Application of the Tri-Service Procedural Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment: A Case Study at England AFB, LA. A. Rak, Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, Consultant Operations Division, 3207 North Rd., Brooks AFB, TX 78235; T. F. Harris, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Solid and Hazardous Waste, 7290 Bluebonnet, 5th Floor, P.O. Box 82178, Baton Rouge, LA 70884; M. L. Martinez, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI, 1445 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75202; and A. M. Myers, LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., 114 Town Park Dr., Kennesaw, GA 30144
The Tri-Service Procedural Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) were developed by the Air Force, Army, and Navy to provide Department of Defense (DOD) program managers guidance on conducting ERAs required under CERCLA, RCRA, and the Installation Restoration Program. The Guidelines are being used by the Base Realignment and Closure Team (BCT), which includes the Air Force, State of Louisiana, and EPA Region VI, to assist in base conversion. The three tiered process described in the Guidelines is being used to narrow the scope of the ERA while protecting the environment, reducing remedial costs, and making property available to the local community in a timely manner. This presentation will provide background on the Services developing the Guidelines, introduce the tiered framework, and explain how the tiered process is being implemented at England AFB, LA. The three-tiered process consists of an initial screening of potential habitat, a screening level assessment using conservative effects criteria, and a field assessment. At the end of each tier, a decision is made to move forward into remedial action, conduct further remedial investigation, or classify the site for no further remedial action. The conservative nature of each phase ensures that ecological receptors are evaluated prior to taking action or classifying the site as no further remedial action planned. In each tier, the number of sites being examined in the subsequent tier is reduced; however, the cost per site increases as the complexity of the investigation increases. Therefore, the tiered process focuses funds on the sites requiring the most attention. Removing sites from the ERA process early on, allows BCT program managers to better schedule remedial action and/or transfer property for public use. The application of the Guidelines at England AFB is providing for a cost effective and protective means of evaluating the sites prior to conversion for public use.