The importance of recognizing Buffer Zones to lands being developed, restored, or remediated: on planning for protection of ecological resources.

Environmental management relies on many types of information before making decisions regarding remediation, restoration, or other land use decisions, including ecological data, such as risks to species, populations, communities, and ecosystems. The aim of this investigation was to describe the ecological information required within the context of making environmental decisions and providing visual communication tools for regulators, conservationists, and the public to understand the risk to ecological resources on- and off-site. It is suggested that ecological information used in environmental decisions is required to be transparent throughout the planning and execution of a project, which needs to include: 1) ecological information and evaluations within development areas or units (in this case, watersheds), and 2) resources in adjacent areas (Buffer Zones) that might be affected. The Melton Valley administrative watershed (Oak Ridge Reservation, TN) is used as a case study because this site still has active facility development and environmental remediation, and there are important ecological resources on and off-site. Data indicate that although there are important resources on Melton Valley administrative watershed, there are also significant resources in the Buffer Zone around the watershed. Compared to the Melton Valley administrative watershed, the Buffer Zone contains more Interior (and Buffer) Forest and greater value resources. The point is made that when remediation, restoration, or development occurs, it is equally important to consider resources that are adjacent to the site in a Buffer Zone, particularly when remediation and development might continue for many years or decades.

Using the National Land Cover Database as an indicator of shrub-steppe habitat: comparing two large United States federal lands with surrounding regions.

There is a need to assess whether ecological resources are being protected on large, federal lands. The aim of this study was to present a methodology which consistently and transparently determines whether two large Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) facilities have protected valuable ecological lands on their sites compared to the surrounding region. The National Land Cover Database (2019) was used to examine the % shrub-scrub (shrub-steppe) and other habitats on the DOE's Hanford Site (HS, Washington) and on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), compared to a 10-km and 30-km diameter band of land surrounding each site. On both sites, over 95% is in shrub-scrub or grassland, compared to the surrounding region. Approximately 70% of 10 km and 30-km bands around INL, and less than 50% of land surrounding HS is located in these two habitat types. INL has preserved a significantly higher % shrub/scrub habitat than HS, but INL allows grazing on 60% of its land. HS has preserved a significantly higher % grassland than INL but no grazing on site is present. The methodology presented may be used to compare key ecological habitat types such as grasslands, forest, and desert among sites in different parts of the country. This methodology enables managers, resource trustees, and the public to (1) make remediation decisions that protect resources, (2) assess whether landowners and managers have adequately characterized and protected environmental resources on their sites, and (3) whether landowners and managers have protected the integrity of that land as well as its climax vegetation.

Some metals and metalloids in the blood of three species of shorebirds increase while foraging during two-week migratory stopover in Delaware Bay, New Jersey.

Most migratory shorebird species are declining, some are endangered, and some may be vulnerable to contaminants on long distance travel between wintering grounds and high latitude breeding grounds. We examined whether shorebirds accumulated trace elements at the Delaware Bay (New Jersey) stopover by testing the null hypothesis that there was no difference in the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium in blood of three species of shorebirds collected early in their stopover compared to levels in blood collected about two weeks later near the end of the stopover, before departing for breeding grounds. There were significantly higher levels of all metals and metalloids in the blood of ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) later in May than earlier. There were seasonal increases in blood levels of arsenic and selenium for all three species. Chromium and lead levels also increased in red knots (Calidris canutus). These increases occurred although the birds were only present for about two weeks. Levels of arsenic, mercury, and lead in knots and selenium in sanderlings (Calidrris alba), exceeded reported effects levels. These results have potential implications for studying the refueling physiology, energetics, and feeding behavior of migratory shorebirds. However, they also suggest cause for concern because the increased contaminant loads occur in a short period, and the high metal level bolus received all in a few days may result in adverse effects.

Comparing land cover and interior forests on contaminated land and the surrounding region: Oak Ridge Reservation as a case study.

Pressure from expanding populations has resulted in a need for protection, reclamation, and restoration of damaged land to productive, beneficial health uses. The objective of this investigation was to 1) compare land cover on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) with the surrounding region, 2) select an indicator to evaluate ORR's protection of ecological resources, and 3) develop and implement a method to compare the amount of the indicator on ORR with the regions using National Land Cover Database (NLCD). Data demonstrated that ORR has a higher % of forests (deciduous, coniferous, mixed) than the 10 km and 30 km areas surrounding ORR, suggesting that obligations are being met to protect the ecology and environment. The findings also indicate that the interior forest at ORR is fragmented more than is the interior forest in the 30 km buffer zone, suggesting a need for DOE and managers of other lands to take into consideration the importance of intact interior forest when developing land or planning roads. The study describes the basis for specific ecological parameters such as interior forest that are important to consider when planning and executing remediation, restoration, and other management actions.

Prevalence of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola and epizootiology of snake fungal disease in free-ranging Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) in New Jersey.

Snake fungal disease, caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, is recognized as a potential concern for North American snakes. We tested skin swabs from Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) in the New Jersey pinelands for the presence of O. ophidiicola before emergence from hibernation. We used qPCR to test the collected swabs for the presence of O. ophidiicola, then determined pathogen prevalence as a function of sampling year, sampling location (skin lesion, healthy ventral skin, healthy head skin) sex, and age. There were no temporal trends in O. ophidiicola detection percentages on snakes, which varied from 58 to 83% in different years. Ophidiomyces ophidiicola detection on snakes was highest in swabs of skin lesions (71%) and lowest in head swabs (29%). Males had higher prevalence than females (82% versus 62%). The fungus was not detected in hatchling snakes (age 0) in the fall, but 75% of juveniles tested positive at the end of hibernation (age 1 year). We also screened hibernacula soil samples for the presence of O. ophidiicola. Where snakes hibernated, 69% of soil samples were positive for O. ophidiicola, and 85% of snakes lying on positive soil samples also tested positive for the pathogen. Although a high proportion of snakes (73%) tested positive for O. ophidiicola during our 4-year study, the snakes appeared healthy except for small skin lesions. We conclude that O. ophidiicola prevalence is high on hibernating Northern Pine Snakes and in the hibernacula soil, with a strong association between snakes and positive adjacent soil. This is the first demonstration that snakes likely become infected during hibernation.

Response to Toshihide Tsuda, Yumiko Miyano and Eiji Yamamoto [1].

BACKGROUND: In August 2021, we published in Environmental Health a Toolkit for detecting misused epidemiological methods with the goal of providing an organizational framework for transparently evaluating epidemiological studies, a body of evidence, and resultant conclusions. Tsuda et al., the first group to utilize the Toolkit in a systematic fashion, have offered suggestions for its modification. MAIN BODY: Among the suggested modifications made by Tsuda et al., we agree that rearrangement of Part A of the Toolkit to reflect the sequence of the epidemiological study process would facilitate its usefulness. Expansion or adaptation of the Toolkit to other disciplines would be valuable but would require the input of discipline-specific expertise. We caution against using the sections of the Toolkit to produce a tally or cumulative score, because none of the items are weighted as to importance or impact. Rather, we suggest a visual representation of how a study meets the Toolkit items, such as the heat maps used to present risk of bias criteria for studies included in Cochrane reviews. We suggest that the Toolkit be incorporated in the sub-specialty known as "forensic epidemiology," as well as in graduate training curricula, continuing education programs, and conferences, with the recognition that it is an extension of widely accepted ethics guidelines for epidemiological research. CONCLUSION: We welcome feedback from the research community about ways to strengthen the Toolkit as it is applied to a broader assemblage of research studies and disciplines, contributing to its value as a living tool/instrument. The application of the Toolkit by Tsuda et al. exemplifies the usefulness of this framework for transparently evaluating, in a systematic way, epidemiological research, conclusions relating to causation, and policy decisions. POSTSCRIPT: We note that our Toolkit has, most recently, inspired authors with discipline-specific expertise in the field of Conservation Biology to adapt it for use in the Biological Sciences.

Information needs, approaches, and case studies in human health risk communication.

This article uses ten case studies to illustrate the information needs, various communication approaches, and the communicator's role in explaining environmental health risks from a variety of hazards, to a variety of audiences, over time frames from days to years, using in person consultation, lectures, zooms, and email formats. Events often had a long history before the communication began and may have had a long tail afterward. Audiences may be public officials, companies, workers, communities, or individuals. Each individual may have their own understanding or mental model regarding the hazard, exposure, and risk. The communicator's role or intention may be to reassure an audience that has unrealistic exaggerated concerns or fears or to protect a client if the fears are realistic. Or it may be altruistic to inform a complacent audience to take the risks it faces more seriously. Although risk assessment research has advanced the techniques for communicating abstruse probabilities to audiences with low numeracy, in my experience, audiences are unimpressed by precise-sounding probability numbers, and are more interested in whether exposure is occurring or may occur and how to stop it. Often audiences have reason to be outraged and may be more concerned about punishing wrong doers than about the hazard itself, particularly when the exposure is past and cannot be undone. Thus, there is a difference between discussing the riskiness of a situation (risk communication) and what you are going to do about the situation (risk management). Risk communication is successful when the audience responds as intended, calming down or taking action. These case studies are drawn from a large number of risk communication experiences that I and my Rutgers colleagues have engaged in over the past four decades. Through the 20th century, New Jersey was the most densely industrialized State in United States. New Jersey experienced growth of the chemical and petrochemical industries and the unfortunately profligate disposal of toxic wastes. Having the most Superfund sites of any state is a dubious distinction, but New Jersey also has the most experience in evaluating and responding to these hazards.

Combining ecological, eco-cultural, and environmental justice parameters to create Eco-EJ indicators to monitor cultural and environmental justices for diverse communities around contaminated sites.

Assessing environmental quality often requires selection of indicators that can be employed over large spatial scales and over long-time periods to assess the health and well-being of species, natural communities, and ecosystems, and to detect changes warranting intervention. Typically, the ecologic environment and the human environment are evaluated separately and selection of indicators and monitoring approaches are not integrated even though ecological indicators may also provide information on risk to human consumers from contaminants (e.g., eco-cultural indicators) or because of disease levels. This paper is a call for ecologists and managers to consider diverse cultural and environmental injustice disparities and health issues when selecting indicators for environmental assessment and monitoring. There is an opportunity for managers and community members to work together to preserve ecological and cultural resources and heritages. We propose a paradigm that selects indicators and monitoring approaches that lend themselves to the integration of human-diversity and uniqueness in the same manner that the selection of ecological indicators and monitoring approaches consider biological species diversity and uniqueness. The proposed paradigm builds on ecological risk assessment techniques, developing analogous endpoints for neighboring communities. For example, identification and protection of human communities, particularly culturally diverse and environmental justice communities, identification of contaminant corridors (e.g., through water or green corridors) into communities, and eco-monitoring of vulnerable communities are not routine at contaminated sites. Green corridors refers to a width of wild habitat (forest, grasslands) that connects other similar habitat paths (usually a corridor runs through an urban or suburban habitat). We coin the term Eco-EJ indicators for these endpoints, including examination of (1) unique cultural relationships to resources; (2) connectedness of on-site and off-site resources and habitats; (3) health of threatened, rare, and unique cultures and communities; and (4) linkages between ecological, eco-cultural, and public health for monitoring and assessment. We also propose that assessment and monitoring include these Eco-EJ indicators, especially for communities near facilities that have extensive chemical or radiological contamination.Developing these indicators to assess risk to culturally diverse and environmental justice communities would be an equivalent goal to reducing risk for significant ecological resources (e.g., endangered species, species of special concern). These Eco-EJ indicators are complementary to the usual human health-risk assessments, would include surveys of neighboring vulnerable communities, and require time and re-organization of current data and additional data collection at site boundaries and in adjacent communities, as well as rethinking the human component of indicators. This approach lends itself to addressing some diverse cultural and environmental justice issues with current indicator selection and biomonitoring, and helps identify specific hotspots of unique ecosystem risk and environmental justice community risk. We briefly discuss ecological and eco-cultural monitoring already on-going at three Department of Energy sites to illustrate how the addition of these indicators might work and add value to environmental management and to their relationships with surrounding communities. We recommend that managers of contaminated sites convene people from culturally diverse communities, environmental justice communities, local and federal government, Tribes, resource trustees, managers, and other stakeholders to develop appropriate site-specific indicators to address environmental inequities around contaminated facilities.

Toolkit for detecting misused epidemiological methods.

BACKGROUND: Critical knowledge of what we know about health and disease, risk factors, causation, prevention, and treatment, derives from epidemiology. Unfortunately, its methods and language can be misused and improperly applied. A repertoire of methods, techniques, arguments, and tactics are used by some people to manipulate science, usually in the service of powerful interests, and particularly those with a financial stake related to toxic agents. Such interests work to foment uncertainty, cast doubt, and mislead decision makers by seeding confusion about cause-and-effect relating to population health. We have compiled a toolkit of the methods used by those whose interests are not aligned with the public health sciences. Professional epidemiologists, as well as those who rely on their work, will thereby be more readily equipped to detect bias and flaws resulting from financial conflict-of-interest, improper study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, bringing greater clarity-not only to the advancement of knowledge, but, more immediately, to policy debates. METHODS: The summary of techniques used to manipulate epidemiological findings, compiled as part of the 2020 Position Statement of the International Network for Epidemiology in Policy (INEP) entitled Conflict-of-Interest and Disclosure in Epidemiology, has been expanded and further elucidated in this commentary. RESULTS: Some level of uncertainty is inherent in science. However, corrupted and incomplete literature contributes to confuse, foment further uncertainty, and cast doubt about the evidence under consideration. Confusion delays scientific advancement and leads to the inability of policymakers to make changes that, if enacted, would-supported by the body of valid evidence-protect, maintain, and improve public health. An accessible toolkit is provided that brings attention to the misuse of the methods of epidemiology. Its usefulness is as a compendium of what those trained in epidemiology, as well as those reviewing epidemiological studies, should identify methodologically when assessing the transparency and validity of any epidemiological inquiry, evaluation, or argument. The problems resulting from financial conflicting interests and the misuse of scientific methods, in conjunction with the strategies that can be used to safeguard public health against them, apply not only to epidemiologists, but also to other public health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: This novel toolkit is for use in protecting the public. It is provided to assist public health professionals as gatekeepers of their respective specialty and subspecialty disciplines whose mission includes protecting, maintaining, and improving the public's health. It is intended to serve our roles as educators, reviewers, and researchers.

Role of uncertainties in protecting ecological resources during remediation and restoration.

Cleanup of contaminated waste sites is a National priority to protect human health and the environment, while restoring land to productive uses. While there are uncertainties with understanding risk to individuals from exposure, the aim of this study was to focus on uncertainties and complexities for ecological systems, complicated by hundreds of species occupying any remediation site which participate in multiple-interacting food webs. The ability to better predict the effectiveness of remediation in fostering future ecosystems might facilitate remedy selection and improve strategic environmental management. This investigation examined (1) uncertainties in ecosystem processes, (2) uncertainties in exposure from contamination before remediation, and (3) uncertainties during remediation. Two Department of Energy sites Hanford Site and Savannah River Site were used as case studies to illustrate how the uncertainties affect eco-receptors. Several types of ecological, physical, and human dimension uncertainties are defined. Ecological uncertainties include temporal, spatial, individual, developmental, and exogenous types. Physical uncertainties are weather-related, watershed variations, slope/aspect, soil/sediment structure and form, unforeseen events, and temporal patterns. Human dimension uncertainties include current land use, future land use, extractive and non-extractive recreation. The effects of remedial strategies varied between the two sites because Hanford is a primarily arid shrub-steppe ecotype, while Savannah River is a wet forest ecotype. Defining the associated ecological sensitivities and uncertainties and providing examples might help policy-makers, managers, planners, and contractors to be aware of issues to consider throughout planning, remediation, and restoration. Adding ecological uncertainty analysis to risk evaluations and remediation planning is analogous to using safety factors in human health risk assessment.

Risk to ecological resources following remediation can be due mainly to increased resource value of successful restoration: A case study from the Department of Energy's Hanford Site.

Many nations are faced with the need to remediate large contaminated sites following World War II, the Cold War, and abandoned industrial sites, and to return them to productive land uses. In the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the largest cleanup challenge, and its Hanford Site in the state of Washington has the most extensive and most expensive cleanup task. Ideally, the risk to ecological resources on remediation sites is evaluated before, during, and after remediation, and the risk from, or damage to, ecological resources from contaminants should be lower following remediation. In this paper, we report the risk to ecological resources before, during, and as a consequence of remediation on contaminated units requiring cleanup, and then examine the causes for changes in risk by evaluating 56 cleanup evaluation units (EUs) at the Hanford Site. In this case, remediation includes a restoration phase. In general, the risk to ecological and eco-cultural resources is currently not discernible or low at most contaminated units, increases during remediation, and decreases thereafter. Remediation often causes physical disruption to ecosystems as it reduces the risk from exposure to contaminants. Most new remediation projects at the Hanford Site include ecological restoration. Ecological restoration results in the potential for the presence of higher quality resources after remediation than currently exists on these contaminated lands and facilities. Although counter-intuitive, our evaluation of the risk to ecological resources following remediation indicated that a significant percentage of units (61%) will be at increased risk in the post-remediation period. This increased risk is due to DOE's successful remediation and restoration that results in a higher percent of native vegetation and higher ecological value on the sites in the post-remediation period than before. These newly-created resources can then be at risk from post-remediation activities. Risks to these new higher quality resources include the potential for spread of invasive species and of noxious grasses used in previous cleanup actions, disruption of ecosystems (including those with state or federally listed species and unique ecosystems), compaction of soil, use of pesticides to control invasive species, and the eventual need for continued monitoring activities. Thus, by greatly improving the existing habitat and health of eco-receptors, and maintaining habitat corridors between high quality habitats, the ecological resources in the post-remediated units are at risk unless care is taken to protect them. Many of the negative effects of both remediation and future monitoring (or other future land uses) can be avoided by planning and management early in the remediation process. We suggest DOE and other agencies convene a panel of managers, remediation scientists, regulators, environmental and ecological scientists, Native Americans, economists, and the public to develop a generic list of performance metrics for the restoration phase of remediation, including evaluation of success, which could be applied across the DOE complex.

A template of information needs for decision-making about delaying remediation on contaminated lands to protect human health.

The contamination legacy of industrialization, militarization, and nuclear arms race poses current or future risks to populations and the environment. Responsible parties and regulators make decisions regarding which sites to clean up, how, how much, and when. This study aimed to provide an information needs template to evaluate and reduce risks to human health when considering whether to initiate or delay remediation. This investigation focused on four aspects of timing and prioritization: 1) management, planning and implementation, 2) source terms, pathways, and exposures, 3) risks and receptors, and 4) external drivers. Within each type, issues were identified and described. Management class included personnel, health and safety data, funding, equipment, and structural integrity. Source term included contaminant sources, pathways, initiating events, and barriers to exposure. Risk included types and exposures to workers and general public. External drivers included regulatory framework, stakeholders, Congressional mandates, and economic and social contexts. Risk may increase over time as contamination spreads, enters aquifers, and reaches receptors, and may decline as radionuclides decay, and plumes dissipate. The overall objective was to provide a template of information that is useful to managers and regulators, and might be used by the public to understand the risks and benefits of re-prioritization cleanup.

The management of embedded metal fragment patients and the role of chelation Therapy: A workshop of the Department of Veterans Affairs-Walter Reed National Medical Center.

Exposure to retained metal fragments from war-related injuries can result in increased systemic metal concentrations, thereby posing potential health risks to target organs far from the site of injury. Given the large number of veterans who have retained fragments and the lack of clear guidance on how to medically manage these individuals, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) convened a meeting of chelation experts and clinicians who care for embedded fragment patients to discuss current practices and provide medical management guidance. Based on this group's clinical expertise and review of published literature, the evidence presented suggests that, at least in the case of lead fragments, short-term chelation therapy may be beneficial for embedded fragment patients experiencing acute symptoms associated with metal toxicity; however, in the absence of clinical symptoms or significantly elevated blood lead concentrations (greater than 80 µg/dL), chelation therapy may offer little to no benefit for individuals with retained fragments and pose greater risks due to remobilization of metals stored in bone and other soft tissues. The combination of periodic biomonitoring to assess metal body burden, longitudinal fragment imaging, and selective fragment removal when metal concentrations approach critical injury thresholds offers a more conservative management approach to caring for patients with embedded fragments.

A paradigm for protecting ecological resources following remediation as a function of future land use designations: a case study for the Department of Energy's Hanford Site.

Since the late 1980s, there has been a US federal mandate to clean up contaminated sites remaining from the Second World War, the Cold War, and abandoned industries. One determinant of cleanup standards for remediation is future land use-how will the land be used and by whom? Land use decisions may be consensus documents developed by site owners, state and federal agencies, and local stakeholders. Often there are competing views and/or claims on how remediated sites should be used, including as open or green space. Large sites are likely to have more ecological heterogeneity within similar land use designations because of differences in climate, geology, topography, and history of human use. This paper uses the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site as a case study to examine how and whether future land use designations will protect species, species diversity, heterogeneity, and ecosystems once remediation is complete. The objective of this paper is to describe "future land use designations" on a large, complex site (DOE's Hanford Site) and to examine the following: (1) how future land use designations were made and have changed over time, (2) how land use designations included the value of ecological resources, (3) how risk evaluations of ecological resources from remediation were made, and (4) how future land use may affect the health and well-being of ecological resources on site in the post-remediation period. The paper provides a paradigm for integrating ecological protection into future land use designations such that rare and sensitive resources are protected throughout the process. The paradigm includes the following: (1) developing future land use designations, (2) defining resource levels (values), (3) relating resource levels to land use designations and management, (4) defining risk evaluations, (5) determining the likelihood that valuable resources will occur on each land use type after remediation, and (6) evaluating the potential risk to those resources that results from activities allowed under future land use designations. The paper discusses the importance of each step, the implications for protection of ecological resources, and the importance of land use designations in the assessment of risk to ecological resources from both continued monitoring and maintenance by DOE (or other land owners) and the activities permitted by the established future land use designations.

Metal and metalloid levels in blood of semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) from Brazil, Suriname, and Delaware Bay: Sentinels of exposure to themselves, their prey, and predators that eat them.

Identifying animals as sentinels for humans and other animal species is an excellent method for understanding exposure to environmental contamination at different times and places. Shorebirds are useful sentinels because they have a world-wide distribution, eat a range of prey, and are eaten by a range of other species, including humans. We collected blood from semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) wintering in northern (Suriname N = 71) and northeastern (Brazil N = 61) South America to examine levels of heavy metals and metalloids (arsenic, selenium), and compare them to blood levels in sandpipers at a heavily used stopover site in New Jersey (N = 30; Delaware Bay, NJ). Since blood represents relatively recent exposure, it can provide information on where and when the birds were exposed. Levels were highest in Brazil for arsenic and particularly selenium; highest in Suriname for cadmium and lead; and highest in New Jersey for chromium. Samples from Brazil and Suriname presented higher levels of mercury than did those from New Jersey. There were no geographic differences for cobalt. Levels of all metals were generally within an order of magnitude. The significant geographic difference for selenium was interesting because it is regulated in the body. Selenium levels in the NJ sample were directly proportional to levels found in their principle food at this migration stopover site (eggs of horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus). Mean selenium level was almost an order of magnitude higher in the semipalmated sandpiper blood samples from Brazil (mean of 27,500 µg/L= ppb) compared to the other sampling locations (mean > 5330 µg/L). This is a toxic level and cause for concern and further investigation, alerting us to look for other evidence of excess selenium exposure. Otherwise the levels of other metals are generally not high enough to cause harm to the sandpipers themselves or to predators that eat them. We discuss the implications for these birds and their exposure to contaminants at different stopover sites.

Evaluation of ecological resources at operating facilities at contaminated sites: The Department of Energy's Hanford Site as a case study.

The U.S. and other developed nations are faced with many contaminated sites remaining from World War II, the Cold War, and abandoned industries, that require remediation and restoration to allow future land uses with minimum acceptable risk to humans and ecological resources. For large Department of Energy (DOE) sites with massive remediation tasks remaining, it is important for managers to be able to assure regulators, Tribal Nations, and the public that human and ecological health are protected. Hanford Site has the largest and most expensive cleanup task within the DOE complex; cleanup will continue beyond 2090. Cleanup involves the use of operating facilities, which also may present a risk to humans or ecological resources. We present a brief description of a methodology to evaluate risks to ecological receptors at the Hanford Site from remaining remediation tasks, and evaluate the risk to ecological resources that operating facilities present currently, during active cleanup of these facilities, and during the post cleanup period. Operating facilities include current, active operations that are located on the site and aid in site cleanup, including both storage and treatment operations. At the Hanford Site, they include waste treatment plants, sludge basins, waste trenches, Central Waste Complex, storage facilities, and disposal facilities, among others. Risk ratings for ecological resources are highest during the remediation phase. Risk ratings for the operating facilities at the Hanford Site range from not discernible to medium currently, from not discernible (ND) to high during active cleanup, and from not discernible to medium following cleanup. The highest ratings are for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant that is being constructed to stabilize radioactive and chemical wastes, and the Liquid Effluent Retention and Treatment Facility that removes and deactivates hazardous contaminants from waste water. Higher ratings in the post-cleanup period are largely due to restoration of ecological resources during cleanup, which increases the potential for injury (if these resources are harmed) because a site will then have higher quality resources after cleanup than it did before. Assessing the value of ecological resources, and determining potential consequences during active remediation and after remediation is essential for compliance with state and federal laws. Understanding the risks to ecological resources from now until clean-up is completed at these facilities is important because of the potential for ecological resources of high value to be degraded, and because cleanup completion is not expected until 2090 or later. The methodology can be applied to any contaminated site requiring a rapid method of assessing potential damages to ecological resources from proposed management actions.

Ethnic differences in risk: experiences, medical needs, and access to care after hurricane Sandy in new jersey.

This survey investigation assessed an economically challenged and largely minority population regarding concerns, evacuation status, medical needs and access to care during, and after, Hurricane Sandy by ethnicity status for patients using New Jersey's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Data obtained contribute to understanding risk from disasters, and improving environmental justice for vulnerable populations following disasters. FQHCs provide medical and dental services for 5% of New Jersey 's population; 95% of those served are uninsured, underinsured, or live below the poverty level. Economically vulnerable individuals are more at risk and were disproportionately harmed by Sandy. There were ethnic differences in days evacuated, days without power and heat, self-rating of personal/family impact, center use, need and access, and interruptions of care and medications. Hispanics and Blacks reported needing centers significantly more than White population. Primary medical conditions were diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and arrhythmia and heart disease, which did not vary ethnically. Understanding medical needs and concerns of vulnerable populations may help policymakers and practitioners prepare and respond promptly to disasters, reducing risk, and building resiliency for the medical care system.

Importance of buffer lands to determining risk to ecological resources at legacy contaminated sites: A case study for the Department of Energy's Hanford Site, Washington, USA.

Contaminated lands remain from World War II, the Cold War, and industrial development. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) faces the largest cleanup task, with Hanford Site having the biggest challenge. DOE is committed to protection of human health and the environment during remediation. The Hanford Site has extensive ecological resources and unique ecosystems that require protection. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe a rapid evaluation method for ecological resources, 2) examine the relationship between the resource values on evaluation units (EU) and associated buffer lands for legacy waste sites, 3) discuss risk ratings for ecological resources during remediation, and 4) determine why the relationship may differ among different types of waste sites. For legacy sites, the risk rating for ecological resources was largely a function of % of valued resources on EUs and their buffer (in a 1:1 ratio). This ratio differs from that on operating facilities considered previously, where the relationship between high-quality resources was 1:4. The differences are unusual because both types of facilities are located on the Hanford Central Plateau where active waste management occurs. Differences may be due to 1) location of legacy sites close to the edge of waste area, 2) size of legacy site EUs, which indicates that buffers are large and extend into shrub-steppe habitat, and 3) less human activities on legacy sites. Considering risk from cleanup on ecological resources before the planning and during execution of a remediation strategy may reduce damages to ecological resources and remediation costs.

A paradigm for information needed to protect at-risk species: northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) in the pine barrens as a case study.

New methods of examining the risk to endangered, threatened and rare species are required to identify vulnerability. A paradigm for examining risk is presented that describes anthropogenic threats, species activities, and vulnerabilities, and uses Northern pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) in the New Jersey Pine Barrens as a case study. The paradigm includes (1) conceptual model of natural, anthropogenic, and interactive stressors, (2) template of the functional attributes of threats from human activities, and (3) template of effects from different human activities. Pine snake behavior throughout the year was used to examine the temporal overlap in high snake vulnerability periods and desired human activities in a shared habitat. New data on autumn behavior of pine snakes are also provided. Passive integrated transponders (PIT tag) tracking technology indicated that the fall basking activity period is both longer in duration, and at a higher intensity than previously presumed. During the autumn, individual snakes moved in and out of dens an average of 6 times over a two-month period. Younger snakes at a small hibernaculum were more active than those at hibernacula with larger and older snakes. The high activity period of pine snakes overlaps with the timing of preferred off-road-vehicle (ORV) use, controlled burns, and other human activities, increasing snake vulnerability, potentially causing behavioral disruptions, injury, and death. The conceptual model illustrating relationships between attributes of human activity and effects may be utilized to determine risks to other listed species, and those of special concern in different habitats. This paradigm also provides managers with template tools to assess risks to species that may also be used to provide information to the public.

Concerns and future preparedness plans of a vulnerable population in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.

Knowing how people prepare for disasters is essential to developing resiliency strategies. This study examined recalled concerns, evacuation experiences, and the future preparedness plans of a vulnerable population in New Jersey, United States, following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Understanding the responses of minority communities is key to protecting them during forthcoming disasters. Overall, 35 per cent of respondents were not going to prepare for an event. Intended future preparedness actions were unrelated to respondents' ratings of personal impact. More Blacks and Hispanics planned on preparing than Whites (68 versus 55 per cent), and more Hispanics planned on evacuating than did others who were interviewed. A higher percentage of respondents who had trouble getting to health centres were going to prepare than others. Respondents' concerns were connected to safety and survival, protecting family and friends, and having enough food and medicine, whereas future actions included evacuating earlier and buying sufficient supplies to shelter in place.