thirty days from
receipt to craft and deliver responses, which were to include narrative
answers to certain questions, copies of any valuable or related records, and
nomination of an individual to respond on behalf of the generator.

As of December 18, however, all the EPA staff managing the RAMP Industries
cleanup and liability assessment have been furloughed, as part of the second
federal government shutdown in threee months.

The First Requests for Information were being processed by an EPA
sub-contractor, TechLaw, in Denver.  TechLaw's function was to make and keep
files for each generator and correct the so-called "Waste-in" database, in
addition to scanning each and every response to the First Request for
Information into digital form.  The funding assigned to TechLaw for this
purpose ran out on December 29, and the work was not complete.

Therefore, now that the deadline has passed for most of us, the nice people
at TechLaw have reassured me that most of the mail generators sent in this
regard is either:

1:      At EPA waiting to be forwarded to TechLaw, or
2:      At TechLaw waiting to be sorted (for which there are no longer 
        adequate funds), or
3:      At TechLaw waiting to be processed into computer (for which there 
        are no longer adequate funds), or
4:      At TechLaw, having been received and processed before December 29.

It would stand to reason that, in light of the government shutdown and the
defunding of TechLaw's part of the project, the thirty day deadline would be
deferred a little, but the EPA is unavailable for comment, and they have
been known to be surly about deadlines in the past.

There comes a point that this kind of governmental mishmash becomes
humorous.  I bet it's right around the corner, but it ain't here, yet.

Hope this helps.

John

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