Ecological Evaluation Technical Guidance - State of New Jersey

of evidence for evaluating risk until laboratory methods have been standardized toallow consistent interlaboratory reproducibility.7.0 Determination of Ecological Risk-Based Remediation GoalsEcological risk-based remediation goals are soil and sediment concentrations protectiveof specified ecological receptors that are calculated from site-specific biological tests.They are considered preliminary because adjustments may be made following the RMDprocess (Section 9.0). These numeric goals serve as delineation criteria for soils andsediment, which in turn enable determination of the contaminant footprint, volume ofcontaminated media, and potential remedial action costs. Remediation goals should bedetermined for all COPECs in any exposure pathway where risk is elevated using variouslines of evidence such as food chain modeling and soil and sediment toxicity test results(See Figure 7-1). All ecological risk-based remediation goals must be approved byNJDEP (N.J.A.C. 7:26E-4.8(c)3).7.1 Use of Food Chain Models and Tissue Residue Data to DetermineRemediation GoalsThe tissue-residue approach should be used for contaminants that bioaccumulate andbiomagnify. A list of such compounds is included in Table 4-2 of USEPA’s (2000c)Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment QualityAssessment, Status and Needs. Remediation goals should be determined forcontaminants when the lines of evidence in the ERA indicate that there is an adverseecological impact requiring remediation. They are back-calculated from standardfood chain models, using site-specific prey species tissue data, media concentrations,and a TRV, such as the NOAEL/LOAEL for appropriate receptors. A simplifiedexample is presented in Figure 7-2. Detailed guidance is provided in USEPA (2005a).7.2 Use of Soil and Sediment Toxicity Test Results to Determine RemediationGoalsSoil and sediment toxicity tests measure significant reduction in survival, growth, andreproduction of invertebrate organisms exposed to site-related samples comparedwith reference area location and laboratory control samples. The use of these testsresults to determine remediation goals is most appropriate for nonbiomagnifyingcontaminants for the protection of the soil and sediment benthic communities.Various approaches are available, including, but not limited to, those listed in thefollowing sections.Ecological Evaluation Technical Guidance Document 80Version 1.2 8/29/12