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Guidance for Conducting Risk Assessments and Related Risk ...

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Table 2. Site categories<br />

Categories Criteria <strong>for</strong> sites in each category<br />

Operable Units CERCLA actions that have been defined in approved decision documents<br />

(e.g., record of decision, Action Memor<strong>and</strong>um).<br />

Characterization Areas Sufficient in<strong>for</strong>mation exists to recognize that additional CERCLA action is<br />

appropriate.<br />

Remedial Site Evaluation Areas Some existing/historical in<strong>for</strong>mation exists to conclude that the area has a<br />

high potential of being contaminated; however, insufficient in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

exists to determine if further investigation or remediation is warranted.<br />

Removal Site Evaluation Areas The site meets criteria <strong>for</strong> evaluation to be considered under CERCLA (i.e.,<br />

area is inactive <strong>and</strong> hazardous substances have been released or a threat of a<br />

release exists), but insufficient in<strong>for</strong>mation exists to determine if a removal or<br />

remedial action is necessary.<br />

2.2.1 Site Evaluations<br />

Two types of site evaluations are conducted on the ORR: removal site evaluations <strong>and</strong> remedial site<br />

evaluations (Fig. 2). Removal Site Evaluations are conducted <strong>for</strong> those sites that are considered “newly<br />

discovered”, meaning that they were not previously listed as source areas in Appendix C of the Federal<br />

Facility Agreement <strong>for</strong> the Oak Ridge Reservation (DOE 1992). The removal site evaluation may involve<br />

a limited environmental sampling, but typically it is per<strong>for</strong>med using available analytical data. The<br />

available data are compared with risk-based Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs) <strong>and</strong> may indicate<br />

that:<br />

• a removal action is warranted,<br />

• a remedial site evaluation should be per<strong>for</strong>med, or<br />

• no further investigation is needed.<br />

Note: Sometimes, emergency <strong>and</strong> time-critical removal actions are not <strong>for</strong>mally established as projects<br />

until after actions are taken, because of the immediate need to protect human health <strong>and</strong> the environment.<br />

Sites identified as requiring a non-time critical removal or remedial action, however, are established as<br />

projects <strong>and</strong> must then undergo prioritization.<br />

Remedial Site Evaluations are conducted if the available existing/historical data <strong>and</strong> operational<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation indicate that there is the potential <strong>for</strong> environmental contamination, but insufficient or poor<br />

quality data require the determination of whether additional investigation (e.g., data collection) or<br />

remediation is warranted. In such cases, a comparison of data to risk-based PRGs is a tool project<br />

managers can use to:<br />

• identify data needs <strong>and</strong> limitations (e.g., detection limits are greater than risk-based PRGs),<br />

• focus future sampling <strong>and</strong> analysis on chemicals <strong>and</strong> exposure pathways of potential concern,<br />

• establish appropriate detection limits <strong>for</strong> subsequent environmental sample analysis,<br />

• support a No Further Investigation Determination, <strong>and</strong>/or<br />

• quantitatively support the need <strong>for</strong> additional study.<br />

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