Tri-Service Remedial Project Manager's Guide for Ecological Risk ...

l Step 6 SMDP (optional) – Agreement by all parties to add new MeasurementEndpoints and to revise the ERA Work Plan. This SMDP is needed only ifalterations to the ERA Work Plan become necessary. †l Step 8 SMDP - Signature of the Record of Decision.Although EPA’s process has eight steps, because of the way they are grouped, an ERAperformed in accordance with the ERAGS document is really a tiered process. Steps 1 and 2are grouped together and are referred to as the screening level ERA. Steps 3 through 7 aregrouped together and are referred to as the baseline ERA. Step 8 is actually not part of the riskassessment. Rather, step 8 fits in towards the end of the Feasibility Study when the detailedevaluation of alternatives is performed and a cleanup decision is made. Under the EPAguidance, both the screening level ERA and the baseline ERA incorporates the five basiccomponents of the risk assessment process described in section 2.1.† Any new Measurement Endpoints must be evaluated according to their utility forinferring changes in the Assessment Endpoints and their compatibility with the siteconceptual model. Proposed changes to the ERA Work Plan must be made inconsultation with the risk manager and risk assessors. The risk manager mustunderstand what changes have been made and why, and whether risk managementdecisions can be made from the new information.14