Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance and Database: Restructured and in Review Larry Champagne, TCEQ Margaret Roy, Centerline Env. Consulting Jim Rogers, West Texas A&M University Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Environmental Trade Fair 2015

Topics to be discussed Larry: Discuss status & schedule of Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance (ERAG) and Ecological Protective Concentration Level (PCL) Database Margaret: Discuss details on the draft final ERAG and Ecological Screening Benchmark Tables Jim: Present an interactive tour of the Ecological PCL Database

Revised Draft January 2014: Conducting Ecological Risk Assessments at Remediation Sites in Texas, RG-263 Available online at the ERA Home Page: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/eco/eco.html , or The TRRP Guidance and Forms Page: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/trrp/guidance.html .

Draft January 2014 ERAG is an Interim Measure Text was made accessible Most recent surface water screening benchmarks were included 2007 changes to TRRP rule reflected Text was edited for conciseness Development of a draft final ERAG began immediately after 2014 version was posted to web

Why Revise ERAG Again? No updates to the science since 2001 Consolidation of other TCEQ ecological publications Integration of Ecological PCL Database No changes to the ERA process!

Draft Final ERAG Revisions Incorporated concepts and text from: TRRP-15eco Issues Paper Eco PCL Database Benchmark tables and case study separated from text This is an image of a road sign that reads Under Construction.

Schedule and Milestones Revised Benchmark Tables released for Eco Work Group review December 2014 Draft Final ERAG and Eco PCL Database will be released simultaneously to Work Group for review Eco Work Group comments due 60-90 days following release

Schedule and Milestones (cont.) Meetings and conference calls likely during and after review period Incorporate revisions, meet accessibility requirements, and submit to Agency Communications for review Projected posting to web in 2016

The Draft Final ERAG I am reorganized and revitalized! ERAG This is a Clip Art image of a talking book saying "I am reorganized and revitalized!"

ERAG Reorganized and Updated No Changes to the ERA process 14 Sections guided by the Required Elements from the TRRP rule Coordinated with Eco PCL Database Updated text, recent and relevant references added

ERAG Reorganized and Updated (Cont.) Descriptive text added for development of a SLERA work plan Clarification and updates made to: exposure modifying factors use of bioassessibility for arsenic and lead use of acid volatile sulfides and simul-taneously extracted metals procedure

Connections to Other TCEQ Documents TX Surface Water Quality Standards Implementation Guidance Risk Based Exposure Limit (RBEL) Tables Impaired Water Bodies, 303(d) listing Determining PCLs for Surface Water and Sediment (TRRP-24) Determining Representative Concentrations of COCs… (TRRP-15eco)

Benchmarks (Surface Water, Sediment, Soil) Extracted from ERAG text, now in Excel with supporting documentation Surface Water - Acute values added Sediment - Second effects and midpoint benthic PCLs added Radionuclide screening values added Munitions screening values added Background values added for 5 metals

Alternate and Proposed Benchmarks Text discussion within ERAG LC50 approach Equilibrium Partitioning (EqP) Surrogate chemical data

TRRP-15eco and ERAG TRRP-15eco compliments ERAG and fills in gaps Both documents cross-reference each other Both documents should be consulted when preparing ERAs

ERAG – Some Key Inputs from TRRP-15eco Data from ecological habitat: develop an ecological exposure point concentration Hot Spot Analysis: now recommended to be included in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 ERA Sediment (fish receptor) exposure pathway

Not Ecological Habitat! These are 5 photos that represent properties that are not considered to be ecological habitat. One shows pipe racks and tanks, a second shows a tank farm, a third shows a parking lot with industrial buildings in the back, a fourth shows a loading dock with soil in the foreground, and the 5th shows a well groomed and mowed golf course fairway and green.

ERAG – Other Changes Bioaccumulative Designation – silver in soil has been added References to and brief instructions for the Ecological PCL Database included Body Scaling – removed from guidance

Expanded Case Study Case Study separated out from ERAG and expanded to include: Tier 1 Checklist Tier 2 SLERA Ecological Services Analysis Separate file allows for updates and additional scenarios to be added in the future.

Ecological PCL Database Considered an extension of ERAG Used for ERA inputs: receptor life history info, toxicity reference values (TRV), uptake factors Tier 2 development of conservative, average TRV, and refined (based on exposure modifications) PCLs

Contact Information Larry Champagne 512-239-2158 larry.champagne@tceq.texas.gov Margaret Roy 512-913-5142 margaret_roy@sbcglobal.net Dr. Jim Rogers 806-651-2581 jrogers@mail.wtamu.edu

Questions? This is an image of a man with his head inside a computer with a caption that reads Questions?

Ecological PCL Database This is a screenshot of the Ecological PCL Database's Calculator Home Page.