U.S. EPA Superfund Remedial Program's Approach for Risk Harmonization when addressing Chemical and Radioactive Contamination at Sites
Archived: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Sponsored by: U.S. EPA OLEM OSRTI ARD Science Policy Branch
To help meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund program's mandate to protect human health and the environment from current and potential threats posed by uncontrolled hazardous substance (both radiological and non-radiological), pollutant, or contaminant releases, the Superfund program has developed a human health evaluation process as part of its remedial response program. The process of gathering and assessing human health risk information is adapted from well-established chemical risk assessment principles and procedures. Within the Superfund remediation framework, radioactive contamination is dealt with in a consistent manner as with chemical contamination, except to account for the technical differences between radionuclides and chemicals. This consistency is important since at every radioactively contaminated site being addressed under Superfund's primary program for long-term cleanup, the National Priorities List (NPL), chemical contamination is also present.
Stuart Walker, U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (walker.stuart@epa.gov)
Stuart Walker has been employed by U.S. EPA in Washington, DC since 1990 in either the Superfund program (the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation) or the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air working on issues regarding the cleanup of contaminated sites. His primary area of responsibility includes serving as the Superfund program's national lead on issues regarding radioactively contaminated CERCLA sites. In this role, Stuart develops national policy for risk assessment including models, community involvement, compliance with Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate requirements (ARARs), establishing cleanup levels and management of radioactive contamination at CERCLA sites.
Moderators:
Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)
Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.
Renan Havill, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (havill.renan@epa.gov or 703-615-7735)
Renan works in the Technology Integration and Information Branch of the Technology Innovation and Field Services Division at EPA Headquarters. He supports the CERCLA Education Center and Clean Up Information Network webinars where institutional knowledge is preserved and new clean up technology is disseminated. He leads webinar series that inform regional Superfund staff of EPA Headquarters resources and manages collaborative tools developed. Renan holds a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science from Indiana University and a Master's of Science in Biomedical Engineering from George Washington University. He worked as a supervisory laboratory technician in a medical diagnostics lab prior to joining the EPA.
Webinar Slides and References:
Additional Resources:
- Guidance documents for radiation cleanup are on the Superfund Radiation Webpage
- The Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management Final Report. Volume 1 1997.
- The Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management Final Report. Volume 2 1997.
- Evaluation of Guidelines for Exposures to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring. The National Academy of Science. 1999.
- ESTABLISHMENT OF CLEANUP LEVELS FOR CERCLA SITES WITH RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION (epa.gov)
- RADIATION RISK ASSESSMENT AT CERCLA SITES: Q AND A (12/17/1999 TRANSMITTAL MEMO ATTACHED)--OSWER 9200.1-31P (epa.gov)
- MEMO REGARDING DISTRIBUTION OF 'RADIATION RISK ASSESSMENT AT CERCLA SITES: Q&A', OSWER NO. 9285.6-20 (epa.gov)
- Superfund Soil Screening Guidance | US EPA
- EPA and ITRC Internet-based training on BPRG calculator and D&D
- Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Volume 1 - Technical Basis for Assessment | Science Inventory | US EPA
- Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Assessment for Non-Radionuclides Including Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromuim, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Nitrate, Perchlorate, and Selenium, Volume II
- Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Volume III Assessment for Radionuclides Including Tritium, Radon, Strontium, Technetium, Uranium, Iodine, Radium, Thorium, Cesium
- Evaluation of Guidelines for Exposures to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials | The National Academies Press
- ISCORS A Method for Estimating Radiation Risk from Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE)
- Common Chemicals Found at Superfund Sites (8/94) OSWER Directive 9203.1-17
- Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment: A Community Toolkit
- Superfund Risk Assessment and How you can Help, an Overview (1999) OSWER Directive 9285.7-29A
- Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment and How you can Help, an Overview (3/05) OSWER Directive 9200.4-37
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Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation
It is EPA's policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities wishing to participate in the agency's programs and activities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. Any request for accommodation should be made to Stuart Walker at 703-603-8748 or walker.stuart@epa.gov, preferably one week or more in advance of the seminar, so that EPA will have sufficient time to process the request. EPA would welcome specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. EPA welcomes specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. Please note that CLU-IN provides both alternate phone call-in options and closed captioning for all webinars, and requests for these specific accommodations are not necessary.
Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation
It is EPA's policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities wishing to participate in the agency's programs and activities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. Any request for accommodation should be made to Stuart Walker at 703-603-8748 or walker.stuart@epa.gov, preferably one week or more in advance of the webinar, so that EPA will have sufficient time to process the request. EPA would welcome specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. EPA welcomes specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. Please note that CLU-IN provides both alternate phone call-in options and closed captioning for all webinars, and requests for these specific accommodations are not necessary.
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