Preparation of Environmental Documentation and Risk Assessments for the USDA/Forest Service

A minor change involves a brief note on the addition of an exposure scenario for a small mammal consuming contaminated grass (Section 4.2.2.3). Based on comments from peer-reviewers, this scenario was added to Forest Service risk assessments during 2006. A more substantial modification has been made to Section 4.4 (Risk Characterization for Ecological Effects). This modification involves a much fuller and more explicit discussion of the differences between the U.S. EPA approach to risk characterization and the approach taken in Forest Service risk assessments. No part of this document is claimed as confidential. To the contrary, the purpose of this document is to disclose how SERA, Inc. conducts risk assessments for the USDA/Forest Service and related organizations. The government, general public, and other interested parties should and must have full access to this information. SERA Inc. will be grateful for any written comments or criticisms of the methods detailed in this report. Well-documented and detailed suggestions for improving these methods are most welcome. This document is updated and revised by SERA Inc as necessary. If you have this document in printed form, please check the above web site to make certain that you have the most recent version or the version that is appropriate for reviewing a specific risk assessment. Some previous versions of this document are kept at the above web site. Older versions may be obtained by an e-mail request to [email protected]. This document may be modified only by the USDA Forest Service and, with modification, the USDA Forest Service may include any or all parts of this document in a Forest Service publication. This right is not granted to any other organization.