Services - OE Risk Assessment

OE Risk Assessment is an evaluation of the overall OE problem at a site. The end result of a risk assessment is an evaluation and prioritization of the proposed removal alternatives of a site in order to determine the most effective method of site remediation.

The assessment process provides a holistic approach to an OE project by examining all factors that contribute to the OE problem at the site. Following the assessment, the potential for harm and the level for protectiveness at the site may then be properly determined.

A risk assessment is conducted with a combination of qualitative and quantitative risk characterization tools; the selection of tools is based on site-specific factors.

• A qualitative tool generates a numeric score as the result of a series of general questions on the nature of OE contamination at the site. An example of a qualitative tool is the Risk Assessment Code (RAC) used by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
• A quantitative tool determines the risk at an OE site through the use of specific mathematical calculations. An example of a quantitative tool is the Ordnance and Explosives Cost Estimating Risk Tool (OECert), developed by the U.S. Army Engineering Support Center, Huntsville.

An effective risk assessment includes a GIS since the use of spatial analytical techniques gives the ability to relate environmental risks with respect to historical, current, or planned cultural aspects of the property in question.