Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 567 - Environmental Protection Commission › Title IX - Spills and Hazardous Conditions › Chapter 137 - Iowa Land Recycling Program and Response Action Standards › Rule 567-137.6 - Site-specific Standards

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
As opposed to statewide standards, site-specific
				standards are derived by applying exposure and risk assumptions applicable to
				the conditions at a particular site. Like statewide standards, site-specific
				standards must always be shown to be protective of public health and safety and
				the environment. Statewide standards may be used in combination with
				site-specific standards to address different exposure pathways. Site-specific
				standards may be required to address exposure pathways which the department
				determines must be evaluated to be protective of human health, safety and the
				environment and for which statewide standards have not been established under
				rule 137.5(455H). Site-specific standards may involve development of target
				levels for contaminants of concern based on site-specific exposure assumptions
				for use in lieu of background or statewide standards. Site-specific standards
				may also include consideration of the actual or potential location where
				exposure to contaminants occurs or may occur, the likelihood of an exposure
				occurring, and the overall magnitude and extent of contamination. Site-specific
				standards may involve use of site-specific target levels for contaminants of
				concern alone or in conjunction with other site-specific criteria, such as the
				location where the standard is applied.
(2)
General provisions.
a. This rule establishes a minimum protocol
				that must be met at all enrolled sites which have not established compliance by
				application of background or statewide standards. Groundwater ingestion and
				soil ingestion pathway standards under this rule must be evaluated. Surface
				water and air quality standards under subrules 137.6(8) and 137.6(9) must be
				met whenever exposure concerns are evident and the participant or the
				department determines these pathways may present an unacceptable risk for
				current or future exposures. This rule is not intended to preclude the
				department or the participant from addressing other exposure pathways, and the
				department expressly reserves the right to require evaluation of other exposure
				pathways and compliance with site-specific standards developed for them, such
				as dermal contact, ingestion of vegetables containing contaminants from soil or
				irrigation water, migration of contaminants from groundwater or soil into water
				distribution lines or into air in a confined space, migration of contaminants
				from soil to groundwater, and migration of contaminants in a nonprotected
				groundwater source to a protected groundwater source. Participants must
				establish compliance with standards applicable to all exposure pathways
				required by the department under this rule in order to qualify for no further
				action classification under rule 137.11(455H) unless granted a variance as
				provided in Iowa Code section
				455H205..
b. Site-specific standards are subject to the
				approval of the department. Assurances in the form of technological or
				institutional controls (rule 137.7(455H)) will be required, as needed, to
				ensure continued protectiveness of site-specific standards.
c. The following subrules provide options for
				the site-specific standards. The participant may select any of these options,
				or combinations thereof, for use as site-specific standards.