CTDEP HHRA Comment Cover Letter 04.05.05

April 5,205 Ms. Susan Svirsky Rest of River Project Manager c/o Weston Solutions 10 Lyman Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 Dear Ms. Svirsky: The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the revised Human Health Risk Assessment for the GE/Housatonic River Site, Rest of River dated February, 2005. This report identifies potential risks to people within the Housatonic River ecosystem due to the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Connecticut shares EPA's goals of restoring the Housatonic River to a condition that allows attainment of Water Quality Standards and designated uses for the river. The Human Health Risk Assessment is an important step towards achieving this goal. However, as the process for evaluating and restoring the river moves forward, there are several issues, as outlined below that must be considered in order to achieve an acceptable outcome within Connecticut. CT DEP supports a risk-based approach to identifying acceptable environmental concentrations of PCBs. Such an approach is applicable to identifying acceptable water, sediment, soil and fish tissue concentrations of PCBs. Connecticut has consistently applied in its regulations and Water Quality Standards a level of acceptable risk equal to one excessive lifetime cancer in one million exposed individuals. EPA at times endorses a broader range of acceptable risk, from ...