EPA's RSEI Model: National & Regional Summary Reports - Rich Engler

RSEIRSEIRSEIRSEIRSEIRSEIRSEIRSEI

Risk-Screening Environmental Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI)Indicators (RSEI)

March 31, 2008March 31, 2008


IntroductionIntroduction

What is the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) Model and How Does It Work?

What Kinds of Questions Can RSEI Answer?

Who is using RSEI?

Points to Remember


What Is the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Model?What Is the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Model?

RSEI is a screening-level model for assessing potentialchronic human health impacts of industrial releases of toxic chemicals:

RSEI provides the following types of screening analyses:

Pounds

Hazard

Risk-related


Why Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators?Why Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators?

The Need for Risk Context:

“The determination of potential risk depends upon many factors, including the toxicity of the chemical, the fate of the chemical, and the amount and duration of human or other exposure to the chemical after it is released.”

Source: Toxics Release Inventory: Factors to Consider When

Using TRI Data, November 2002, emphasis added.


RSEI and Risk AssessmentRSEI and Risk AssessmentRSEI incorporates components of risk assessment:

Amount of chemical released

Fate and transport of the chemical

Route and extent of human exposure

Number of people affected

Toxicity of the chemical

RSEI is not a formal risk assessment—RSEI uses simplifying assumptions. It is useful for performance measurement, prioritization, and trend analysis because it incorporates toxicity and exposure considerations in addition to amount released.


How Does RSEI Work?How Does RSEI Work?

RSEI uses: Toxics Release Inventory data Existing exposure models and databases Reviewed toxicity data


What Kinds of Questions Can RSEI Answer?What Kinds of Questions Can RSEI Answer?

What are the trends in hazard and risk scores associated with toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities at industrial facilities?

When comparing industries, how can I rank which industry sectors are associated with relatively more potential risk?

What is the relative contribution of specific chemicals to the risk score in a community (state, county, city), and how do I prioritize these for follow-up activities?

For any given scenario, what release pathway for a particular chemical poses the greatest risk-related concerns?


What’s new in RSEI 2.2.0?What’s new in RSEI 2.2.0?

• Reporting Years 1996-2006

• Updated Toxicity Weights• cobalt, nickel, barium, n-hexane, toluene, and 1,4-

dichlorobenzene

• More facility stack information from NEI

• Facility location from LRT

• Chromium speciation based on OAQPS 2002 NEI based on SIC code


What’s new in RSEI 2.2.0?What’s new in RSEI 2.2.0?

• TRI Reporting Years 1996-2006

• AERMOD replaces ISC-LT

• Updated Toxicity Weights for a number of chemicals and include EPA's Provisional Peer Reviewed Toxicity Values as a source.

• Include NAICs codes for 2006 data in addition to SIC codes

• Location and characteristics of drinking water intakes is now taken from USGS’s Public Supply Database, instead of EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).


Who is Using RSEI?Who is Using RSEI? OPPT: Annual Performance Goals; CARE prioritization;

Tribal activities

OW: Modeling of Exposure from Fish Ingestion

OECA: Targeting; Prioritization; Environmental Justice

OCHP: Assessment of School Populations

Regional Offices: Enforcement Prioritization; Permitting; Environmental Justice

States: P2 technical assistance; Prioritization

Academia: Cross-media Risk Transfers; Environmental Justice; MapEcos

Private Sector: Performance Tracking


Points to RememberPoints to RememberRSEI PROVIDES QUICK PERSPECTIVES ON HAZARD &

RISK, BUT IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP!

RSEI uses facility-reported TRI data which can contain reporting errors. If it’s not reported to TRI, it’s not modeled in RSEI.

RSEI toxicity weights are based on chronic human toxicity associated with long-term exposure and do not address acute human toxicity or environmental toxicity.

Dermal and food ingestion pathways (other than fish consumption), and other indirect exposure pathways are not evaluated.


Points to Remember cont.Points to Remember cont. Except for chromium, metals and metal

compounds are assumed to be present in the most toxic form.

Simplifying assumptions for stack heights, diameters, and exit gas velocities are used where facility-specific data are not available.

RSEI results do not indicate whether hazard or risk from a chemical or facility is “acceptable” to a population or individual.

RSEI is useful in many applications where TRI pounds have been used as a risk surrogate.


Trend in RSEI Score and Pounds

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

lbs

(mil

lio

n)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Ris

k In

dex

(200

1 N

atl=

100)

National lbs

National RSEI score

Results from V. 2.2.0Results from V. 2.2.0

*This excludes a significant, one time release of diisocyanates from a facility in 2003.


Results from RSEI 2.2.0Results from RSEI 2.2.0

Top Chemicals in U.S. (2006) % Total RSEI Score

All others

Manganese and manganese compounds

Mercury and mercury compounds

Lead and lead compounds

Diisocyanates

Sulfuric acid

Nickel and nickel compounds

Phosphorus (yellow or white)

Polycyclic aromatic compounds

Copper and copper compounds

Diaminotoluene (mixed isomers)


Lynne Blake-Hedges: (202) [email protected]

Richard Engler: (202) [email protected]

Kristen Loughery: (202) [email protected]

Cody Rice: (202) 564-8769

URL: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/rsei

ContactsContacts

EPA's RSEI Model: National & Regional Summary Reports - Rich Engler

Documents

Transcript of EPA's RSEI Model: National & Regional Summary Reports - Rich Engler