Presented at January 2010 AWMA Meeting - Rochester NY

1. 2011
Sustainability &
Green Remediation
Christie Sunderrajan, P.E., CHMM
1

2. 2011
Definitions
• Green Remediation
- The practice of considering all
environmental effects of remedy
implementation and incorporating
options to minimize the environmental
footprints of cleanup actions.
• Sustainable development
- development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.
• WCED "Our Common Future" (The Brundtland
Report, 1987)
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3. 2011
Superfund Green Remediation Strategy
3

4. 2011
Policy / Guidance
Development
Key Action #1: Clarify the role of green remediation in
remedy selection and implementation
• Integrating GR within current program
• Policy – Consistent GR approach –
Superfund Program (UD)
• Evaluate ARARs – Potential existing State
/ Fed regulations / Policies (UD)
(UD) – Under Development
(TBI) – To Be Initiated
4

5. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #2: Develop Protocols / Tools – Project /
Program Mgrs Integrate GR practices
• GR Resource Needs (UD)
• GR Information Resources (UD)
• Tools and Fact Sheets (UD)
• GR Q&A’s (UD)
• GR Checklists (UD)
• GR Training (Implemented)
• Site Specific Assistance (Implemented)
5

6. 2011
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7. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #3: Identify Options Enabling Use of GR
Practices
• Goal 100% Renewable Energy use (UD)
• Methods for increasing energy efficiency (UD)
• Costs or Savings –GR strategies/practices (UD)
• Fact sheet for Green Power (UD)
• Increase use of renewable energy – remote locations
(UD)
• Financing GR RD&D and Initial Deployment (UD)
• National Standards/Certification Process (UD)
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8. 2011
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9. 2011
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10. 2011
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11. 2011
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12. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #4: Address Air Pollutants & Diesel
Emissions
• Fact Sheet – Clean Fuel and Emission Technologies
(Implemented)
• Contract Language – Clean Fuel and Emission
Technologies (UD)
• Recovering and using methane gas from landfills on
Superfund sites (UD)
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13. 2011
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14. 2011
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15. 2011
Diesel Retrofit Technologies
Emission Reduction and Control
PM HC CO NOx Cost
Range
Diesel Oxidation Catalyst 20-40% 40-75% <60% - $1,000 -
(DOC)* $2,000
Diesel Particulate Matter 95% 90% 90% - $8,000
Filter (DPF)*
Partial Diesel Particulate 50% 75% 75% - $4,000 -
Filter (pDPF) $8,000
Selective Catalytic - - - 65% $12,000
Reduction (SCR) $20,000
* DOC & DPF combined provides higher performance and
cost
15

16. 2011
Diesel Particulate Filter
Emissions Reductions
Typical test filter – no DPF
Test filter – with DPF
Unused test filter
Dozer with diesel particulate filter
16

17. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #5: Develop Pilot Projects to
Evaluate / Demonstrate GR Applications
• Database of Innovative GR Pilot Projects (UD)
• Template – GR Analysis Template (UD)
• GR Factors into Remedy Optimization
Evaluations (Implemented)
• RE-Powering Potential Support (UD)
17

18. 2011
Profiles of Green Remediation
18

19. 2011
Green Remediation Profile:
Ferdula Landfill, Frankfort NY
• Soil vapor extraction relying
on wind power to draw
vacuum from landfill vents
• Exclusively off-grid
operations providing a
pulsed effect for carbon
removal of VOCs
• VOC concentrations in soil
gas reduced over 90% in
five years of operation
19

20. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #6: Establish Opportunities in Contracts /
Assistance Agreements – GR Practices
• Contract Language –GR Practices per
remedy selection (UD)
• Contract Language – Require reporting
of selected activities (UD)
• GR Contracting Tool Kit (Implemented)
• Terms & Conditions – Assistance
Agreements (UD)
• Use of existing fed agreements and
establish new agreements (UD)
• Local expertise in green cleanups -
develop and retain local workers (UD)
20

21. 2011
Resource Development /
Program Implementation
Key Action #7: Communicate and share success
stories and lessons learned
• Communication Plan – Consistent GR messages (UD)
• Outreach to Contractors / Industry (UD)
• Partner – Promote National Use of GR Strategies
(Implemented)
• Engage local communities – assessing / implementing
options (TBI)
21

22. 2011
NY Success Stories
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23. 2011
Other Areas – Lessons Learned
Solar panels at Pemaco site, CA
Examples from electrical bill:
~$.46/kWh generating 6,172 kWh for year
saved approximately $2,839 for year or $236.44 per
month in energy charges.
Average usage of electricity inside the treatment
plant is equal to 126,741 kWh/month
Check State Sponsored Rebate Plans
Security Issues
23

24. 2011
Nebraska Pilot Project
Nebraska Ordnance Plant Site
• Why Nebraska?
- Favorable wind conditions – 6.5 meters/sec mean
intensity.
- Favorable Geology - highly transmissive Pleistocene
sand and gravel deposits.
• Purpose
- Quantify the reduction of power requirements by
comparison with historic power use data.
- Calculate the mass of VOCs removed during the
demonstration period.
- Identify system enhancements and recommend new
follow-on studies.
24

25. 2011
Nebraska Project:
• Ground Water circulation wells – air
stripping and UV treatment
- Meets 26% of 767 kWh/month needs using 10-
kW wind turbine
• Electrical savings $40,000 over 15 years
- Tied-in to the grid
• Managing the system to recover total
capital costs
- Using as education opportunity Missouri U of
Sci & Tech students
- Improved freeze-proofing may cut costs by 50%
25

26. 2011
Superfund Green Remediation Strategy
26

27. 2011
Program Evaluation
Key Action #8: Establish a Roadmap – Environmental
Footprint – Project Level
• Evaluate Sustainability - Compile / Analyze Existing
Tools / Metrics (Implemented)
• Agency Methodology - site-specific evaluation measures
/ metrics (UD)
• Evaluation Modules – GR Strategies (UD)
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28. 2011
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29. 2011
Screening Criteria
Contaminated Lands Mapping
Clean and Renewable Preliminary Screening
Energy Sources Criteria
• Biomass: • Availability & quality of solar,
- Residues from crops, forests
wind, biomass
and mills; methane; urban • Acreage
wood waste and dedicated
energy crops
• Distance to electric
transmission lines
- Dry-Mill Corn Ethanol
• Distance to graded roads
• Wind: • Slope and aspect of property
- Non-Grid, Community, and
Utility
• Solar:
- Non-Grid, Community and
Utility
- Community and Utility
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30. 2011
Energy Use
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31. 2011
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32. 2011
Program Evaluation
Key Action #9: Evaluate Footprints of Superfund
Cleanups
• Program Baseline estimate (UD)
• Evaluate EPA’s GR Strategy – performance goals,
objectives and measures (UD)
• Address Gaps in measures or metrics (UD)
• Develop Tools and guidance (UD)
- Effects of environmental footprints of remediation
- Option comparison methods
32

33. 2011
Sustainability in Site Cleanups
• GR “…involves more than merely adopting a
specific technology or technique.” Source:
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34. 2011
EPA Region 2 –
Touchstone Practices
• Use of 100% of electricity from renewable
sources
• Maximize the amount of materials
reduced, reused or recycled
- “Green Concrete” - Concrete made with Coal
Combustion Products (CCP)
- C&D materials
- Organic materials generated on site
• Methane capture at landfill sites
• Clean diesel fuels and technologies
34

35. 2011
NYSDEC DER-31
• Consider the major GR concepts
• Implement easy GR techniques
- Renewable energy
- Vehicle idling
- Design cover systems
- Beneficial reuse of materials (BUD process)
- Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)
• Qualitative & Quantitative Assessments of
alternatives
• Documentation of Efforts
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36. 2011
WITH, not against…
• Not a substitute
• Evaluate with remedy selection criteria *
- Overall protection of human health and the
environment.
- Compliance with ARARs, standards, criteria
and guidance
- Long-term effectiveness and
permanence.
- Reduction of toxicity, mobility, or volume
through treatment.
- Short-term effectiveness.
- Implementability.
- Cost effectiveness
- Community acceptance. * 40 CFR 300.430
- Land Use and 6 NYCRR 375-1.8(f)
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37. 2011
Source:
Some Examples of Greener Approaches
Deconstruction, Cleanup, Design and Sustainable Use
Demolition, and Remediation, and Construction for and Long Term
Removal Waste Management Reuse Stewardship
• Reuse/recycle • Power machinery and • Use Energy Star, LEED, and • Reduce use of toxic
deconstruction and equipment using clean fuels GreenScapes principles in materials in manufacturing,
demolition materials • Use renewable energy both new and existing maintenance, and use of
sources, such as solar, wind, buildings buildings and land
• Reuse materials on site
whenever possible and methane to power • Reduce environmental • Minimize waste generation,
remediation activities impact by reusing existing manage waste properly, and
• Consider future site use structures and recycling
and reuse existing • Improve energy efficiency recycle materials
of chosen remediation industrial materials used/generated
infrastructure
strategies • Incorporate natural
• Preserve/Reuse • Maintain engineering and
• Select remediation systems to manage institutional controls on site
Historic Buildings approaches, such as stormwater, like green where waste is left in place
• Use clean diesel and phytoremediation, that roofs, landscaped swales,
low sulfur fuels in reduce resource use and and wetlands • Reduce water use by
equipment and noise impact on air, water, incorporating water efficient
adjacent lands, and public • Incorporate Smart Growth systems and use native
controls for power principles that promote
generation health vegetation to limit irrigation
more balanced land uses,
• Retain native • Employ remediation walkable neighborhoods, • Maximize energy efficiency
vegetation and soils, practices that can restore and open space and increase use of
wherever possible soil health and ecosystems renewable energy
and, in some cases, • Create ecological
• Protect water sequester carbon through enhancements to promote • Take appropriate steps to
resources from runoff soil amendments and biodiversity and provide prevent (recontamination)
and contamination vegetation wildlife habitat and
recreation
37

38. 2011
Some Greener Approaches
• Anaerobic Bioaugmentation
• Alternative Absorbent Media
• Phyto-Remediation
38

39. 2011
Anaerobic Bioaugmentation
• DAY Site with TCE / PCE in Groundwater
• Degradation of chloroethenes by anaerobic bacteria
http://www.apec-vc.or.jp/
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40. 2011
Alternative Absorbent Media
• Terrenew (affiliation with Cornell
University)
- MetalMaster – binds and retains heavy metal
ions
• DAY Sites:
- Remediation: Chromium Contamination in
Groundwater – Pump & Treat System
- Industry: Wastewater treatment
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41. 2011
Phyto-Remediation
• DAY Site: Hybrid Poplars
planted with amended
soil around plating facility
• Within 6-months,
observed decreasing
trend of VOCS
• Continuing Evaluation…
- Root growth of trees
expect to maintain the
reduction
41

42. 2011
Resources
42

43. Green Remediation Resources
EPA
• EPA's Superfund and Green Remediation
(http://www.epa.gov/superfund/greenremediation)
• EPA’s Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN) website:
http://www.clu-in.org/greenremediation/
o EPA Regional Policies: http://www.clu-
in.org/greenremediation/regions/index.cfm
o Evaluation Tools: web‐based calculators, software models, and supplemental
materials for potential use in evaluating the environmental "footprint"
http://www.clu-in.org/greenremediation/subtab_b3.cfm
o Profiles of GR: http://www.clu-in.org/greenremediation/tab_d.cfm
o Green Response Action Contracting and Administrative Toolkit. Latest
update: http://www.clu-
in.org/greenremediation/docs/Green_RR_Action_Contract_Admn_Toolkit
_10-08-2010_update.pdf
o RE-Powering America's Land (includes Google Earth Mapping):
http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/maps_incentives.htm
• EPA’s Technology Primer, Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices
into Remediation of Contaminated Sites (USEPA, 2008c)
(http://www.epa.gov/tio/download/remed/green-remediation-primer.pdf)
• EPA’s Principles for Greener Cleanups (USEPA, 2009b)
(http://www.epa.gov/oswer/greencleanups/principles.html)
• Smart Energy Resource Guide (SERG)
(http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/600r08049/600r08049.pdf)
EPA Region 2
• EPA Region 2 “Clean & Green” Policy and Touchstone Practices
http://epa.gov/region2/superfund/green_remediation/
o Metrics used by Region 2:
http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/green_remediation/metrics.html
NYSDEC
• NYSDEC Program Policy DER-31 / Green Remediation
(http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/der31.pdf)
• State incentives for Achieving Clean and Renewable Energy Development on
Contaminated Lands: http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/incentives.htm
www.dayenvironmental.com January 2011