EPA Develops Green Remediation Strategy for Superfund Cleanup
September 14, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Superfund Green Remediation Strategy to address reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other negative environmental impacts that might occur during hazardous waste site remediation and non-time critical removal action.
The strategy outlines 10 key action items and recommends related activities to promote green remediation.
Action items fall into three categories - policy and guidance development, resource development and program implementation and program evaluation.
Policy and guidance development
- Clarify the role of green remediation in remedy selection and implementation.
Resource development and program implementation
- Develop a compendium of protocols and tools to help project and program managers integrate green remediation practices.
- Identify options that enable use of green remediation practices.
- Address air pollution and diesel emissions.
- Develop pilot projects to evaluate and demonstrate green remedial applications.
- Establish opportunities in contract and assistance agreements to identify green remediation practices in selected remedies.
- Communicate and share success stories and lessons learned among "implementers" across the program and the public.
Program evaluation
- Evaluate green remediation application at the site level.
- Develop program evaluation measures.
- Evaluate the Superfund Green Remediation Strategy.
The strategy also contains several recommendations including a call for EPA to implement a series of near-term program initiatives such as:
- Launch a pilot project to test incorporating green remediation considerations into remedy optimization evaluations by fiscal year 2010.
- Consider ways to reduce the use of natural resources and energy during remedial actions and when developing cleanup alternatives.
- Integrate clean, renewable and innovative energy sources and advanced diesel technologies (such as diesel particulate filters and alternative fuels) and encouraging operational practices (such as engine idle reduction practices) to minimize total emissions.
- Include language in statements of work for fund-lead remedial and removal action and potentially responsible party-lead remedial design and remedial action contracts that identifies use of green remediation practices and requires separate reports for energy/fuel usage and costs.
- Help communities establish networks and training programs that enable local workers including minority and low-income populations to gain proficiency in expertise needed for green cleanups, such as energy efficiency auditing and renewable energy applications.
The EPA and its partners manage and implement the Superfund Remedial Program, which cleans up the nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
Program participants include the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, the Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office, the Office of Site Remediation Enforcement, the Office of Emergency Management and EPA regional Superfund offices.
The Superfund Green Remediation Strategy includes the recommendation to establish a process for quantifying achievements regarding the program's commitment to reduce demands that site cleanups place on the environment.
Regional summaries, site-specific data and trend information can be collected and used to establish a baseline on the environmental demands made prior to strategy implementation.
Using this baseline, the program could aim toward specific targets such as reducing energy consumption by 20%, increasing use of alternative fuels/renewable energy by 15% and reducing diesel equipment emission of particulate matter by 10% by 2015.
According to the EPA, this will done to the extent consistent with selecting responses under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.
In addition to the new strategy, EPA developed Principles for Greener Cleanups, which call for EPA's cleanup programs to use greener approaches during any phase of site work and establish the goal of evaluating cleanup actions to ensure protection of human health and the environment.
For more information, review the Superfund Green Remediation Strategy.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).