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Society For Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2007

Risk 007: Agents of Analysis

Session Schedule & Abstracts


* Disclaimer: All presentations represent the views of the authors, and not the organizations that support their research. Please apply the standard disclaimer that any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations in abstracts, posters, and presentations at the meeting are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other organization or agency. Meeting attendees and authors should be aware that this disclaimer is intended to apply to all abstracts contained in this document. Authors who wish to emphasize this disclaimer should do so in their presentation or poster. In an effort to make the abstracts as concise as possible and easy for meeting participants to read, the abstracts have been formatted such that they exclude references to papers, affiliations, and/or funding sources. Authors who wish to provide attendees with this information should do so in their presentation or poster.

Common abbreviations

W1-I
Risk Evaluations for Recycling and Beneficial Uses of Industrial Byproducts

Room: 207B   8:30 - 10:00 AM

Chair(s): Peter Grevatt, Zubair Saleem



W1-I.1  8:30  Risk framework for beneficial use of industrial byproducts. Taylor T*, Johnson T, Clipper M, Saleem Z, Cuthbertson B, Davis C; US Environmental Protection Agency   saleem.zubair@epa.gov

Abstract: EPA Regions and States have requested the EPA headquarters to establish a materials assessment framework that addresses key issues and questions necessary to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment. EPA has collected the methods, systems, and lessons learned by State programs, as well as experience gained from our own evaluations, regarding assessment of potential risks in beneficial uses of industrial byproduct materials. Partnering with the States, as well as tapping expertise from throughout EPA and the other Federal organizations, we have identified: (1) the systems and tools that the States, EPA and other Federal agencies are using to make beneficial use (BU) determinations, and assess which might be useful to other states to use; (2) the most pertinent characteristics of materials, uses, and environmental conditions, for addressing potential health risk in BU decision-making; (3) the core risk assessment concepts to address in BU decision-making; (4) the EPA technical and policy guidance which might impact framework messages; (5) the key concepts in economic and life-cycle analysis which should inform the assessment of potential health risk in BU decision-making; (6) annotated questions which, when answered, introduce the decision-maker to all the pertinent risk-related issues; and (6) the user-friendly modeling tools for decision-makers to use to answer the questions mentioned above. The results of all the multi-organization efforts are discussed with examples.

W1-I.2  8:50  A tool for the evaluation of safe use of industrial byproducts in roadways. Saleem Z*, Lillyus T, Guvanasen V; US environmental Protection Agency, HGL HydroGeoLogic,Inc.    saleem.zubair@epa.gov

Abstract: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made great progress in managing wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). However, lately EPA has been under criticism for declaring many byproducts of manufacturing as “waste”, and this can have a negative effect on recycling, reuse, and alternative uses of residuals. EPA is now focusing on the use of “wastes” for beneficial purposes. However, beneficial uses may also have undesirable human and environmental impacts. Most of the byproducts of coal combustion, construction and demolition debris, etc., are used or will be used for roadways. A tool is needed for the State authorities to evaluate whether this use of a byproduct is environmentally sound before the use is permitted. EPA used its fate and transport model (EPACMTP) to evaluate wasted for the management in four land-based waste management units (landfills, surface impoundments and waste piles) as part of the Industrial Waste Evaluation Model (IWEM, version 1.0). EPA has now modified the IWEM (version 2.0) to include the “roadways” as a scenario. The IWEM version 2.0, along with the modified graphical user interface (GUI), to accept the roadways, is presented and the application to a roadway project is discussed. Data required to simulate roadways and the as well as the underlying assumptions are discussed. An example of the application of the model to illustrate its usefulness also is presented.

W1-I.3  9:10  Evaluation of risks associated with land application of coal combustion products. Ladwig K*; EPRI, New Berlin, WI 53151   saleem.zubair@epa.gov

Abstract: Electric utilities generate about 120 million tons of coal combustion (CCPs) products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flu gas desulfurization (FGD) solids. About 40 percent of the products are beneficially reused in a variety of applications. Fly ash, the largest volume CCP, is used chiefly in concrete and cement products, but also finds significant applications in structural fills and road construction. FGD solids represent the second largest volume CCP, and the quantity produced is expected to increase significantly over the next ten to twenty years due to increased use of scrubbers at power plants. The largest use for FGD gypsum is in wallboard manufacturing, followed by uses in concrete and cement, and use as a soil amendment in agriculture. This paper will provide an overview of the uses of CCPs, and the present more detail on approaches being developed for evaluating the potential environmental risks associated two of these beneficial uses that represent large volume land applications: fly ash in structural fills and FGD gypsum in agricultural applications. Evaluation of fly ash in structural fills is focused on the groundwater pathway, and the goal is to develop a simple tool for utilities to quickly screen possible applications. Evaluation of FGD gypsum use in agriculture will focus on development of appropriate application rates that improve soil productivity without negatively impacting soil or water quality for a range of soil and crop types.

W1-I.4  09:30  Evaluating Byproducts for Beneficial Use in Soil Applications. Basta N*, Dayton E; School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University   

Abstract: Beneficial use of industrial byproducts in soil application requires application of practical scientific information to determine if the residual constituents can be safely reused without harming human health or the environment. Land application of a variety of residual materials is an effective means of recycling organic matter and plant nutrients and restoration of degraded land, but must be done prudently to avoid soil degradation. Future demands on our limited natural resources will require beneficial use of industrial products in manufactured soil blends for site remediation and ecosystem restoration and other beneficial land application scenarios. Guidelines must be in place that allows beneficial but prudent use of industrial byproducts in soil applications. Extensive research on beneficial use of biosolids in land application formed the basis for the USEPA risk-based rule governing land application of biosolids (40CFR Part 503). Key concepts on pollutant limits in Part 503 that should be part of a framework for soil application of industrial byproducts will be presented. Other byproduct properties essential to soil function must also be considered to achieve beneficial byproduct use without soil degradation will be reviewed. These include byproduct physical and chemical parameters that affect nutrient cycling, nutrient availability, and toxicity to human and ecological receptors in soil systems, chemical, and soil stability. Essential components in a framework for screening byproducts which considers both risk-based land application pathways, benefits and potential degradation of soil function will be presented.



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