Assessing risk to address environmental corrective actions is a relatively common practice in the environmental industry. A standardized risk assessment approach to corrective actions called Risk Based Corrective Actions (RBCA) was developed by ASTM International, Inc. in 1995. Since this development, RBCA has changed the way people look at corrective actions. Previously, the standard approach involved cleaning up to state specified maximum allowable contaminant levels, regardless of what the site is going to be used for after clean-up. By changing the thought from “How much of the chemical of concern (COC) can be removed?” to “How much of the COC can safely be left?” clients can save money by eliminating project tasks and still reduce COC concentrations to levels that are protective of the environment and human health.
Risk assessment greatly decreases the cost of environmental remediation at corrective actions sites. For example, take a corrective actions site with plans to redevelop for commercial use versus residential use. Under the assumptions associated with commercial land-usage, target levels are significantly altered and substantially raised. This higher “action level” results in a much shorter project life cycle and significantly reduces costs. By default, reduced cost is directly related to a reduction in insurance denials and maximized reimbursement of costs.
In instances where site closure (No Further Action) cannot be obtained by refining the site-conceptual model and closing exposure pathways, the amount of remediation necessary can be significantly reduced. Taking land use and risk into consideration saves clients’ money through a specialized approach to corrective actions.
BJAAM Environmental, Inc. is at the forefront of risk-based corrective actions. Our staff has provided regulator education and assisted government agencies in the development of risk-based programs in Ohio, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Brazil. BJAAM’s familiarity with the RBCA process and how it ties into individual states’ corrective action requirements enables us to bring sites to No Further Action (NFA) status in the most efficient manner with regard to both time and costs.
The risk assessment services we specialize in are:
- Groundwater flow modeling
- Contaminant fate and transport modeling
- Predicted contaminant loading
- Chemical natural attenuation
- Geochemical fingerprinting
- Indoor air vapor intrusion modeling
- Soil contaminant leaching modeling
- Data validation and management
Contact us today to find out how using the Risk Based Corrective Action approach can bring your site to No Further Action status today!
Call Jason Grecco at 330-854-5300 ext. 110 or 330-903-0946
or email us at info@bjaam.com!
