Remediation: An Evolution to Sustainable Environmental Practices

Applying environmental sustainability concepts to contaminant remediation continues to evolve in the remediation cleanup marketplace. Increasingly, we recognize that mass transfer remediation practices only defer contamination problems to the future. The importance of environmental footprints in remediation work related to global issues has led to the consideration and development of sustainable practices in the selection and design of remediation systems. The recent development of Remediation Carbon Footprint Models (RCFMs) globally illustrate a variety of approaches to estimating the carbon footprints of remediation activities, ranging from simple, user-friendly input to comprehensive inputs resulting in cradle-to-grave considerations of carbon footprint impacts. Preferred practices in environmental sustainability increasingly contribute to long-term protection of human health and the environment, conservation of natural resources, and biodiversity – all balanced against economic viability. Sustainable remediation seeks to connect and balance shared values between economics, environmental, and social contributions.