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Implementation of the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) in the United States
Citation:
Thorneloe, S. Implementation of the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) in the United States. 5th International Conference on Industrial and Hazardous Waste Management, Chania, GREECE, September 27 - 30, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
To present the How To Guide for the implementation of the leaching environmental assessment framework to an international audience already familiar with comparable leaching tests in use in Europe. Will be meeting with European colleagues on their interest in expanding methods to include organics.
Description:
LEAF provides a uniform and integrated approach for evaluating leaching from solid materials (e.g., waste, treated wastes such as by solidification/stabilization, secondary materials such as blast furnace slags, energy residuals such as coal fly ash, soil, sediments, mining and mineral processing wastes). Assessment using LEAF applies a stepwise approach that considers the leaching behavior of COPCs in response to chemical and physical factors that control and material properties across a range of plausible field conditions (US EPA, 2010). The framework provides the flexibility to tailor testing to site conditions and select the extent of testing based on assessment objectives and the level of detailed information needed to support decision-making. The main focus will be to discuss the implementation of LEAF in the US and the How to Guide that has recently been completed.