Addressing Ecological Risks at Contaminated U.S. Department of Energy Sites. John Bascietto, U.S. Department of Energy/EM413, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20585; and Ihor Hlohowskyj, Lynne Haroun, and Margaret MacDonell, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., EAD/900, Argonne, IL 60439
Ecological risk issues are being addressed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at contaminated sites across the country under the Department's environmental restoration program. These sites were chemically and radioactively contaminated as a result of past processing and disposal activities. Stabilization and cleanup actions are now under way to ensure that not only human health but also ecological resources and other environmental resources are protected. As a consequence of their remoteness, large size (>1,000 acres), and restricted public access, many of the sites now contain large tracks of fish and wildlife habitat that have been relatively undisturbed since the 1940s and currently support a variety of biota including threatened and endangered species. Although generally similar in approach to human health risk assessments, ecological risk assessments differ in that they must consider multiple species and ecological processes; nonchemical stressors; individuals, populations, and communities; lethal and sublethal effects; and natural temporal and spatial variability. In addition, there is no set standard approach for conducting ecological risk assessments, and species-specific doseresponse data are lacking for many chemical and radiological contaminants. Ecological risk assessments at DOE sites are also used to (1) help define future land use options, (2) support natural resource damage assessment activities and decisions, and (3) assist in the evaluation of remedial alternatives and final cleanup decisions. This paper will discuss some of the lessons that have been learned in evaluating ecological risks at DOE sites and how the results have been incorporated into comprehensive risk management decisions.
Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, under contract W31-109-Eng-38.