LSPA 4th Annual Environmental Symposium

This course provides an in‑depth exploration of how petroleum hydrocarbons are evaluated within the risk assessment framework of the MCP and associated guidance, and highlights the concepts, assumptions, and decision-making steps that distinguish petroleum risk assessment from the evaluation of other contaminant classes.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what makes petroleum evaluation unique and the factors that are most important to risk characterization across environmental media. The course covers hazard identification, selection of Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPCs) using the EPH/VPH frameworks, and considerations for applying both Method 1 and Method 3 approaches to petroleum sites. Special attention is given to toxicity evaluation for petroleum hydrocarbons, including surrogate toxicity assignments, and pathway‑specific assumptions for oral/dermal and inhalation exposures. The training also addresses data needs and risk evaluation considerations for soil, groundwater, and surface water. Vapor intrusion and ecological risk will be briefly discussed to provide a complete perspective on petroleum evaluation under the MCP.

Real‑world case studies illustrate how petroleum risk assessment principles are applied in practice. The course concludes with a focused discussion on how NAPL factors into site assessment and risk assessment, including NAPL characterization and integration into a petroleum‑specific Conceptual Site Model (CSM).

A detailed course agenda is available here. The course will conclude with a question-and-answer session.