- April 2022 EO 14072 on using nature-based solutions to improve resilience to climate change
- Climate adaptation processes and tools used at the Port Hadlock - Site 10 North End Landfill
- Updated EPA fact sheet on green remediation BMPs for integrating renewable energy
- Updated EPA fact sheet on green remediation BMPs for soil vapor extraction and other air-driven systems
- Updated EPA fact sheet on green remediation BMPs for pump and treat systems
- Federal guidance on engaging with tribal nations to apply indigenous traditional ecological knowledge promoting environmental sustainability
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law $1.5 billion investment to address environmental, social and economic challenges of brownfields
- EPA's new web-based REUSExplorer tool for staying informed about state-specific water reuse regulations, guidelines and applications
- Resource efficiencies and innovative technology use at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune merit 2022 DoD environmental restoration award
- News archives...
- May 22-26 Palm Springs Battelle Conference on remediation of chlorinated and recalcitrant compounds
- June 21-24 American Solar Energy Society Solar 2022 national conference in Albuquerque
- June 27-29 Water Environment Federation Stormwater Summit 2022 in Minneapolis
- More on the calendar...
The fall meeting of the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR) focused on remedy protectiveness and climate resilience in site cleanups. View the session 1 and session 2 presentations of this virtual event and explore related links such as the FRTR-compiled summary of related policies, guidance and implementation tools.
A wind-driven soil vapor extraction (SVE) system is used at the Former Ferdula Landfill Superfund site in Frankfort, New York, to remove volatile organic compounds from the subsurface. The system involves a mechanical windmill with 12-foot blades and auxiliary equipment that produce an average vapor flow of more than 9,000 cubic feet per day, thereby avoiding conventional air blower use and associated air emissions. Operation and maintenance costs for the full wind-driven system average about $500 each year. *Update*
Site investigations at the Kerr-McGee Navassa Superfund site in Navassa, North Carolina, have involved BMPs such as deploying direct- and remote-sensing technologies, direct-push and vibratory drilling technologies, and passive sampling techniques. The site comprises about 70 acres formerly occupied by a wood treating facility and about 30 acres of a tidal wetland area near the Brunswick River. The BMPs have enabled collection of surface and subsurface data in noninvasive manners, minimized generation of waste, and improved overall efficiencies of investigative activities. *New*
Six acres of freshwater wetlands created during RCRA corrective action at the Pharmacia-Upjohn site help manage stormwater while providing critical plant and animal habitat.
At Camp Lejeune Military Reservation, a solar array directly powers a pump that recirculates groundwater in a subsurface biogeochemical reactor containing soybean oil and mulch.
More than 81 million gallons of groundwater treated at the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport 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 in Baltimore and re-used onsite as infill for excavated areas.
A subgrade biogeochemical reactor at Travis Air Force Base in California contains waste cooking oil serving as a carbon-rich food source for contaminant-degrading microorganisms.
Operation of wind turbines at the Continental Steel Corp. site in Kokomo, Indiana, offsets up to 60% of the grid electricity used to extract contaminated groundwater from 16 wells.
Use of a continuous one-pass trencher for remedy construction at the Altus Air Force Base in Altus, Oklahoma, reduced fuel consumption while minimizing disturbance to ground surfaces and vegetation.
Integration of a bioreactor to degrade contaminants in groundwater at the Re-Solve Inc. site in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, resulted in an 86 percent reduction in processed chemical usage.
A groundwater treatment building for the Lawrence Aviation Industries site in Port Jefferson Station, New York, was built to meet selected LEED criteria for green building.
Onsite solar energy is used to power skimming pumps that recover hydrocarbons from groundwater at the former St. Croix Alumina Plant in Kingshill, U.S. Virgin Islands.
About 500,000 tons of byproduct from a local industrial plant was used to stabilize 85 acres of mine-impacted lands at the De Sale Restoration Area in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
Restoration of the Pemaco Superfund site in Mayfield, California, included establishing greenspace that promotes rainwater infiltration and minimizes stormwater runoff.
- Excavation and Surface Restoration (PDF) (5 pp, 286K) *Update*
- Site Investigation and Environmental Monitoring (PDF) (4 pp, 179K) *Update*
- Pump and Treat Systems (PDF) (6 pp, 673K) *Update*
- Bioremediation (PDF) (4 pp, 493K) *Update*
- Soil Vapor Extraction & Other Air-Driven Systems (PDF) (4 pp, 457K) *Update*
- Clean Fuel & Emission Technologies for Site Cleanup (PDF) (10 pp, 354K)
- Integrating Renewable Energy (PDF) (6 pp, 840K) *Update*
- Sites with Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (PDF) (4 pp, 216K) *Update*
- Landfill Cover Systems & Energy Production (PDF) (6 pp, 465K)
- 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
Community Guide to Greener Cleanups (PDF) (2 pp, 1.4MB)
- Executive Order 14072: Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies *New*
This April 27, 2022, E.O. sets forth federal policy to deploy climate-smart forestry and other nature-based solutions to improve resilience of lands, waters, wildlife and communities in the face of disturbances and stress arising from climate impacts. The solutions include actions that protect coasts and critical marine ecosystems, reduce flooding, moderate extreme heat, replenish groundwater sources, capture and store carbon dioxide, and conserve biodiversity. Cleanup at Port Hadlock's Site 10 North End Landfill illustrates how such solutions can be planned and implemented at Superfund sites in coastal settings.
Executive Order 14057: Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability *New*
This December 8, 2021, E.O. sets forth federal policy to lead by example in order to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050.
Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
This January 27, 2021, E.O. sets forth policy and initiatives to advance our transition to clean energy and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Use of greener cleanup strategies in the U.S. EPA's Superfund and other site cleanup programs helps meet the policy goals by integrating renewable energy, deploying clean fuel and emission technologies, protecting water, sequestering carbon, conserving land, protecting critical ecosystems and biodiversity, and using nature-based solutions.
- Design, construction, & operations
- Renewable energy applications
- System optimization
- Contracts and administrative materials *Coming 2022*
Learn about footprint assessment tools and view comprehensive reports on footprint evaluations conducted at sites undergoing cleanup. EPA's universal greener cleanup metrics provide a uniform and transparent approach to quantifying the environmental footprint associated with materials, wastes, water or energy that are used or generated during a cleanup. EPA's Spreadsheets for Environmental Footprint Analysis (SEFA) tool is available to help evaluate the environmental footprint of a cleanup project at a detailed level. *Update*
Aligning with National Goals
Learn about executive orders, requirements, and guidance on energy and water management, green purchasing, and environmental stewardship
