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Consideration of Ecosystem Services at Cleanup Sites: A Retrospective Analysis and Ongoing EPA/ORD Research
Citation:
Kravitz, M., M. Harwell, J. Hoffman, AND T. Newcomer-Johnson. Consideration of Ecosystem Services at Cleanup Sites: A Retrospective Analysis and Ongoing EPA/ORD Research. National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) 2021, Portland, Oregon, August 02 - 05, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
Consideration of ecosystem services (ES) at restoration of cleanup sites may be a useful component of assessing risks, choosing remediation options, and improving site conditions for reuse. We summarize an EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) study that provides background information about ES and presents an evaluation framework that could serve to integrate ES consideration into remediation projects across the country. We also summarize ongoing EPA ORD research focusing on a retrospective analysis of ES and remedial Best Management Practices employed at two sites where revediation has been completed. Examining sites that have already been cleaned up will help us understand the utility of practices that have worked, and those that need to be improved or changed. Eventual reuse of cleaned up sites improves human well-being, so we place our work in the context of ongoing case studies that examine how ES derived through community input can be used to determine sites that are most amenable to restoration.
Description:
Consideration of ecosystem services (ES) at restoration of cleanup sites may be a useful component of assessing risks, choosing remediation options, and improving site conditions for reuse. Given the wide diversity of conditions and size among cleanup sites, there is not a “one size fits all” tool that can readily be used to yield complete information on ES at a site. We summarize an EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) study that provides background information about ES and presents an evaluation framework that could serve to integrate ES consideration into remediation projects across the country. The four steps of the transferable framework are: 1) identify site-specific ES; 2) quantify relevant ES and associated community values; 3) examine how cleanup activities affect ES; and 4) identify and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) through the application of two case studies to illustrate the hypothetical evaluation process. We also summarize ongoing EPA ORD research focusing on: 1) a retrospective analysis of ES and remedial BMPs employed at two sites where remediation has been completed; 2) drawing conclusions about the changes in ES (as a result of remediation and restoration) and the potential for improving ES for site reuse; and 3) communicating the lessons learned for application to generalizable and scalable guidelines for consideration of ES at contaminated sites. Examining sites that have already been cleaned up will help us understand the utility of practices that have worked, and those that need to be improved or changed. Depending on the type of cleanup site, consideration of ES for restoration can occur prior to or post remediation. Eventual reuse of cleaned up sites improves human well-being, so we place our work in the context of ongoing case studies that examine how ES derived through community input can be used to determine sites that are most amenable to restoration. These studies also highlight the tradeoffs inherent in the decision process. The suite of tools employed in our efforts are being assembled by EPA into an Ecoservice Models Library available online.