Opportunity for Comment
Proposed Revisions: Petroleum Remediation Guidelines
Comment deadline: May 16, 2014
The Department is proposing changes to its 2009 Remediation Guidelines for Petroleum Contaminated Sites in Maine. Amendments are based on updated toxicological data, lessons learned in the course of implementing the current guidelines, input from the Maine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (MCDC), input from members of Maine?s environmental consulting community, improvements in field soil sampling, and the findings of the Department?s 3 year vapor intrusion study and U.S. EPA?s new petroleum vapor intrusion guidelines.
These guidelines provide technical guidance for making risk based remediation decisions at oil discharge sites in Maine to ensure public health is adequately protected. The guidelines were developed for use by Department staff charged with overseeing the investigation and remediation of an oil discharge, and may be useful to responsible parties and their technical representatives carrying out their obligation to clean up discharges of oil to the satisfaction of the Commissioner as required by Maine statute.
More substantial proposed amendments include:
- The use of a multi-contaminant risk calculator to assess the increased life time cancer risk and cumulative risk to organ systems when more than one oil contaminant are present in drinking water supplies.
- Changes to the applicability of direct soil exposure guidelines for residential properties, park users, and outdoor commercial workers.
- Clarification of the applicability of the direct soil contact guidelines for excavation and construction workers.
- Consideration of background polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil contaminated soils in remediation decisions.
- Updated criteria for vapor intrusion investigations and when indoor air pollution from oil spills should be remediated.
There will be a public meeting held on May 6, 2014 at 2:30 PM, DEP Response Trianing Room, 4 Blossom Lane (AMHI Complex), Augusta, ME.
Comments must be received by 5 PM, Thursday, May 16, 2014. The Department contact for the guidelines is:
George Seel, Director
Division of Technical Services
Bureau of Remediation & Waste Management
(207) 287-7166
george.j.seel@maine.gov
Proposed Revisions to Petroleum Remediation Guidelines (pdf 1.18 MB)