Peer Review - Site Reassessment

Peer review is conducted in accordance with Agency guidance, as outlined in EPA's Peer Review Handbook. Peer review is a documented critical review of a specific Agency major scientific and/or technical work product. The peer review is conducted by qualified individuals (or organizations) who are independent of those who performed the work, but who are collectively equivalent in technical expertise (i.e., peers) to those who performed the original work. The peer review is conducted to ensure that activities are technically adequate, competently performed, properly documented, and satisfy established quality requirements. The peer review is an in-depth assessment of the assumptions, calculations, extrapolations, alternate interpretations, methodology, acceptance criteria, and conclusions pertaining to the specific major scientific and/or technical work product and of the documentation that supports them.

Because of the different categories of science under review, five separate peer review panels were convened. These panels met during four sessions (the last session included two separate panels). The review process consisted of individual review by each of the six or seven panel members (approximately six weeks), followed by a panel discussion (between 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 days).

The peer review was conducted by independent experts who do not have any conflicts of interest relating to the Hudson River PCBs site, and was done only on the major scientific works that formed the basis for selection of the site remedy. The Record of Decision (ROD) was not subject to peer review.

The first peer review was to ensure that the modeling approach and the assumptions within the models were appropriate. The first peer review session was held September 9 and 10, 1998.
Report released November 1998.

Charge to Peer Review 1

Modeling Approach Peer Review Report (1.8 MB)
Appendices (4.7 MB)

The second peer review session was on the Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report and the Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report, and was held on March 16 - 18, 1999. Report released June 1999.

Charge to Peer Review 2

DEIR/LRC Peer Review Report (0.73 MB)
Appendices (4.7 MB)
Response to the Peer Review on the Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report and Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report (1.3 MB)

The third peer review was on the Revised Baseline Modeling Report. The introduction session was held January 12 & 13, 2000. The peer review meeting was held on March 27 & 28, 2000. Report released May 2000.

Charge for Peer Review 3 - Revised BMR

Revised BMR Peer Review Report (0.17 MB)
Appendices (8.2 MB)
Response to the Peer Review on the Revised Baseline Modeling Report (1.44 MB)

The fourth peer review was on the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments. The introductory session was held on March 22 & 23, 2000. The meetings were held May 30 - June 2, 2000.
Report on Eco Risk Assmt released August 2000

Charge for Peer Review 4 - Risk Assessments

Ecological Risk Assessment Peer Review Report (.pdf file - 0.20 MB)
Appendices for ERA Peer Review Report (.pdf file - 4.1 MB)
Response to the Peer Review on the Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment (1.65 MB)

Peer Review - Site Reassessment

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