Application of a Risk Model to Quantify Relative Risk of Remedial Actions
Abstract
To properly manage the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) in the future, Air Force remedial project managers (RPMs) need a metric to assist in the selection of remedial alternatives for the safe and effective clean up of waste contamination sites. If the baseline site risk assessment indicates that it is necessary to remediate a waste contamination site, it is important to the RPM that the selection process for remediation alternatives considers the potential human health and ecological risks associated with the proposed remediation process. In some instances, the risks may be significant when compared to the baseline conditions. The Air Force currently uses the Defense Priority Model (DPM) to assist in setting priorities for funding remedial actions based on the relative risk at IRP sites. This study investigates the applicability of the DPM to calculate the relative risks that would be associated with the remedial alternatives under consideration for remediation of the contamination site characteristics. Rescoring the DPM to represent relative risk of a site under remedial action conditions demonstrates that three factors influence the risk value of a remedial action: waste quantity, waste containment effectiveness factor (WCEF), and waste concentration. Limits of the WCEF made it impossible to discern relative risk between similar remedial alternatives. Furthermore, for all cases of contamination sites under remedial conditions, the relative risk of the remedial action was less than the reduction in baseline relative risk due to the improvement in waste containment Defense priority model, Relative risk, Remedial alternatives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA284773
Entities
People
- Timothy L. Fuller
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology