Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:2:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2 (pt 2/9)
Character Range: 898576–901754

I, Human health evaluation manual, Supplement to Part A: Community involvement in Superfund risk assessments (US EPA 1999)
    * World Health Organization, IPCS Risk assessment terminology, Harmonisation project, document no. 1 (WHO 2004)
    * World Health Organization, Principles of characterising and applying human exposure models, Harmonisation Project, Document no. 3 (WHO 2005)
    * World Health Organization, Part 1: Guidance document on characterising and communicating uncertainty in exposure assessment, and Part 2: Hallmarks of data quality in chemical exposure assessment, Harmonisation project, document no. 6 (WHO 2008).
The enHealth guidelines adopt a framework for evaluating risks that was developed by and for environmental health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). As discussed in Section 2.2, the framework presented in enHealth forms the basis for the risk assessment framework adopted in this schedule.

The framework comprises the following components:
    * Issues identification
    * Hazard assessment (often called toxicity assessment)
    * Exposure assessment
    * Risk characterisation
    * Risk communication and management.

2.2              Risk assessment framework for contaminated sites
The risk assessment process for contaminated land is intended to achieve the following objectives:
    * to provide a consistent methodology for appraising and recording public health risks at contaminated sites
    * to establish the baseline risks and determine whether site remediation is required
    * to determine tolerable levels of contaminants in soil and groundwater that are protective of public health and ecosystems (as required)
    * to enable the comparison of potential health benefits and impacts (where relevant) of various remedial technologies.
The assessment framework was originally outlined by NEPC in the Assessment of Site Contamination National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPC 1999). The major difference between the framework originally outlined by NEPC and that of enHealth is the first step in the assessment process, which in enHealth (2012a) is referred to as 'issues identification'. The term 'issues identification' is intended to establish the context for the risk assessment by a process of identifying the concerns that need to be addressed, such as 'what is causing the identified concern?', and 'why is the concern an issue?'.  Inclusion of the 'issues identification' as an explicit need is consistent with US conclusions that increased attention to scoping and planning of risk assessment is necessary (NRC 2008).

This revised schedule has adapted the enHealth framework with additions intended to provide guidance specific to a contaminated land context. Consistent with guidance provided in enHealth (Section 16.1 of enHealth (2012a)), in the assessment of contaminated sites, this Schedule takes precedence over the enHealth framework, and documents referenced therein, where there are contradictions. It is to be noted that the enHealth framework has a wider remit than the assessment of contaminated sites only,