Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment
RCRA Risk Assessment: Ecological: Planning and Scoping
View resources related to this topic from other Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Programs:
(note - programs not linked do not have content for this topic)
Chemical Accident Prevention
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse
Underground Storage Tanks
Resource and Conservation Recovery Act
Additional RCRA Information:
This is the stage in the Ecological Risk Assessment process where it is determined what the extent of the problem is likely to be. The scope of US EPA risk assessments describes what is currently known about the environmental risk at a particular site that will (or can) be analyzed. The scope is defined according to who or what is at risk of adverse effects from identifiable sources and stressors through several routes of exposure over varied time frames.
Documents
- Role of BTAGs in Ecological Assessment
September 1991 Eco Update (PDF, 4 pp,
365 K, About PDF)
This EcoUpdate bulletin describes the responsibilities and activities of the Biological Technical Assistance Group: a group of scientists established to aid remedial project managers. - Briefing the BTAG: Initial Description
of Setting, History and Ecology of a Site Eco Update August
1992 (PDF, 11 pp, 290 K, About PDF)
This EcoUpdate bulletin focuses on the first meeting between a Remedial Project Manager and the Biological Technical Assistance Group, during which there is an initial exchange of information and guidance. - Cumulative
Risk Assessment Guidance-Phase I Planning and Scoping
Guidance on Cumulative Risk Assessment. Part 1. Planning and Scoping
First link is to memo directing use of this guidance and second link is directly to the guidance. This guidance directs each office to take into account cumulative risk issues in scoping and planning major risk assessments and to consider a broader scope that integrates multiple sources, effects, pathways, stressors and populations for cumulative risk analyses in all cases for which relevant data are available. - Developing a Scope of Work for
Ecological Assessments (PDF) ( 13 pp,
100 K, About PDF)
Eco Update, May 1992
This EcoUpdate bulletin helps Remedial Project Managers to plan and manage ecological assessments as part of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility process. - Ecological Assessment of Superfund
Sites: An Overview (PDF) ( 8 pp, 67
K, About PDF)
Eco Update, December 1991
This EcoUpdate bulletin describes the components of the ecological risk assessment process and how they fit into the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process. - Ecological Risk Assessment
and Risk Management Principles for Superfund Sites, (Issuance
of Final Guidance) October 7, 1999 (PDF,
9 pp, 1.01 mb, About PDF)
Guidance intended to help Superfund project managers to make ecological assessment decisions that are consistent across the United States and are transparent to the public. - Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance
for Superfund: Process for Designing and Conducting Ecological
Risk Assessments - Interim Final June 1997, EPA 540-R-97-006
This document provides guidance on how to design and conduct consistent and technically defensible ecological risk assessments for the Superfund program. - Ecological Significance and Selection of Candidate Assessment Endpoints 1996
- ECO Update Bulletin Series
EcoUpdates are a series of bulletins which provide information on various aspects of Ecological Risk Assessments, including toxicity testing, the role of the Biological Technical Assistance Group (BTAG), field studies, and screening level risk assessments. - Guidance for Data Useability in
Risk Assessment (Part A) April 1992
Guidance for Data Useability in Risk Assessment, Part A, is designed to provide data users with a nationally consistent basis for making decisions about the minimum quality and quantity of environmental analytical data that are sufficient to support Superfund risk assessment decisions, regardless of which parties conduct the investigation. Part B of this guidance addresses radioanalytical issues. - Guidance for Data Useability in
Risk Assessment (Part B), May 1992
This document is the second part of the two-part Guidance for Data Useability in Risk Assessment. Part B provides supplemental guidance to Part A on planning and assessing radioanalytical data needs for the baseline human health risk assessment conducted as part of the remedial investigation process at sites containing radioactive substances. Part B is not a stand alone document and at all times should be used in conjunction with Part A. - Guidance for Data Usability in Risk
Assessment: Quick Reference Fact Sheet September 1990
Guidance designed to provide data users with a nationally consistent basis for making decisions about the minimum quality and quantity of environmental analytical data that are sufficient to support Superfund risk assessment decisions, regardless of which parties conduct the investigation. Part B deals with radioanalytical issues and should be used in conjunction with Part A. - Guidelines for Characterizing Background
Chemicals in Soil at Superfund Sites (External Peer Review Draft)
June 2001 (PDF, 89 pp, 1.27 mb, About PDF)
This document provides guidance to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regions concerning how the Agency intends to exercise its discretion in implementing one aspect of the CERCLA remedy selection process. The guidance is designed to implement national policy on these issues. - Guidelines
for Ecological Risk Assessment
These Agency-wide guidelines are provided to improve the quality and consistency of EPA's ecological risk assessments. The Guidelines expand on and replace the 1992 report Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment. - National Recommended
Ambient Water Quality Criteria (PDF) ( About PDF)
The criteria in this document (for 158 pollutants) provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act to protect human health and aquatic life. - Revised
Interim Soil Lead Guidance for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective
Action Facilities (PDF) ( About PDF)
1993, OSWER Directive #9355.4-12
This document provides an approach for determining protective levels of lead in soil, including recommended screening levels, how to develop preliminary remediation goals, and a description of a clean-up plan for CERCLA (Superfund) and RCRA sites with multiple sources of lead. - (Revised) Policy on Performance of
Risk Assessments During RI/FSs Conducted by PRPs (PDF) (
3 pp, 43 K, About PDF)
As part of the recently announced administrative reforms to the Superfund program, the Administrator stated that EPA would reaffirm its commitment to "allow PRP's to conduct risk assessments under proper circumstances as part of the overall site study (RI/FS)." This memorandum announces EPA's revised policy on allowing PRP's to conduct the risk assessment portion of the RI/FS. - Role of Background in the CERCLA Cleanup
Program April 26, 2002 (PDF, 15 pp,
40 K, About PDF)
This document clarifies the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preferred approach for the consideration of background constituent concentrations of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants in certain steps of the remedy selection process, such as risk assessment and risk management, at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund") sites. - Role of Screening Level Risk
Assessment and Refining COCs (Chemicals or Contaminants of Concern)
in Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment 2001 (PDF,
8 pp, 650K, About PDF)
This EcoUpdate bulletin describes the process and purpose of the screening level ecological risk assessment, which is the first steps in a ecological risk assessment at a site, and how the list of COCs can be refined to include only those contaminants that may pose a risk. - Selecting and Using Reference Information in Superfund ERAs 1994
- The Role of Natural Resource Trustees
in the Superfund Process March 1992 Eco Update (PDF,
10 pp, 192K, About PDF)
This EcoUpdate bulletin is intended to help project managers to work with Natural Resource Trustees, explaining the responsibilities and authorities of those trustees and those of the Remedial Project Managers and On-Scene Coordinators with respect to those trustees.