RANKING HAZARDOUS-WASTE SITES FOR REMEDIAL ACTION -- Copyright -- OTHER RECENT REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY -- PREFACE -- Contents -- RANKING HAZARDOUS-WASTE SITES FOR REMEDIAL ACTION -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -- OVERVIEW -- CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE -- DESIRABLE FEATURES OF A PRIORITY-SETTING SYSTEM -- PRIORITY SETTING AT EPA -- PRIORITY SETTING AT DOD -- PRIORITY SETTING AT DOE -- PRIORITY SETTING BY STATE GOVERNMENTS -- COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF FEDERAL PRIORITY-SETTING MODELS -- OVERALL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Current Ranking Models -- Current Priority-Setting Processes -- Toward a Unified National Approach -- 1 HAZARDOUS-WASTE SITE PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES -- INTRODUCTION AND CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE -- U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SUPERFUND PROGRAM -- Initial Mandate and Funding -- Original Hazard-Ranking System -- Program Size and Cost: EPA -- The Setting of Cleanup Goals -- Technical Limitations -- U.S. DEPARTMENTS OF DEFENSE AND ENERGY PROGRAMS -- Cleanup Responsibilities -- Program Size and Cost: DOD and DOE -- OTHER FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS -- Leaking Underground Storage Tanks -- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act -- Federal Facilities -- State Programs -- State Priority Systems -- SETTING PRIORITIES -- DISCUSSION -- SCOPE OF THE REPORT -- 2 PRIORITY-SETTING PROCESSES -- BASIS FOR DEVELOPING A PRIORITY-SETTING APPROACH -- DESIRABLE FEATURES OF A PRIORITY-SETTING SYSTEM -- Overview -- General Issues in Model Development and Application -- Specific Technical Features of a Hazardous-Waste Site-Ranking and Priority-Setting Model -- 3 CLASSIFICATION OF PRIORITY-SETTING APPROACHES -- INTRODUCTION -- ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION -- RISK ANALYSIS -- Hazard Identification -- Source Characterization -- Exposure Assessment -- Risk Characterization -- Limitations -- ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS.

STRUCTURED VALUE-SCORING METHODS -- MULTIATTRIBUTE APPROACHES -- COST-BENEFIT AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS APPROACHES -- 4 EPA's PRIORITY SETTING -- BACKGROUND AND HISTORY -- ROLE OF THE HRS IN THE SUPERFUND PROGRAM -- MODEL STRUCTURE AND COMPONENTS -- Scientific Evaluation of Model Components -- Likelihood of Release Component -- Waste-Characteristics Component -- Critique of the HRS Toxicology and Exposure Components -- Groundwater Pathway -- Surface Water Pathway -- Soil Pathway -- Air Pathway -- Summary Evaluation of Pathway Calculations -- Ecological Factors in the HRS -- Socioeconomic Factors in the HRS -- Protocol for Model Development and Use -- THE EFFECT OF THE 1990 HRS REVISIONS -- PRIORITY SETTING AT LATER STAGES OF SUPERFUND -- PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING SUPERFUND SITE SELECTION AND PRIORITY SETTING -- SUMMARY EVALUATION OF EPA PRIORITY SETTING FOR HAZARDOUS-WASTE SITES -- General Issues in HRS Model Development and Application -- Specific HRS Technical Features -- Subsequent EPA Priority-Setting Process -- 5 DOD's PRIORITY SETTING -- INTRODUCTION -- BACKGROUND AND HISTORY -- THE DPM STRUCTURE -- Overview -- Data Requirements -- Model Documentation and Software -- PATHWAY SCORING -- Overview -- Environmental Transport And Fate -- CONTAMINANT-HAZARD SCORING -- Overview -- Reference Dose -- Bioaccumulation Factors and Health Effects Benchmarks -- Ecotoxicological Concerns -- RECEPTOR SCORING -- Human Receptor -- Ecological Receptors -- SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES -- Socioeconomic Impacts of Site Remediation -- Socioeconomic Information in the DPM -- SCORING METHODOLOGY AND AGGREGATION -- Overview -- Final Aggregation -- VALIDATION -- SENSITIVITY AND UNCERTAINTY ANALYSES -- SUMMARY -- General Issues in DPM Model Development and Application -- Specific DPM Technical Features -- DOD Priority-Setting Process -- 6 DOE's PRIORITY SETTING.

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY -- THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PRIORITY SYSTEM -- Role of ERPS -- An Overview of ERPS -- Scientific Components of ERPS -- The Multiattribute Model -- Defining the Seven Objectives in ERPS -- Health Risks -- Environmental Risks -- Socioeconomic Impacts -- Uncertainty Reduction -- Regulatory Responsiveness -- Ability to Meet DOE Milestones -- Costs -- Aggregation of Measures of Value -- SUMMARY EVALUATION OF DOE'S PRIORITY SETTING FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES -- General Issues in ERPS Model Development and Application -- Specific ERPS Technical Features -- Doe Priority Setting Process -- 7 STATE PRIORITY SETTING -- INTRODUCTION -- STATES WITH RANKING SYSTEMS SIMILAR TO THE EPA HAZARD-RANKING SYSTEM -- Scoring Elements -- Routes of Exposure -- Algorithm Structure -- OTHER NUMERIC RANKING SYSTEMS -- STATES WITH RANKING BY BROAD CATEGORY -- DISCUSSION -- 8 COMPARING FEDERAL RANKING MODELS -- THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES -- Mandates for Remedial Action -- Listing and Screening of Sites -- Designation for Remediation -- COMPARATIVE SCORING EXERCISE OF FEDERAL RANKING MODELS -- Objective and Background -- Description of the Five Hazardous-Waste Sites Included in the Scoring Exercise -- Site 1 -- Site 2 -- Site 3 -- Site 4 -- Site 5 -- Model Results and Comparison of Scores -- Site 1 -- Site 2 -- Site 3 -- Site 4 -- Site 5 -- Scoring Exercise Conclusions -- GENERAL CONCLUSIONS -- 9 TOWARD A UNIFIED NATIONAL APPROACH -- ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF A UNIFIED APPROACH -- Protection of Health and Environment -- Investment of Funds -- Organization Acceptability -- Consistency -- Adaptability -- PROPOSED UNIFIED NATIONAL PROCESS FOR SETTING PRIORITIES -- 10 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- NEED FOR PRIORITY-SETTING PROCESS -- CURRENT PRIORITY-SETTING -- IMPROVING THE PRIORITY-SETTING PROCESS.

CURRENT RANKING MODELS USED IN PRIORITY-SETTING -- IMPROVING THE MODELS -- Documentation and Clarity -- Public Involvement -- Validation -- Explicit Consideration of Socioeconomic Effects -- REFERENCES.