A State's Approach to Risk-Based Analyses: Similarities to and Differences from the USEPA's Principles and Practices.

This article discusses how the state of Minnesota has adapted risk assessment tools from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop air and groundwater pollution rules. According to the author, the state promulgated Health Risk Limits and Health Risk Values for concentrations and mixtures of chemicals. They determined levels of risk for acute, chronic and subchronic exposures. Minnesota relied heavily on the EPA Integrated Risk Information System database to determine levels at which chemicals are unlikely to cause significant risk to humans exposed to those chemicals. They include bioaccumulative chemicals such as methylmercury and PCBs.