Hazard Ranking System

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-012892",
  "term": "Hazard Ranking System",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The NCP defines the HRS as \"the method used by EPA to evaluate the relative potential of hazardous substance releases to cause health or safety problems, or ecological or environmental damage.\" The HRS is the primary screening tool used by EPA to assess the risks posed to human health or the environment by abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Under the HRS, sites are assigned scores on the basis of the toxicity of hazardous substances that are present and the potential that those substances will spread through the air, surface, water, or ground water, taking into account such factors as the proximity of the substance to nearby populations. Scores are used in determining which sites should be placed on the NPL. See also National Priorities List.\n\n2. The principal screening tool used by EPA to evaluate risks to public health and the environment associated with abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The HRS calculates a score based on the potential of hazardous substances spreading from the site through the air, surface water, or ground water, and on other factors such as density and proximity of human population. This score is the primary factor in deciding if the site should be on the National Priorities List and, if so, what ranking it should have compared to other sites on the list.\n\n3. The method EPA uses to assess and score the hazards posed by a site that takes into account the nature and extent of contamination and the potential for the hazardous substances to migrate from the site through air, soil, surface water, or groundwater; HRS scores are used to determine whether a site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).\n\n4. A scoring system used to evaluate potential relative risks to public health and the environment from releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances. EPA and/or a state response agency uses the HRS to calculate a site score (0 to 100) based on the actual or potential release of hazardous substances from a site through air, surface water, or ground water. This score is the primary factor used to decide if a hazardous waste site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).\n\n5. See http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/npl_hrs/hrsint.htm. The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is the principal mechanism EPA uses to place waste sites on the NPL. It is a numerically based screening system that uses information from initial, limited investigations - the preliminary assessment and the site inspection - to assess the relative potential of sites to pose a threat to human health or the environment.\n\n6. A model devised under CERCLA that determines the relative risk to public health and the environment posed by hazardous substances in ground water, surface water, air, and soil. Only those sites with a score of 28.5 (on a scale of 0 to 100) are eligible for placement on the NPL.\n\n7. Method used by EPA to evaluate the relative potential of hazardous substance releases to cause health or safety problems, or ecological or environmental damage.\n\n8. The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is the principal mechanism that the EPA uses to place uncontrolled waste sites on the National Priorities List (NPL). It is a numerically based screening system that uses information from initial, limited investigations - the preliminary assessment (PA) and the site inspection (SI) - to assess the relative potential of sites to pose a threat to human health or the environment. Any person or organization can report spills and environmental violations and petition the EPA to conduct a preliminary assessment.",
  "abbreviation": "HRS",
  "subject": "Land, waste and cleanup",
  "references": [
    "Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Glossary",
    "Superfund Reforms Glossary",
    "Superfund for Students and Teachers Glossary",
    "Region 5 Cleanup Sites Glossary",
    "Superfund Acronyms",
    "RCRA Orientation Manual 2008 Glossary",
    "40 CFR 300.5 (CFR 2013)",
    "Introduction to the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/introduction-hazard-ranking-system-hrs"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/hazard-ranking-system/"
}