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

Endpoints. A well-written ERA should include information necessary for the development ofcleanup goals (i.e., in the Feasibility Study) if risk at the site is found to be unacceptable.0RQLWRULQJDQG$VVHVVPHQW9DOLGDWLRQMonitoring may be useful in situations where: a) ecological risk cannot be determinedover a short period of time, or b) significant residual contamination will be present after theremedial alternative is implemented. The decision to undertake monitoring is based on:l Relative uncertainty of the risk assessment (more uncertain assessments, especiallythose based on single point estimates, may need a greater investment in follow-upmonitoring).l Projected exposure reductions associated with the remediation.l Projected short- and long-term effects of the remedial action.Properly designed monitoring programs serve simultaneously to assure theeffectiveness of the cleanup and to validate the risk assessment and its application (i.e.,determine the accuracy of the original estimate of risk). For example, if surrogate organismsare used as part of a baseline ERA evaluation of exposure (e.g., counting eggs in nest boxes),this monitoring process could be left intact, or repeated as necessary, following a remedialdecision. Monitoring may be used in conjunction with a no-action decision to validate exposurelevels predicted in the ERA. Conversely, if a cleanup action reduced bioavailability, monitoringwould demonstrate that the exposure in the surrogate species declined. Prior to implementingmonitoring programs, data quality objectives and an exit strategy must be developed.35