Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:12:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 12 (pt 1/4)
Character Range: 1241447–1244617

12             Shortened forms

ABC     ambient background concentration
ACL     added contaminant level
ANZECC  Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council
ASTM    American Society of Testing and Materials
CSM     conceptual site model
DQOs    data quality objectives
EC      Environment Canada
EC30    30% effect concentration
EIL     ecological investigation level
ERA     ecological risk assessment
ESD     ecologically sustainable development
HI      hazard index
HQ      hazard quotient
ISO     International Standards Organisation
Kow     octanol water partition coefficient
LOEC    Lowest observed effect concentration
OECD    Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development
NEPM    National Environment Protection Measure
NHMRC   National Health and Medical Research Council
SSD     species sensitivity distribution
US EPA  United States Environmental Protection Agency

[1] On a site-specific basis, gradation of EILs to higher values may be permitted at depths greater than 2 m provided that there is sufficient assessment of risk from issues such as actual land use, proposed development basement levels, leachate characteristics, potential impacts on ground and surface water quality, vertical migration and the potential for further excavation and surface exposure of deeper contamination.
[2] The species or organism type not included must be important to the ecological value of the site because the method used to calculate the EILs uses all the existing high quality toxicity data as surrogates to represent the sensitivity of all organisms at the site.
[3] Wherever possible, the EILs were derived by expressing the toxicity data in terms of added concentrations (e.g. mg Cu added/kg soil). Then an added contaminant limit (ACL), the amount of a contaminant that can be added to a soil, was determined. To derive the EIL, the ambient background concentration was added to the ACL. Therefore, where the EIL is expressed in terms of added contaminant concentration, it is not possible for the EIL to be less than the background concentration (Heemsbergen et al. 2009).
[4] If available, EILs should always be used, but if they are not, then assessment levels from other jurisdictions can be adopted. However, it is important that any assessment levels adopted are calculated using a comparable method (preference to be given to SSD methodologies) and provide a comparable level of protection. A full justification for any limit adopted from another jurisdiction must be included in the Preliminary ERA report.
[5] If a site-specific EIL for a contaminant is lower than the ambient background concentration for the same chemical, the background concentration becomes the EIL.

National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999

as amended
made under section 14(1) of the

National Environment Protection Council Act 1994 (Cwlth), the National Environment Protection Council (New South Wales) Act 1995 (NSW), the National Environment Protection Council (Victoria) Act 1995 (Vic), the National Environment Protection Council (Queensland) Act 1994 (Qld), the National Environment Protection Council