v/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA-542-F-97-010
July 1997
Cleaning Up the Nation's Waste Sites:
Markets and Technology Trends,
1996 Edition
Fact Sheet and Order Information
Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
synthesized recent information on the size of potential
markets for cleanup technologies in a new report, Cleaning
Up the Nation's Waste Sites: Markets and Technology
Trends, 1996 Edition. This study updates and expands a
1993 analysis that brought together for the first time
valuable information on site characteristics, market size,
and other factors that affect the demand for remediation
services. The update includes significant new data on
cleanup needs related to RCRA corrective actions and sites
administered by Department of Defense and Department
Of Energy.
The considerable cleanup effort ahead over the next 30
years offers many opportunities to develop less expensive
and more efficient technologies. Using the data in this
study, technology developers and investors can better
direct their resources towards the largest and most difficult.
problems in need of better cleanup methods. The data
also should be useful to other companies providing
remediation services.
Contents of Report
This study addresses the future demand for remediation
services for all major cleanup programs in the U.S.,
including Superfund, RCRA corrective action, under-
ground storage tanks (USTs), Department of Defense
(DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), other federal
agencies, and state programs. The data on each program
include the number of sites that remain to be cleaned up,
estimates of remediation cost, and site and waste charac-
teristics. Also discussed are economic and other market
factors that may change the size or characteristics of the
market, procurement and technology issues, and program
organization and contacts.
Highlights of the contents include:
• Trends in the selection of cleanup technologies in the
Superfund program
• Examples of technology needs identified by federal
and private users
• Analysis of contaminant frequency of occurrence at
Superfund, DOD, and DOE sites
• Estimated quantity of contaminated material to be
cleaned up at Superfund and UST sites
• List of 547 non-federal NPL sites requiring
remediation, and the remedial status of each of 726
operable units at these sites
• List of DOE installations requiring cleanup and where
cleanup is ongoing or completed; estimated cleanup
costs by installation
• Over 100 references
Summary of Findings
Estimates for the number of sites requiring cleanup hi each
program are given below. Although USTs account for
over 75% of all cleanup sites, typically they are the
smallest and least costly to remediate. DOE and DOD
have identified most of their sites, but many are still being
characterized. Non-federal Superfund sites represent the
smallest market. Other federal agencies, in particular the
Department of Interior, are in the process of identifying
specific sites on federal lands.
Future Remediation Market in the United States
Program, •
Superfund
RCBA
Corrective
Acttaa,,
USTs
DOD
DOE
Estimated Number
of Sites/Facilities
550 sites
3,090 facilities
„ "? •*
'J. vi 4 \ v, <• 5
165,000 sites
8,300 sites
10,500 sites
Notes
Non-federal
facility sites
At 2,000
installations
At 137
installations
Other Federal , 700 facilities
Agencies • i
States
29,000 sites*
: Further investigation of these sites may lead to cleanup.
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Technology Use, Some noteworthy trends in technology
use include the following:
• Soil vapor extraction (SVE) has become the preferred
technology for both chlorinated and nonchlorinated
VOCs in soil.
• The use of in situ processes at UST sites has been
rapidly increasing, and more biological processes are
used for these sites than for other market segments.
• The use of on-site incineration for Superfund cleanups
is down.
Contaminants Present. The report concludes that most
programs have substantial numbers of sites with metals or
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as solvents.
Thus, different cleanup programs often will use similar
treatment technologies. Semivolatile contaminants, such
as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyaromatic = -
hydrocarbons are less common. The bar chart gives dak
for major contaminant groups in four programs. In
addition, radioactive contaminants are found at 90% of
DOE installations. Eight percent of DOD sites are known
to contain explosives such as unexploded ordnance, and
the number could grow as investigations continue.
Quantities to be Remediated. EPA will select technologies
to clean up at least 33 million cubic yards of contaminated
material at the 547 non-federal NPL sites. An estimated
31 million cubic yards of soil will be remediated at UST
sites. Data are not available on waste quantities for other
programs.
Future Technology Needs. Although technological ad-
vances have been made since the 1993 report, the two
greatest needs remain
Contaminants to be Remediated in Four
Cleanup Programs
80
70
60
o> 40-
o
13°-
£w
20-
10-
VOCs
Metals
Contaminant and Market Segment
' j '"'DOE figures for VOCs and SVOCs are combined.
SVOCs
the same. The report concludes that more effective
technologies are needed to treat metals in soil and ground-
water in place. In addition, prospective technology users
are interested in applying in situ processes for future
cleanups, because they are cheaper, more acceptable to the
public, and pose lower risk to workers.
Order Information. This report (EPA542-R-96-005) is
available free from the EPA National Center for Environ-
mental Publication and Information (NCEPI) at 800-490-
9198 or 513-489-8190, or fax 513-489-8695. It is also
viewable and downloadable from the Internet at http://
www.clu-in.com.
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
P.O.Box42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
S300
BULKRATE
POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA-542-F-97-010
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