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Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites (Technology Primer)
Citation:
Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites (Technology Primer).
Impact/Purpose:
This primer outlines the principles of green remediation and describes opportunities to reduce the footprint of cleanup activities throughout the life of a project. Best management practices outlined in this document help decision-makers, communities, and other stakeholders such as project managers, field staff, and engineering contractors or vendors identify new strategies in terms of sustainability. These strategies complement, rather than replace, the process used to select primary remedies that best meet site-specific cleanup goals. The primer is intended to identify the complete range of aspects or alternatives available to improve sustainability of cleanup activities. To date, a number of programs are underway, but these often focus on a single element or limited scope, such as clean energy.
Description:
As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is dedicated to developing and promoting innovative cleanup strategies that restore contaminated sites to productive use, reduce associated costs, and promote environmental stewardship. EPA strives for cleanup programs that use natural resources and energy efficiently, reduce negative impacts on the environment, minimize or eliminate pollution at its source, and reduce waste to the greatest extent possible, in accordance with the Agency’s strategic plan for compliance and environmental stewardship. The practice ot “green remediation” uses these strategies to consider all environmental effects of remedy implementation tor contaminated sites, and incorporates options to maximize net environmental benetit of cleanup actions.
