ENVIRONMENT
The Rocky Road of Sustainable Techniques in Environmental Cleanups
ENVIRONMENT
The Greening of Remediation
The Rocky Road of Sustainable Techniques in Environmental Cleanups
By Larry Feld Freelance Contributor
One would think that environmental remediation is green by definition , however , recent guidance from state and federal regulators establishes goals and incentives to utilize more sustainable practices in remediation efforts .
The Administrative Guidance for Green , Sustainable , and Resilient Remediation , a document published in the Fall of 2023 by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection ( NJDEP ) outlines best practices that align with the United States Department of Environmental Protection Agency ( USEPA ) regarding green and sustainable remediation , or GSR . The document describes GSR as “ the site-specific employment of products , processes , technologies , and procedures that mitigate contaminant risk to receptors while making decisions that are cognizant of balancing community goals , economic impacts , and environmental effects .”
The government ’ s actions are admirable ; however , the directive is missing standards and best practices . As a result , LSRPs ( Licensed Site Remediation Professionals ), owners , and engineers , as well as industry legal counsel are grappling with how and when to employ sustainable
solutions versus traditional methods while managing their client ’ s expectations and regulatory requirements .
The Commerce and Industry Association of NJ ( CIANJ ) and one of its environmental education members , Continuing Professional Education Services LLC ( CPES ) scheduled an event for June 12 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick to discuss the latest on green remediation trends and raise awareness on reducing the environmental footprint on site remediations . For more information on the program , visit www . cianj . org .
Sustainable remediation can be viewed in two parts . First , professionals concentrate on developing leaner operations that respect efficiency , minimize energy consumption , and reduce waste . Tactics include using more efficient vehicles and employing equipment that consumes less electricity or reduces emissions . Green thinking on the job site is also about getting the job done faster and with less waste .
“ Minimizing the impact on the environment is important to us ,” notes Phil Brilliant , CHMM , LSRP , Owner of Brilliant Environmental Services , LLC . “ I ' m trying my best to use environmentally friendly products as well as using products wisely . If you have to sample well and that is 20 feet deep , you don ' t need 30 feet of a hose because then you
just have 30 feet of garbage and that ' s a non-recyclable plastic product afterward ,” he relates .
Sustainable Site Remediation Efforts
Environmental firms are also trying to employ more sustainable remediation methods for cleaning up contaminated sites , however , there are challenges to making a switch .
“ Green remediation is about minimizing the resources used while achieving your remediation goals or objectives for groundwater or soil contamination ,” says Fuad Dahan , Ph . D ., P . E ., LSRP , Principal in the Environmental Department of SESI Consulting Engineers . “ When I first started 25 or 30 years ago , the two most commonly used methods were to excavate and move dirt from one place to another ,” he explains .
In situ technologies , Fuad opines , have developed a lot in the past 20 years . “ Today we try to leave everything in place and inject common chemicals to successfully reduce groundwater or soil contamination ,” Fuad says .
“ They ' re all biodegradable , basic chemicals ,” He notes . “ By biodegradable I would say 99 percent of what you inject in the ground is something that is not going to stay in the environment long or it ’ s not detrimental to the environment .”
Continued
Phil Brilliant , CHMM , LSRP , Owner of Brilliant Environmental Services , LLC .
Fuad Dahan , Ph . D ., P . E ., LSRP , Principal in the Environmental Department of SESI Consulting Engineers .
Agnes Antonian , Partner and Chair of the Environmental Law Group at Connell Foley LLP .
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