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Safety Risk Analysis of an Innovative Environmental Technology
Author(s) -
Parnell Gregory S.,
Frimpon Michael,
Barnes John,
Kloeber, Jr. Jack M.,
Deckro Richard F.,
Jackson Jack A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/0272-4332.211097
Subject(s) - remedial action , remedial education , risk analysis (engineering) , liability , risk assessment , decision analysis , engineering , agency (philosophy) , environmental science , environmental planning , waste management , business , environmental remediation , computer science , accounting , ecology , philosophy , statistics , computer security , mathematics , biology , epistemology , contamination , political science , law
The authors describe a decision and risk analysis performed for the cleanup of a large Department of Energy mixed‐waste subsurface disposal area governed by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). In a previous study, the authors worked with the site decision makers, state regulators, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional regulators to develop a CERCLA‐based multiobjective decision analysis value model and used the model to perform a screening analysis of 28 remedial alternatives. The analysis results identified an innovative technology, in situ vitrification, with high effectiveness versus cost. Since this technology had not been used on this scale before, the major uncertainties were contaminant migration and pressure buildup. Pressure buildup was a safety concern due to the potential risks to worker safety. With the help of environmental technology experts remedial alternative changes were identified to mitigate the concerns about contaminant migration and pressure buildup. The analysis results showed that the probability of an event with a risk to worker safety had been significantly reduced. Based on these results, site decision makers have refocused their test program to examine in situ vitrification and have continued the use of the CERCLA‐based decision analysis methodology to analyze remedial alternatives.