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DEMONSTRATION AND EVALUATION OF INNOVATIVE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THE EPA SITE PROGRAM
Citation:
PARKER, R. A. DEMONSTRATION AND EVALUATION OF INNOVATIVE REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THE EPA SITE PROGRAM. Presented at Kansas University Environmental Conference, Lawrence, KS, February 02, 2005.
Description:
The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program has successfuly promoted the development, commercialization and implementation of innovative hazardous waste treatment technologies for 18 years. SITE offers a mechanism for conducting joint technology demonstration and evaluation projects at hazardous waste sites involving the private sector, EPA, and other federal and state agencies. The program provides environmental decision-makers with relevant data on new, viable remediation technologies that may have performance or cost advantages compared to conventional treatment technologies. Since the initiation of the SITE Program in 1986, cleanup of contaminated sites through the use of innovative technologies has resulted in a total inflated cost savings of over $2.7 billion.
The SITE Program focuses on the remediation needs of the hazardous waste remediation community through program planning; matching priority sites with innovative cleanup solutions; technology field demonstrations; and information dissemination. The program is participating with 152 remediation technology vendors. Through FY 04, the SITE Program has successfully demonstrated 138 technologies, 6 of which were demonstrated during FY 04. Field monitoring and measurement technologies for mercury and dioxin in soil and sediment demonstrations were initiated in 2002 as part of the SITE Monitoring and Measurement Technologies Program. Emphasis formerly placed on technologies requiring the removal of soil or groundwater (ex situ) has gravitated nearly exclusively to in situ technologies that treat contamination in place.
Information obtained annually from SITE Program vendors demonstrates the increased acceptance of innovative technologies. Throughout 2002, these vendors have received an increased share of their specific technology markets as a direct result of their involvement in the SITE Program. Contracts for over 2,100 cleanups, nearly 1,400 treatability studies, and 4,200 measurement/monitoring units have been received by these vendors following demonstrations.
To ensure that the program continues to meet the needs of the remediation community, the SITE Program established a remediation stakeholder group. This group, which is composed of such agencies as EPA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy, reviews innovative technology applications and develops an environmental emphasis area list, which ensures that the most pressing issues are prioritized and addressed.