Guidance for disposal site risk characterization in support of the Massachusetts contingency plan : chapter 9 method 3 environmental risk characterization

116 Pages·1996·5.8 MB·English

by  Massachusetts. Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup

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RIM FINAL POLICY
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GUIDANCE FOR DISPOSAL
SITE RISK CHARACTERIZATION
In Support of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan
### ##*
Chapter 9
Method 3 Environmental
Risk
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Published by
William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth
Secretary of the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
and
Office of Research and Standards
April, 1996
$7.85

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Protection
ONE WINTER STREET, BOSTON MA 02108 [phone]
WILLIAM WELD TRUDY COXE
F.
Governor Secretary
ARGEO PAUL CELLUCCI DAVID STRUHS
B.
Lt. Governor April 22, 1996 Commissioner
To All Interested Parties:
Attached please find the Environmental Risk Characterization section of the Guidance for
Disposal Site Risk Characterization, the main body of which was published in July of 1995 as an
Interim Final Policy WSC/ORS-95-141. As an Interim Final Policy, reviewers and users are
encouraged to submit comments and recommendations for revision through December 1996. In
the interim, however, the guidance may be used and cited as a reference in risk characterizations
conducted to meet the requirements of the MCP.
This document was developed through the efforts of the Environmental Risk Characterization
Workgroup, which is composed of ecological risk assessors from private consulting firms, U.S.
EPA and Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife and Massachusetts DEP. Members of the Workgroup
are listed in the Foreword of the Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization. The
Workgroup focused on technical and scientific issues critical to development of the guidance.
A number of policy issues remain under consideration, for example, questions related to the
We
application of surface water standards at disposal sites. expect that, as more environmental
risk characterizations are conducted pursuant to meeting MCP requirements, we will revise this
document to reflect the practical experience gained.
DEP is also establishing an "Environmental Risk Characterization Review Panel" (a subcommittee
of the Waste Site Cleanup Program Advisory Committee) to review environmental risk
characterization reports voluntarily submitted for the panel's evaluation and comment. Based on
the Panel's recommendations and the experience of other users, we expect to re-evaluate and
We
revise appropriate sections of the guidance. hope that continued review and discussion will
ultimately ensure that this document provides clear and practical guidance for conducting
ecological risk characterizations.
Please direct any questions or comments on this document to Nancy Bettinger in DEP's Office of
Research and Standards. Ms. Bettinger may be reached by telephone [phone]) or
electronic mail ([email protected]).
C. Colnran
Cbs
r. ae
Assistant Commissioner,
Digitized by the Internet Archive
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GUIDANCE FOR DISPOSAL SITE RISK CHARACTERIZATION
SUPPORT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CONTINGENCY PLAN
IN
*** ***
CHAPTER 9
Method 3 Environmental Risk Charaterization
INTERIM FINAL POLICY
WSC/ORS-95-141
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
BUREAU OF WASTE SITE CLEANUP
and
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND STANDARDS
1996
April

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Protection
ONE WINTER STREET, BOSTON MA 02108 [phone]
TRUDY COXE
WELD
WILLIAM F.
Secretary
Governor
ARGEO PAUL CELLUCCI DAVID B. STRUHS
Commissioner
Lt. Governor
GUIDANCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RISK CHARACTERIZATION
in Support of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan
Interim Final Policy #WSC/ORS-95-1 41
This document provides guidance for environmental risk characterization for disposal sites
contaminated by oil and/or hazardous material. It is a component of Guidance for Disposal Site Risk
Characterization (Interim Final Policy #WSC/ORS-95-141), which provides guidance for
characterizing the risk of harm to health, safety, public welfare and the environment at disposal sites.
This document does not create any substantive or procedural rights, and is not enforceable by any
party in any administrative proceeding with the Commonwealth. The regulations related to the
characterization of risk of harm to the environment contain both specific and general requirements.
In addition to summarizing specific requirements, this document also provides guidance on what
approaches the Department considers acceptable for meeting the general requirements set forth in
the regulations. Parties using this guidance should be aware that there may be other acceptable
alternatives to this guidance for achieving compliance with such general regulatory requirements.
The regulatory citations provided throughout this document are not meant to be, and should not be
relied upon to be, a complete list of all the regulatory requirements for risk characterization. Parties
CMR
undertaking a risk characterization for a site should consult 310 40.0000 (MCP) for applicable
requirements.
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James CJColman Date
Assistant Commissioner
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
Carol Rowan West Date
Director
Office of Research and Standards

SECTION 9.0 METHOD 3 - ENVIRONMENTAL RISK
CHARACTERIZATION
INTRODUCTION
9.1 9-1
9.1.1 Risk Characterization Methods 9-1
9.1.2 General Risk Characterization Requirements 9-2
9.1.3 Stage I Environmental Screening 9-2
9.1.4 Risk Characterization/Remediation Sequence 9-4
9.1.5 Guidance Document Objectives 9-5
9.1.6 Relationship of Environmental Risk Characterization to Natural
Resource Damage Assessments 9-6
9.1.7 Outline of the Remainder of Section 9.0 9-8
9.2 GENERAL RISK CHARACTERIZATION CONSIDERATIONS 9-9
9.2.1 Regulatory Objectives of Environmental Risk Characterization 9-9
9.2.2 Implementation Goals 9-10
MCP
9.2.3 Possible Outcomes of an Environmental Risk Characterization 9-11
9.2.4 Identification of Cleanup Goals 9-12
9.2.5 Feasibility Study Considerations 9-12
9.3 MCP PROCESS FOR QUANTITATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK
CHARACTERIZATION
9-13
9.3.1 Stage I Environmental Screening 9-14
9.3.2 Stage II Environmental Risk Characterization 9-15
9.3.3 Concluding Remarks 9-50
9.4 AQUATIC HABITATS AND ORGANISMS 9-52
9.4.1 Background Determination 9-54
9.4.2 Stage Screening 9-56
I
9.4.3 Stage II Environmental Risk Characterization (Aquatic Habitats) 9-60
9.5 TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS AND HABITATS 9-68
9.5.1 Background Determination 9-68
9.5.2 Stage Screening 9-68
I
9.5.3 Stage II Environmental Risk Characterization (Terrestrial Organisms
and Habitats) 9-72
9.6 WETLAND HABITATS 9-90
9.6.1 Wetland Classification and Delineation 9-90
9.6.2 Wetlands Protection Considerations 9-92
9.6.3 Stage Environmental Screening 9-93
I
9.6.4 Stage II Environmental Risk Characterization 9-94
9.7 APPLICABLE OR SUITABLY ANALOGOUS STANDARDS 9-95
9.7.1 Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards 9-95
9.7.2 Massachusetts Wetlands Regulations 9-98
Guidance for Disposal Site Interim Final Policy WSC/ORS-95-141
Risk Characterization Massachusetts DEP. April 19%