Risk Policy for Water Quality Human Health Criteria

The Washington Department of Ecology is considering the development of state water quality human health criteria. An important factor in deriving human health criteria for carcinogens is the acceptable risk level used to calculate the criteria. EPA guidance continues to support deriving human health criteria based on protection of the general population to a specified risk level as long as all individuals are provided a base minimum level of protection. EPA guidance further recommends that states revise their human health criteria, or in the case of Washington, develop human health criteria, where there is evidence that all individuals are not being protected. Doll Mack Wells attorney Brad Doll has co-authored an article reviewing the proposed policy change and history of the risk policy for water quality human health criteria. For more information, contact Brad Doll at doll@tmw-law.com.