Streamlined Approach to the Risk Assessment Process: A Case Study, 1996 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Federal and state regulatory agencies required the owner of a solid waste landfill to prepare a risk assessment consistent with federal guidelines for Super-fund sites. The landfill had impacted the underlying bedrock aquifer, used to supply water to nearby residents, with volatile organic chemicals, semivolatile organic chemicals, and metals. To expedite remediation, keep report writing to a minimum, and reduce the owner’s liabilities, a streamlined evaluation of potential impacts to human health and the environment was conducted, using soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment data collected between 1989 and 1992. The evaluation paralleled standard risk assessment methodology, entailing statistical summaries of the data; evaluation of potential exposure routes and toxicological properties; identification of chemicals of concern (COCs) and media of concern, using risk-based screening levels or regulatory standards or criteria; and estimation of potential impacts associated with the COCs. Potential aesthetic degradation of the environment was also assessed. The streamlined evaluation had the following results: (1) The requirement to prepare a risk assessment was removed from the permit. (2) The list of permit-stipulated parameters was reduced. (3) The evaluation of potential threats to human health and the remediation process were accelerated. (4) Costs were reduced. Over the years, the landfill had accepted solid waste from several small forest products companies, resulting in the requirement to assess COCs common to the industry. The streamlined process for assessing risk directly applies to evaluating the need for action at all types of forest product facilities, with similar resulting benefits.