United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Research Abstract GPRA Goal 5 - Waste Management FY 2003 Annual Performance Measure (APM) #36 Significant Research Findings: Beta Version of the 3MRA Version 2.0 Modeling Technology The Multimedia, Multipathway, and Multi-receptor Exposure and Risk Assessment (3MRA) modeling system, and its underlying methodology, have been driven by the intense effort revolving around the Hazardous Waste Identification Rule (HWIR) that was proposed in 1996, re-proposed in 1999, and has different components that will be undergoing separate rulemakings for the next several years. The HWIR was proposed to provide administrative and economic relief to the regulated community by developing a risk-based approach expected to exclude many low-risk wastes and waste streams from regulatory control under Subtitle C of RCRA. This approach is estimated to save hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The 3MRA methodology was developed and is being improved to provide the scientific underpinnings for this new regulatory approach. 3MRA is currently undergoing an intensive peer review by EPA's Science Advisory Board, specifically to evaluate the appropriateness of use of the modeling system for application to national regulations such as the HWIR national assessment strategy and OSW's anticipated rulemaking. Research The objective of the 3MRA software technology design is to Approach transcribe the statement of requirements into an integrated system design that clearly establishes functional components and the operational relationship among them. From the statement of requirements we can extract a high level algorithm, or set of steps, that the technology must execute. These steps help define the major segments or components of the software system design with the relative order and sequencing of the steps defining the operational relationship among the components. From here, the design is hierarchical in that each of the principal steps of the algorithm (or components of the system) are expanded to deeper levels of detail, and as they are, an overall architecture for the system unfolds. Figure 1 illustrates the 3MRA national assessment methodology in the form of an algorithm illustrating the highest level functionality that must be Scientific Problem and Policy Issues National Exposure Research Laboratory — October 2003 ------- accommodated in the system design. Solicit from the user the list of chemicals, sites, waste management units, concentrations in the waste and the number of Monte Carlo iterations to be simulated For each Monte Carlo iteration For each chemical For each site For each WMU For each Cw Populate all Model Input Files Execute Site Assessment Store Site Risk Results Next Cw Next WMU Next Site Next Chemical Next Monte Carlo Iteration Solicit from user Regulatory Criteria and query risk results to develop national tables and plots of Cw vs (Receptor/site) Protectiveness Figure 1 3MRA National Assessment High Level Algorithm Figure 2 presents a graphical view of the 3MRA modeling system design. Shown are four component types: science modules, databases, system processors, and system data files. The roles and relationships among the components can be concluded from their form and organization in the graphic. However, the operational relationship among the components; that is, the programming standards and system utilities that establish and facilitate the data and execution management protocols for the system, are not shown in Figure 2, although they are critical to appreciating the full design. The following brief description of the components and programming aspects of the system design presented in Figure 2 provides a big picture or framework view of the system that forms the basis for understanding progressively more detailed descriptions. National Exposure Research Laboratory — October 2003 ------- System User Interface (SUI) Waste Management Facility Loop (201 National Sites) Key I I User Interface Q Data File Q Processes" |~| Database Header Info from SUI "Y Site Input Data "V Site Definition "V" Multimedia Multipathway Simulation "X" C^-Exit Level Recessing Figure 2 3MRA System Design Results and The results of this applied research effort achieve two very important Implications goals for the Agency. First, the 3MRA modeling technology provides the means for assimilating new scientific models and databases, placing them within a community-based technology that makes the science available to regulatory personnel in an efficient and timely manner. Secondly, the 3MRA technology is the focus of collaboration among the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense (Army Corps of Engineers), thus accessing and sharing science among key Federal partners. This research will greatly reduce the cost and effort to conduct new applications of environmental risk assessment using a multimedia modeling system approach and exemplifies the importance and fiscal responsibility achieved through cross-agency collaboration. Research To accomplish cost effective research needed to support RCRA, EPA Collaboration and National Exposure Research Laboratory — October 2003 ------- Publications leverages and coordinates work with other organizations. For model integration, ORD has identified a number of other Federal Agencies with closely related and overlapping multimedia exposure and risk assessment modeling needs and research agendas. ORD research staff have met with counterparts from several of these organizations, identified areas of common interests and needs, and developed a formal multi-agency Memorandum of Understanding (formally initiated in June 2001). The original signatory agencies involved include (in addition to ORD's National Exposure Research Laboratory): The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center The United States Department of Energy, Office of Science and Technology The United States Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service The purpose of the MOU is to establish a framework for facilitating cooperation and coordination among the signatory agencies in their research and development of multimedia environmental models. A central objective is to provide a mechanism for the cooperating agencies to pursue common technologies in multimedia environmental modeling with a shared scientific basis. Since the signing of the MOU, two workgroups have been formally established and two additional workgroups conceived. The two established workgroups are focusing on (1) software framework system design and (2) uncertainty analysis and parameter estimation. These workgroups have already begun to organize common approaches to software development that will also provide the necessary creation of underlying science and engineering methods that will comprise future multimedia models and modeling frameworks. The MOU Framework Workgroup is focusing on short-term and long-term development of four major system components, integrating: a) Geographical Information System (GIS) capabilities, b) database connectivity, c) software execution management, and d) data representation and interchange between models. The workgroup objective exemplifies the importance and fiscal responsibility achieved by cross-agency collaboration in merging efforts to meet common needs. To date the workgroups have convened two workshops, one devoted to linking modeling frameworks to GIS, and one devoted to uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. The objective for each of these workshops was to National Exposure Research Laboratory — October 2003 ------- develop a common understanding of the issues and establish technical requirements that describe, in detail, how modeling frameworks could be linked with GIS and uncertainty/sensitivity methods via an Applications Programming Interface (API). Both workshops have resulted in specific collaborative projects to produce an API. Future Research The 3MRA technology described in this Abstract is intended to serve both the research community and the regulatory community. From the research perspective the focus will be on uncertainty analysis of high order environmental models. To facilitate and assimilate this research, the 3MRA technology itself will continue to expand in terms of science-based modules and databases. Contacts for Additional Questions and inquiries can be directed to: Information Gerard F. Laniak U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Ecosystems Research Division 960 College Station Road Phone: 706 355 8316 E-mail: laniak.gerry@epa.gov Justin Babendreier, Ph.D. U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Ecosystems Research Division 960 College Station Road Phone: 706 355 8344 E-mail: babendreier.justin@epa.gov ------- |