Best Practices for Risk-Informed Decision Making Regarding Contaminated Sites Summary of a Workshop Series (2014) / Chapter Skim
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4 Incorporating Sustainability into Decision Making for Site Remediation
4 Incorporating Sustainability into Decision Making for Site Remediation
Pages 41-50
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From page 41... ...
Waste and environmental impacts were neither components of nor considered under this early regulation. The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 split off the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from the Atomic Energy Commission, which became the Energy Research and Development Administration and eventually DOE.
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From page 42... ...
Once clear, enforceable cleanup standards are in place for the dozens of remaining DOE contaminated sites, more holistic approaches to sustainable remediation decision making can be implemented without risk of the process being abused to justify cost savings and less cleanup. 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORKS AND CASE STUDIES Buddy Bealer with the Sustainable Remediation Initiative (SRI)
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From page 43... ...
If there is no receptor or risk to human health or the environment from the contaminant, for example, then should indefinite costs and efforts be required to further treat a contaminant, especially if that contaminant would naturally decompose in place? When addressing this type of issue, many FIGURE 4-1 In a remediation scheme, contaminant levels in the subsurface do not decrease over time as much as during previous pumping, resulting in concentration levels approaching an asymptote.
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From page 44... ...
Environmental footprint reduction includes efforts such as reducing the amount of resources used on a project, reducing air pollution generated by treatment systems, reducing energy usage, considering alternative energy sources for a treatment system, using the waste from another industry in a treatment system, and finding an alternative use for the waste generated from a remediation project. Economic benefits include realizing savings when employing a remedy, such as finding a beneficial reuse for waste
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From page 45... ...
Societal considerations include transparent communication with the public and stakeholders. Safety is also a consideration when maximizing societal benefits, especially with staff involved on large excavation projects or the general public located near a project with heavy truck traffic.
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From page 46... ...
The second case study involved a chemical recycling facility in Kansas City that was contaminated with chlorinated solvents and metals. The project management team engaged the public and stakeholders to develop a plan for a green space restored with native grasses as the end state for the site.
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From page 47... ...
The first example was the Gowanus Canal, a 1.8-mile-long waterway in Brooklyn, New York, that has had three manufactured gas plant sites along its banks since the 1860s. The highest levels of contamination along the canal outside of the manufactured gas plant site locations are found to be in the percent range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
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From page 48... ...
Environmental considerations include capping soft sediments in the canal after dredging, despite concerns about the long-term reliability of such a cap. Additionally, New York City asserts that the CSOs have background levels of contaminants that need not be addressed by the Superfund program.
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From page 49... ...
DOD does not apply sustainability to the cleanup program as a formal process, but it does implement green remediation strategies when possible. The Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod, for example, has a wind turbine that provides the energy to run the cleanup activities at that site.
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