Technology Innovation Program
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Technical Information and Resources

Opportunities for implementing best management practices of green remediation exist throughout the life of site cleanup. Green remediation strategies complement, rather than replace, the process used to select primary remedies best meeting site-specific cleanup goals. Site decision-makers and other stakeholders are encouraged to use a "whole-site" approach to cleanup and reuse that results in most efficient use of natural resources and energy. Site management plans provide venues for establishing targets focused on each core element of green remediation and for documenting sustainable improvements over time. Many of the BMPs and high performance criteria of green remediation draw on selected elements of related programs:

  • U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for new or existing building construction,
  • Low Impact Development strategies to protect and restore water quality by reducing runoff of stormwater and pollutants,
  • EPA’s GreenScapes for landscaping approaches that preserve natural resources while preventing waste and pollution, and
  • Smart Growth principles helping to reduce urban sprawl.

Incorporating green remediation into cleanup procurement documents is one way to open the door for best practice use in the field. In accordance with federal strategies for green procurement, purchasing agreements supporting site cleanup and revitalization should give preference to:

  • Products with recycled content ,
  • Water-efficient, energy-efficient Energy Star® and products with the lowest watt stand-by power,
  • Biobased products,
  • Alternative fuels,
  • Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles,
  • Non-ozone depleting substances,
  • Renewable energy, and
  • All services that may include supply or use of these products.

EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) is gathering and developing targeted technical information to help site decision-makers and other stakeholders formulate green remediation strategies.

Overviews of Sustainable Site Cleanup

Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites. EPA/OSWER Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation. Technology Primer: EPA 542-R-08-002. April 2008.
Green Remediation Technology Primer

Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Site Remediation. EPA/OSWER Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation. Quick Reference Fact Sheet: EPA 542-F-08-002. April 2008.
Quick Reference Fact Sheet on Green Remediation

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Technical Guidance and Policy on Renewable Energy and Natural Resources

2007 Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Renewable Energy Requirement Guidance for EPACT 2005 and Executive Order 13423 Final. U.S. DOE/EERE Federal Energy Management Program. January 2008.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/epact05_fedrenewenergyguid.pdf

DOE Supplemental Guidance to the Instructions for Implementing Executive Order 13423, "Establishing Baseline and Meeting Water Conservation Goals." U.S. DOE/EERE Federal Energy Management Program. January 2008.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/water_guidance.pdf

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Public Law 110-140. December 19, 2007.
http://thomas.loc.gov/

Energy Policy Act of 2005. August 8, 2005.
http://thomas.loc.gov/

Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management. Public Law 109-48. January 24, 2007.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/print/20070124-2.html

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Renewable Energy Sources for Remediation

Green Remediation and the Use of Renewable Energy Sources for Remediation Projects. Amanda Dellens, EPA/OSWER internship. August 2007.
http://clu-in.org/s.focus/c/pub/i/1474/

Groundwater Remediation Powered by a Renewable Energy Source. Curt Elmore and Ron Gallagher, University of Missouri-Rolla. September 2005.
Mead Final Report Rev 0.pdf

Smart Energy Resources Guide. Jennifer Wang, EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory (Office of Research and Development) & Region 9 internship. March 2008. EPA 600/R-08/049.
http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/600r08049/600r08049.htm

Solar Energy Resource Atlas of the U.S.: Annual Average Wind Resource Estimates. U.S. DOE/NREL. March 2008.
Solar Energy Resource Atlas

Technology News and Trends: Harnessing energy from renewable resources to reduce remediation costs and minimize the environmental footprint. EPA/OSWER. Issue No. 30: EPA 542-N-06-009. May 2007.
http://clu-in.org/products/newsltrs/tnandt/view.cfm?issue=0507.cfm#1

Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the U.S.: 50 Meter Wind Power Resource.U.S. DOE/NREL. March 2008.
Wind Energy Resource Atlas

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Tools for Remedy Design, Construction, and Operations

Acquisition of Green Products and Services. U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Office of Federal Procurement Policy. Federal Register: Proposed Policy. December 28, 2007.
http://www.ofee.gov/gp/20071228_OFPPpolicy_FARproposal.pdf

Clean Construction USA: Construction Air Quality Language. U.S. EPA.
http://www.epa.gov/diesel/construction/contract-lang.htm

Clean Energy: Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

Clean Energy: Power Profiler.
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html

Cleaner Diesels: Low Cost Ways to Reduce Emissions from Construction Equipment. EPA/National Center for Environmental Innovation. EPA 100-R-07-002. March 2007.
http://www.epa.gov/sectors/construction/

Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. National Institute of Building Sciences.
http://www.wbdg.org/design/greenspec.php

Go Green: GSA Environmental Initiatives. General Services Administration.
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/home.do?tabId=10

Integrating Water and Waste Programs to Restore Watersheds: A Guide for Federal and State Project Managers. EPA/OSWER. EPA 540K07001. August 2007.
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/integrating.htm

Recover Your Resources - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Construction and Demolition Materials at Land Revitalization Projects. EPA/OSWER. EPA-560-F-08-242. April 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/factsheet.htm

Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact Development (LID) Strategies and Practices. EPA/Office of Water. EPA 841-F-07-006. December 2007.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/costs07/

Sector Strategies Program. U.S. EPA.
http://www.epa.gov/ispd/

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Optimization of Treatment Systems

Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment online. Remedial Process Optimization.
http://www.itrcweb.org/gd_RPO.asp

Elements for Effective Management of Operating Pump and Treat Systems. U.S. EPA/OSWER. EPA 542-R-02-009. December 2002.
http://clu-in.org/techfocus/default.focus/sec/Remediation_Optimization/cat/Guidance/page/3/

Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable online. Remediation Optimization.
http://www.frtr.gov/optimization

Pumping System Assessment Tool. U.S. DOE/EERE Industrial Technologies Program.
http://www.eere.energy.gov

Remedial Process Optimization. U.S. Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment.
http://www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/products/rpo/default.asp

Remediation Optimization. Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable.
http://www.frtr.gov/optimization

Remediation Process Optimization Documents. Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council.
http://www.itrcweb.org/gd_RPO.asp

Remediation System Evaluations and Optimization of Pump and Treat Projects. U.S. EPA/Technology Innovation Office and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. CLU-IN Online Seminar.
http://clu-in.org/s.focus/c/pub/i/826/

Remediation System Optimization. U.S. EPA/OSWER.
http://clu-in.org/rse

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Page Last Modified: June 13, 2008