Green and Sustainable Remediation of Contaminated Sites

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Green and Sustainable Remediation of Contaminated
Sites

• Presented by
• Christopher Hurst, PE, CHMM
• AMEC
• Atlanta, GA 30144

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Topics

• Background on Green and Sustainable
• How Sustainable Principles Apply to Remediation
• Life Cycle Analysis Tool for Sustainable
  Remediation
• Examples of Sustainable Decisions
• The Future of Sustainable Remediation

After this presentation you will know the
difference between Green and Sustainable
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Birth of Remediation Industry

• Began in 1970s in response to environmental
  contamination (e.g. Love Canal)
• Laws were created, regulatory agencies grew and
  an industry emerged (RCRA, CERCLA)
• Remediation focused on rapid response and often
  involving energy-intensive remedies
  (incineration)
• But remedies didnt meet cleanup levels due to
  technical limitations
• Long-term operations, such as pump-and-treat and
  SVE were commonly used after initial remediation
• Long term OM was the norm

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Next Came Remediation Optimization

• Remedial Optimization (RPO, RSO) looked at
  improving implemented remedies
• Evaluation of current conditions with respect to
  remedial objective and goals
• Provided a process to improve effectiveness and
  efficiency

• Focused on
• Understanding the site
• Developing an exit strategy
• Driving a site to reduce OM cost and to closure

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Along Came Going Green and Living Sustainably

• Awareness of global climate change led to concern
  about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Energy-intensive remedies contribute large
  amounts of GHGs
• DuPont (2008) estimated that the difference
  between two remedies in NJ could be 2 percent of
  the annual GHG emissions for the State

• Sustainability came into vogue
• Society wants to reduce or avoid negative
  environmental impacts to allow human activity to
  be more sustainable
• Most developed countries are rethinking how
  behavior, reliance on technology, and consumption
  of energy impact the environment
• U.S. Government is requiring (EO 13514 for GHG,
  Water, Energy, and Waste)

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Green and Sustainable What Are They?

• Green Minimizing environmental footprint
  including GHG and other air emissions, waste,
  energy, water, materials, land and ecological
  impacts. Includes the use of biodegradable and
  ecologically friendly materials. One leg of
  sustainability.
• Sustainable Meeting the needs of present
  generations without compromising the ability of
  future generations to meet their needs
  (Brandtland Commission, 1987)

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EPA View of Green Remediation (2010)

• Goals
• 100 renewable energy (Including REC)
• Use green remediation factors in remedy
  optimization
• Reduce natural resource and energy use
• Integrate clean, renewable, and innovative energy
  sources
• On and off-site reuse of materials
• Specify that contractors use green remediation
  practices
• Help communities establish networks and training
  programs for green cleanups
• EPA Region 9 is evaluating off-site and on-site
  impacts (holistic evaluation)

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Sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line (more
than Green)

• Goals
• Holistic Approach
• Balances
• Economic Considerations
• Environmental Impacts
• Social Benefits

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Green and Sustainable Remediation

• Green Remediation
• The practice of considering environmental impacts
  of remedy implementation and incorporating
  options to minimize the environmental footprint
• Current focus by EPA is more on minimizing
  post-remedy selection impacts
• Is the primary focus of most regulatory
  initiatives
• EPA recognizes that green is only part of
  sustainable
• EPA Region 9 is looking at off-site impacts as
  well as on-site (laboratory, transportation)
• EPAs desire is to look at impacts as part of
  remedy selection process
• Sustainable Remediation
• Selection and implementation of a remedy whose
  net benefit on human health and the environment
  is maximized through the judicious use of limited
  resources
• Encourages evaluation of impacts of a remedy
  during the remedy selection process
• Embraces the Triple Bottom Line
  environmental, economic and social benefits
• Organizations such as ASTM, ITRC, and SuRF are
  tackling the broader issue of sustainable
  remediation

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How Does Green Support Sustainable Remediation?

• Green technologies and practices contribute to
  sustainability
• Sustainable remediation can equate to green
  remediation
• Reduced energy consumption reduces GHG emissions
• Lower cost normally means less environmental
  impact
• Social acceptability can come from green
  practices
• Educating public and regulators on sustainability
  can bring green and sustainable practices closer
  together

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What is Sustainable Remediation?

• Improving traditional remediation through
  adoption of a thoughtful remediation plan that
  incorporates the following
• Actions that decrease the environmental footprint
• A cost-effective yet still protective approach
• A remedial approach that take into account
  timliness
• Minimal transfer of the problem from one medium
  to another
• An increase in community benefits
• A consideration of safety associated with the
  action
• These elements are consistent with USEPA policy
  and seek to take Green Remediation a step further

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A Tool for Sustainable Remediation
LCA

• Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Quantifies
  environmental impacts of a remedial action
• Provides a standardized, well documented approach
• Can include economic and social parameters
• LCA is covered under ISO 14040 and 14044 as part
  of an environmental management program
• Can span from cradle to cradle (including
  operation and land reuse)
• Goes well beyond life cycle cost analysis

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Life Cycle Analysis for Sustainable Remediation

• Parameters included in impact analysis
• Air (SOx, NOx, PM, CO2, VOCs, GHG)
• Energy (can be renewable or not)
• Economics/Cost
• Safety to Workers and Community
• Software Tools
• Site Wise (free software developed by Battelle
  for the Army and Navy)
• SRT (free software developed by the Air Force)
• SimaPro and GaBi (professional assessment
  tools--)
• Other proprietary and directed-use tools
• Software uses an inventory relevant to parameters
  evaluated (air emissions per kilowatt, etc).
• Quality of data used affects quality of results

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How is LCA Applied

• Defines the environmental footprint of project
• Can be applied to
• Comparing a range of alternatives (i.e.
  feasibility study)
• Determining the effect of changing an alternative
  (optimization study)
• Can be applied through out the life of a project
  as part of the decision making process
• On the surface it is a simple concept.
  Implementation can be a complex process.
• Softwares inventory of data simplifies the
  process
• Industry and regulators not universally familiar
  with concepts (understand carbon foot-print which
  is related)
• LCA can lead to more risk based remedial action
• Regulators may view this as Green Washing
  remediation

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LCA Tool Output (for the project lifecycle)

• Air Emissions (Tons)
• Energy Consumption (KW, MW or GW)
• Project Cost (NPV or total)
• Reduction of Waste Generation
• Safety/accident risk compared to environmental
  risk
• Can compare to emissions from cars, energy
  consumption by household, etc.

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Key Contributors to Environmental Footprint
Romic East Palo Alto Pump Treat CO2e Emitted
(lbs)
Information courtesy of EPA Region 9
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Sustainable Remediation Soil Excavation

• Former Gun Club RCRA Corrective Action
• Goals
• Reduce, Reuse Recycle Wastes Raw Materials 
• Reduce Transportation Related ImpactsImplementati
  on (Required Significant Pre-Planning)
• Waste disposal profiling (lead PAHs) of each
  location conducted in advance of excavation
• Excavation depth minimized through constant field
  oversight of each excavation cell
• Separated soil during removal as either non
  hazardous or hazardous
• Location 1 -- 29,000 tons (39 total) of non-haz
  soil was recycled for use as Portland Cement.
• Location 2 -- 5,500 tons (96 total) of non-haz
  soil was recycled for use as Portland Cement

Green reuse of material instead of disposal
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Sustainable Remediation Former MGP Site

• Achieved successful risk-based closure by
  evaluating site-specific toxicity and exposure
• Managed removal of 2000 gallons of coal tar and
  MGP residuals
• Constructed 2 impermeable barrier and 2
  permeable barrier landfills (9 acres total) in
  lieu of excavation and offsite disposal
• Installed in situ lining in sanitary and storm
  sewer to eliminate groundwater infiltration/migrat
  ion
• Incorporated significant landscape improvements
  to ensure community acceptance and satisfaction

Green Xeriscape landscaping to reduce water
demand
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Sustainable Remediation Landfill Cap a
Brightfield Redevelopment

• Landfill Cap redeveloped into a renewable (solar)
  energy facility
• 1,395 solar modules
• 450 kw of electricity
• Provides in annual reduction of 300 tons of CO2
• Environmental and solar energy education center
  were incorporated into the new facility
• All community concerns were incorporated into the
  cleanup and redevelopment plans
• Supports the communities economic development
  strategy

Green Provides Alternative Energy Source
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Sustainable Remediation Project Example

• Background
• Contaminated Site in East Point, GA acetone,
  TCE, Benzene
• Initially pump and treat used for remediation
• Sustainable remedy
• Turn off pump and treat
• Bio-sparge to treat Acetone/Benzene in soil and
  groundwater
• No-purge sampling to monitor performance
• Added lactate to TCE well
• No net increase in annual cost (treatment cost lt
  PT cost)
• Achieved NFA from EPA within 24 months
• In retrospect
• Environmental Protection closed site with no
  further action
• Economic Consideration No increase in present
  cost, no future cost
• Social Allowed unrestricted use of blighted
  property (light industrial)

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Sustainable Remediation Former Manufacturing
Facility

• Closed RCRA Landfill
• Neighbor wanted property
• Candidate for Brownfield Program (if not RCRA)
• Off-site plume
• Excavated shallow soil and treated with chemical
  oxidants ( 20 tons permanganate)
• Proceeds from property sale covered remediation
  cost
• Blighted property became useful parking lot and
  tennis courts
• Improved appearance and community acceptance of
  area

Green Increased societys perception of
property value
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Future of Sustainable Remediation

• DoD facilities are adding Sustainable Remediation
  to Feasibility Study evaluation criteria
• Sustainable Remediation Standards are under
  development
• SuRF Guidance Document 2011
• ASTM Standard expected in 2012-2013
• ITRC Guidance expected in 2012-2013
• Ongoing Meetings with state and federal
  regulators to discuss benefits of Sustainable
  Remediation (ITRC, SuRF)
• Industries adding Sustainable Remediation to
  evaluation criteria
• In many cases, Sustainable Remediation has
  attractive economic payback and improves public
  image

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Tough Questions to Consider

• How do you weigh the need for site remediation
  against the resources utilized?
• How to determine unintended consequences
  resulting from remediation?
• Do you evaluate sustainability metrics be before
  or after remedy selection?
• Weighting of short-term significant environmental
  footprint (e.g. excavation, thermal treatment)
  against a longer period (e.g. SVE, pump and
  treat)?
• Weighing environmental protection against
  environmental harm (emissions), economic impact,
  and social benefits?

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Tenets of Green and Sustainable Remediation

• Implement remediation projects in an
  environmentally responsible manner (Green)
• Recognize that some metrics have limited role on
  time-critical remediation projects (i.e. imminent
  risk)
• Protection of human health and the environment
  are baseline requirements
• All relevant stakeholders should have a say in
  the decision-making and by default the remedy
  selection
• Goals include reduced consumption of energy,
  water and other natural resources maximization
  of reuse/recycling and minimization of carbon
  footprint, GHGs, and any other deleterious effect
  of remediation
• We can make better remediation decisions by
  accounting for economic and social metrics
• Make Sustainable Remediation part of Good
  Business

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What is sustainable about moving a Lighthouse?

• Environmental
• Completed with minimal environmental impact.
• Preservation in place would have resulted in
  collapse, protection against collapse would have
  had negative environmental impacts
• Economic
• Tourist draw to area
• Jobs and tourist related income
• Social
• National Historic Site
• Provides educational and recreational
  opportunities for visitors
• Preserves our national heritage

5,000 ton structure moved 2,900 feet at a cost of
10 million
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• Thank You
• Questions?