Risk assessment: A cost effective approach for establishing cleanup goals at petroleum contaminated sites
- Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., Gainesville, FL (United States)
Site-specific health risk assessments (RAs) are regularly used to provide focus and direction for remedial activities. RAs are required as part of the remedial response for sites subject to CERCLA and RCRA regulations. Often RA is not required for petroleum releases from underground storage tanks (USTs), however, RA is becoming an increasingly popular cost-effective approach for setting cleanup goals for such sites. Because remediation of UST sites requires a full understanding of the fate and transport of petroleum contaminants, fate and transport analysis is an integral part of the exposure assessment of the RA to determine the level or need of remediation. Since the promulgation of EPA`s UST regulations, which established minimum upgrade and financial assurance requirements for owners and operators of USTS, the number of UST sites requiring corrective action has dramatically increased. However, many states do not have adequate resources to finance the remediation of all UST sites to meet overly stringent uniform standards, thus, industry and environmental regulatory agencies are recognizing the value of basing cleanups on site-specific health risks. RA provides a scientifically defensible justification for supporting no action, limited action, or ``monitoring only`` options at a site. In addition, RA is used to establish risk-based cleanup levels that are protective of human health and the environment. Through RA, the responsible party is provided with cost-saving options, which allows for conservation of funds which may then be directed to additional environmental concerns. A discussion of RA and how it can directly benefit contractors and potentially responsible parties in justifying site-specific cleanup goals is presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 242407
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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