incorporating options to minimize the environmental footprints of a cleanup
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- Revised U.S. Fish and Wildlife mitigation policy to address projects with potentially harmful impacts on wildlife and habitats
- New RE-Powering benefits matrix on renewable energy development at current and formerly contaminated sites
- Updated U.S. climate change indicators to help assess factors influencing environmental quality
- Subsurface intrusion added to the Hazard Ranking System for scoring potential NPL sites
- Perspectives on green and sustainable remediation practices in federal agency cleanup programs
- Recent ESTCP field testing of new direct-push optical screening technology for subsurface chlorinated solvent DNAPL mapping
- EPA toolkit now available for green infrastructure modeling
- Updated NIST Building Life Cycle Cost software to evaluate energy and water conservation and renewable energy integration
- News archives...
Corrective action at the former St. Croix Alumina Plant in Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, involves a green remediation strategy capitalizing on off-grid renewable energy systems, optimized pumping techniques and beneficial use of recovered petroleum product. Fixed and mobile photovoltaic systems now meet 100% of the electricity demand of pumps used to extract and transfer commingled oil and groundwater.
More than 81 million gallons of groundwater treated at the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Superfund Site each year is stored for irrigation use by the City of Goodyear.
Nearly 2,300 cubic yards of concrete was salvaged during cleanup at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard Superfund site in Baltimore and re-used onsite as infill for excavated areas.
In situ mixing of chemical oxidation reagents to treat soil at the Whitney Young Branch Library brownfield site avoided double handling of materials in an ex situ process.
Air emissions during activities such as soil excavation and surface grading were minimized at the Elizabeth Mine NPL site through use of machinery equipped with Tier 4 engine technology.
Use of a renewable energy-powered fan assembly at the Rainbow Valley Citrus Maintenance Yard Facility UST site avoided use of grid electricity to collect air stripping off-gas.
Six acres of freshwater wetlands created during RCRA corrective action at the Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC Site help manage stormwater while providing critical animal habitat.
Best Management Practice (BMP)
Fact Sheets
- An Overview (PDF) (2 pp, 231K)
- Excavation and Surface Restoration (PDF) (4 pp, 238K)
- Site Investigation and Environmental Monitoring (PDF) (4 pp, 179K) *Update*
- Pump and Treat Technologies (PDF) (8 pp, 225K)
- Bioremediation (PDF) (4 pp, 176K)
- Soil Vapor Extraction & Air Sparging (PDF) (4 pp, 131K)
- Clean Fuel & Emission Technologies for Site Cleanup (PDF) (10 pp, 354K)
- Integrating Renewable Energy into Site Cleanup (PDF) (8 pp, 335K)
- Sites with Leaking Underground Storage Tank Systems (PDF) (6 pp, 448K)
- Landfill Cover Systems & Energy Production (PDF) (6 pp, 465K)
- Overview of EPA's Methodology to Address the Environmental Footprint of Site Cleanup (PDF) (2 pp, 176K)
- Mining Sites (PDF) (6 pp, 535K)
- Implementing In Situ Thermal Technologies (PDF) (6 pp, 249K)
- Materials and Waste Management (PDF) (4pp, 397K)
GR Technology Primer (PDF) (56 pp, 814K):
Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites
A Citizen's Guide to Greener Cleanups (PDF) (2 pp, 1.4MB)
- EPA Strategic Plan, FY 2014-2018
- ...EPA's hazardous waste programs also are working to reduce the energy use and environmental footprint during the investigation and remediation of hazardous waste sites.
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
- Principles for Greener Cleanups
- Superfund Green Remediation Strategy
- EPA guidance on greener cleanup activities under CERCLA *New*
- EPA regional policies
- State resources
- ASTM Standard Guide for Greener Cleanups *Update*
- EPA announcement of upcoming remediation environmental services solicitation (SOL-HQ-14-00023) *New*
EPA's Methodology for Understanding and Reducing a Project's Environmental Footprint uses 21 metrics and a seven-step process to quantify energy, air, water, and materials & waste comprising the environmental footprint of a remedy. The supporting Spreadsheets for Environmental Footprint Analysis (SEFA) workbooks are available to help users estimate each of the methodology's metrics on a site-specific basis. Related background studies, examples, and data gathering tools offer additional information of value to environmental footprint assessment.
Aligning with National Goals
Learn about executive orders, requirements, and guidance on energy and water management, green purchasing, and environmental stewardship
Questions and comments about EPA's green remediation efforts may be forwarded to:
Carlos Pachon, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation.
