Welcome to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Information Repository
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is conducting Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund") activities at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). As part of this effort, ARS is committed to keeping the local community and all other interested parties informed about CERCLA activities at BARC.BARC was placed on National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994 and has been addressing contamination issues throughout the BARC campus since that time. Many of the sites have already been cleaned up or are involved in investigations aimed at completing cleanups. Since being placed on Superfund, BARC has made the reports and records related to environmental investigation and cleanup activities accessible to the public.
This website has expanded the accessibility of this information. Now, interested individuals may view all current Superfund information via the Internet. These documents have been, and continue to be, available in paper format, and are viewable at the BARC Information Repository in Building 003 at BARC.
How Do I View This Information?
A total of 63 "Areas of Concern" (AOCs) have been identified as AOCs at BARC that are being investigated and cleaned up as part of ARS' Superfund initiatives, 21 of which are still being actively investigated. The information related to all of these sites, regardless of status, are available through this Web site.
Advanced Search
To search the documents using other identifiers such as farm name, document title, and document date, click here, fill out the appropriate form fields, and click "Apply".
Important Facility-Wide Information
BARC Facility General Information
To view general information about the entire BARC facility, click on the “Advanced Search" link and select the "BARC-Wide" option under the "Site Name" criteria.
- BARC’s Areas of Concern (AOC) Full Map
- BARC’s Current Site Management Plan
- BARC’s Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment
- BARC’s CERCLA Fact Sheets and Maps
BARC Master Plans
Four BARC Master Plans guide the implementation of all CERCLA-related studies and remedial activities, data collection, and risk management efforts to ensure that work consistently follows procedures, provides for safe working conditions, and that regulations are adhered to. These four master plans include:
- Master Health and Safety Plan (HASP)
- Master Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
- Master Investigation Derived Waste (IDW) Management Plan
- Master Risk Assessment Plan (RAP).
The most current version of each plan is provided below and they are updated periodically.