ORNLERASE - EPA PRELIMINARY REMEDIATION GOALS FOR RADIONUCLIDES IN BUILDINGS

BPRGs (Preliminary Remediation Goals for Radionuclides in Buildings) presented in this dataset are risk-based concentrations, derived from standardized equations combining exposure information assumptions with EPA toxicity data that are used for Superfund/RCRA programs. They are designed by EPA to achieve protective cleanup levels for humans (including sensitive groups) over a lifetime; however, recommended BPRGs are not always applicable to a particular site and do not address non-human health endpoints such as ecological impacts. The recommended BPRGs contained in the BPRG table are generic; that is, they are calculated without site-specific information. BPRGs often are used for site "screening" and as initial cleanup goals, if appropriate. The recommended BPRGs in this dataset are not de facto cleanup standards and should not be applied as such. The recommended BPRG's role in site "screening" is typically to help identify areas, contaminants, and conditions that do not require further federal attention at a particular site. Generally, at sites where contaminant concentrations fall below BPRGs, no further action or study is warranted under the Superfund program, so long as the exposure assumptions at a site match those taken into account by the BPRG calculations. Radionuclide concentrations above the BPRG would not automatically designate a site as "dirty" or trigger a response action; however, exceeding a BPRG suggests that further evaluation of the potential risks that may be posed by site contaminants is appropriate. BPRGs may also be useful tools for identifying initial cleanup goals at a site. In this role, BPRGs can provide long-term targets to use during the analysis of different remedial alternatives. By developing BPRGs early in the decision-making process, design staff may be able to streamline the consideration of remedial alternatives.