Site Assessment
Feedback
Resources and ToolsFeedback
This section presents guidance and tool resources related to site assessment.
EPA GuidanceFeedback
EPA has developed many tools and resources to help in the revitalization process, including information about: beginning a revitalization project, assessing a site, investigating a site, cleanup options, cleanup design and implementation, incentives, and regulations. In addition, many states and other stakeholders have also developed useful materials. A list of some of the policies and documents developed by EPA is presented in the EPA Guidance and Documents Exhibit. These documents are available through EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Brownfields Web Site. Click on “Tools & Technical Information” for an index of publications.
|
Topic
|
Document Title
|
Summary
|
|---|---|---|
|
Site Assessment and Cleanup
|
Technical Approaches to Characterizing and Cleaning up Brownfields Sites EPA, November 2001
|
This guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfield sites. The document helps users to understand the problems associated with redevelopment of these sites, the sources of information which may help to assess the sites, the regulatory groups which should be involved in the process. The guidance has appendices of relevant terms, references, and applicable technologies.
|
|
State Voluntary Cleanup Programs
|
Interim Approaches for Regional Relations with State Voluntary Cleanup Programs, November 14, 1996.
|
More than 35 states now have voluntary clean up programs (VCPs) under which private parties that voluntarily agree to clean up a contaminated site are offered some protection from future state enforcement action at the site, often in the form of a “no further action” letter, covenant not to sue, or “certificate of completion” from the state. Such state commitments do not affect EPA’s authority to respond to actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
|
ASTM GuidanceFeedback
ASTM a not-for-profit organization, provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services. More than 32,000 members representing producers, users, ultimate consumers, and representatives of government and academia from over 100 countries develop documents that serve as a basis for manufacturing, procurement, and regulatory activities.
ASTM develops standard test methods, specifications, practices, guides, classifications, and terminology in 130 areas covering subjects such as metals, paints, plastics, textiles, petroleum, construction, energy, the environment, consumer products, medical services and devices, computerized systems, electronics, and many others. ASTM has no technical research or testing facilities; such work is done voluntarily by the ASTM members located throughout the world.
The ASTM Site Assessment Guidance Documents Exhibit presents standard guidance documents that ASTM has published for use in site revitalization. These resources, and additional applicable resources, can be purchased through ASTM’s Web Site. At this time, the ASTM website is the only known official source for purchasing ASTM methods.
|
Topic
|
Document Title
|
Summary
|
|---|---|---|
|
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
|
(ASTM E1527-05)
|
Defines commercial and customary practices in the U.S. for conducting initial Phase I Environmental Site Assessments of commercial real estate with respect to the range of contaminants within the scope of CERCLA and to petroleum products. However, some state requirements may supersede ASTM standards.
|
|
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
|
(ASTM E1903-97)
|
Discusses the framework for employing good commercial and customary practices in the U.S. when conducting Phase II environmental site assessments of commercial property with respect to the potential presence of a range of contaminants within the scope of CERCLA, as well as petroleum products. Phase II assessments are more detailed assessments that address the recommendations of a Phase I assessment.
|
|
Accelerated Site Characterization
|
(ASTM E1912-98)
|
Describes accelerated site characterization (ASC), a process used to rapidly and accurately characterize confirmed or suspected releases of petroleum. The guide provides a framework that responsible parties, contractors, consultants, and regulators can use to streamline and accelerate site characterization.
|
|
Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA)
|
(ASTM E2081-00(2004)e1)
|
Discusses risk-based corrective action (RBCA) at chemical release sites based on protecting human health and the environment. The RBCA is a consistent decision-making process for the assessment and response to chemical releases. The guide will assist brownfields decision makers who wish to become familiar with another approach that can be used to assess environmental risk at a site, in conformity with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal regulations. The diversity and flexibility of a RBCA approach is defined and discussed, and the tiered approach of the process is summarized. Although the RBCA process is not limited to a particular site, the guide emphasizes the use of RBCA in response to releases of petroleum.
|
|
Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA)
|
(ASTM E1739-95e1)
|
Defines RBCA as a process for assessing and responding to a petroleum release in a manner that ensures the protection of human health and the environment. The guide will assist brownfields decision makers who wish to become familiar with another approach that can be used to assess environmental risk at a site, in conformity with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal regulations. The diversity and flexibility of a RBCA approach is defined and discussed, and the tiered approach of the process is summarized. Although the RBCA process is not limited to a particular site, the guide emphasizes the use of RBCA in response to releases of petroleum.
|
|
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for Forestland or Rural Property
|
(ASTM E2247-02)
|
Defines good commercial and customary practices in the U.S. for conducting a Phase I environmental site assessment of a property 120 acres or greater of forestland or rural property or with a developed use of only managed forestland and/or agriculture with respect to the range of contaminants within the scope of CERCLA and to petroleum products.
|
|
Limited Environmental Due Diligence
|
(ASTM E1528-06)
|
Defines good commercial and customary practices in the U.S. for conducting a transaction screen for a parcel of commercial real estate where the user wishes to conduct limited environmental due diligence
|
|
Remediation of Ground Water by Natural Attenuation
|
(ASTM E1943-98(2004))
|
Discusses the appropriateness of remediation by natural attenuation and implementing remediation by natural attenuation at a given petroleum release site, either as a stand alone remedial action or in combination with other remedial actions.
|
Sampling and Analysis ToolsFeedback
A variety of sampling and analysis tools are available on a variety of platforms. The Sampling and Analysis Tools Exhibit provides a list of some of these tools, a description of their use, and applicability.
|
Tool
|
Description
|
Applicability
|
|---|---|---|
|
The Multimedia Integrated Modeling System (MIMS) is a modeling framework designed to integrate various modeling tools, databases and a graphical user interface (GUI). MIMS framework relies on the Dynamic Information Architecture System (DIAS) to couple and manage the various modeling and database software applications. The Council on Regulatory Environmental Modeling is looking to MIMS to provide a common modeling framework for EPA.
|
Sampling design and integrated strategy is developed by a multi-talented team of professionals to establish data quality objectives that will promote cost effective sampling and analysis that will satisfy the requirements of the many stakeholders and regulators involved in the project. Greater control of the uncertainties associated with environmental sampling and analysis is the goal. Limiting uncertainties associated with data of unknown quality also supports more confident development decisions.
| |
|
Fully Integrated Environmental Location and Decision Support (FIELDS)
|
FIELDS is an ArcView software extension whose mission is to “identify, assess, communicate and help solve priority environmental problems in specific geographic areas.” FIELDS is designed to help: identify and delineate the area of concern; manage and analyze the historical data from the site; design surveys to characterize the contamination or fill data gaps; analyze and visualize the data; assess the associated human health and environmental risk; determine goals and design and evaluate alternative solutions; communicate the problem and solutions to the agency and the public; design, monitor and evaluate the chosen solution.
|
FIELDS applies the technology of an expert system to integrate administrative and professional intelligence with the technical capacity of ArcView 2.1. It has a built-in machine learning mechanism to enable users to accumulate knowledge or obtain insights from past system experience for formulating analytical tasks. With this added functionality, the system provides powerful analytic tools and flexible query builders for examining pollutant issues under various scenarios in priority geographic areas. The system also includes a customized field-data-entry module to facilitate in-field sampling activities.
|
|
The objective of this web course is to provide the necessary background information for applying models to field sites, judging such applications, or for setting program-wide modeling requirements. The course is divided into two parts of equal importance: Fate and Transport of Contaminants and Model Application
|
On-Site calculators have a variety of applications. The models are used to simulate transport from fuel or pulse sources that are highly self-contained. Required inputs and necessary databases are directly linked to the calculators. The components of the models are available as separate calculators which can be used for planning site investigations, preparing model input parameters, reviewing modeling reports, or for assessing contaminant impacts at sites.
| |
|
EPA has developed a suite of on-line calculators called “OnSite” for assessing transport of environmental contaminants in the subsurface. The purpose of these calculators is to provide methods and data for common calculations used in assessing impacts from subsurface contamination. The calculators are divided into four categories: 1) Parameter Estimates, 2) Simple Transport Models, 3) Unit Conversions, 4) Scientific Demos.
|
Parameter estimates are included in OnSite for the convenience of experienced personnel, the education of inexperienced personnel, and for the potential to provide consistency among a diverse user community. The simple transport models were developed for two purposes — to demonstrate concepts of groundwater flow and contaminant transport and to calculate concentrations given a set of input parameters. Unit conversions were provided for unit sets unique to subsurface transport calculations. The scientific demos were outgrowths of modeling courses, where general concepts of transport need to be introduced.
| |
|
Developed by U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to provide simple, defensible tools for defining an optimal, technically defensible sampling scheme for characterization.
|
Provides statistical solutions to sampling design to help users decide where samples should be collected and how many are needed. Applicable for two-dimensional sampling plan including surface soil, building surfaces, water bodies, or other similar applications.
|