Hazardous wastes remediation remedial investigation

A number of site-specific factors must first be evaluated. Including (1) the chemical characteristics and amount of hazardous waste, (2) the potential for release to the environment, (3) the sensitivity of the particular environment to the hazardous waste, (4) the proximity of the hazardous waste to humans, and (5) Its potential effect on human health. Then the environmental engineer must decide If a field Investigation of the site Is necessary, whether a feasibility study for remedial action Is required, what remedial action Is required to mitigate. If not eliminate, the contamination, and finally, what monitoring plan will enable the efficacy of the remedial action to be evaluated. 

This paper focuses on issues which are relevant to all hazardous waste site investigations, remedial actions, and ongoing surveillance of cleaned sites. Some questions and concerns of field engineers and scientists are ... 

NPL Superfund Records of Decision (RODs) were loeated for 24 of the 27 currently listed NPL sites where the HazDat database lists 3,3 -diehlorobenzidine as a eontaminant. A ROD is a legally binding doeument that states the results of investigation and feasibility testing at hazardous waste sites and tells what techniques will be used to remediate the site. At four of the sites, 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine was verified as a contaminant. The RODs for the other 20 sites did not mention 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine as a contaminant of concern (i.e., one that warrants development of cleanup criteria and a choice of remedy). Affected soil was removed from three of the four contaminated sites. Only one site, Bofors Nobel in Michigan, required development of a cleanup criteria (CPMA 1998). 

Remedial investigations and feasibility studies at hazardous waste sites are potential sources of information on possible exposures of populations surrounding hazardous waste sites. 

No information was located on any on-going studies on the fate, transport, or potential for human exposure to 2,3-benzofuran. Remedial investigations and feasibility studies at hazardous waste sites may provide information on environmental levels, transport, and transformation of 2,3-benzofuran. 

The SW-846 methods are used in the RCRA compliance and monitoring programs for hazardous waste and stack gas characterization, groundwater monitoring, soil, surface water, and groundwater analysis during site investigation and remediation. Many laboratories adopted the SW-846 technical provisions as standards for routine operations. The fact that many of the SW-846 methods do not specify the acceptance criteria for analytical accuracy and precision and allow laboratories to use their own makes these methods even more attractive to the laboratories. 

Remedial investigation/feasibility studies being conducted at the 46 NPL sites where creosote has been found and at the numerous creosote-contaminated Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action sites should provide data on concentrations of the mixture in contaminated media in the vicinity of hazardous waste sites. For example, creosote constituents have been found in surface water impoundments and soil samples taken near wood treatment facility sites in Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Montana. 

No long-term research studies were located regarding the environmental fate of zinc. However, remedial investigations and feasibility studies on the NPL sites known to have zinc contamination are expected to be completed in the near future and may add to the current knowledge regarding the transport and transformation of zinc in the environment. In addition, environmental monitoring currently being conducted at NPL hazardous waste sites will likely add to the current database on environmental levels of zinc. 

Fisk JF. 1986. Semi-volatile organic analytical methods - general description and quality control considerations. In Perket CL, ed. Quality control in remedial site investigation Hazardous and industrial solid waste testing, ASTM Spec Tech Publ 925. Vol. 5, American Society for Testing and Materials, 143-156. 

Site investigation and remediation projects usually include the disposal of investigation-derived waste (IDW), for example, soil from cuttings or excavations, equipment decontamination water, purged groundwater from well installation, etc. To determine whether these waste streams may be hazardous, we should consider their source, and, if necessary, chemically characterize the streams for the determination of disposal options. The disposal facility acceptance criteria would be the action levels in this case. 

White, D.K. In Quality Control in Remedial Site Investigations Hazardous and Industrial Solid Waste Testing. Fifth Volume ASTM STP 925 Perket, C. L., Ed. American Society for Testing and Materials Philadelphia, 1986 pp 103-111. 

Years ago, people were less aware of the dangers of dumping chemical wastes. On many properties, dumping was intensive and/or continuous. This created thousands of hazardous sites, many of which were imcontroUed and/or abandoned. On December 11, 1980, in response to public concern. Congress passed the Comprehensive Enviromnental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), which authorized EPA to locate, investigate, and remediate the worst of these hazardous sites. 

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