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Mail Code 3404T
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202-566-0556
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, B.C. 20460
OFFICE OF
SOLID HASTE AND EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
OSWER 9285.7-55
December 29, 2003
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Release of Guidance for Developing Ecological Soil Screening Levels
(Eco-SSLs) and Eco-SSLs for Nine Contaminants
FROM:
TO:
Purpose
Marianne Lamont Horinko /s by Barry Breen for/
Assistant Administrator
Superfund National Policy Managers, Regions 1-10
RCRA Senior Policy Advisors, Regions 1-10
The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit for immediate use the Guidance for
Developing Ecological Soil Screening Levels (OSWER 9285.7-55) and the Ecological Soil
Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs) for the following list of nine contaminants frequently found-in soil
at hazardous waste sites. These nine contaminant-specific documents and all the supporting
attachments for the Guidance are available at: http://www._epa.gQy/ecpto7c/ecossl/. A link to this
site is also on the Superfund Risk Homepage. As Eco-SSLs are developed for more
contaminants during the next several months, they will also be placed on this web site.
Eco-SSL
Aluminum
Antimony
OSWER No.
9285.7-60
9285.7-61
Barium 9285.7-63
Beryllium 9285.7-64
Cadmium 9285.7-65
Cobalt 9285.7-67
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Dieldrin 9285.7-56
Iron . 9285.7-69
Lead 9285.7-70
Background
This guidance document describes the process a multi-stakeholder team used to derive a
set of risk-based Eco-SSLs for many of the soil contaminants that are frequently of ecological
concern for plants and animals at hazardous waste sites. The Guidance also describes how these
screening values should be used in assessing ecological risks at sites. The Eco-SSLs presented
in the contaminant-specific documents are concentrations of contaminants in soil that are
protective of ecological receptors that commonly come into contact with soil or ingest biota that
live in or on soil. These values can be used to identify those contaminants of potential concern
in soils requiring further evaluation in a baseline ecological risk assessment.
EPA prepared a list of twenty-four (24) contaminants to be addressed initially by the
Eco-SSL guidance. This list was based on a review of the contaminants of concern reported in
recent Record of Decisions at Superfund National Priority List sites. The Eco-SSL contaminant
list also includes contaminants nominated by the EPA Regional Biological Technical Assistance
Groups. The process for developing Eco-SSLs for additional chemicals is continuing, and more
Eco-SSL documents will be issued within the next 12 months.
Implementation
Although these screening levels were developed specifically to be used during Step 2 of
the Superfund ecological risk assessment process (Screening-Level Exposure Estimate and Risk
Calculation), EPA envisions that any federal, state, tribal or private environmental assessment or
cleanup program can use these values to screen soil contaminants in order, to determine if
additional ecological site study is warranted. The Eco-SSLs are not designed to be used as
cleanup levels and EPA emphasizes that it would be inappropriate to adopt these Eco-SSLs as
generic cleanup standards. OSRTI is also preparing an Eco-Update Bulletin to describe how this
information can be used in the baseline risk assessment to develop risk-based cleanup goals.
This Eco-Update will soon be available at:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/ecorisk/ecossl.htm.
EPA initiated this program to derive Eco-SSLs in order to conserve resources by
eliminating the need for EPA and other risk assessors to perform duplicative toxicity data
literature searches and data evaluations for the same contaminants at every site. These values
will also help risk assessors focus their resources on key site-specific studies needed for critical
decision-making. EPA expects that the Eco-SSLs will increase consistency among screening
level risk analyses and decrease the possibility that potential risks from soil contamination to
ecological receptors will be overlooked.
For contaminants for which there is no current Eco-SSL, RPMs should consult with their
regional ecological risk assessor(s) for other screening values that are appropriate.
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If you have any questions on these documents you may contact:
Steve Ells, OSRTI, at eJls,steve@e.j)§JgQY or (703) 603-8822;
David Charters, ERT-Edison/OSRTI at charters.david@.epa.gov or (732) 906-6825;
David Cozzie, OSW, at j?ozzie:da\id@epa,^Q.y or (703) 308-0479; or
Dale Hoff, Region 8, at iiofY'dale@.epa.gov at (303) 312-6690.
cc: Michael Cook, OSRTI
Betsy Southerland, OSRTI
Robert Springer, OSW
JimWoolford, FFRRO
Nancy Riveland, Superfund Lead Region Coordinator, USEPA Region 9
Lisa Price, RCRA Lead Region Coordinator, USEPA Region 6
Ecological Risk Assessment Forum Co-Chairs
NARPM Co-Chairs
Joanna Gibson, OSRTI Documents Coordinator
Steve Luftig,, Senior Advisor to OSWER AA
Walter Kovalick, Tff/OSRTI
Debbie Dietrich, OEPPR
Cliff Rothenstein, OUST
Linda Garczynski, OBCR
Sandra Connors, FFEO
Susan Bromm, OSRE
Charles Openchowski, OGC
OSRTI Center Directors and Senior Process Managers
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