Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:3:p5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 5/9)
Character Range: 1163201–1166221

ERA and risk management considerations (such as economic, social, cultural and engineering matters) and should be made by the decision manager, in compliance with jurisdictional requirements.

This step ensures that both risk assessment and risk management considerations (including conflicting results and uncertainty in any part of the ERA) are reviewed prior to the outcome being determined. It also ensures that risk assessors and risk managers are each aware of the objectives of the other.

The risk management decision determines the outcome of the assessment. There are four potential outcomes:
    1. to take no action
    2. to monitor the site
    3. to remediate or actively manage the site
    4. to proceed from a Preliminary ERA to a Definitive ERA.

Additional information on each of these potential outcomes is provided in the following sections.

    3.4.1          No action
The 'no action' outcome implies that no site management or remediation, monitoring or further assessment is required at the site. It reflects a high degree of confidence that the ecological values of the site are adequately protected from the effects of the contamination based on the relevance and re-setting of objectives and taking into consideration multiple lines of evidence. This outcome ends the ERA process.

It is also possible that this could be the outcome even if there was some level of risk estimated, depending on the use of the site and the technological options available.

    3.4.2          Monitoring
Biological and/or chemical monitoring may be considered where there remains uncertainty if an impact has occurred, is occurring, or may occur at some time in the future or if there are data gaps. Biological monitoring may focus on individual species, selected biota in a given environment, or communities and ecosystems for signs of chemical impact or exposure. Examples of parameters that may be monitored with regard to individual species or selected biota include chemical or enzyme concentrations in tissues to assess exposure, or histopathological examination and behavioural change to assess impact. Typical parameters monitored when examining populations and communities may include species number, population number, number of offspring and biomass. Chemical monitoring can also be conducted, but its aim is to identify and quantify the chemical present in the various exposure media (for example, soil, surface water, groundwater, air, dust or food).

Ecological systems are stochastic (chaotic) and thus slight variations in initial conditions can make a big difference to the outcome. Therefore, monitoring is also often undertaken to demonstrate that the actual remediation or management process is not impacting on-site or off-site ecological values. Post-management/remediation monitoring may also be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of site management or remediation.

Monitoring may include chemical monitoring to demonstrate that the level of exposure continues to be acceptable, or