Publication Date: May 1996
This document has been prepared for the purpose of giving general guidance on
conducting both human health and ecological risk assessments for site clean-ups in Ontario. It is neither a detailed description of the risk assessment process nor a field guide to conducting risk assessments. Information sources that will provide a greater level of detail for those purposes are provided at the end of each part of this document. The reader should refer to the MOEE document “Guideline for the Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sites in Ontario”, 1996, for details on the selection of the Site Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA) approach as a remedial option.
The document is organized into three parts. Part 1 is a general introduction to the process
of risk assessment. It describes the purpose of this document and the role of risk assessment in the site remediation decision making process often followed in Ontario. It also provides guidance for the selection of a qualified individual or group of individuals for the conduct of site specific risk assessment, and formulates MOEE requirements regarding third party review.
Part 2 provides some general guidance for conducting human health risk assessment for
the remediation of contaminated sites in Ontario. It is not intended to be an exhaustive guideline or protocol, but a statement of basic principles and general requirements for Human Health Risk Assessment.
Part 3 provides a basic framework for conducting site specific ecological risk assessments
for the remediation of contaminated sites in Ontario. As per Part 2, it is not an exhaustive
protocol or methodology, but a statement of principles and direction. Reference is made at the end of Part 3 to sources that give more detailed methodologies for the field user.
This document uses concepts and terminology that are consistent with the framework for
conducting ecological risk assessments that has been developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) (CCME, 1996a).