environmental-(ecological)-Risk-Assessment.-Guidan

UnitedStatesOfficeofEmergencyandEPA'540,1-89IOO1EnvironmentalProtectlonRemedialResponseMarch1989AgencyWashington.DC20460Superfund-3SY-/3Pd/CRiskAssessmentGuidanceforSuperfundVolumeIIEnvironmentalEvaluationManualInterimFinalI.I'111..1r-.-.-if--I,LJ'i1-17111*J'1'1'1-1.-1-111.I1a111IEPA/540/1-89/001March1989RiskAssessmentGuidanceforSuperfundVolumeIIEnvironmentalEvaluationManualInterimFinalOfficeofEmergencyandRemedialResponseU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyWashington,DC20460!DisclaimerThepoliciesandproceduressetforthhereareintendedasguidancetoAgencyandothergovernmentemployees.TheydonotconstituterulemakingbytheAgency,andmaynotbereliedontocreateasubstantiveorproceduralrightenforceablebyanyotherperson.TheGovernmentmaytakeactionthatisatvariancewiththepoliciesandproceduresinthismanual.il!!iiPrefaceThisdocumentispartofatwo-manualsetentitledRiskAssessmentGuidanceforSuperfund.Onemanual,theEnvironmentalEvaluationManual,providesguidanceforecologicalassessmentatSuperfundsites;theother,theHumanHealthEduutionManual,providesguidanceforhealthriskassessmentatthesesites.GuidanceinbothareasisneededsothatEPAcanmeettherequirementsofsections121(b)(l)and(d)oftheComprehensiveEnvironmentalResponse,Compensation,andLiabilityAct(CERCLA),namely,thatselectedremedialactionsbeprotectiveofhumanhealthandtheenvironment.ThisriskassessmentguidancealsocanassistEPAincomplyingwithotherCERCLAdirectives.Forexample,Section121(c)requiresfuturereviewstoensurethathumanhealthandtheenvironmentcontinuetobeprotectedatsiteswherecontaminantsremainafterremedialactionswerecompleted.TheRiskAssessmentGuidanceforSuperfundmanualsweredevelopedtobeusedduringtheRemovalandRemedialInvestigation/FeasibilityStudy(RIIFS)processesatSuperfundsites.Theanalyticalframeworkandspecificmethodsdescribedinthemanuals,however,mayalsobeapplicabletoevaluationsofhazardouswastesandhazardousmaterialsforotherpurposes.FortheRyFSprocess,thesemanualsarecompaniondocumentstoEPA'sGuidanceforConductingRemedialInvestigationsandFeasibilityStudiesUnderCERCLA(October19881,andusersshouldbefamiliarwiththatguidance.ThetwoSuperfundriskassessmentmanualsweredevelopedwithextensiveinputfromEPAworkgroupscomposedofbothRegionalandHeadquartersstaff.Thesemanualsareinterimfinalguidance;finalguidancewillbeissuedaftertherevisionstotheNationalOilandHazardousSubstancesPollutionContingencyPlan(NCP),proposedinDecember1988,becomefinal.Althoughenvironmentalevaluationandhumanhealthevaluationaredifferentprocesses,theysharecertaininformationneedsandgenerallywillusesomeofthesamechemicalandotherdataforasite.PlanningforbothevaluationsshouldbeginduringthescophgstageoftheRWS,andsitesamplingandiiiotherdatacollectionactivitiestosupportthetwoevaluationsshouldbecoordinated.Anexampleofthistypeofcoordinationisthesamplingandanalysisoffishorotheraquaticorganisms;ifsuchsamplingisdoneproperly,datacanbeusedinassessinghumanhealthrisksfromingestionoffishandshellfishandinassessingimpactsto,andpotentialeffectson,theaquaticecosystem.Thetwomanualsinthissethavesomewhatdifferenttargetaudiences.TheEnvironmentalEvaluationManualprimarilyaddressesRemedialProjectManagers(RPMs)andOn-SceneCoordinators(OSCs),whoareresponsibleforensuringathoroughevaluationofpotentialenvironmentaleffectsatsites.TheEnvironmentalEvaluationManualisnotadetailedhow-to9'typeofguidance,anditdoesnotprovidecookbookapproachesforevaluation.Instead,itidentifiesthekindsofhelpthatRPMsorOsCsarelikelytoneedandwheretofindthathelp.Thenitdescribesanoverallframeworkforconsideringenvironmentaleffects.AdetaileddiscussionofenvironmentalevaluationmethodsmaybefoundinEcologicalAssessmentsofHazardousWasteSites:AFieldandLaboratoryReferenceDocument(EPA/600/3-89/013),publishedbyEPA'sOfficeofResearchandDevelopment.TheHumanHealthEvaluationManual,availablein1989,providesabasicframeworkforhealthriskassessmentatSuperfundsites.ThehealthevaluationmanualisaddressedprimarilytotheindividualsactuallyconductinghealthriskassessmentsforsitesandwhoarefrequentlycontractorstoEPA,States,orpotentiallyresponsibleparties.ItisalsotargetedtoEPAstaff,includingthoseresponsibleforensuringathoroughevaluationofhumanhealthrisks(i.e.,RPMs).TheHumanHealthEvaluationManualreplacesapreviousEPAguidancedocument,TheSuperfundPublicHealthEvaluationManual,orSPHEM(October19861,whichshouldbeuseduntiltheInterimFinalHumunHealthEvaluationManualisavailable.ThenewmanualincorporateslessonslearnedfromapplicationoftheearliermanualandaddressesanumberofissuesraisedsincepublicationoftheSPHEM.LOfficeofWasteProgramsEnforcement:OfficeofSolidWaste:OfficeofSolidWasteandEmergencyResponse:OfficeofAirandRadiation:OfficeofFederalActivities:OfficeofGeneralCounsel:OfficeofInformationResourceManagement:OfficeofMarineandEstuarineProtection:OfficeofPolicy,PlanningandEvaluation:MiceofResearchandDevelopment:MiceofToxicSubstances:MiceofUndergroundStorageTanks:MiceofWaterEnforcementandPermits:MiceofWaterRegulationsandStandards:OficeofWetlandsProtection:EnvironmentalEvaluationManualEPAWorkGroup€PAHeadquartersWiceofEmergencyandRemedialResponse:DavidBennettKarenBurganDavidCharte