Introduction to the Guidance and Web Site

On 5 April 1999, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) issued its formal policy for conducting ecological risk assessments (ERAs) within the Navy's Environmental Restoration (ER,N)  Program. This policy was developed in response to field concerns regarding the Navy policy memorandum on the use of ERAs and to clarify the CNO interpretation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  guidance for designing and conducting ERAs for the Superfund Program .

The purpose of this web site is to provide guidance for implementing the CNO ERA policy. The policy itself identifies a three-tiered process for estimating ecological risks and evaluating the effectiveness and potential ecological impacts of remedial alternatives. This tiered approach for ERA is depicted in Figure 1. This web site includes information addressing a number of topics that Navy staff working in the ER,N Program must address in order to carry out their responsibilities. Topics addressed in this guidance include:

• Regulatory Basis for Ecological Risk Assessment: Provides an overview of the regulatory requirements for conducting ERAs.



• Navy Natural Resource Responsibilities: Defines a Natural Resource Trustee, addresses the Navy's role as a Trustee, and presents an overview of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.



• Navy Policy for Ecological Risk Assessment: Presents the CNO ERA policy and describes the three-tiered process identified in the policy.



• The Ecological Risk Assessment Process: Provides information to aid in the design and conduct of ERAs and ecological impact evaluations as identified in Tier 1 (Screening Risk Assessment), Tier 2 (Baseline ERA), and Tier 3 (Evaluation of Remedial Alternatives) of the CNO ERA Policy.
  
  
• Site Closeout Process: Provides information on how to move a site from the ERA process to final site closure, including closure procedures and closeout decision documentation.



• Issue Papers: Provide information on a range of ERA-related topics, ranging from probabilistic risk assessment to risk characterization.



• Tools and Analytical Methods: Lists and briefly describes ERA tools (e.g., models, statistical packages) and methods (e.g., toxicity tests).

This web site also includes a Case Studies section that presents examples of Navy ERAs; a Technology Connection section that provides links to Navy and other agency sites that identify assessment and cleanup technologies; downloadable files of pertinent documents; and web links to related ERA and cleanup-related sites.

This guidance and web site have been prepared by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) . Additional technical support regarding methods, tools, and/or study design may be obtained from the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC) . Training related to managing and conducting ERAs and other ER,N topics addressed in this guidance is available through Naval School Civil Engineer Corps Officers (CECOS) .

Last Modified: 05/04/2004

This website complies with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards set forth in U.S. Section 508 of the 1998 Rehabilitation Act Amendments