Waste site hazard assessment: a taxonomy of current methods and criteria

Dozens of schemes have been developed for assessing the hazards and implicit risks posed by waste disposal sites in the United States. Effective hazard-assessment processes guide decision makers, policy makers, and the public toward more appropriate risk management solutions. Just as in quantitative risk assessment, however, the utility of a hazard assessment scheme depends upon the applicability and totality of the parameters, as well as upon the validity of the assumptions and logic underlying that process. Examination of the range of hazard assessment methods that have been employed reveals some common limitations and a universe of applicable parameters. Understanding the scope of United States efforts is vital to the effective transfer of hazard assessment technology to waste site stakeholders in other industrialized countries. A useful set of modeling criteria is provided as a foundation for future application of the hazard assessment concept at the thousands of waste sites worldwide where hazards are yet to be investigated.