EPA's RSEI Model: Review & Evaluation of RSEI Model - Stan Hayes

Review and Evaluation of the Risk-
Screening Environmental Indicators

(RSEI) Model
Stan Hayes
ENVIRON International Corporation
Study Sponsored by
American Petroleum Institute
2009 EPA/ECOS TRI National Training Conference

March 30 – April 2, 2009
Bethesda, Maryland
Presentation
 RSEI review and evaluation study
 Application to U.S. petroleum

refineries
 Evaluation findings
 Specific recommendations
RSEI Score Calculation
 Computer-based screening
tool
 Uses reported TRI data for

air, water, and other releases
 Calculates “risk-related”
scores
RSEI Score Intent
 EPA:
– “The values are for comparative purposes and
only meaningful when compared to other values
produced by RSEI. It should be emphasized that
the result is not a detailed or quantitative risk
assessment.” (p. 1, EPA 2007)
– “It does not provide a detailed or
quantitative assessment of risk, and is not
designed as a substitute for more comprehensive,
site-specific risk assessments.” (p. 17, EPA 2007)
RSEI Score Misinterpretation
RSEI Score Consequences
Jackson Announces EPA Schools

Monitoring Initiative
(Washington, D.C. – March 2, 2009) Lisa Jackson,
administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, announced today a new initiative to further
measure levels of toxic air …
DEQ says air around metro schools DEP FINDS AIR QUALITY AROUND
not toxic SCHOOLS TO BE SAFE
08:56 PM CST on Tuesday, March 3, Findings Refute USA Today Report
2009 HARRISBURG – The Department of
NEW ORLEANS – The Department of Environmental
Environmental Protection today reported it found no unsafe
Quality says the air around several metro New levels of
Orleans air pollutants or metals after extensively
area schools is not toxic. examining air
quality samples taken recently near four
The response comes one day after a USA Today Pennsylvania
report schools.
that said several schools in the state were at or
above
toxic levels.
RSEI Review and Evaluation Study
SCOPE:
 RSEI model as applied to U.S. petroleum
refineries
 Databases and assumptions
 Toxicity weighting scheme
 Scoring methodology
Evaluation Finding:
Wide Disparity in Refinery Scores
250,000
240,000
230,000
220,000
210,000
200,000 Max 223,549
190,000
180,000 2nd High 69,649
170,000 95th
160,000 Highest 5 Percentile
31,721
RSEI Score
150,000 90th
140,000 13,365
Percentile
130,000
120,000
50th
968
110,000 Percentile
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 101 111 121 131 141 151 161
Refinery RSEI Score Ranking
Note: Year 2005; 163 facilities in SIC Code 2911 (Petroleum

Refining)
Evaluation Finding:
Little Consistent Pattern
Percent of RSEI Score

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Direct Water - Fish Ing

(Rec)
Refinery #1
Refinery #2
Refinery #3
Direct Water - Fish Ing
Refinery #4
(Sub)
Refinery #5
Direct Water
Stack Air
Fugitive Air
Evaluation Finding:
Little Consistent Pattern
Percent of RSEI Score

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds
Naphthalene
Benzene
Refinery #1
Ethyl Benzene Refinery #2
Refinery #3
1,3-Butadiene
Refinery #4
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene Refinery #5
1,2-Dibromoethane
Mercury & Compounds
Lead & Compounds
Nickel & Compounds
Antimony & Compounds
Molybdenum Trioxide
Sulfuric Acid
Chlorine
Evaluation Finding:
Overweights Noncancer Effects
Toxicity Weighting Assumes:
250 in million equivalent to HI = 1
 Probability of  Hazard Index = 1

contracting cancer (indicator of likelihood
of risk, not risk itself)
 Above upper bound
of EPA acceptable  RfC and RfD “…likely to
risk range (100 in be without appreciable
million) ≠ risk of deleterious
effects during a lifetime”
 Well above
acceptable risk for  Margin of safety (often
other agencies several orders of
(e.g., 10 in million) magnitude)
Evaluation Finding:
Overweights Noncancer Effects
RSEI I nhalationToxicity Weight
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000
Acetaldehyde
Ammonia
Anthracene
Antimony and antimony compounds
Arsenic and arsenic compounds
Benzene Benzene
Butadiene, 1,3-
Cadmium and cadmium compounds
Carbonyl sulfide
Chromium and chromium compounds

Cumene
Cyclohexane
Ethylbenzene
Ethylene
Formaldehyde
Toxicity determined
Glycol Ethers
Hexane, n-
Hydrogen fluoride
by:
Lead and lead compounds
Mercury and mercury compounds
Methanol
Cancer effects
Methyl tert-butyl ether
Naphthalene Noncancer
Nickel and nickel compounds
effects
Polycyclic aromatic compounds Carcinogens
Propylene (Propene)
Styrene
Sulfuric acid
Toluene
Xylene (mixed isomers)

Xylene, m-
Xylene, o-
Xylene, p-
RSEI Scores Aggregated Across Refineries
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
Sulfuric acid
Polycyclic aromatic compounds
1.2.4-Trimethylbenzene
Chlorine
Naphthalene
Benzene
Ammonia
Diethanolamine
Cyanide compounds
Nitrate compounds
Molybdenum trioxide
Manganese and manganese compounds
1.3-Butadiene
Formaldehyde
1.2-Dibromoethane
Carbonyl sulfide
Hydrochloric acid
Cobalt and cobalt compounds
Acrolein
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen fluoride
Selenium and selenium compounds
n-Hexane
Ethylene oxide
Vanadium and vanadium compounds
Zinc and zinc compounds
Silver and silver compounds
Copper and copper compounds
1.2.3-Trichloropropane
Evaluation Finding:
Ethylbenzene
p-Xylene
Toluene
Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene)
Propylene (Propene)
Glycol ethers
m-Xylene
Cumene
Acetaldehyde
o-Xylene
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
Trichloroethylene
Chlorine dioxide
Phenol
Methanol
Acetonitrile
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Cyclohexane
Propylene oxide
1.2-Dichloroethane
Ethylene
Cresol (mixed isomers)
Ethylene glycol
Biphenyl
Carbon tetrachloride
Barium and barium compounds
Compounds
Carbon disulfide
Sulfuric Acid
Dicyclopentadiene
Beryllium and beryllium compounds
Styrene
2.4-Dimethylphenol
n-Butyl alcohol
Anthracene
tert-Butyl alcohol
Mercury and Mercury
Vinyl acetate
Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)
Aluminum (fume or dust)
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
1.1.1-Trichloroethane
Bromomethane (Methyl bromide)
Acetophenone
Lead and Lead Compounds
Sodium nitrite
sec-Butyl alcohol
Acrylic acid
Five Highest-Score Chemicals:
CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane)
Benzo(g.h.i)perylene
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds
Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds

N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone
Aluminum oxide (fibrous forms)
Asbestos (friable)
Phosphorus (yellow or white)
Phenanthrene
Dibenzofuran
Toxicities Uncertain for Highest-Score Chemicals
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
Sulfuric acid
Chlorine
Naphthalene
Benzene
Ammonia
Diethanolamine
Cyanide compounds
Nitrate compounds
Molybdenum trioxide
1.3-Butadiene
Formaldehyde
1.2-Dibromoethane
Carbonyl sulfide
Hydrochloric acid
Acrolein
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen fluoride
n-Hexane
Ethylene oxide
Evaluation Finding:
Ethylbenzene
p-Xylene
Toluene
Propylene (Propene)
Glycol ethers
m-Xylene
Cumene
Acetaldehyde



o-Xylene
Trichloroethylene
Chlorine dioxide
Phenol
Methanol
Acetonitrile
Cyclohexane
Propylene oxide
Cal/EPA
1.2-Dichloroethane
Ethylene
Ethylene glycol
Biphenyl
Carbon disulfide
Dicyclopentadiene
#1 Sulfuric Acid:
Styrene
2.4-Dimethylphenol
n-Butyl alcohol
Anthracene
tert-Butyl alcohol
Vinyl acetate
primary toxicity database
Acetophenone
Sodium nitrite
sec-Butyl alcohol
No value specified in EPA IRIS
Acrylic acid
Lack of interagency consensus
Database hierarchy defaults to
Asbestos (friable)
Phenanthrene
Dibenzofuran
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
Sulfuric acid
Chlorine
Naphthalene
Benzene
Ammonia
Diethanolamine
Cyanide compounds
Nitrate compounds
Molybdenum trioxide
1.3-Butadiene
Formaldehyde
1.2-Dibromoethane
Carbonyl sulfide
Hydrochloric acid
Acrolein
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen fluoride
n-Hexane
Ethylene oxide
Evaluation Finding:
Ethylbenzene
p-Xylene
Toluene
Propylene (Propene)
Glycol ethers
m-Xylene
Cumene
Acetaldehyde


o-Xylene
Trichloroethylene
Chlorine dioxide
Phenol
Methanol
Acetonitrile
Cyclohexane
Propylene oxide
1.2-Dichloroethane
Ethylene
emissions
Ethylene glycol
Biphenyl
Compounds:
Carbon disulfide
Dicyclopentadiene
Styrene
2.4-Dimethylphenol
n-Butyl alcohol
Anthracene
tert-Butyl alcohol
Vinyl acetate
#2 Polycyclic Aromatic
B(a)P small fraction of PAC

Acetophenone
Sodium nitrite
sec-Butyl alcohol
Toxicity assumed to be B(a)P,
Acrylic acid
most toxic chemical in category
Asbestos (friable)
Phenanthrene
Dibenzofuran
Evaluation Finding:
1.2
EPA Relative Potency Factor (RPF) - B(a)P = 1
1.0 1.0
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.1 0.1 0.1
0.01 0.001
0.0
Benz(a) Benzo(a) Benzo(b) Benzo(k) Chrysene Dibenz(a,h) Indeno(1,2,3-
anthracene pyrene fluoranthene fluoranthene anthracene cd) pyrene
7-PAH (Probable Human Carcinogens)

Evaluation Finding:
50
46.01
45
7-PAH air emissions
40
from five refineries in
2003 Emissions (tons)
35 SCAQMD in 2003
30
25
20
14.70
15
10
5
0.14 0.04 0.61 0.15 0.02
0
Benz(a) Benzo(a) Benzo(b) Benzo(k) Chrysene Dibenz(a,h) Indeno(1,2,3-
anthracene pyrene fluoranthene fluoranthene anthracene cd) pyrene
7-PAH (Probable Human Carcinogens)

Evaluation Finding:
Inconsistent With Standard Risk Assessment
 RSEI:
– Not quantitative estimate of risk
– Scoring derived from 1990’s Superfund’s Hazard
Ranking System
– Combines cancer risk and noncancer hazard into single
 score
Standard Risk Assessment Practice:
– Quantitative estimate of risk
– As recommended by National Academy of Sciences and
by EPA in air toxics and Superfund risk assessment
guidance
– Treats cancer risk and noncancer hazard separately
 Many Available Refinery Risk Assessments:

– Results may be inconsistent with RSEI scores
– Risk drivers may be different
– Rank ordering may be different
Evaluation Finding:
100 1.0
250,000
240,000
230,000
220,000
210,000
R
200,000
Cancer Risk
190,000
180,000
170,000
0.8
160,000
Highest 5
S
150,000
RSEI Score
140,000
130,000
Cancer Risk (in million)
120,000
110,000
100,000
E
90,000
80,000
8
70,000
10 60,000
50,000
I
40,000
30,000
20,000
0.6
Chronic HI
10,000
0
1 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 101 111 121 131 141 151 161
Refinery RSEI Score Ranking
2
0.4
1
Noncancer Hazard
0.4
0.2
0.07
0.1 0.0007 0.02 0.001
0 0.0
Refinery Refinery Refinery Refinery Refinery Refinery Refinery Refinery
#1 #2 #4 #5 #1 #2 #4 #5
Source: EPA (2007), “Residual Risk Assessment for MACT I Petroleum Refining Sources”
Inhalation exposure and Refinery MACT 1 sources. Solid bars (Refineries #2 and #5) indicate inhalation major
contributor to RSEI scores. Cross-hatched bars (Refineries #1 and #4) indicate non-inhalation pathways major
contributors.
Evaluation Finding:
250,000
200,000
RSEI Score
150,000
100,000
50,000
y = -53.089x + 7318.9
R2 = 0.0004
-
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Maximum Cancer Risk (in million)
Source: EPA (2007), “Residual Risk Assessment for MACT I Petroleum Refining Sources”
Inhalation exposure and Refinery MACT 1 sources.
Recommendations
1. Verify consistency with available risk assessments
2. Calculate and report cancer and noncancer scores
separately
3. Re-equilibrate toxicity weights to better balance cancer and
noncancer effects
4. Use composite toxicities for chemical categories,
particularly PACs
5. Flag or show uncertainty where substantial interagency
consensus does not exist, particularly for sulfuric acid
6. Use more realistic fish ingestion assumptions about
fisher population, fishing likelihood and incidence, and fish
consumption
7. Verify that surface water discharges actually enter drinking
water
8. Allow for systematically conservative TRI data reporting
practices
9. Improve reliability of default stack parameters
10. Update databases regularly to incorporate data
corrections

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EPA's RSEI Model: Review & Evaluation of RSEI Model - Stan Hayes

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Review and Evaluation of the Risk-

Screening Environmental Indicators

2009 EPA/ECOS TRI National Training Conference

 RSEI review and evaluation study

 Application to U.S. petroleum

 Uses reported TRI data for

Jackson Announces EPA Schools

 Databases and assumptions

 Toxicity weighting scheme

Refinery RSEI Score Ranking

Note: Year 2005; 163 facilities in SIC Code 2911 (Petroleum

Percent of RSEI Score

Direct Water - Fish Ing

Percent of RSEI Score

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Mercury & Compounds

Lead & Compounds

Nickel & Compounds

Antimony & Compounds

Toxicity Weighting Assumes:

250 in million equivalent to HI = 1

 Probability of  Hazard Index = 1

Arsenic and arsenic compounds

Cadmium and cadmium compounds

Chromium and chromium compounds

Mercury and mercury compounds

Xylene (mixed isomers)

Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds

Bromomethane (Methyl bromide)

7-PAH (Probable Human Carcinogens)

7-PAH (Probable Human Carcinogens)

 Many Available Refinery Risk Assessments:

Refinery RSEI Score Ranking

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