Dear SURFers,

Every two years many of the world's contaminated land policy makers and regulators meet to share experiences and information. The next meeting of the International Contaminated Land Conference is in September and I will be presenting on th topic of sutainable remediation:

Policy and legislation: The international challenges of sustainable remediation
The policy of risk based management of contaminated land is firmly established around the world and is enshrined in legislation in many countries. As the concept of sustinability becomes more mainstream, contaminated land management specialists are working on ways to define, measure and identify sustainable remediation.The multi-dimensional nature of the concept requires a balance between unnecessarily expensive and overly simplistic methods. Different groups around the world are developing frameworks, approaches and tools to help adopt technically sound remedial strategies that optimise cost, social acceptability and environmental impact.

I would be interested to know of any specific messages or questions you would like the assembled multitude to consider.

kind regards,

Professor Paul Nathanail
University of Nottingham & Land Quality Management Ltd

With regards to identifying messages to the multitudes of those interested in remediation of contaminated lands, I have two:

First, it may be wise to focus on reducing the creation of new contaminated lands by properly regulating on-going activities that will undoubtedly lead to the need for future remediation. Strip mining and confined feeding operations quickly come to mind.

Second, in considering remediation, sustainable or traditional, it may be wise to recognize that it is climate change, and the spectre of its terrifying impacts, that have lent the renewed urgency to the old concept of "sustainability". Above all else it is the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions that should drive decisions regarding sustainability, as it is obvious that everything else depends on and follows from a habitable planet.

We are struggling with implementation and management of Land Use Controls, Land Bans, and Land Restrictions. That is, for those site were cleanup remedies are partial – not a full ‘clean closure’ land use activity is restricted (no schools, gardens, etc.) in perpetuity.

The issue brings up environmental justice issues, practical management considerations, realty concerns, land use planning puzzles and more.

The remediation sector has NOT yet answered the question: “What is a sustainable land use ban”. How long, how severe the restrictions, community or responsible party maintenance (and what then when the RP goes bankrupt?).

And FWIW, if anyone actually had the temerity to believe and propose CO2 as the main driver in cleanup, the sector will be damaged irreparably in the public eyes, as have many of the ‘climatologists’. Please avoid that land mine, the remedial field is still respected in most places and applications.

Tony, you misunderstood my point about greenhouge gas emissions. I think that sustainable land management decisions should be made on the basis of climate change impacts not remediation decisions. That being said, energy use and embedded carbon have already become significant considerations in product design and manufacturing, and are being incorporated into remediation decisions as well. This is done outside the regulatory environment by industry that has a clear perception of future challenges.

Hi Richard - and warm greetings from sunny San Francisco - where I write this in anticipation of the Battelle Conference next week. There is a Journal of Phytoremediation that would be a good starting point for peer reviewed information.

The key issue with phytoremediation is to ensure - and demonstrate - control. PLant root zones mobilise contaminants prior to taking them up. So be sure to establish what is happening to your contaminants: destruction, concentration or simply relocation.

Hi

I feel that under the intended topic of discussion on sustainable remediation,technologies like Mycorihiza (soil fungus) used in practial terms to remediate overburdened /contaminated sites can be a topic of discussion which needs further delving .

Dear Bedanga and Etali,

thanks for your suggestion - do you have any case studies you can point us to that document how the use of Mycorihiza fits in with the principles of sustainable remediation? Is it cheaper, more environmentally benign, more socially acceptable than equally effective alternatives? Are there any issues with societal reluctance to allow the use of funghi in remediation? Has anyone asked?

kind regards

Paul Nathanail

Hi Paul,

Some of the sites where i have seen and worked where use of microbes particulalry mycorrhiza as a suitable alternative to others are as follows:Reclaimation at TCL Mithapur ,Gujrat or some of the sites across the world .Please refer TERI website .
You may refer to some of the following documents
www.rural21.com/uploads/media/R21_Mycorrhiza_01.pdf
http://eponline.com/articles/2010/08/02/a-rethink-on-fly-ash-ponds-in-india.aspx
http://clemkuek.com/papers/heavymetalreview.pdf