green and sustainable remediation and its evolution around ...sustainable remediation –...

May 2, 2012

SURF The Globe: Green and Sustainable Remediation and its Evolution Around the World Justin Kelley AECOM and SURF Canada

Presentation Outline

•  Introduction and Background

• Status of Key Issues and Initiatives

• Tools and Metrics

• Sustainable Remediation Forum

• SURF Canada

• Summary/Conclusions

• Q and A

• Remediation industry born in the late 1970s; discovery of contamination and need for a better understanding of its impacts on human health & environment

• Environmental regulatory agencies and laws were created, and an industry rapidly emerged

• Cleanup focused on rapid response and completion, typically involving energy-intensive remedies

• Experience has shown that remedies have not/cannot achieve acceptable cleanup levels due to technical limitations

• Long-term operations are commonly required after aggressive initial remedial measures (e.g., source removal/treatment)

The Birth of Remediation Industry

•  Increased awareness of global climate change has fueled a desire to lessen greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

• Sustainability recognized as important underpinning consideration

• Recognition that we could integrate Sustainability into the full life cycle of Remediation – Assessment to Closure

• Energy-intensive remedies are often a significant source of GHGs –  Ellis et al. (2008) estimated that the difference between two remedies could

be as high as 2 percent of the annual GHG emissions for the state

Going Green and Living Sustainably

Evolving Remediation Drivers

Third Generation - add business value, enhance reputation and build community assets

The Industry and Regulators are Responding 2006 – US Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF) formed

2007 - EPA Region III Pilot Projects

- SURF UK established under CL:AIRE

- CA DTSC “Green Team” established

- IEPA Greener Cleanups Program developed

2008 - US EPA launched Green Remediation Website

- WDNR began work on WISC

2009 - SURF White Paper Published

- ASTM GSR Subcommittee and ITRC Team established

2010 – EPA Revised Green Remediation Strategy

- SURF Canada Working Group formed

2011 – NRC “Green Book” and EPA studying Sustainability

GSR

Components of Sustainable Remediation

ECONOMIC Remedial actions that

reduce site risks & provide economic

benefits.

ENVIRONMENTAL Technologies, approaches & designs that reduce the environmental footprint of

site cleanup.

SOCIAL/COMMUNITY Community engagement &

adaptive reuse that provides a benefit to the community.

Green Remediation vs. Sustainable Remediation

Green Remediation – the practice of implementing remedial actions in a manner that attempts to reduce possible environmental impacts after selecting a remedy but does not formally include those considerations in the remedy selection process.

Sustainable Remediation – encompasses green remediation but also includes relatively detailed analyses of environmental, social and economic impacts as part of remedy selection and design.

Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council

•  Developing a Framework for Regulators

•  A Team of 75 representing 13 states, EPA (5), DOD (15), DOE (2), Academia (4), Stakeholders (4) and Consulting (30)

•  Working with SURF, ASTM, and ASTSWMO

•  Embracing Sustainable Remediation

•  Overview finalized

•  Tech-Reg finalized

•  Internet Based Training (IBT) kickoff 2/14

ASTM Draft Standards

•  Draft Standard – recently dissected into two stds. (Green and Sustainable)

•  Green Std. - the one US EPA would most likely follow

•  Both not stringent standard, but a guide by definition •  Both likely to be a tiered approach –screening, qualitative and

quantitative tier options

•  Green standard only addresses environmental metrics •  Defines standard management and best management

practices (BMPs) – basic and significant BMPs

•  Not likely to be available for at least a year

Which metrics, how to measure?

New Metrics Represent Externalities Not Generally Considered By Current Process

Why Everyone hasn’t Adopted SR?

• New paradigms can be controversial and polarizing

• Wide ranging and competing views

• Results not in a common metric, some are qualitative

• No standard method for a “sustainable remediation” evaluation

“…because some are struggling between the need or perceived need to restore natural resources (i.e. cleanup soil, sediment and groundwater) vs. the resources utilized and unintended consequences that result when accomplishing (or attempting to accomplish) that restoration”. (Hadley and Woodward 2010)

Why Implement GSR?

• Because it is a requirement? (e.g. NYSDEC DER-31)

•  In support of corporate sustainability objectives, goals and metrics

• To enhance your community relations and public perceptions

• To strike a desired balance in societal, environmental, and economic considerations

• To meet contractual flow down requirements resulting from Governmental Orders

• To reduce energy consumption

• To reduce Environmental Reserves

Why Not Implement GSR?

•  Its is not a requirement?

•  It just adds to my already overloaded burden

•  It won’t save me money

•  Identifying the footprint will result in more mitigation requirements

• My projects aren’t complicated enough

• Regulator won’t consider GSR in remedy selection

•  It won’t reduce my energy consumption

Off-the-Shelf Tools for Selecting Metrics & Completing Environmental Footprint Calculations

•  Proprietary Tools –  AECOM GSRx BMP Tool –  AECOM Holistic Tool –  Arcadis BalancE3 –  BP Sustainability Assessment Tool –  Golder GoldSET –  Haley and Aldrich – Sustainable Remediation Assessment Tool –  Malcolm Pirnie Clean Me Green –  PWGSC SD Tool

•  Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) Tools –  Gabi –  Simapro

•  ADDITIONAL TOOLS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT!

Usage Considerations in Selecting or Designing a Tool

•  Scope of Footprint Analysis –  Single site –  Enterprise/portfolio wide

•  Frequency of Footprint Analysis –  One-time for a feasibility study –  Quarterly/annually for Corporate or

regulatory reporting

•  Level of skill/training required to use the tool

•  Resource constraints –  Financial/budget –  Timeframe

Case Study: Mega-Sediment CERCLA FS

•  Five miles of urban waterway w/ recreational & tribal fishing uses

•  Ubiquitous contaminants/risk levels below background

•  Recontamination due to dredge residuals or from on-going upland sources emphasizes importance of adaptive management

•  Alternatives range in cost from $200M to $1.2B

•  EPA favors removal remedy (i.e. dredging)

•  Agreed to listen and consider GSR Evaluation

•  Negative response with significant comments

Metric Summary During Remedial Ac4vi4es

Unit Alt 2 Alt 5

Gas Emission CO2 tons 15,208 80,153 CO 115 854 NOx 525 3,853 SOx 31 236

Work Accidents

Expected # of worker incident accidents

# 12.7 67.7

Depleted Natural Resources

Sand/gravel Tons 86,000 340,000+

Energy Energy consumpPon MJ 3.02E +08 2.22E +09 Ecological Footprint

Douglas Fir in Pacific cost

Acre 949 1,067

Case Study: Mega-Sediment CERCLA FS

Industry Activities and Initiatives - SURF

• Established in 2006 as adhocracy of interested individuals

• Collaboration of regulators, industry, academics and consultants

• Formed NJ Non-profit Professional Society in 2010

• Meet ~3 times annually – SURF 19 San Diego 1/31/12-2/2/12

• ~150 members including DuPont, GE, Boeing, BP, Chevron, WMI

• K&L Gates Legal Representation

SURF’s primary objective is: …to provide a forum for various stakeholders in remediation — industry, government agencies, environmental groups, consultants, and academia — to collaborate, educate, advance, and develop consensus on the application of sustainability concepts throughout the lifecycle of remediation projects, from site investigation to closure.

SURF - Key Accomplishments and Initiatives

•  “Sustainable Remediation White Paper—Integrating Sustainable Principles, Practices, and Metrics Into Remediation Projects” – Remediation Journal, Summer 2009

• Sustainable Remediation Panel – Remediation Journal, Quarterly Q&A

• LCA, Framework and Metrics Publications

• Site of Sites and Ratings System

• Considering forming Research Foundation

•  www.sustainableremediation.org

SURFs Up Canada

The mission of SURF Canada is: To establish a Canadian network group to promote

"sustainable remediation" that aims to give systematic consideration to the three dimensions of sustainability (social,

economic and environmental), in decision-making about rehabilitation of and management of contaminated sites. The network will bring together public and private organizations and launch an information and awareness initiative across

Canada.

SURFs Up Canada

• Support to the FCSAP (Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan) – SURF Canada providing input on sustainability framework to be incorporated into the FCSAP program.

• SURF Canada continues to participate in key Canadian conferences

• Moving forward with formalizing the organizational structure.

SURFs Up Canada

• Contacts

– Justin Kelley – [email protected]

– Stella Karnis – [email protected]

– Robert Noel-De-Tilly – [email protected]

– Francois Beaudoin – [email protected]

– Sébastien Yelle – [email protected]

• Website

– http://www.surfcanada.org/

Summary and Conclusions

• GSR is evolving rapidly and will continue to evolve

• Additional SURF Organizations likely to form worldwide

• Geographies with risk-based regulatory framework are best suited to embrace Sustainable Remediation

•  Increasing International Collaboration and advancement of science of GSR

• Dramatic increase in case studies and lessons learned

• Evolution to the point of Standard Practices?

• SURF CN represents opportunity to drive paradigm, achieve “Better” and more balanced Cleanups

Justin Kelley 519 915 3086 [email protected]

Questions and Discussion

GSR Web Resources •  SuRF Canada - http://

www.surfcanada.org/

•  SuRF USA - http://www.sustainableremediation.org/

•  SuRF UK http://www.claire.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=182&Itemid=78&gclid=CKngy8e_l5YCFQVfFQodXDiU5w

•  Illinois EPA Greener Cleanups http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/greener-cleanups/index.html

•  US EPA Green Remediation http://www.clu-in.org/greenremediation/

•  WDNR WISC http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/rr/cleanup/wisrr.htm

•  NYSDEC DER-31 www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/der31.pdf

•  AFCEE Sustainable Remediation Tool http://www.afcee.af.mil/resources/technologytransfer/programsandinitiatives/sustainableremediation/index.asp

•  AFCEE Sustainable Remediation Site http://www.afcee.af.mil/resources/technologytransfer/programsandinitiatives/sustainableremediation/index.asp

•  US Army Sustainability Site http://www.sustainability.army.mil/

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