Chemical and Radiation Environmental Risk Management at the Crossroads, Case Studies. N. L. Tran, P. Locke, T. Burke, B. Grossman, and D. O’Connor, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health
Many of today’s major environmental risk management decisions require the simultaneous evaluation and control of both radiation and chemical risks. Yet, the separation of radiation and chemical risk management persists along legal, regulatory, programmatic, training and professional practice levels. At the conclusion of a June 1998 risk harmonization workshop sponsored by EPA, participants recommended that case studies of clean-up sites be developed to help elucidate similarities and differences and educate participants in the harmonization dialogue. Six sites were chosen as case studies, including Fernald Environmental Management Project, Maxey Flats Disposal Site, Teledyne Wah Chang Albany Superfund Site, Sequoyah Fuels Site, Niagara Falls Storage Site, and Chemical Waste Management Model City Landfill. With the exception of the Chemical Waste Management Model City Landfill, both chemical and radiation risks are present at these sites. Health hazard characterization, risk management decision criteria, institutional controls and public input are among the issues for which these sites were comparatively examined. Differences in the scope of contamination, site operating status and regulatory authority resulted in variable approaches to health risk characterization and cleanup decision criteria. Nevertheless, common across these sites is that institutional controls were integral components of selected remedies and the public, when given the appropriate support, was effective in shaping pragmatic approaches to risk management. Institutional controls and public input are essential to chemical and radiation risk management harmonization efforts.
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