When calculating the number of potential receptors at a site, what factors must be evaluated?

When evaluating the number of potential receptors at a site, focusing on the distance to wells and the number of users is critical because these factors directly relate to potential exposure to contaminants. Wells are a primary source of drinking water and can be significantly impacted by contamination from nearby heating oil tanks or other sources. Understanding how many users rely on these wells provides insight into the scale of potential risk to human health and the environment. The proximity of wells indicates how contamination might migrate and affect these receptors, making this evaluation essential for assessing the potential impact of a site on public health and safety.

Considering the other factors, while they may also hold importance in broader environmental assessments, they do not correlate as directly with the immediate risk posed to human health from drinking water sources. The distance to nearby factories might inform industrial risk factors, soil contamination levels vary depending on multiple site-specific characteristics, and the history of land usage can indicate past contamination but does not specifically quantify potential current receptors for exposure considerations.