DOE OSTI2016
The inclusion of sustainability considerations in remediation cleanup process (investigation through site closure) benefits site owners, including Federal agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE), through development of more efficient and cost-effective remedies as well as communities by considering socio-economic impacts and redevelopment into remedial decisions. The incorporation of social, environmental, and economic considerations early in the remedial process often enables achievement of regulatory site closure sooner and with broader community acceptance. In order to achieve these objectives, stakeholders, including federal facilities, regulators, contractors, and consultants, have expressed the need for case studies demonstrating successful implementation of sustainable practices. The Sustainable Remediation Forum emerged in 2006 and was established as a non-profit organization in 2010. Through exploration of technical issues such as groundwater conservation and reuse at remediation sites to life cycle assessment approaches, subject matter experts have led discussions across the industry of how the incorporation of sustainability into the remediation process can provide benefits through: - Consideration of socioeconomic impacts and drivers for remediation and redevelopment; - Reduced environmental impacts of remedial actions; and - Enhanced economic value through partnerships and informed decision making. Incorporation of sustainable remediation concepts provides distinct and recognizable value, as demonstrated through the technical initiatives of the Sustainable Remediation Forum, remediation industry conferences and events, and the prevalence of government agency and corporate sustainable remediation programs, such as the DOE's Cross-Programmatic Work Group. Sustainable remediation has evolved from discussions of environmental impacts of cleanups (with considerable green-washing), to quantifying and minimizing the environmental footprint and subsequent long term global impacts of a remedy, and currently, incorporating strategies to address all three components of sustainability - environmental, social, and economic. However, the practice of sustainability must continue to advance and new approaches should be adopted to holistically evaluate beneficial and detrimental impacts from the remedial process and incorporate sustainability concepts throughout the project life cycle. A more holistic and comprehensive approach, beyond the traditional paradigm of sustainable remediation, will lead a project team to achieve social and economic sustainability objectives of the community while protecting human health and the environment. This 'advanced' approach is where the most significant benefits will be achieved. Practitioners need documented, peer-reviewed, technically sound concepts and examples of sustainable remediation as supporting material to gain acceptance and approval of incorporation of best management practices and evaluation techniques. Reviewing the advancements of sustainable remediation over the last 5-10 years and the identification of lessons learned has great merit. This discussion of case studies will highlight successful incorporation of social impacts, economic analysis, and site redevelopment into the remedial process to provide a roadmap for site owners in developing sustainable approaches for their sites. Specifically, benefits were achieved in these case studies through promotion of economic development, innovative financing, incorporation of risk-based approaches, and consideration of social value of a site. (authors)
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗