A human health risk assessment following [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] [[CERCLA]] guidance involves four steps: 1. [[Data Collection and Analysis]] 2. [[Exposure Assessment]] 3. [[Toxicity Assessment]] 4. [[Risk Characterization]] The Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS) series of documents provide detailed guidance on how to conduct each step. Part A of RAGS covers the human health evaluation activities during the baseline risk assessment, Part B covers the development of risk-based preliminary remediation goals, Part C covers the human health risk evaluation of remedial alternatives, Part D covers the standard scenarios for estimating exposure at Superfund sites, and Part E covers the supplemental guidance for dermal risk assessment¹2. The baseline risk assessment is an analysis of the potential adverse health effects caused by hazardous substance releases from a site in the absence of any actions to control or mitigate these releases234. The remedial risk assessment is an evaluation of the human health risks associated with different remedial alternatives that are proposed to address the site contamination. The baseline risk assessment helps to determine whether additional response action is necessary at the site, while the remedial risk assessment helps to compare and select the most appropriate response alternative. Source: 1. Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Volume I - Human Health Evaluation Manual [Part A: Baseline Risk Assessment](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part) (1989) [Supplement to Part A: Community Involvement in Superfund Risk Assessments](https://www.epa.gov/risk/supplement-rags-part-community-involvement-superfund-risk-assessments-1999) (1999) The purpose of this guidance document is to provide the site team--risk assessor, [[remedial project manager]] (RPM), and community involvement coordinator--with information to improve community involvement in the Superfund risk assessment process [Part B: Development of Risk-based Preliminary Remediation Goals](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part-b) (1991) [Part C: Risk Evaluation of Remedial Alternatives](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part-c) (1991) [Part D: Standardized Planning, Reporting and Review of Superfund Risk Assessments](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part-d) (2001) [Part E: Supplemental Guidance for Dermal Risk Assessment](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part-e) (2004) [Part F: Supplemental Guidance for Inhalation Risk Assessment](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-part-f) (2009) [EPA Superfund's "Process for Conducting Probabilistic Risk Assessment, RAGS Volume III, Part A"](https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance-superfund-rags-volume-iii-part) December 2001, EPA 540-R-02-002  [Soil Screening Guidance](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-soil-screening-guidance) July 1996, December 2002 2. Risk Assessment Guidance | US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/risk/risk-assessment-guidance 3. Human Health Risk Assessment | US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/risk/human-health-risk-assessment 4. EPA - Risk Assessment. https://rais.ornl.gov/documents/hhra_regional_supplemental_guidance_report-march-2018_update.pdf