- R -

The following are commonly used abbreviations, acronyms, and a glossary of specialized terms starting with the letter:  

— R —

radium  — chemical element — (abbreviation: Ra).

radium 226 & 228, combined — radionuclides –  (MCL = 5 pCi/L).

radon — chemical element — (abbreviation: Rn).

RCRA corrective action order (acronym: RCRIS CA).

RCRA facility assessment (acronym: RFA).

RCRA generators — those persons or entities that generate hazardous wastes, as defined and regulated by RCRA.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

RCRA generators list — list kept by EPA of those persons or entities that generate hazardous wastes as defined and regulated by RCRA.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

RCRA metals – arsenic, barium cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, silver.

RCRA TSD facilities — those facilities on which treatment, storage, and/or disposal of hazardous wastes takes place, as defined and regulated by RCRA.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

RCRA TSD facilities list — list kept by EPA of those facilities on which treatment, storage, and/or disposal of hazardous wastes takes place, as defined and regulated by RCRA.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

reactive phosphorous

real estate purchase agreement (acronym: REPA).

realgar — AsS — (sulfide mineral).

reasonably ascertainable —  for purposes of both ASTM E-1527 and Practice E 1528, information that is (1) publicly available, (2) obtainable from its source within reasonable time and cost constraints, and (3) practically reviewable.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

recognized environmental conditions — the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, ground water, or surface water of the property. The term includes hazardous substances or petroleum products even under conditions in compliance with laws. The term is not intended to include de minimis conditions that generally do not present a material risk of harm to public health or the environment and that generally would not be the subject of an enforcement action if brought to the attention of appropriate governmental agencies. Conditions determined to be de minimis are not recognized environmental conditions.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

recommended exposure limit (acronym: REL) established by NIOSH.

recorded land title records — records of fee ownership, leases, land contracts, easements, liens, and other encumbrances on or of the property recorded in the place where land title records are, by law or custom, recorded for the local jurisdiction in which the property is located. (Often such records are kept by a municipal or county recorder or clerk.)  Such records may be obtained from title companies or directly from the local government agency. Information about the title to the property that is recorded in a U.S. district court or any place other than where land title records are, by law or custom, recorded for the local jurisdiction in which the property is located, are not considered part of recorded land title records.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

records of emergency release notifications (SARA § 304)—Section 304 of EPCRA or Title III of SARA requires operators of facilities to notify their local emergency planning committee (as defined in EPCRA) and state emergency response commission (as defined in EPCRA) of any release beyond the facility’s boundary of any reportable quantity of any extremely hazardous substance. Often the local fire department is the local emergency planning committee. Records of such notifications are “Records of Emergency Release Notifications” (SARA § 304).   Source (ASTM, 2004).

records review — (e.g., that part that is contained in Section 7 of ASTM E-1527 addresses which records shall or may be reviewed).   Source (ASTM, 2004).

Reformed (religious affiliations of institutions subscript: _R ).

Regional West Medical Center – medical facility; Scottsbluff, NE – (acronym, RWMC).

regular (abbreviation: reg).

regulated inorganic chemicals (abbreviation: IOCs).

release — as defined by § 101(22) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. § 9601(22), “any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment (including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles containing any hazardous substance or pollutant or contaminant), but exclud[ing] (A) any release which results in exposure to persons solely within a workplace, with respect to a claim which such persons may assert against the employer of such persons, (B) emissions from the engine exhaust of a motor vehicle, rolling stock, aircraft, vessel, or pipeline pumping station engine, (C) release of source, byproduct, or special nuclear material from a nuclear incident, as those terms are defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 [42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.], if such release is subject to requirements with respect to financial protection established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under section 170 of such Act [42 U.S.C. § 2210], or, for the purposes of section 104 of CERCLA or any other response action, any release of source, byproduct, or special nuclear material from any processing site designated under section 102(a)(1) or 302(a) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978; [42 U.S.C. § 7912(a)(1) or 7942(a)], and (D) the normal application of fertilizer.”  Source: (ASTM, 2004).

remedial action classification (acronym: RAC).

report — the written record of a service (e.g., transaction screen process as required by Practice E 1528 or the written report prepared by the environmental professional and constituting part of a “Phase I Environmental Site Assessment,” as required by ASTM E-1527.   Source (ASTM, 2004).

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, 42 USC§ 6901 et seq.; (acronym: RCRA ).

Resource Conservation Recovery Act (acronym: RCRA).

rhenium — chemical element — (abbreviation: Re).

rhodium — chemical element — (abbreviation: Rh).

rhodium (soluble compounds, as Rh) – chemical compound – see NIOSH

rhodochrosite — MnCo₃ — (carbonate mineral).

rhodonite — (Mn,Ca)(SiO₃) — (silicate mineral).

rhyolite (abbreviation: rhy) — rock classification, igneous — volcanic rock.

Richard Young Center – medical institution; Omaha, Nebraska – (acronym: RYC).

risk assessment (acronym: RA).

risk based corrective action (acronym: RBCA).

Rock  County Hospital – medical facility; Bassett, NE – (acronym, RCH).

rocks (abbreviation: rx).

rod — unit of measure, linear distance / length — = 25 link = 0.25 chain = 16.5 ft.

roentgenium  — chemical element — (abbreviation: Rg).

ronnel – chemical compound – see NIOSH

rood— unit of measure, area — = 40 perch = 10.12 are.

rotenone – chemical compound – see NIOSH

rounded (abbreviation: rnd).

rubidium — chemical element — (abbreviation: Rb).

ruthenium — chemical element — (abbreviation: Ru).

rutherfordium — chemical element — (abbreviation: Rf) .

rutile — TiO₂ — (oxide mineral).