Developing the Upper Columbia RI/FS Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment and Remedial Investigation Report
- Details
- Published: Monday, 17 January 2022 18:41
A critical component of the Upper Columbia River (UCR) Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) is conducting a Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment (BERA). The BERA evaluates the risk of chemicals (primarily metal contaminants) to plants and wildlife on land and in water.
Under the terms of the 2006 Settlement Agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Teck American Incorporated (TAI), TAI is responsible for conducting studies and funding surveys to inform development of the BERA and the Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) for the UCR Site. The HHRA is also a key component of the RI and, under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, EPA is responsible for that element of the RI. The HHRA for the UCR Site was finalized in 2021.
In June, TAI sent EPA a document titled draft Interim Partial Upland BERA. This partial BERA report evaluated the upland portion of the UCR Site, not the Columbia River portion of the site. The focus of the upland BERA is exposure of terrestrial plants and animals to contaminants in soil in an approximately 100 square-mile (64,000 acres) area east and west of the Columbia River that extends from the U.S.-Canada border to China Bend. The final UCR Site boundary is determined by the extent of contamination.
In July, TAI sent EPA a document titled the draft Interim Partial Upland Remedial Investigation draft RI report. This draft RI report summarized the activities conducted to characterize the conditions within the upland portion of the site, including sources of contamination, nature and extent of contamination, and the transport and fate of contaminants identified. The results of the draft upland BERA and the final HHRA will be used to identify focus metals for evaluating the nature and extent of contamination in the upland RI.
The draft BERA and RI for the upland portion of the site are under review by EPA and the Participating Parties (Colville Confederated Tribes, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Washington State represented by Ecology, and U.S. Department of Interior). EPA and Participating Parties review TAI’s work with EPA being responsible for approval. Citizens for Clean Columbia will also review the documents and provide comments to EPA.
In 2022, expectations are that the draft BERA and RI for the aquatic portion of the site will be submitted to EPA and the Participating Parties for review. A process will then occur by which the upland and aquatic work products are combined into a site-wide BERA and RI. EPA will update the public with fact sheets and public meetings during the course of document development and finalization.
Once the HHRA and BERA are complete, the RI/FS can then progress to determining what, if any, type of cleanup or other actions are needed. These cleanup actions will be evaluated in the FS. If cleanup is required, EPA will write a Proposed Plan, summarizing the selected cleanup actions, and EPA will announce a formal public comment period and organize at least one public meeting.