MEMORANDUM 

TO: Steam Electric ELG Rulemaking Record 

FROM: Lydia Lambert, ERG 

DATE: April 19, 2013 

 

SUBJECT: Wildlife and Human Health Models Supporting Documentation (DCN 

SE03889) 

1.0 SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

ERG is providing technical support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

for development of revised effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) for the Steam 

Electric Power Generating Point Source Category. In support of the development of revised 

ELGs, ERG developed the following resources to evaluate the impact that sediment 

concentrations pose to aquatic life; calculate pollutant concentrations in exposed fish 

populations; evaluate the potential adverse effects to minks and eagles from the consumption of 

fish; and calculate non-cancer and cancer risks to human populations from the consumption of 

fish under the current profile and future profile1

 for the baseline and five regulatory options 

(Options 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5): 

 Wildlife and Human Health Models; 

 Wildlife and Human Health Models Comparisons Database; 

 Wildlife and Human Health Models Summary Tables Database; and 

 Wildlife and Human Health Models Summary Tables Spreadsheet. 

 The methodology of the wildlife and human health models under the current profile and 

future profile is presented in the following documentation: 

 Environmental Assessment (EA) Model Validation and Calibration Memorandum

(DCN SE01986) – This memorandum presents the validation measures performed for 

receiving water concentrations used to estimate fish tissue concentrations, the 

validation methodology used to evaluate the fish tissue concentrations calculated by 

the wildlife model, and the calibration methodology used to set calibration factors for 

the mercury fish tissue concentrations and subsequent human exposure doses from 

fish consumption. 

 

1

Current profile includes waste streams generated by air pollution controls that will likely be in operation at steam 

electric plants at the time EPA takes final action on this rulemaking. Future profile includes waste streams generated 

by future installations of air pollution controls at steam electric power plants that may result from some recently 

promulgated Clean Air Act requirements. 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 2 

 Fish Consumption Rate for Cohorts Memorandum (DCN SE01963) – This 

memorandum documents the development of the fish consumption rates used for 

human receptors (cohorts) in the human health model. 

 Water Quality Model Supporting Documentation Memorandum (DCN SE03888) – 

This memorandum identifies the supporting documentation used to calculate the total 

and dissolved pollutant concentrations in the water column and total pollutant 

concentration in the sediment, which are used as inputs in the wildlife and human 

health models. 

 Final Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines 

and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category (EA 

Report) (DCN SE01995) – Section 4.1.2 (Assessment of the Surface Water Exposure 

Pathway) of this report provides an overview of the wildlife and human health 

models. Appendix D (Wildlife Model Methodology) and Appendix E (Human Health 

Model Methodology) of this report present the model equations, input values, 

pollutant benchmarks, and methodology limitations/assumptions. 

 ERG did not calculate pollutant concentrations in exposed fish populations of the 

immediate receiving water for Options 3a, 3b, and 4a using the wildlife and human health 

supporting documentation listed above. The methodology used for these three regulatory options 

is presented in Appendix G (Methodology for Non-Modeled Options) of the EA Report.

1.1 Current Profile Analyses

The results of the wildlife and human health models under the current profile are 

presented in the following sections of the EA Report: 

 Section 5.3.2 (Wildlife Impacts); 

 Section 5.3.3 (Human Health Impacts); 

 Section 6.2 (Key Environmental Improvements); 

 Section 6.3 (Pollutant-Specific Improvements); and 

 Section 7 (Conclusions). 

 A comprehensive listing of the wildlife and human health models supporting 

documentation for the current profile is presented in Table 1-1 below. This table provides the 

document control number (DCN), title, and abstract of each record item, and identifies whether 

the record item contains Confidential Business Information (CBI). 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 3 

Table 1-1. Current Profile Wildlife and Human Health Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE03511 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Baseline (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for baseline under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03512 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Option 1 (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for Option 1 under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03513 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Option 2 (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for Option 2 under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03514 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Option 3 (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for Option 3 under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03515 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Option 4 (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for Option 4 under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03516 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Current Profile - 

Option 5 (082212) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

for Option 5 under the current profile. Generates inputs for 

Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

SE03517 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model Comparisons 

Database - Current Profile - 

Option 1 (082212) 

Database used to compare the Wildlife and Human Health 

Model results between baseline and Option 1 under the 

current profile. Generates inputs for Wildlife Model 

Summary Tables Database and Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database. 

Yes 

SE03518 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model Comparisons 

Database - Current Profile - 

Option 2 (082212) 

Database used to compare the Wildlife and Human Health 

Model results between baseline and Option 2 under the 

current profile. Generates inputs for Wildlife Model 

Summary Tables Database and Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database. 

Yes 

SE03519 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model Comparisons 

Database - Current Profile - 

Option 3 (082212) 

Database used to compare the Wildlife and Human Health 

Model results between baseline and Option 3 under the 

current profile. Generates inputs for Wildlife Model 

Summary Tables Database and Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database. 

Yes 

SE03520 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model Comparisons 

Database - Current Profile - 

Option 4 (082212) 

Database used to compare the Wildlife and Human Health 

Model results between baseline and Option 4 under the 

current profile. Generates inputs for Wildlife Model 

Summary Tables Database and Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database. 

Yes 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 4 

Table 1-1. Current Profile Wildlife and Human Health Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE03521 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model Comparisons 

Database - Current Profile - 

Option 5 (082212) 

Database used to compare the Wildlife and Human Health 

Model results between baseline and Option 5 under the 

current profile. Generates inputs for Wildlife Model 

Summary Tables Database and Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database. 

Yes 

SE03528 Wildlife Model Summary 

Tables Database - Current 

Profile (082812) 

Database used to summarize the Wildlife Model results for 

baseline and options under the current profile. Generates the 

Wildlife Model Summary Tables Spreadsheet. 

No 

SE03530 Wildlife Model Summary 

Tables Spreadsheet - 

Current Profile (082812) 

Spreadsheet that summarizes the Wildlife Model results for 

baseline and options under the current profile. 

No 

SE03529 Human Health Model 

Summary Tables Database - 

Current Profile (082812) 

Database used to summarize the Human Health Model 

results for baseline and options under the current profile. 

Generates the Human Health Model Summary Tables 

Spreadsheet. 

No 

SE03531 Human Health Model 

Summary Tables 

Spreadsheet - Current 

Profile (082812) 

Spreadsheet that summarizes the Human Health Model 

results for baseline and options under the current profile. 

No 

a – Record items containing CBI have been removed from the public record. 

1.2 Future Profile Analyses

The results of the wildlife and human health models under the future profile are presented 

in the Flue Gas Desulfurization Future Profile Sensitivity Analysis Memorandum (DCN 

SE01989). A comprehensive listing of the wildlife and human health models supporting 

documentation for the future profile is presented in Table 1-2 below. 

Table 1-2. Future Profile Wildlife and Human Health Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE03532 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Future Profile – 

Questionnaire and IPM 

(091112) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

under baseline future profile. This scope includes plants with 

predicted future air pollution control installations identified 

in the Integrated Planning (IPM) projections for the final 

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule and EPA’s 

Questionnaire for the Steam Electric Power Generating 

Effluent Guidelines. Generates inputs for Fish Tissue 

Comparison Database. 

Yes 
Memorandum 

April 19, 2013 

Page 5 

Table 1-2. Future Profile Wildlife and Human Health Record Items 

DCN Title (Date) Abstract CBIa

SE03533 Wildlife and Human Health 

Model - Future Profile - 

IPM Only (091112) 

Database used to quantify potential impacts to aquatic life, 

wildlife, and human health in the immediate discharge zone 

under baseline future profile. This scope includes plants with 

predicted future air pollution control installations identified 

in the Integrated Planning (IPM) projections for the final 

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule. Generates 

inputs for Fish Tissue Comparison Database. 

Yes 

a – Record items containing CBI have been removed from the public record.