Commonly used environmental acronyms. What is...
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (Environmental Glossary)
Here is a list of some common environmental acronyms. These acronyms and abbreviations reflect the typical manner in which terms are used, but may not apply to all situations. Federal, State and Local usage may vary. Also see Definitions (Glossary).
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
AAL Applied Action Levels
AAQS Ambient Air Quality Standards
ACBM : Asbestos Containing Building Material
ACM : Asbestos Containing Material
ADI Acceptable Daily Intake
ADR : Alternative Dispute Resolution
AHERA Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act, 1986 (see TSCA)
ALARA As Low As Reasonably Achievable
AMSL above mean sea level
AO Administrative Order
AOC area of concern
AQRG Air Quality Control Region
ARARs Applicable, Relevant, and Appropriate Requirements
ARP Accidental Release Program
ARPA Archeological Resource Protection Act
AS/SVE air sparging/soil vapor extraction
AST Aboveground Storage Tank
ASTSWMO Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials
ATCM Air Toxic Control Measure
ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
AWQS Ambient Water Quality Standards
BACM Best Available Control Measure
BACT Best Available Control Technology
BAT Best Available Technology
BATEA Best Available Technology Economically Achievable
BEAC Board of Environmental Health and Safety Officer Certification
BOD biochemical oxygen demand
Bq becquerel
Bq/g becquerel per gram
Bq/L becquerel per liter
BTEX Benzene, Toluene, Ethel benzene & Xylene
Btu British thermal units
CAA Clean Air Act
CAA Clean Air Act Amendments (1990)
CAMU Corrective Action Management Unit
Cd Cadmium
CEA Certified Environmental Auditor
CEG Certified Engineering Geologist
CEM Continuous Emission monitoring
CEP Certified Environmental Professional (via ABCEP)
CEQ Council of Environmental Quality
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System
CESQG Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (RCRA)
CFC Chlorofluorcarbon (e.g., CFC-11 which is an ozone-depleting refrigerant)
CGS CT General Statutes
cfm , cfs cubic feet per minute, per second
CFR U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
CGL Comprehensive General Liability Insurance
CGS CT General Statutes
Ci curie
CNG Compressed Natural Gas
CO Consent Order
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
COH Coefficient of Haze
Cr Chromium
CRMP Cultural Resource Management Plan
Cs cesium
CSP Certified Safety Professional
CWA Clean Water Act
CY calendar year
D2O heavy water
DAC Derived Air Concentration
DCA 1,1-dichloroethane
DCE 1,1-dichloroethylene
DCG derived concentration guide
D&D decontamination and decommissioning
DDD dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane
DDE dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene
DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
DEP CT Department of Environmental Protection
DHS Department of Health Services
DMR Discharge Monitoring Report
DNAPL Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid
DQO Data Quality Objective
DRE Destruction/Removal Efficiency
DWS Drinking Water Standards
EA Environmental Assessment
ECRA Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act (e.g., New Jersy)
EDB ethylene dibromide
EDE Effective Dose Equivalent
EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
EE/CA Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis
EIL Environmental Impairment Liability Insurance
EIS Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA)
ELAP Environmental Laboratory Approval Program
EML Environmental Measurements Laboratory
EMP Environmental Monitoring Plan
EMS Environmental Management System
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
ERA Environmental Risk Assessment
ES&H environment, safety, and health
ESA Endangered Species Act 15 USC Section 1531 et seq.
ESH&Q Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality
ESP Electrostatic Precipitators
FDA Food and Drug Administration
FEMA Federal Emergency management Agency
FFCA Federal Facilities Compliance Act
FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 7 USC Section 136 et seq.
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact (NEPA)
FRP Facility Response Plan
FS Feasibility Study (CERCLA)
FTU Fixed Treatmnet Unit
FWPCA Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. section 466 et seq. as amended
FWS U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
FY fiscal year
GAC Granual Activated Carbon
GACT Generally Available Control Technology
GBq giga (billion or E+09) becquerel
GAB gross alpha and beta
GC/ECD gas chromatography/electron capture detector
GC/MS gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
GDS Groundwater Discharge Standard
GeV giga (billion) electron volts
gge gas gallon equivalent
GIS Geographical Information System
GLC Ground Level Concentration
GWh gigawatt hour
GWPS Groundwater Protection Standard
HAPs Hazardous Air Pollutants (CAA)
HAZOP Hazard and Operability STudy
HCFC Hydrochlorofluorocabons
HEPA high efficiency particulate air
HHW Household Hazardous Waste
HMIS Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement
HMTA Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 USC Section 1801 et seq.; 49 CFR
HRA Health Risk Assessment
HRS Hazard Ranking System (CERCLA)
HSP Health and Safety Plan
HTO tritiated water (liquid or vapor)
HWMU Hazardous Waste Management Unit (RCRA)
HVAC heating/ventilation/air conditioning
I Iodine
IAEA I nternational Atomic Energy Agency
IC ion chromatography
ICP/MS inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry
IPM Integrated Pest Management
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISO 14001 : International EMS Standard
K potassium
kBq kilobecquerels (1,000 Bq)
KeV kilo (thousand) electron volts
Kr kryptonite
kwH kilowatt hours
LAER Lowest Achievable Emission Rate
LD50 Lethal Dose 50%
LDR Land Disposal Restriction
LED Light emitting diode
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LEL Lower Explosive Limit
LEP Licensed Environmental Professional (CT)
LLRWPA Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, 42 USC
LNAPL Liight Non Aqueous Phase Liquid
LSTPD Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development
LUST Leaking Underground Storage Tank
MACT Maximum Available Control Technology
MAPEP Mixed Analyte Performance Evaluation Program
MCL maximum contaminant level
MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (SDWA)
MDL minimum detection limit
MEI maximally exposed individual
MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone (2-butanone)
MeV million electron volts
MGD million gallons per day
mg/L milligrams per liter
MIR Maximum Incremental Reactivity
MMBtu million British thermal units
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPF Major Petroleum Facility
MPN most probable number
MPRSA Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. 16 USC Section 1431 et seq.
mrem milli (thousandth of a) rem
MS Mass Spectrometry or Spectrometer
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets, 29 CFR Section 1910.1200©; Labor Code Section 6374
MSL mean sea level
mSv millisievert
MTBE methyl tertiary butyl ether
MW megawatt
μg/L micrograms per liter
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NCRP National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements
ND not detected
NELAP National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act, 42 USC Section 4321
NESHAPs National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
ng/J nano (one-billionth) gram per Joule
NHPA National Historic Preservation Act
NIMBY Not In My Backyard (syndrome)
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
NIST National Institute for Standards and Technology
NFA No Further Action
NOAEL No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level
NOEL No Observed Effect Level
NO2 nitrogen dioxide
NOV Notice of Violation
NOX nitrogen oxides
NOEC no observable effect concentration
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (CWA)
NPL National Priority List (CERCLA)
NRC National Response Center
NRMP Natural Resource Management Plan
NSPS New Source Performance Standards
NTIS National Technical Information Service
O3 ozone
ODS ozone-depleting substances
O&M Operation and Maintenance
OMB Office of Management and Budget
OPA Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Federal), 33 U.S.C. 2702-2761
ORC oxygen-releasing compound
ORPS Occurrence Reporting and Processing System
OU operable unit
P2 pollution prevention
PAAA Price-Anderson Act Amendment
PAH Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbon
PA/SI Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation
Pb lead
PBT persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic
PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls
PCE tetrachloroethylene (or perchloroethylene)
pCi/g picocuries per gram
PE Professional Engineer
PL Public Law
PM Particulate Matter
ppb parts per billion
ppm parts per million
POTW Publicly Owned Treatment Works
PRP Potentially Responsible Party (Superfund)
PSA Preliminary Site Asessment
PSD Prevnetion of Significant Deterioration
QA quality assurance
QAPP Quality Assurance Program Plan
QC quality control
R-11 (etc.) ozone-depleting refrigerant
RA Remedial or Removal Action
RACT Reasonably Available Control Technology
RARCT Reasonably Available Retrofit Control Technology
RAP Remedial Action Plan (CERCLA)
RAW Removal Action Workplan
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 USC Section 6901, 40 CFR
RD/RA Remedial Design/Remedial Action
REM Registered Environmental Manager (NREP)
RF resuspension factor
RFA RCRA Facility Assessment
RG Registered Geologist
ROD Record of Decision (CERCLA)
RPD relative percent difference
RQ Reportable Quantity (CERCLA and SARA Title III)
RWP Radiological Work Permit
SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (CERCLA)
SARA Title III Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-Know Section of SARA, aka EPCRA
SAP Sampling and Analysis Plan
SCEL Stream Channel Encroachment Lines
SDL Source Development Laboratory
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC Section 300 et seq.
SI International System (measurement units)
SIP State Implementation plan (CAA)
SO2 sulfur dioxide
SOP standard operating procedure
SOX Oxides of Sulfur
SPCC Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures
SPDES State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
SQG Small Quantity Generator (RCRA)
Sr strontium
STEL Short Term Exposure Limit
STP Sewage Treatment Plant
SU standard unit
Sv sievert; unit for assessing radiation dose risk
SVE soil vapor extraction
SVOC semivolatile organic compound
SWMP Stormwater Monitoring Program
SWMU Solid Waste management Unit (CERCLA)
SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
t1/2 half-life
TAG Technical Advisory Group
TBq tera (trillion, or E+12) becquerel
TCA 1,1,1-trichloroethane
TCE trichloroethylene
TCLP toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (RCRA)
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TKN Total Kjeldahl nitrogen
TLD thermoluminescent dosimeter
TLV Threshold Limit Value
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
TOC Total Organic Carbon
TRE Toxic Reduction Evaluation
TRI Toxic Release Inventory
TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act
TVOC total volatile organic compounds
USDW Underground Source of Drinking Water
UEL Upper Explosive Limit
UFC Uniform Fire Code
UIC underground injection control, H&S Code section 25159.10, SDWA, RCRA
UST underground storage tank
VEO Visible Emissions Observation
VES Vapor/Vacuum Extraction System
VOC volatile organic compound
VUV very ultraviolet
WAC waste acceptance criteria
WAQ Water Quality Act of 1987 (FWPCA)
WCPP Waste Certification Program Plan
WET Whole Effluent Toxicity
WQS Water Quality Standards
Fun Kids Games!
Love, Loss & Gratitude
Our Better Nature
HOME | Site Map | Contact | Contact webmaster about text link ad placement
If you experience problems with the website/find
broken links/have suggestions/corrections, please contact me !
The purpose of this site is to share information with anyone interested in environmental protection.
Feel free to link to it, or to print hard copies for personal or educational
purposes (see permissions ) with a citation for the author . I have no responsibility or input on articles written by other authors.
No permission is granted for any commercial use or reproduction online.
Appearance of ads on this site does not constitute endorsement of any of those services or products!
If you are interested in placing text links or other ads on this site, contact the webmaster .
©2007 Chimalis . Original photographs
are copyrighted, and may not be used without the permission of the photographer.
See disclaimer ,
necessitated by today's sadly litigious world.
Last updated
October 25, 2016