The U.S. Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) recently published a guidance document on Long-Term Contaminant Management Using Institutional Controls (IC-1). The guidance document was developed in response to the recent growth in the number of contaminated sites in the U.S. that are being managed through the use of institutional controls (ICs).
ICs are a form of land use controls that provide protection from exposure to contaminants on a site. In contrast to engineered site remedies, ICs consist of government controls, proprietary controls, enforcement or permit mechanisms, and informational devices that limit land or resource use (thus protecting human health by controlling how the property is used).
The guidance manual includes a survey of current state practices for ICs, best practices for developing and managing ICs. As part of the manual, there is a downloadable tool that can be used to document critical information about an IC. This tool can help to create a lasting record of the site that includes the regulatory authority, details of the IC, the responsibilities of all parties, a schedule for monitoring the performance of the IC, and much more relevant information. The tool generates an editable Long Term Stewardship (LTS) plan in Microsoft Word.
