FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE
ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
FRTR HIGHLIGHTS
Twenty-three new cost and
performance case studies
EPA's OSWER releases Green
Remediation Principles
(www.eDa.aov/oswer/areencleanuDs)
Summary and presentations from the
FRTR meeting on Green Remediation
posted on the FRTR Web site
New on-line resources dedicated to
green remediation,
(www. du-in.ora/areenremediation)
and ecological revitalization
(www.duin.org/ecotools)
Development of a Sustainable
Remediation Tool by the Air Force
Center for Environmental Excellence
(AFCEE) to aid remediation
professionals in incorporating
sustainability concepts into the
remedy decision-making process
FRTR "What's New" Web Site Feature
contains recent publications
* Green Remediation Primer
* Ecological Revitalization
Document
* Phytotechnology Document
4 Nanotechnology for Site
Remediation
GREEN REMEDIATION:
Green remediation is the practice of
considering all environmental effects of
remedy implementation and incorporating
options to minimize the environmental
footprints of cleanup actions (www.epa.
aov/suDerfund/areenremediation).
This fact sheet summarizes activities of
the Federal Remediation Technologies
Roundtable (FRTR or Roundtable) over
the last year. The FRTR is an interagency
working group that promotes cooperation
among member agencies to further
development and use of new technologies
for improved remediation of hazardous
waste sites. Primary members of the FRTR
include the U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD), the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), the U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI), the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Roundtable meets twice each year
to share information on topics of interest
and has done so continuously since it was
established in May 1990. The 37th FRTR
meeting, held in December 2008, focused
on green remediation; the objectives of the
meeting were as follows:
* Improve communication, share
experiences and lessons learned in
advancing green remediation best
practices
* Outline key issues, identify baseline, and
benchmark green remediation efforts as a
basis for future metrics
The recent focus on green remediation is a
result of policy actions taken by the federal
government, including the Energy Policy
Act of 2005, the Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007, and Executive
Order 13423 on Strengthening Federal
Environmental, Energy, and Transportation
Management. EPA's strategic plan also
emphasizes the importance of green
remediation. In addition, FRTR member
agencies are currently supporting several
green remediation efforts and activities, and
the FRTR has formed a Green Remediation
Subgroup. Examples of ongoing green
remediation efforts within each FRTR
member agency are provided below.
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
ERA'S GREEN REMEDIATION WEB SITES
EPA's OSWER has developed a Web site (http://
www.clu-in.org/greenremediation) that serves
as a repository of technical information related
to green remediation. Through case studies and
fact sheets the site documents the state of best
management practices (BMPs) for green remediation
at contaminated sites throughout the United
States.
The Web site includes various resources for users,
including
1. Case studies on sites where green cleanup
strategies are being practiced
2. Technical information on sustainability;
guidance and policy; renewable energy;
design, construction and operations; and system
optimization
3. A Green Remediation Toolbox that includes
information on BMPs, contracting and
administrative tools, decision tools, and
partnering opportunities
A key feature of this Web site is the technical
assistance provided to site managers and other
stakeholders, who may directly submit a general
inquiry about green remediation strategies through
the Website.
EPA's cross-program policy statement on green
cleanups can be found at (www.epa.gov/oswer/
greencleanups) as described in the adjoining
article.
Green Remediation Efforts within DoD
Green remediation efforts under way within DoD
include development of a policy memorandum by the
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations
and Environment (DUSD[I&E]/EM) that commits
to consider green remediation in current and future
remedial activities. Likewise, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USAGE) is developing a guidance
document on incorporating sustainability into
environmental remediation. Furthermore, the Air
Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
(AFCEE) is developing a Sustainable Remediation
Tool (SRT) to aid remediation professionals in
incorporating sustainability concepts into the decision-
making process. The tool uses a tiered approach to
estimate sustainability metrics for four technologies,
including Excavation, Soil Vapor Extraction, Pump
and Treat, and Enhanced In Situ Biodegradation. The
tool considers the following sustainability metrics for
each tier and technology: carbon dioxide emissions
to air, total energy consumed, technology cost, safety
and accident risk, and natural resource service.
Additional information about AFCEE's sustainable
remediation is available on line at www. afcee. of. m ill
resources/technologytransfer/programsandinitiatives/
sustainableremeditation/index.asp.
Green Remediation Efforts within DOE
In March 2009, DOE published a final rule to promote
federal procurement of energy-efficient products
(Federal Register: Volume 74, Number 48, Page
10830-10836). The final rule establishes guidelines for
federal agencies on implementing amendments to the
National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA)
that require federal agencies to procure Energy Star-
qualified and Federal Energy Management Program
(FEMP)-designated products when they purchase
energy-consuming products and systems. Additional
information about DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy (EERE) is available on line at
www.eere.energy.gov.
Green Remediation Efforts within EPA
A goal of the U.S. EPA is to preserve and restore
land by assessing and cleaning up contaminated
sites. Cleaning up sites can be viewed as "green"
as a cleanup improves environmental and public
health conditions. The process of cleanup, however,
creates an environmental footprint of its own. Over
time, we have learned that we can implement
protective cleanups that are greener by increasing
our understanding of the associated environmental
footprint and taking steps to minimize it.
EPA's contaminated site cleanup programs have
released the Principles for Greener Cleanups, to
improve the decision-making process for cleanup
activities in a way that ensures protection of human
health and the environment and reduces adverse
environmental impacts on communities (www.epa.
gov/oswer/greencleanups). In consideration of these
Principles, EPA's Superfund Program, one of five
major EPA cleanup programs, has released a green
remediation strategy outlining major activities to
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
GREEN REMEDIATION CASE STUDIES
EPA's Green Remediation Web site provides several site-specific examples where best management practices are
in place and core elements of green remediation have been addressed using state-of-the-art technologies, novel
field methods, and "tried and true" design and engineering techniques. Below are some examples of case studies
available on the Web site.
. At the Crozet Orchard Superfund Site in Crozet, Virginia, the cleanup objective included removal of
metals and pesticides such as lead arsenates from soil at a former apple orchard. The green remediation
strategy involved phytoremediation supported by gravity-fed and renewable energy-powered irrigation
techniques. Nearly 20,000 Chinese brake ferns were planted for hyperaccumulation of arsenic in the top 9
inches of soil at the site. The plants were watered using a 4,000-gallon tank used to transfer stored spring
water by gravity to 17 of 24 fern plots when needed. Solar-powered, low-flow pumps transfer water from
a hill-bottom spring to a second storage tank; water from the second tank is delivered to other (sloped)
plots using gravity-fed drip methods. Arsenic concentrations have been reduced in seven plots to below
the 58 parts per million (ppm) action level after two growing seasons and in five plots to levels within 10
ppm of cleanup goals. This approach also avoided the costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with
consumption of grid electricity during the treatment process.
. At the Former Nebraska Ordnance Plant in Mead, Nebraska, the cleanup objective consisted of removing
trichloroethene (TCE) and explosives in groundwater. A 10 kilowatt (kW) wind turbine was used to power
groundwater circulation wells (GCWs) for air stripping and ultraviolet treatment. This site is a formerly-
owned DoD facility, and being addressed under the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program, managed
by USAGE. This approach has provided sufficient renewable energy for continued TCE removal and
explosives destruction by the aboveground treatment system during grid inter-tie operation. It has also
reduced the consumption of utility-provided electricity by 26 percent during grid inter-tie operation and has
decreased carbon dioxide emissions by 24 to 32 percent during off-grid operation of the system's 230-volt
submersible pump. Surplus electricity was returned to the grid for other consumer use. This green approach
is expected to realize a cost savings of more than $40,000 over the next 15 years of treatment, based on an
electricity cost of $0.0546 per kWH at the time the wind turbine was started up.
reduce the environmental footprint of its cleanups
(www.epa.gov/superfund/greenremediation).
Green remediation relies on greater conservation and/
or protection of water, air, land, ecosystems, fuel,
and other natural resources, as well as reduction of
waste. Greener cleanups do not depend on additional
regulatory requirements; and climate change or other
environmental externalities are not a basis for less
aggressive remedies. Opportunities exist to reduce
the environmental footprint of cleanups using the
remediation technologies commonly applied today,
such as soil vapor extraction, bioremediation, or
even groundwater pump and treat. Opportunities
for greening a remedy are found mostly in the
implementation of any selected remedy. Feedback
on the strategy and examples of best practices and
experiences are welcome through the above mentioned
Web Site.
Green Remediation Efforts within NASA
NASA has teamed with Florida Power and Light (FPL)
to provide Florida residents and the space program
new sources of "green" electricity. For example,
NASA is exploring development of renewable energy
projects at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
NASA provided 100 acres to FPL under Florida's
Enhanced Use Lease authority to design, construct,
and operate a 10-megawatt photovoltaic system tied
to FPL's grid. FPL will also build another 1-megawatt
photovoltaic system to support electrical needs at KSC.
It is estimated that nearly 227,000 tons of greenhouse
gas emissions will be prevented from entering the
atmosphere during the life of this project.
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
FRTR WEB SITE FEATURE: "WHAT'S NEW"
This feature allows federal agencies to showcase their notable studies or remediation projects and other FRTR
agency efforts. As an example, three recent publications or achievements posted in this section are:
Green Remediation Publications
April 2008, EPA published the Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental
Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites technology primer, which outlines the
principles of green remediation and describes opportunities to reduce the footprint of cleanup
download/remed/Green-Remediation-Primer.odf.
EPA also published the document Ecological Revitalization: Turning
Contaminated Properties into Community Assets in February 2009.
Ecological revitalization refers to the process of returning land from a
;tate to one that supports a functioning and sustainable habitat. This document
, nical information to assist property managers and other stakeholders to better
understand, coordinate, and conduct ecological revitalization at contaminated properties
ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION:
Ecoloaical Revitalization Turnina Contaminated Prooerties Into Community Assets.odf.
In February 2009, ITRC revised the document Phytotechnology Technical and Regulatory
Guidance and Decision Trees. This document provides guidance for regulators who
evaluate and make informed decisions on phytotechnology work plans, and for
practitioners who evaluate remedial alternatives at a given site. This document is an
update to Phytoremediation Decision Tree (PHYTO-1, 1999) and Phytotechnology
Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document (PHYTO-2, 2001) and replaces the previous
documents entirely. It merges the concepts of both previous documents and includes
new and practical information on the process and protocol for selecting and applying
various phytotechnologies as remedial alternatives. The document is available on line at:
www. itrcweb. ora/Documen ts/PHYTO-3.odf.
REMEDIATION CASE STUDIES
AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
REPORTS
A major activity of the Roundtable throughout the year
is to collect and distribute information from federal
and state agencies on the use of new technologies at
their sites. Each year, the Roundtable compiles reports
and makes them available at the Web site www.frtr.gov.
In 2008, the FRTR Web site was redesigned to make
it more user-friendly The "What's New" section
provides notices about meetings, conferences, and
publications of relevance to FRTR and is updated
monthly.
The FRTR Web site provides case studies and
reports in four categories: Remediation Technology,
Site Characterization and Monitoring, Long-Term
Monitoring and Optimization, and Remediation
Technology Assessment. The case studies share data
collected by member agencies and are based on real
experiences and lessons learned in selecting and
implementing site characterization and treatment
technologies to delineate and remediate soil and
groundwater contamination at hazardous waste
sites. Remediation case study reports describe the
performance and cost of technology applications at
full-scale and large-scale demonstration projects.
Remediation Technology Cost and
Performance Case Studies
More than 400 Remediation (treatment or containment)
Technology Cost and Performance Case Studies are
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
available on the FRTR Web site. Recently, five new
cost and performance case studies for remediation
technologies have been added. These case studies
address the use of in situ remediation technologies for
contaminated sediment, perchlorate, and explosives
in soil and groundwater. Three reports prepared
by DoD's Environmental Security Technology
Certification Program (ESTCP) provide cost and
performance data for in situ treatment of explosives
in soil and groundwater using permeable reactive
barriers (zero-valent iron and mulch biowalls), and
lime amendment to immobilize metals and transform
explosives. In addition, one report developed by
ESTCP involves the use of regenerable ion exchange
technology to treat perchlorate in groundwater. One
report developed by EPA describes use of capping to
minimize upward migration of dense nonaqueous
phase liquid at the Thea Foss Waterway Superfund
Site in Washington.
Site Characterization and Monitoring
Reports
This focus area includes reports on field-based site
characterization and monitoring technologies; more
than 185 reports are currently available. Eleven
new reports have been added, including two from
the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)/U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), nine from ESTCP, and
one from EPA. The two reports from USGS describe
collection and analysis of tree cores to assess the
distribution of subsurface volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) and use of pumped and diffusion sampling
methods to monitor concentrations of perchlorate
and explosives in groundwater. The eight reports
from ESTCP describe various field-based strategies
for detecting nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPL),
VOCs, and explosives. For example, one report
describes use of naturally occurring radon-222 (Rn)
as a partitioning tracer for locating and quantifying
NAPL contamination in the subsurface and for
monitoring changes in NAPL quantities that result
from remediation. The EPA report describes the
experimental design, the analytical methods used, and
compares the total dioxin/furan toxicity equivalents
(TEQD/F) results.
Long-Term Monitoring and Optimization
Case Study Reports
This focus area includes reports that describe long-
term management and optimization efforts that
HIGHLIGHT OF NEW CHARACTERIZATION
REPORT
User's Guide to the Collection and Analysis
of Tree Cores to Assess the Distribution of
Subsurface Volatile Organic Compounds.
This report, prepared by the U.S. Department of the
Interior and the U.S. Geologic Survey, provides a
guide to the use of tree coring as a tool to examine
subsurface volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Delineating the presence and extent of subsurface
VOCs is useful for evaluating the potential risks to
human health from ingestion of groundwater and
the potential for respiration risks from vapor intrusion
into buildings. The report is divided into two parts,
with additional references and two appendices.
The first part focuses on the methodology for
collecting and analyzing tree cores. The second
part focuses on the historical perspectives and
technical considerations related to tree coring as
a tool to examine subsurface contamination. The
technical considerations include the rationale for
various aspects of the methodology and a discussion
of the factors that influence VOC concentrations in
tree cores. The two appendices attached include a
collection of various case studies and an air sample
analysis for VOCs.
Core extractor
with attached flagging
M i M i M M i
012345 centimeters
lypicai iree-Lormg 1001
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
involve techniques such as groundwater monitoring
program evaluation, plume capture evaluation,
and hydraulic optimization. More than 125 reports
are currently available under this focus area. New
documents include two reports from EPA. These
reports provide a summary of the technical assistance
provided for the Burlington Northern Somers site
in northwestern Montana and the Idaho Pole Site in
Bozeman, Montana.
Remediation Technology
Assessment Reports
The reports in this focus area provide broad
assessments of technologies based on results from
field experience gained from multiple sites. Five
new reports were added to this focus area, bringing
the total to more than 88, including two new reports
from the Interstate Technology and Regulatory
Council (ITRC) and one each from AFCEE, ESTCP,
and USAGE. The ITRC reports provide information
on in situ bioremediation and enhanced attenuation of
chlorinated organic compounds. The ESTCP report
examines ways to estimate cleanup time when source
area remediation is combined with monitored natural
attenuation. The USAGE report describes a landfill off-
gas collection and treatment system, while the AFCEE
report provides technical guidance for enhanced
anaerobic bioremediation using techniques such as
permeable mulch biowalls and bioreactors.
HIGHLIGHT OF REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Technical Protocol for Enhanced Anaerobic Bioremediation
using Permeable Mulch Biowalls and Bioreactors
This document, prepared by the Air Force Center for
Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE), describes
the scientific and technical basis for use of permeable
mulch biowalls and in situ bioreactors for enhanced in
situ anaerobic bioremediation of chlorinated solvents,
perchlorate, and explosives in groundwater. The report
provides guidance on technology selection, site screening,
design criteria, installation methods, performance
monitoring, and data interpretation for the various
engineered approaches currently being used. Since
site conditions dictate the effectiveness and type of the
biowall or bioreactor, this protocol is intended to assist
the practitioner in recognizing potential biowall and
bioreactor sites where the probability of success is high,
and in selecting specific approaches that are suitable for
achieving remedial goals and performance objectives. The
report includes three case studies that illustrate the design
and implementation of these anaerobic bioremedi; "
techniques and are listed below.
1. Bioremediation of Chlorinated Solvents Usi.._,
Permeable Mulch Biowall at the Ash Landfill Sitx
Seneca Army Depot Activity, New York
2. Permeable Mulch Biowall at Landfill 3, Operable Uni
1, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma
3. Demonstration of a Recirculation Bioreactor a
Landfill 3, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma
r-powered pump for grc
circulation at the Altus Air Force Base, Okla
www.frtr.gov
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE ANNUAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES: SEPTEMBER 2009
HIGHLIGHT OF REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Estimating Cleanup Times Associated with
Combining Source-Area Remediation with Monitored Natural Attenuation
This Environmental Security Technology Certification Program cost and performance report provides an overview
of a demonstration that evaluated the capability of the Natural Attenuation Software (MAS) to provide reasonable
estimates of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) cleanup time frames in a variety of geologic or hydrogeochemical
environments and sites throughout the United States. MAS was developed as a screening tool for estimating time
of remediation (TOR) for MNA with varying degrees of source area remediation. MAS consists of a combination of
computational tools to make complex analytical and numerical solutions of theTOR problem accessible to remedial
project managers (RPM) and their contractors using site-specific remediation objectives. This report describes
in detail the demonstration design, performance assessment, cost assessment, and implementation issues. A
methodology and tool such as this one can allow stakeholders to make informed decisions on its application,
forecast budget requirements for long-term monitoring programs, and allow better program planning to meet
future needs of cleanup programs.
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FEDERAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY OF ACTIVITES:
SEPTEMBER 2009 (EPA-542-F-09-001) — ORDERING INFORMATION
This FRTR fact sheet is available free of charge from the U.S. EPA National Service Center for Environmental
Publications (NSCEP), while supplies last. To order, mail a request to:
U.S. EPA/National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Or FAX to (513) 489-8695.
In addition, telephone orders may be placed at (800) 490-9198 or (513) 489-8190.
www.frtr.gov
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Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
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Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA-542-F-09-001
September 2009
www.epa.gov
www.frtr.gov
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5203P)
Federal
Remediation
Technologies
Roundtable
ANNUAL
SUMMARY OF
ACTIVITIES:
September 2009
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