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Health Assessment - HE

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EM	ER	FE	FI	GU	HE	HI	LG
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Confidential Documents
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Glossary of terms relating to file structure phase activities and file categories

Descriptions of 17.00 - 17.99

SRC Folder Code HZ/SF/RE/HE

NARA General Records Schedule N1-412-99-23

Definition

All releasable health and risk assessments, whether prepared by Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) or others should be filed here. Any releasable correspondence related to these studies should also be filed in this category.

The ATSDR is part of the U.S. Public Health Service. ATSDR may conduct a Superfund public health assessment, which is an independent evaluation of whether exposure to a site poses a danger to the people who live and work near it. This helps to ensure that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not overlook or underestimate any threats. Both a human health risk assessment and a public health assessment study overall hazardous substance threats to people.

SDMS Keyword (Click on keyword to see description)

17.01   ATSDR Public Health Assessment
17.02   Environmental Risk Assessment
17.05   General Correspondence
17.04   Health Assessment Prepared by Others
17.03   Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment

17.99 Other

SDMS Keyword Description

17.01 ATSDR Public Health Assessment
Memorandum or report containing factual information on the health danger to the public, which forms the basis for the selection of the response action. This report, prepared by the ATSD), is required for each NPL site according to a mandatory schedule. ATSDR, in consultation with EPA, sets the priorities for health assessments at NPL sites based upon potential risk to human health, adequacy of existing data, and EPA's NPL and Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI / FS) schedules. These reports are easily identified by the title, "Health Assessment", and the author is ATSDR.

17.02 Environmental Risk Assessment
The Risk Assessment is a report containing factual information on the risk or endangerment to any species, which forms the basis for the selection of the response action. The risk assessment estimates the current and possible future risks to your health from the site. The goal is to understand what levels of cleanup will be necessary to make sure communities are protected. A human health risk assessment estimates the "baseline risk." This is the likelihood of health problems occurring as a result of the hazardous substances at the site.

These reports are easily identified by the title, "Risk Assessment". Often this is a part of the Remedial Investigation (RI) report, in which case this would be a secondary keyword.

17.03 Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment
Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessments (SLERAs) assess the need, and if required, the level of effort necessary, to conduct a detailed or "baseline" ecological risk assessment for a particular site. Although less detailed than a baseline Ecological Risk Assessment, SLERAs still include the following components: 1) screening level problem formulation and ecological effects characterization, 2) screening level exposure estimate and risk calculation, and 3) scientific management decision point indicating either negligible risk or continuation to a baseline risk assessment.

17.04 Health Assessment Prepared by Others
Memorandum or report containing factual information on the health danger to the public, which forms the basis for the selection of the response action prepared by universities, private companies or other agencies besides the ATSDR.

17.05 General Correspondence
Any correspondence including letters, memoranda, notes, and record of communications generated or received by the EPA.

17.99 Other
If the needed keyword code is not available, code to 17.99.

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Health Assessment - HE

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