In 1993, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to privatize its hazardous-waste site cleanup program in an effort to expedite contaminated properties through the regulatory system and to provide a more definitive framework for quantifying risk and identifying cleanup targets. This transfer of responsibility for the oversight of assessment and remediation of all but the most seriously contaminated properties to private-sector professionals was achieved through the creation of an innovative Licensed Site Professional (LSP) program. Today, approximately 80 of contaminated sites in the Commonwealth are moving through initial site classification to a finding of “No Significant Risk” without traditional Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversight. This paper explains the regulatory course of cleanups in Massachusetts; examines the impacts of cleanup privatization on government, industry, and the environment; and presents the qualifications of LSPs in light of their evolving roles with private clients and the DEP. It also hopes to stimulate discussion of the viability of the LSP program as a national model of hazardous-waste management.

From across the nation a task committee of recognized experts assembled to prepare a guidance manual for professionals involved in the due diligence evaluation of site contamination from oil or hazardous materials. This ASCE committee of 15 members was chaired by the first writer. The manual provides guidance for professionals involved in the determination of possible site contamination with oil or hazardous materials from preliminary assessments, to subsurface investigations, through remediation. The writers have used the manual repeatedly to establish the acceptable quality of environmental studies by others, and to reference in their environmental studies completed for clients. As environmental practitioners, they cited specific instances in which the manual has been most useful. Based upon their experience, the manual is becoming an accepted reference document in the industry with financial, legal, and engineering firms responsible for the due diligence needs of land parcels. The manual can become a stronghold in the industry given its comprehensive nature and timeliness, a first of its kind developed by a professional and technical organization.

Ex-situ bioremediation of 500 m³ of diesel contaminated soil was evaluated in a research effort at the Kennedy Space Center. As an alternative to thermal treatment, four biopiles were constructed using sandy, diesel contaminated soil. The biopiles were assembled with a negative pressure aeration system and nutrient/irrigation system. Indigenous biota were effectively enhanced within the biopiles to reduce total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbon (TRPH) levels to within regulatory limits. The effectiveness of the bioremediation process was monitored using three different laboratory test methods. Two of the more traditional techniques include monitoring TRPH levels and biological enumeration. A newer monitoring technique, biological community patterning, was evaluated as an alternative test method to biological enumeration. This technique evaluates the transition of carbon source utilization of the microbial community during the remedial process using multivariate, detrended ordination. The entire remedial process required 12 weeks, during which TRPH levels dropped from 3,000 mg/kg to less than detection limits (10 mg/kg). Including laboratory monitoring and construction, the remediation cost was approximately $50/m³.

Policies and procedures set forth in Executive Order 12856, SECNAVINST 5000.2A and OPNAVINST 5090.1B include requirements for the Navy to select and use the least hazardous materials to meet mission, operations, and maintenance needs. The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), as executive agent for the Navy hazardous materials control and management (HMC&M) program, is assigned responsibilities to manage the supply aspects of pollution prevention, and to provide Navy-wide guidance for a uniform approach to the “up-front” reduction or elimination of hazardous materials, consistent with engineering suitability, operational needs, and cost considerations. This paper describes an effort undertaken to support NAVSUP by ensuring that management controls are applied to the procurement and use of less hazardous or nonhazardous materials. This was accomplished by identifying optimum value pollution prevention alternatives for implementation at the Department of Defense (DOD) installations.

Petroleum hydrocarbon soil contamination is currently one of the most prevalent types of contamination encountered in sites undergoing evaluation and remediation. Both in-situ and ex-situ bioremediation with varying levels of sophistication have been used extensively for the remediation of these sites. This paper presents a case history for the use of this technology in the form of ex-situ landfarming at a Purkatawagan, Manitoba, Canada diesel spill site with unique characteristics: short remediation season due to climate (approximately at the 56th parallel); remoteness (accessible only by train, air, or winter road); public-relations requirements (located on First Nation land); and desire to benefit the community through use of a local construction company. For the project, cleanup criteria were developed and agreed upon by Manitoba Environment and the investigation and remediation phases of the project were conducted to meet these criteria by removing contaminated soils at the spill site and by treating these soils at a remotely located landfarm.

This paper summaries the activities of the ASCE Environmental Engineering Division's Groundwater Quality Committee related to survey and classification of most commonly used ground water flow and contamination models. Results are presented from a survey of the committee combined with the similar surveys conducted by other private and government agencies. Fourteen of the commonly used models, identified in these surveys, were classified according to characteristics of usage (prediction, management, or parameter identification), function (flow, contaminant or energy transport), and simulation (domain representation, dimensionality, and solution technique). The surveys indicated the level of usage of models in the ground water industry and identified concerns in selection of models. In a companion paper to be published in the next edition of this periodical, guidance is provided to the practicing professionals on the evaluation and usage of these models.