Risk Management—
An Insurance Policy for Site Cleanups
The amount of contaminants stored at federal sites and the need to effectively manage the risks associated with each material is a major thrust of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Environmental Management program and industries tasked with environmental cleanup. To advance efforts in this area, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a DOE facility operated by Battelle, have developed an important and successful approach to risk management that is resulting in more successful programs at environmental cleanup sites throughout the country. Use of this risk management information will also support a stronger project management focus on activities that reduce hazards in the future.
The improved use of information on the volume, physical form, and environmental behavior of the toxic and radioactive materials is resulting in more informed decisions on cleanup and communication of these decisions to a concerned public. The PNNL approach has been peer reviewed, is modest in cost compared to detailed risk assessments, and forecasts advancements for cleanup over time. Stakeholders have found results from this approach to be much easier to understand than current industrial measures, which concentrate on the inventory of materials at cleanup sites. The PNNL method spotlights the potential hazards associated with the materials without requiring extensive knowledge about the contaminants, resulting in an effective management tool for decision making and coordination with stakeholders. Since 1997, PNNL has supported the Environmental Management Center for Risk Management (CRE) at the DOE Chicago operations office using this approach to risk management. The CRE and PNNL have completed site risk profiles for five of the DOE field offices in the development of the risk management tools. For more information, contact Bill Andrews at (253) 272-8017, wb.andrews@pnl.gov or Dr. Bob Stenner at (509) 375-2916, robert.stenner@pnl.gov. 
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Creating safer conditions for environmental cleanup is akin to purchasing insurance, and the measure of success is the prevention of harmful situations. With environmental cleanup, the insurance is the use of risk management practices where stabilizing, storing, and safely disposing of materials that threaten the environment and public health are top priorities. Risk management practices enhance the effectiveness of cleanup activities by focusing on the most serious situations first. 
The PNNL-developed risk management approach involves using semi-quantitative methods to describe processes for reducing hazards and risk at major DOE sites, such as the Hanford Site in Washington and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The methods enable data to be produced on the immediate environmental and public health concerns regarding specific contaminants, as well as the long-term risks associated with degradation of material or possible releases of material to the environment. 