ASTM E1739-95(2002)

Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action Applied at Petroleum Release Sites

SCOPE
1.1 This is a guide to risk-based corrective action (RBCA), which is a consistent decision-making process for the assessment and response to a petroleum release, based on the protection of human health and the environment. Sites with petroleum release vary greatly in terms of complexity, physical and chemical characteristics, and in the risk that they may pose to human health and the environment. The RBCA process recognizes this diversity, and uses a tiered approach where corrective action activities are tailored to site-specific conditions and risks. While the RBCA process is not limited to a particular class of compounds, this guide emphasizes the application of RBCA to petroleum product releases through the use of the examples. Ecological risk assessment, as discussed in this guide, is a qualitative evaluation of the actual or potential impacts to environmental (nonhuman) receptors. There may be circumstances under which a more detailed ecological risk assessment is necessary (see Ref (1).  
1.2 The decision process described in this guide integrates risk and exposure assessment practices, as suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), with site assessment activities and remedial measure selection to ensure that the chosen action is protective of human health and the environment. The following general sequence of events is prescribed in RBCA, once the process is triggered by the suspicion or confirmation of petroleum release:
1.2.1 Performance of a site assessment;
1.2.2 Classification of the site by the urgency of initial response;
1.2.3 Implementation of an initial response action appropriate for the selected site classification;  
1.2.4 Comparison of concentrations of chemical(s) of concern at the site with Tier 1 Risk Based Screening Levels (RBSLs) given in a look-up table;  
1.2.5 Deciding whether further tier evaluation is warranted, if implementation of interim remedial action is warranted or if RBSLs may be applied as remediation target levels;  
1.2.6 Collection of additional site-specific information as necessary, if further tier evaluation is warranted;  
1.2.7 Development of site-specific target levels (SSTLs) and point(s) of compliance (Tier 2 evaluation);  
1.2.8 Comparison of the concentrations of chemical(s) of concern at the site with the Tier 2 evaluation SSTL at the determined point(s) of compliance or source area(s);  
1.2.9 Deciding whether further tier evaluation is warranted, if implementation of interim remedial action is warranted, or if Tier 2 SSTLs may be applied as remediation target levels;  
1.2.10 Collection of additional site-specific information as necessary, if further tier evaluation is warranted;  
1.2.11 Development of SSTL and point(s) of compliance (Tier 3 evaluation);  
1.2.12 Comparison of the concentrations of chemical(s) of concern at the site at the determined point(s) of compliance or source area(s) with the Tier 3 evaluation SSTL; and  
1.2.13 Development of a remedial action plan to achieve the SSTL, as applicable.  
1.3 The guide is organized as follows:  
1.3.1 Section 2 lists referenced documents,  
1.3.2 Section 3 defines terminology used in this guide,  
1.3.3 Section 4 describes the significance and use of this guide,  
1.3.4 Section 5 is a summary of the tiered approach,  
1.3.5 Section 6 presents the RBCA procedures in a step-by-step process,  
1.3.6 Appendix X1 details physical/chemical and toxicological characteristics of petroleum products,  
1.3.7 Appendix X2 discusses the derivation of a Tier 1 RBSL Look-Up Table and provides an example,  
1.3.8 Appendix X3 describes the uses of predictive modeling relative to the RBCA process,  
1.3.9 Appendix X4 discusses considerations for institutional controls, and  
1.3.10 Appendix X5 provides examples of RBCA applications.  
1.4 This guide describes an approach for RBCA. It is intended to compliment but not supersede federal, state, and local regulatio...

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Sep-1995
• ICS: 75.180.10 - Exploratory, drilling and extraction equipment
• Technical Committee: E50 - Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action
• Drafting Committee: E50.04 - Corrective Action

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E1739-95e1 - Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action Applied at Petroleum Release Sites
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Replaced By: ASTM E1739-95(2010)e1 - Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action Applied at Petroleum Release Sites
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2010
• Referred By: ASTM E3300-21 - Standard Guide for NAPL Mobility and Migration in Sediment— Evaluating Ebullition and Associated NAPL/Contaminant Transport
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2385-11(2016) - Standard Guide for Estimating Wildlife Exposure Using Measures of Habitat Quality
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM D6235-18 - Standard Practice for Expedited Site Characterization of Vadose Zone and Groundwater Contamination at Hazardous Waste Contaminated Sites
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2137-22 - Standard Guide for Estimating Monetary Costs and Liabilities for Environmental Matters
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM D5745-23 - Standard Guide for Developing and Implementing Interim and Early Actions for Waste Contamination Site Remediation
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E3240-20 - Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action for Contaminated Sediment Sites
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2531-06(2020) - Standard Guide for Development of Conceptual Site Models and Remediation Strategies for Light Nonaqueous-Phase Liquids Released to the Subsurface
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2081-22 - Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2348-17 - Standard Guide for Framework for a Consensus-based Environmental Decision-making Process
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2205/E2205M-22 - Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action for Protection of Ecological Resources
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E3248-20 - Standard Guide for NAPL Mobility and Migration in Sediment – Conceptual Models for Emplacement and Advection
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E1943-98(2015) - Standard Guide for Remediation of Ground Water by Natural Attenuation at Petroleum Release Sites
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995
• Referred By: ASTM E2616-09(2020) - Standard Guide for Remedy Selection Integrating Risk-Based Corrective Action and Non-Risk Considerations
• Effective Date: 10-Sep-1995

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E1739 – 95 (Reapproved 2002)
Standard Guide for
Risk-Based Corrective Action Applied at Petroleum Release
1
Sites
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1739; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.2.5 Deciding whether further tier evaluation is warranted,
if implementation of interim remedial action is warranted or if
1.1 This is a guide to risk-based corrective action (RBCA),
RBSLs may be applied as remediation target levels;
which is a consistent decision-making process for the assess-
1.2.6 Collection of additional site-specific information as
ment and response to a petroleum release, based on the
necessary, if further tier evaluation is warranted;
protection of human health and the environment. Sites with
1.2.7 Developmentofsite-specifictargetlevels(SSTLs)and
petroleumreleasevarygreatlyintermsofcomplexity,physical
point(s) of compliance (Tier 2 evaluation);
andchemicalcharacteristics,andintheriskthattheymaypose
1.2.8 Comparison of the concentrations of chemical(s) of
to human health and the environment. The RBCA process
concern at the site with the Tier 2 evaluation SSTL at the
recognizes this diversity, and uses a tiered approach where
determined point(s) of compliance or source area(s);
corrective action activities are tailored to site-specific condi-
1.2.9 Deciding whether further tier evaluation is warranted,
tions and risks. While the RBCA process is not limited to a
ifimplementationofinterimremedialactioniswarranted,orif
particular class of compounds, this guide emphasizes the
Tier 2 SSTLs may be applied as remediation target levels;
applicationofRBCAtopetroleumproductreleasesthroughthe
1.2.10 Collection of additional site-specific information as
use of the examples. Ecological risk assessment, as discussed
necessary, if further tier evaluation is warranted;
in this guide, is a qualitative evaluation of the actual or
1.2.11 Development of SSTL and point(s) of compliance
potential impacts to environmental (nonhuman) receptors.
(Tier 3 evaluation);
There may be circumstances under which a more detailed
2
1.2.12 Comparison of the concentrations of chemical(s) of
ecological risk assessment is necessary (see Ref (1).
concern at the site at the determined point(s) of compliance or
1.2 The decision process described in this guide integrates
source area(s) with the Tier 3 evaluation SSTL; and
risk and exposure assessment practices, as suggested by the
1.2.13 Developmentofaremedialactionplantoachievethe
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
SSTL, as applicable.
with site assessment activities and remedial measure selection
1.3 The guide is organized as follows:
to ensure that the chosen action is protective of human health
1.3.1 Section 2 lists referenced documents,
andtheenvironment.Thefollowinggeneralsequenceofevents
1.3.2 Section 3 defines terminology used in this guide,
is prescribed in RBCA, once the process is triggered by the
1.3.3 Section 4 describes the significance and use of this
suspicion or confirmation of petroleum release:
guide,
1.2.1 Performance of a site assessment;
1.3.4 Section 5 is a summary of the tiered approach,
1.2.2 Classification of the site by the urgency of initial
1.3.5 Section 6 presents the RBCAprocedures in a step-by-
response;
step process,
1.2.3 Implementation of an initial response action appropri-
1.3.6 Appendix X1 details physical/chemical and toxico-
ate for the selected site classification;
logical characteristics of petroleum products,
1.2.4 Comparison of concentrations of chemical(s) of con-
1.3.7 Appendix X2 discusses the derivation of a Tier 1
cern at the site with Tier 1 Risk Based Screening Levels
RBSL Look-Up Table and provides an example,
(RBSLs) given in a look-up table;
1.3.8 Appendix X3 describes the uses of predictive model-
ing relative to the RBCA process,
1
ThisguideisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE50onEnvironmental
1.3.9 AppendixX4discussesconsiderationsforinstitutional
AssessmentandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeE50.04onPerformance
controls, and
Standards Related to Environmental Regulatory Programs.
1.3.10 Appendix X5 provides examples of RBCA applica-
Current edition approved Sept. 10, 1995. Published November 1995. Originally
published as ES38–94. Last previous edition ES38–94. DOI: 10.1520/E1739-
tions.
95R02.
2
Theboldfacenumbersinparenthesesrefertothelistofreferencesattheendof
this guide.
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