EPA Developing Voluntary Standard to Certify "Green Remediation"

Date: May 8, 2009

Source: News Room

The EPA says it is in the early stages of developing a voluntary "green remediation" standard as part of a broader ongoing effort to encourage the use of best management practices at cleanup sites to incorporate sustainability principles and reduce the overall impact of cleanups on the environment. EPA defines green remediation as "the practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions." Last month EPA Region III released a draft framework for developing a voluntary green cleanup standard. The framework encourages practices such as minimizing the use of energy; reducing the use and waste of water; reducing the cleanup's impact on surrounding natural resources; and encouraging the reuse, reduction and recycling of materials on-site.

EPA plans to finalize the framework by the end of June and begin collaborating with the American Society of Testing & Materials International (ASTM). According to a presentation EPA Region III's Deborah Goldblum made April 15, the standard will be voluntary, developed through consensus with stakeholders and obtained through independent third-party or self-certification, and it will be flexible to allow for program or state-specific recognition options and promote technology innovations.

Earlier this year, the agency's Superfund Green Remediation Work Group began developing a draft strategy that sets out the Superfund program's plans to promote green remediation practices during site cleanups. Among the actions recommended in the agency's draft green remediation strategy are the development of policies that clarify the role of green remediation within the statutory frameworks of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA) and National Contingency Plan; incorporating green remediation into EPA enforcement agreements; developing tools like informational Web sites and training on green remediation; and incentivizing green remediation through awards and financing.

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