Guidance for Ecological Risk Assessments

Oregon's state superfund law emphasizes risk-based decision making. Statute and rules both require that human health and ecological risk be given equal consideration. The Department of Environmental Quality has developed a four-level ecological risk assessment process:

• Level I: Scoping,
• Level II: Screening,
• Level III: Baseline, and
• Level IV: Field Baseline.

Use of this multi-level approach, with review at each major decision point, is intended to facilitate more efficient use of resources; ensuring that necessary work is done and that risk managers receive information sufficient to support effective remedial action decisions.

This guidance is not a substitute for a working familiarity with ecological principles, their application, and the field of ecological risk assessment, nor is it intended to be exhaustive on the subject of ecological risk assessment.

• Guidance for Ecological Risk Assessments: Levels I, II, III, IV PDF
  • Level I: Scoping (Updated 11/98)
    Describes scoping procedures for ecological risk assessments.
  • Level II: Screening (Updated 12/01)
    Describes procedures for establishing assessment endpoints and for ecological risk screening using numeric values.
    • NOTE: In Task 9(c), page II-8 of the Level II Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance, please note that the Q = 5 guidance applies only to soil, and does not apply to water and sediment. Until other screening level values become available, water and sediment screening should be done using the SLVs provided in Tables 1 and 2. (February 2005)
  • Level II Screening Level Values (Updated 12/01)
    For use in screening ecological risk assessments performed in accordance with directions provided in the final Level II - Screening guidance document.
  • Level III: Baseline (Updated 3/00; Corrected 5/00)
    Outlines methodology for conducting a baseline risk assessment for ecological receptors.
  • Level IV: Field Baseline (Updated 11/98)
    Outlines methodology for conducting a baseline risk assessment using site-specific empirical data and locality-specific information.

Comments regarding the implementation or technical content of this document should be directed to:

Mike Poulsen
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
2020 SW 4th Ave., Suite 400
Portland, OR 97201
503 229-6773
In Oregon, call toll-free 1-800-452-4011

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