Statewide Health Standards
These tables present the revised statewide health standards that were published Jan. 8, 2011 in the PA Bulletin. These standards became effective on that date. Any final report or remedial action completion report using the statewide health standard that is submitted on or after Jan. 8, 2011 must demonstrate attainment of the standards in these tables in order to receive the liability relief afforded by Act 2.
Medium Specific Concentrations
Table 1 - Medium Specific Concentrations (MSCs) for Organic Regulated Substances in Groundwater
Table 2 - MSCs for Inorganic Substances in Groundwater
Table 3a - MSCs for Organic Regulated Substances in Soil: Direct Contact Values
Table 3b - MSCs for Organic Regulated Substances in Soil: Soil-to-Groundwater Values
Table 4a - MSCs for Inorganic Regulated Substances in Soil: Direct Contact Values
Table 4b - MSCs for Inorganic Regulated Substances in Soil: Soil-to-Groundwater Values
Table 5a - Physical and Toxicological Properties: Organic Regulated Substances
Table 5b - Physical and Toxicological Properties: Inorganic Regulated Substances
Table 6 - Threshold of Regulation Compounds
Table 7 - Default Values for Calculating Medium-Specific Concentrations for Lead (PDF)
Table 8 - Constituents of Potential Ecological Concern (PDF)
Revised MCLs and HALs
Section 250.304(c) of the Land Recycling Regulations provides that new or revised maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) or health advisory levels (HALs) promulgated either by the department or by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) become effective immediately for purposes of demonstrating attainment of a standard under Act 2. Revisions to these EPA standards affect both the groundwater MSC for a substance as well as the soil-to-groundwater numeric value, which is based on the groundwater MSC and is used to calculate the statewide health MSC for soils. The January, 2011 edition of the EPA document 2011 edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories, (EPA Publication 820-R-11-022) contains a revised MCL for monochloroacetic acid. Accordingly, the attached excerpts from tables 1 and 3b from appendix A of the regulations show revised MSCs and numeric values for monochloroacetic acid.
The HALs for two other regulated substances, methyl chloride and 1,2,3-trichloropropane, have been deleted in the same EPA document. Since these substances now have neither an MCL nor a HAL, section 250.304(c) specifies that the statewide health standards for groundwater are calculated according to the equations in sections 250. 306 and 307. However, Act 2 requires that standards developed using these equations must be promulgated by the department before they can be used. Therefore, the statewide health standards for these substances are withdrawn until new standards are promulgated by amendment of the regulations. In order to obtain the liability relief afforded by Act 2 for these substances, a remediator must demonstrate attainment of either the background or site-specific standard.
Regulated Substances with MCL/HAL Changes since Jan. 8, 2011
Methyl chloride HAL deleted
Monochloroacetic acid New MCL
1,2,3-trichloropropane HAL deleted
Note: The previously posted changes in the MSCs for 1,4-dioxane have been deleted. The EPA has provided notice that the lifetime HAL for p-dioxane (1,4-dioxane) published in the 2011 edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories is incorrect and will be retracted in the next edition of the document.
Table 1 – Revised Groundwater MSCs (PDF)
Table 3b – Revised Soil-to-Groundwater Numeric Values (PDF)
Act 2 designated PQLs now available as Excel Spreadsheets
Inorganic PQLs (Excel)
Organic PQLs (Excel)
Number Please! (Excel) is a tool to be used to quickly find all information available on the SHS MSCs that apply to a single regulated substance.
Ecological Screening Process Rationale (Word)
