Prioritization Criteria
Five criteria and associated weighting factors are used to classify threats that contaminants may pose. These include risks to human population exposed, contaminant stability, contaminant characteristics, threat to a significant environment, and program management considerations.
Each criteria is ranked on a scale of one to five. The highest score for any criteria is five, representing a current risk-current exposure scenario posing risk to human health and the environment. The lowest score for a factor is one, representing a future risk-future exposure scenario.
| Factor | Weight |
| A. Risks to human population exposed: Population size, proximity to contaminants, likelihood of exposure. | 5 |
| B. Stability: Mobility of contaminant, site structure, and effectiveness of any institutional or physical controls. | 5 |
| C. Contaminant characteristics: Concentration, toxicity and volume. | 3 |
| D. Threat to a significant environment: Endangered species or their critical habitats, sensitive environmental areas. | 3 |
| E. Program measurement consideration: Innovative technologies, cost delays, high profile projects, environmental justice, state involvement, Brownfields/economic redevelopment. | 4 |
The raw score for each factor is multiplied as follows to obtain the maximum score:
| Raw Score Range | x | Weight Factor | = Maximum Total Score | |
| A. Population exposed | 1 - 5 | x | 5 | 25 |
| B. Stability | 1 - 5 | x | 5 | 25 |
| C. Contaminant characteristics | 1 - 5 | x | 3 | 15 |
| D. Threat to significant environment | 1 - 5 | x | 3 | 15 |
| E. Program management considerations | 1 - 5 | x | 4 | 20 |
| Maximum total project score | 100 |