Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-340 - Model Toxics Control Act-Cleanup › Part 3 - SITE REPORTS AND CLEANUP DECISIONS › Section 173-340-355 - Development of cleanup action alternatives that include remediation levels

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
A cleanup action often relies on a combination of cleanup
				action components to remediate an environmental medium. For example, to
				remediate soil, a cleanup action may rely on treatment of some soil
				contamination and containment of the remainder. The purpose of a remediation
				level is to specify when the various components are used as part of a cleanup
				action.
(2)
Applicability.
Remediation levels must be established as part of a
				cleanup action if the cleanup action relies on a combination of cleanup action
				components to remediate a hazardous substance in an environmental
				medium.
(3)
Types.
Remediation levels may be based on a concentration (e.g., all soil above a
				specified concentration will be treated), or other method of identification,
				such as the physical appearance or location of the contamination (e.g., all of
				the green sludge will be removed from the northwest quadrant of the
				site).
(4)
Development.
Remediation levels must be developed and evaluated as
				part of a cleanup action alternative during the feasibility study conducted
				under WAC
				173-340-351. Quantitative or
				qualitative methods may be used to develop remediation levels. The methods may
				include a human health or ecological risk assessment. The methods may also
				consider fate and transport issues. The methods may be simple or complex, as
				appropriate to the site. Where a quantitative risk assessment is used, see WAC
				173-340-357.
(5)
Selection.
The remediation
				levels selected as part of a cleanup action must be specified in the cleanup
				action plan under WAC
				173-340-380(5).
(6)
Relationship to cleanup levels and
				cleanup standards.
Remediation levels are not the same as cleanup levels
				or cleanup standards.
(a) A cleanup level
				defines the concentration of a hazardous sub-stance above which a contaminated
				environmental medium such as soil) must be remediated in some manner such as
				treatment, containment, or institutional controls). A remediation level, on the
				other hand, defines the concentration (or other method of identification) of a
				hazardous substance in an environmental medium at which a particular cleanup
				action component such as soil treatment versus containment) will be used.
				Remediation levels, by definition, exceed cleanup levels.
(b) Cleanup levels must be established for
				every site. Remediation levels, on the other hand, must be established only if
				a cleanup action relies on a combination of cleanup action components to
				remediate an environmental medium.
(c) Cleanup actions, including those relying
				on a combination of cleanup action components to remediate an environmental
				medium, must meet each of the requirements in WAC
				173-340-360, including compliance
				with cleanup standards. If a remedial action does not comply with cleanup
				standards, the remedial action is an interim action, not a cleanup
				action.