MSECA Webinar – Risk-Based Decision Making at Vapor Intrusion Sites

Risk-Based Decision Making at Vapor Intrusion Sites

Presented by Robert Ettinger, Geosyntec Consultants

Evaluation of the vapor intrusion pathway can be challenging at sites where soil and/or groundwater have been impacted by volatile chemicals. Even though USEPA and many state regulatory agencies provide guidance to assist stakeholders in the investigation, many practitioners do not go beyond screening assessments for risk-based decision making. Additionally, many of the advanced lines of evidence used to evaluate the vapor intrusion pathway are not feasible at redevelopment sites where buildings are not present or existing buildings do not reflect future site conditions. This webinar will describe how to bridge the gap between a preliminary screening evaluation and completing a thorough risk-based decision for VOC-impacted sites. Additionally, this workshop will present tools to help stakeholders assess the balance between risk tolerance and cost/benefit analysis to solve complex issues at sites requiring a vapor intrusion assessment.

Robert Ettinger, Geosyntec

Robbie has extensive experience in assessing potential subsurface vapor intrusion to indoor air associated with former and current gasoline retail and distribution, petroleum pipeline, and petrochemical manufacturing facilities. This experience includes managing human health risk assessments, designing and implementing groundwater and soil vapor remediation systems, leading negotiations with regulatory agencies on behalf of individual companies, and developing risk-based strategies for corporate environmental liability and business management initiatives.

His contributions to advancing the state of the practice began with his co-authorship of the Johnson and Ettinger (1991) algorithm for evaluating subsurface contaminant vapor intrusion to indoor air. Since then, he has made additional contributions through field investigations and modeling evaluations on subsurface contaminant vapor intrusion to indoor air. His work is widely cited by regulators and industry groups as the reference point for beginning vapor intrusion assessments. Robbie has published numerous articles on chemical vapor intrusion, environmental fate of volatile chemicals, and design considerations for groundwater and soil vapor extraction systems.