We have no idea why governmental, legal and environmental issues have generated so many acronyms, but we do have to live with them in our work. As a service to those who may not have majored in this jargon, we offer the following translations to help you through the communications jungle.
- AAI All Appropriate Inquiry (http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/aai/aaifs.htm)
- ACBM Asbestos-Containing Building Material
- ACGIH American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists
- ACM Asbestos-Containing Material
- AHERA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
- AST Aboveground Storage Tank
- ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials (http://www.astm.org)
- BACT Best Available Control Technology
- BEA Baseline Environmental Assessment
- BER Business Environmental Risk
- BFP BonaFide Prospective Purchaser
- BMP Best Management Practices
- BTEX Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene & Xylene Compounds
- CAA Clean Air Act
- CAMU Corrective Action Management Unit
- CCC Clean Corporate Citizen
- CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. Code for the Superfund.
- CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Information System
- CUSTP Certified UST Professional
- CWA Clean Water Act
- DEQ Department of Environmental Quality
- DNAPL Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid
- DNR Department of Natural Resources
- DO Dissolved Oxygen
- DOD Department of Defense
- DQO Data Quality Objective
- EMS Environmental Management System
- EPA Environmental Protection Agency
- EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
- ERNS Emergency Response Notification System
- ESA Environmental Site Assessment (aka Phase I)
- FAR Final Assessment Report
- FID Flame Ionization Detector
- FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
- FOIA Freedom Of Information Act
- GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
- GC/MS Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrograph
- HAP Hazardous Air Pollutant
- HON Hazardous Organic NESHAP
- IAQ Indoor Air Quality
- IAR Initial Assessment Report
- ISO International Organization for Standards
- LEL Lowest Effect Level. Lower Explosive Limit
- LNAPL Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid
- LUST Leaking Underground Storage Tank
- MACT Maximum Achievable Control Technology
- MAERS Michigan Air Emissions Reporting System
- MDL Method Detection Limit
- MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet
- MUSTFA Michigan Underground Storage Tank Funding Act
- MVOC Microbial Volatile Organic Compound
- NCP National Contingency Plan
- NESHAP National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant
- NOM Notice of Off-site Migration
- NPL National Priorities List
- OPA Oil Pollution Act
- PAH Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
- PCB Polychlorinated Biphenyl
- PEAS Pollution Emergency Alerting System
- PIPP Pollution Incident Prevention Plan
- PM-10 Particulate Matter smaller or equal to 10 microns in diameter
- PNA Polynuclear Aromatic. See__ PAH above
- PRP Potentially Responsible Parties
- PSM Process Safety Management
- QC Qualified Consultant
- RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- REC Recognized Environmental Condition
- RI/FS Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study
- RMP Risk Management Plans
- RPF Refined Petroleum Fund
- RQ Reportable Quantity
- RRD Remediation and Redevelopment Division
- SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
- SEC Securities and Exchange Commission
- SOX Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- SQG Small Quantity Generator
- SPCC Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures
- SVE Soil Vapor Extraction
- SWPPP Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan
- TCE Trichloroethylene
- TLV Threshold Limit Value
- TRI Michigan Toxic Chemical Release Inventory
- TSDF Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility
- UEL Upper Explosive Limit
- UST Underground Storage Tank
- VOC Volatile Organic Compound
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