The Risk Assessment Information System

Training Opportunities ~ Spring 2025

U.S EPA and RAIS Screening Level Calculator Training for Chemical and Radionuclide Risk Analysis

Location:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Building 5100, Room 140 (Bredesen Center)

Meeting Dates:
March 24-27, 2025

Topics:
Regional screening levels (RSLs), regional removal management levels (RMLs), vapor intrusion screening levels (VISLs), radionuclide preliminary remediation goals for radionuclides (PRGs), radionuclide dose compliance calculators (DCCs), radon vapor intrusion screening levels (RVISLs), the risk assessment information system (RAIS) suite of tools, and many more radionuclide calculators are presented in detail. While the primary focus is on the use of the calculators, related topics of human health risk assessment, U.S. EPA guidance, cancer risk, noncancer hazard index, exposure assessment, toxicity assessment, and risk characterization are covered.

Register here.

Getting into ORNL:
Once registered, you will be asked to fill out information to be cleared for site access. Click here for details on visiting ORNL, driving directions, and where to stay. It is not possible to take a taxi to the training site at ORNL.

Organizers:

Objectives:
The organizers of this training have been publishing online "risk" (cancer risk and noncancer hazard index) calculators since 1996. This training will primarily provide the participant with operational knowledge of key EPA and RAIS calculators. Additionally, the training and exercises will delve into the ability of the calculators to address site-specific exposures, unique toxicity assessments, and complex risk characterizations. A brief introduction into the basics of risk assessment will be presented. Comprehensive instruction on the use of the websites will provide the knowledge to create all the tables necessary for exposure, toxicity, characterization, and uncertainty assessment sections of a risk assessment. Instruction into the details of the equations will enlighten users on how the calculators handle the following special cases: mutagens, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene, arsenic, dioxin-like PCBs, PAHs, skin absorption factors, volatile chemicals in soil, volatile chemicals in tap water, petroleum hydrocarbons, surrogate toxicity values, soil saturation, and soil screening levels protective of contaminant migration to groundwater. Participants will learn to adjust standard chronic land uses to subchronic exposures. Participants will learn to retrieve and analyze the physicochemical properties and evaluate the hierarchy used to assemble the database. Participants will learn to retrieve and analyze the toxicity value hierarchy used in the screening level and risk calculators. In addition to a large focus on developing risk-based screening levels, participants will derive "forward" risk results from the EPA screening calculators and use the RAIS calculators to generate chronic daily intakes and risk results. At the end of each section or day, several practice sessions will reinforce the use of calculator functions. Practice sessions will become more challenging as the course progresses, helping participants solidify their risk assessment skills.

Tours:
ORNL houses many facilities built to address unique challenges. While the tours may not be directly related to risk assessment, they showcase some of the nation's greatest achievements, and it would be a missed opportunity to visit without experiencing them firsthand.

  • Day 1: Registration at ORNL, lunch, and a half day of tours at ORNL including visiting the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source facility.
  • Day 2: First day of training on chemical tools and a tour of either Frontier (ORNL's exascale supercomputer) or the Historic Graphite Reactor.
  • Day 3: Second day of training on chemical tools and a tour of either Frontier (ORNL's exascale supercomputer) or the Historic Graphite Reactor.
  • Day 4: Optional day that covers radiation risk assessment. To attend the fourth day, participants must attend the chemical training or receive prior permission from the training instructors. Day 4 will be fast-paced, and the calculator operational topics from the chemical training days will not be repeated.

This training is intended for fresh and seasoned environmental professionals working on risk assessment projects at the Federal or State level. The risk calculators covered in this training are used by many State government agencies, Federal agencies, university staff, environmental consultants, and researchers. Participants who are educators and project managers will also benefit from the training. A very basic knowledge of risk assessment, computer usage, and web browsing is assumed.

Continuing Education Credits:
Chemical risk tools = 1.7 credits (Days 1-3); Radionuclide risk tools = 0.7 credits (Day 4)

Previous Course Evaluations:
September 2024, April 2024, October 2023, March 2023, March 2019, and October 2019.

Requirements:
Bring your laptop! This is a hands-on course, and participants will be following the instructors click-for-click. Don't forget your charger. Instructors will be presenting all calculators using Chrome, so make sure Chrome is available on your laptop. Spreadsheet software and a PDF viewer will be useful but not required. Wi-Fi will be provided.

Registration Deadlines*:

  • Final for Foreign Nationals - February 14, 2025
  • Final for U.S. Citizens - March 14, 2025

*Minimum number of participants is required.

Registration Fees**:

  • 4-day Training (includes site tours on Day 1, chemical tools, and optional radiation risk on Day 4) - $ 1450
  • 3-day Training (tour day and chemical risk tools) - $ 1100
  • 1-day Training (radiation risk only) = $ 400

**All fees include light snacks and beverage service throughout the day. Lunch will be at SNS or ORNL cafeterias with payment provided by the attendee.

Attendees are responsible for their own lodging and transportation to and from the training. It is not possible to take a taxi to the training site at ORNL.

Schedule of Day 1 (Tour Day)

Schedule of Day 2 Training

  • 8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductory Remarks
  • 8:45 a.m. Regional Screening Levels Background and Supporting Material
  • 10:00 a.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 10:15 a.m. Regional Screening Levels Calculator
  • 12:00 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:00 p.m. Tour of Frontier supercomputer or the Historical Graphite Reactor
  • 1:45 p.m. Resume Regional Screening Levels Calculator
  • 2:30 p.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 2:45 p.m. Resume Regional Screening Levels Calculator
  • 3:30 p.m. Regional Removal Management Levels
  • 3:45 p.m. Q&A with ORNL staff
  • 4:15 p.m. Practice Exercises for RSL and RML
  • 5:00 p.m. Dismiss

Outline of Day 2 Training

  1. Historical Perspective of RSLs
  2. Understanding Changes Over Time (What's New)
  3. Getting Support (FAQ, Contact Information)
  4. User Guide Special Cases
    1. Mutagens
    2. Trichloroethylene
    3. Vinyl Chloride
    4. Arsenic
    5. PFAS
  5. RSL Calculator
    1. Resident, Worker, Construction, Recreator, Migration to Groundwater
    2. Water, Soil, Air, Fish
  6. Historical Perspective of RMLs
  7. Understanding Changes Over Time (What's New)
  8. Getting Support (FAQ, Contact Information)
  9. RML Calculator
    1. Focus on Resident and Worker
    2. Water and Soil
  10. RSL and RML Practice Sessions

Schedule of Day 3 Training

  • 8:30 a.m. Vapor Intrusion Screening Levels Background and Supporting Documentation
  • 9:15 a.m. Vapor Intrusion Screening Levels Calculator
  • 10:00 a.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 10:15 a.m. Practice Sessions for Vapor Intrusion Screening Levels Calculator
  • 11:15 a.m. Risk Assessment Information System Overview
  • 12:00 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:00 p.m. Tour of Historical Graphite Reactor or Frontier supercomputer
  • 1:45 p.m. Risk Assessment Information System Calculators
  • 2:30 p.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 2:45 p.m. Practice Sessions for RAIS Calculators
  • 5:00 p.m. Dismiss

Outline of Day 3 Training

  1. Historical Perspective of VISL
  2. Understanding Changes Over time (What's New)
  3. Getting Support (FAQ, Contact Information)
  4. VISL User Guide Special Cases
    1. Mutagens
    2. Trichloroethylene
    3. Vinyl Chloride
    4. Arsenic
  5. VISL Calculator
    1. Resident, Worker
    2. Water, Soil, Air
  6. RAIS Calculators
    1. PRGs
    2. Risk Calculators
    3. Toxicity Search Tools
    4. Chemical Parameter Search Tools
    5. Adult Lead Model
    6. Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs)
  7. VISL and RAIS Practice Sessions

Schedule of Day 4 Training (Radiation Risk Calculators)

  • 8:30 a.m. Introduction to Radiation
  • 9:00 a.m. PRG Calculator
  • 10:00 a.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 10:15 a.m. DCC Calculator
  • 11:00 a.m. BRG/BDCC Calculator
  • 12:00 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:00 p.m. SPRG/SDCC
  • 1:45 p.m. Risk Assessment Information System Radiation Calculators
  • 2:30 p.m. Break (Beverage Service and Snacks)
  • 2:45 p.m. RVISL
  • 3:00 p.m. Practice Sessions for RAIS Radiation Calculators
  • 5:00 p.m. Dismiss

Outline of Day 4 Training

  1. Radiation Risk Assessment
  2. Radiation Risk Assessment Introduction Video
  3. PRG Calculator
    1. Resident, Worker, Construction Worker, Recreator, Farmer
    2. Air, Water, Soil, Food
  4. DCC Calculator
  5. Building PRG and Building DCC Calculators
    1. Dust, Air, Indoor Building
  6. Surfaces PRG and Surfaces DCC Calculators
    1. Dust, Air, Outdoor Surfaces
  7. RVISL
  8. RAIS Radiation Tools
    1. PRG
    2. Risk
    3. Decay


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