Significance and Use
4.1 Intended Users:
4.1.1 This guide may be used by various parties involved in sediment corrective action programs, including regulatory agencies, project sponsors, environmental consultants, toxicologists, risk assessors, site remediation professionals, environmental contractors, analytical testing laboratories, data validators, data reviewers and users, and other stakeholders, which may include, but are not limited to, owners, buyers, developers, lenders, insurers, government agencies, and community members and groups.
4.2 Reference Materials:
4.2.1 This guide should be used in conjunction with other ASTM guides listed in 2.1 (especially Guides E3164, E3240, E3242, E3344, and E3382), as well as the material in the References section.
4.3 Flexible Site-Specific Implementation:
4.3.1 This guide supports users in the identification of key considerations for designing and implementing sediment corrective action program data acquisition plans, including discussion of the applicability and use limitations of analytical methods and testing procedures.
4.3.1.1 The selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures for sediment corrective action programs is an evolving science. This guide provides a systematic but flexible decision framework to accommodate variations in approaches by the regulatory agency and by the user based on project objectives, site complexity, site features, regulatory requirements and guidance, newly published scientific research, use of alternative test methods and procedures, changes in regulatory criteria, advances in scientific knowledge and technical capability, and unforeseen circumstances.
4.3.1.2 This framework facilitates the selection and application of analytical methods and testing protocols used in a wide range of sediment corrective action programs. This guide provides best practices to support the user in achieving intended sediment corrective action program objectives.
4.3.2 Implementation of the guide is site-specific. The user may choose to customize the implementation of the guide for a particular sediment site, especially smaller, less complex sites.
4.3.3 This guide provides a decision framework based on overarching features and elements that should be customized by the user based on site-specific conditions, regulatory context, and sediment corrective action program objectives for a particular site. This guide should not be used alone as a prescriptive checklist.
4.4 Regulatory Frameworks:
4.4.1 This guide is intended to be applicable to a broad range of local, state, tribal, federal, or international jurisdictions, each with its own regulatory framework. As such, this guide does not provide a detailed discussion of the requirements or guidance associated with any of these regulatory frameworks, nor is it intended to supersede applicable requirements and guidance. The user of this guide will need to be aware of (and comply with) the regulatory requirements and guidance in the jurisdiction where the work is being performed.
4.4.2 This guide may be used to support existing regulatory decision frameworks for the selection and application of analytical procedures and testing protocols used in sediment corrective action programs.
4.5 Systematic Project Planning and Scoping Process:
4.5.1 When applying this guide, the user should undertake a systematic project planning and scoping process to collect information to assist in making site-specific, user-defined decisions for a particular project, including assembling an experienced team of project professionals. These practitioners should have the appropriate expertise to scope, plan, and execute a sediment corrective action program. This team may include, but is not limited to, project sponsors, environmental consultants, toxicologists, risk assessors, site remediation professionals, environmental contractors, analytical testing laboratories, data reviewers, data validators, data users, regulatory agency personnel, and other stakeholders.
4.5.2 Use of this guide is consistent with the Risk-Based Corrective Action process for contaminated sediment sites (Sediment-RBCA) (Guide E3240) that guides the user to acquire and evaluate appropriate data and refine goals, objectives, receptors, and exposure pathways to refine the CSM. As the Sediment-RBCA process proceeds, data and conclusions reached at each tier help focus the subsequent tier of evaluation. This integrative process results in efficient, cost-effective decision-making and timely, appropriate response actions for sediment corrective action programs.
4.5.3 This guide supports the use of systematic project planning, the use of innovative sampling and analytical technologies, and application of best management practices and guiding principles as applied to sediment corrective action programs. Planning activities should include the following:
(1) Assemble an experienced team of project professionals.
(2) Engage regulators and other relevant stakeholders early and often in the planning process.
(3) Define, agree on, and document clearly stated project objectives and intended outcomes.
(4) Recognize that sediment corrective action programs are complex and that uncertainty is high and inherent in the process; however, an appropriate project-specific approach may be developed with the investment of time and effort, as well as compromise.
(5) Identify applicable requirements and guidance.
(6) Compile existing site data.
(7) Establish a plan for documenting and reporting key decisions and results.
4.5.3.1 These project planning and scoping activities should be carried forward as the corrective action process progresses.
4.5.4 The use of this guide complements applicable existing guidance used to develop a quality assurance project plan (QAPP) and to establish the data quality objectives (DQOs) necessary to meet project goals and to fully understand data quality. This planning process facilitates project planners identifying and focusing on the key issues that must be addressed and resolved for successful, cost-effective, and defensible project outcomes.
4.6 Stakeholder Engagement:
4.6.1 The users of this guide are encouraged to engage key stakeholders early and often in the project planning and scoping process, especially regulators, project sponsors, and service providers (especially testing laboratories). A concerted, ongoing effort should be made by the user to continually engage regulators and other relevant stakeholders as the project progresses to gain insight, technical support, and input for resolving technical issues and challenges that may arise during project implementation.
4.7 Documentation:
4.7.1 The users of this guide should establish a plan for documenting and reporting the results of the project planning process, including key challenges, options considered, decisions taken, data acquisition approach, data results, and project outcomes relative to project objectives. Project documentation may include project work plans, field sampling and analysis plans (FSAPs), QAPPs, technical memoranda, and project reports. The user must ensure that the test methods used meet the analytical rigor required by the regulatory agency that has oversight authority for the project.
4.7.2 The users of this guide are encouraged to update and refine the sediment site CSM (Guide E1689) as needed, as well as updating work plans and reports used to describe the physical properties, chemical composition and occurrence, biologic features, and environmental conditions of the sediment site as new data become available.
4.8 Challenges:
4.8.1 This guide is designed to assist the user in more fully understanding and navigating the challenges inherent in the selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures for use in sediment corrective action programs; specifically, challenges in generating analytical data of sufficient sensitivity to support the stringent generic regulatory screening levels or risk-based screening levels typically applied during sediment corrective action programs. Ref (1)5 has long recognized the challenges associated with sediment corrective action programs, as summarized below:
4.8.1.1 Contaminant sources may be various, large, ongoing, or difficult to control (or any combination of these).
4.8.1.2 Impacts may be diffuse, large, and diverse (or any combination of these).
4.8.1.3 The environment may be dynamic, increasing the difficulty in understanding effects of natural forces and anthropogenic events on sediment movement (or stability), as well as contaminant fate and transport.
4.8.1.4 Cleanup work at sediment sites often involves engineering challenges and higher costs than for other media (such as upland soils and groundwater).
4.8.1.5 Mixed land uses; numerous property owners; and communities with differing views, opinions, and impacts often complicate cleanup efforts at sediment sites.
4.8.1.6 Cultural and historical resources and inadvertent discoveries may be more likely at sediment sites than upland sites. This may increase a project’s complexity.
4.8.1.7 Ecologically valuable resources or legislatively protected species/habitats (or both) may be present.
4.9 Other Considerations:
4.9.1 The overarching process for risk-based corrective actions at sediment sites is not covered in detail in this guide; Guide E3240 contains extensive information concerning that process.
4.9.2 Developing representative background concentrations for the sediment site is not covered in detail in this guide; Guides E3242, E3344, and E3382 contain extensive information concerning that topic.
4.9.3 In this guide, sediment (3.2.1) is defined as a matrix being found at the bottom of a water body. Upland soils of sedimentary origin are excluded from consideration as sediment in this guide.
4.9.4 In this guide, only COC concentrations are considered. Residual background radioactivity is out of scope for this guide.
4.10 Structure and Components of This Guide:
4.10.1 Guide users should review the overall structure and components of this guide before proceeding with use, including:
|
| Section |
| Scope | 1 |
| Referenced Documents | 2 |
| Terminology | 3 |
| Significance and Use | 4 |
| Physical Property Test Methods | 5 |
| Chemistry Analytical Methods | 6 |
| Passive Sampling Methods | 7 |
| Biological Test Methods | 8 |
| Environmental Forensics Analytical Methods | 9 |
| Analytical Method Development | 10 |
| Keywords | 11 |
| Key Differences in Physical Properties of Sediment and Soil | Appendix X1 |
| Guidelines for Collection of Sediment Samples for Physical Properties Testing | Appendix X2 |
| Sediment Physical Properties Testing: Key Concepts in Sediment Stratigraphy and Quick Reference Guide for Test Selection | Appendix X3 |
| Quick Reference Guide for Sediment Chemistry Analytical Method Selection | Appendix X4 |
| Sampling Reference Guide for Sediment Chemistry Analytical Methods | Appendix X5 |
| Critical Success Factors for Sediment Chemistry Analytical Programs | Appendix X6 |
| Quick Reference Guide for Passive Sampling Method Selection | Appendix X7 |
| Design and Implementation Considerations for Passive Samplers for Inorganic Constituents | Appendix X8 |
| Advantages and Limitations of Passive Sampler Types for Organic and Inorganic Compounds | Appendix X9 |
| Methodologies and Equations for Determining Aqueous Chemical Concentrations (Cfree) from Passive Sampler Results | Appendix X10 |
| Other Potential Organism Groups for Biological Testing Methods | Appendix X11 |
| Biological Testing for Histopathology | Appendix X12 |
| Daubert Criteria to Guide the Selection and Application of Analytical Test Methods Used for Environmental Sediment Forensics | Appendix X13 |
| References |
|
Scope
1.1 This is a guide for the selection and application of a range of analytical methods and testing protocols that may be used during sediment corrective action programs; these include physical properties testing, chemical analytical methods, passive sampling procedures, bioassays and toxicity testing, environmental forensics methods and procedures, and laboratory method development procedures for sediment corrective action programs.
1.1.1 There are numerous technical decisions that must be made in the selection and application of analytical methods and testing protocols used during sediment corrective action programs. It is not the intent of this guide to define the appropriate technical decisions, but rather to provide technical guidance within existing decision frameworks. The user of this guide should review existing information and data available for a sediment corrective action program to determine the most appropriate entry point into (and use of) this guide.
1.1.2 This guide encourages user-led collaboration with stakeholders, including analytical laboratories and testing service providers, in the selection and application of analytical methods and testing protocols used to support project-specific decision criteria for a particular sediment corrective action program. This guide recognizes the complexity and diversity of sediment corrective action programs and project objectives and provides appendixes to support a range of project applications.
1.2 Sediment corrective action programs vary greatly in terms of environmental complexity; physical, chemical, and biological characteristics; human health and ecological risk concerns; and geographic and regulatory context. This guide provides information for the selection and application of analytical methods and testing protocols applicable to a wide range of sediment corrective action programs.
1.2.1 This guide may be used at any time during a sediment corrective action program, including site characterization, risk assessment, remedy selection, remedial design, remedial implementation, remedial operation and maintenance, baseline and post-remedy monitoring (Guide E3164), remedy optimization, and corrective action (Guide E3240).
1.3 Sediment corrective actions are performed under various regulatory programs, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Although many of the references cited in this guide are CERCLA-oriented, the guide is applicable to corrective actions performed under local, state, tribal, federal, and international corrective action programs. This guide describes the selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures, but it does not provide a detailed description of the regulatory requirements or existing guidance for each jurisdiction.
1.3.1 This guide is intended to inform, complement, and support (but not supersede) the requirements and guidelines established by local, state, tribal, federal, and international regulatory agencies. The user should consult applicable regulatory agency requirements and guidelines to identify appropriate technical decision criteria and seek regulatory approvals, as necessary, prior to selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures to sediment corrective action programs.
1.4 This guide highlights key considerations for designing sediment corrective action program data acquisition plans, including applicability and use limitations of analytical methods and test procedures, as well as data usability considerations. This guide recognizes the challenges inherent in selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures for sediment systems, as well as the challenges inherent in generating analytical data of sufficient sensitivity to meet regulatory criteria applied to sediment corrective action programs.
1.5 Test methods, procedures, and guidelines published by ASTM International (ASTM), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and other U.S. and international agencies are used for sediment corrective action programs—many of which are referenced by this guide. However, these documents do not provide guidance on the selection and application of analytical methods and test procedures for sediment corrective action programs. This guide describes widely accepted considerations and best practices used in the selection and application of analytical procedures used during sediment corrective action programs. This guide supports and complements existing regulations and technical guidance.
1.6 Units—The values stated in SI or CGS units are to be regarded as the standard. Units in the appendices are provided in Imperial units when commonly associated with standard materials.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
