Risk assessment and remedial technology effectiveness at Superfund sites

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6348864

Doty, C B; Travis, C C

Although the protection of public health is one of the primary goals of the Superfund program, the program's success in achieving risk reduction has been difficult to determine thus far. However, evidence to date suggests that risk reduction is not being effectively integrated into the remedial action decision process in spite of the change of program philosophy since the passage of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) and the advances made in the field of risk assessment in recent years. Defining risk, using risk assessment as a priority-setting tool, and defining risk reduction within the confines of both the current state of technology and the resources available with which to address risk are essential components of the decision process. Although risk assessments are conducted at Superfund sites, risk assessment has not been used effectively as a priority-setting tool. Many decisions to remediate are made where no current exposure exists and potential risk is not well-defined. At the same time, the majority of remedial alternatives are selected without evidence of their effectiveness in meeting health-based cleanup goals, even at sites which pose a threat to human health. Recent analyses of the effectiveness of treatment remedies suggest that treating contaminated media to health-based cleanup goals is considerably more difficult than originally expected. Thus, Superfund policy-making should focus on determining when health-based cleanup goals are necessary and when attaining such standards is feasible. 12 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: EPA
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6348864
• Report Number(s): CONF-901182-1; ON: DE91004778
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMPLEMENTATION
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