Office of Remediation Programs (ORP)

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Programs

DEQ administers several programs designed to ensure that the cleanup of contaminated sites in Virginia achieves a satisfactory level of human health and environmental protection.

All DEQ’s remediation programs use risk assessment to determine whether cleanup is necessary. The following programs fall under the ORP:

The Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) provides a mechanism for site owners or operators to voluntarily address contamination.
Similarly, the Brownfields Program encourages the productive use of idled, underutilized, or abandoned industrial or commercial properties.
DEQ works in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program, which requires the investigation and cleanup of releases from hazardous waste facilities that pose an unacceptable risk.
The Federal Facilities Restoration program provides oversight through a collaborative partnership to facilitate cleanup of contaminated military installations and formerly used defense sites.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (or Superfund) is a program that identifies and addresses serious hazardous waste sites, including those that were abandoned, or for which the owner or operator became bankrupt. EPA administers the Superfund program in Virginia and DEQ works closely with the agency to carry out necessary state initiatives.

Risk Assessment

During the site investigation process for all remediation programs, human health and ecological risk assessment may be used to make informed risk management decisions and should be designed to serve its intended purpose.

For RCRA Corrective Action and the Voluntary Remediation Program, the Virginia Unified Risk Assessment Model (VURAM) and associated User Guide are available to facilitate the expeditious review of Risk Assessments. VURAM is updated regularly to remain consistent with EPA Regional Screening Levels values and procedures. The latest version of VURAM supersedes all previous versions, ensure the latest VURAM version before conducting screening or quantitative risk assessment.

The Superfund and Federal Facilities programs do not utilize VURAM. DEQ partners with EPA and the Department of Defense on site investigations and cleanup in these programs. Risk assessments are performed by the primary responsible party in accordance with EPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS). EPA is the lead regulatory agency that provides oversight in collaboration with DEQ.

Site-specific risk assessments conducted outside of VURAM must be coordinated through the DEQ Project Manager.

Screening Level Risk Assessment

Screening level assessments are an early step in the risk assessment process performed to identify contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) based on EPA’s Regional Screening Levels (RSLs). RCRA Corrective Action Screening Level tables and VRP Screening Level tables are primarily based on EPA RSLs and other applicable federal and state screening values (see VURAM User Guide for more program specific screening level development). Screening Levels for VRP are for sites that are not otherwise subject to regulatory programs and are either enrolled, or are considering enrollment, in the VRP.

The EPA RSLs present screening values for residential and industrial land use, as well as cross-media transfer screening such as soil to groundwater. VURAM provides a screening level module for soil, groundwater, indoor air, sub-slab and deep soil gas, and surface water (fresh and marine), as applicable based on remediation program. Screening is recommended for all media that site receptors have the potential to come into contact with. VURAM also includes a module to screen data using site-specific background for inorganic metals in accordance with EPA's approach to background in the CERCLA cleanup program.

Quantitative Risk Assessment

Contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) identified during the screening process need to be evaluated in a quantitative human health risk assessment, where appropriate toxicity data are available. EPA RAGS requires other COPCs to be evaluated qualitatively if appropriate toxicity data are not available. The risk assessment should be carefully planned and site specific. It is recommended that a DEQ project manager and risk assessor be consulted when planning a quantitative risk assessment.

Protocols for quantitative risk assessment are based on EPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund and EPA Supplemental Guidance for Developing Soil Screening Levels for Superfund Sites (2002). VURAM estimates quantitative risks using the procedures outlined in these guidance documents.

Ecological Risk Assessment

Ecological risk assessment may need to be performed if habitats capable of supporting ecological receptors are present and potentially impacted by site related contaminants. The general elements of ecological risk assessments include planning and scoping, problem formulation, analysis and risk characterization. Guidance for conducting an ecological risk assessment includes Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Process for Designing and Conducting Ecological Risk Assessments and the EPA Ecological Risk Assessment website.

Ecological risk assessments are not included in VURAM. The VURAM User Guide provides a list of the preferred screening criteria for each media when performing a Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment. If an ecological risk assessment is potentially required as a part of the Corrective Action process, DEQ strongly recommends that participants consult with DEQ project managers and risk assessors when planning the risk assessment.

Virginia DEQ

I Want To...

Office of Remediation Programs (ORP)

Programs

Risk Assessment