ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly addresses two important areas that are related to field practice: site selection and site investigation. The site selection process inherently involves a wide range of considerations and a complex choice of alternatives, and must be conducted by means of a systematic evaluation. Site investigations commence with surface observations and mapping, and proceed to the subsurface. On large or critical sites field activities are initiated by a site selection study. Site-Selection rating scale addresses the hazard associated with the potential release of radioactive contaminants from a proposed nuclear power plant resulting from a possible aircraft accident. The lengths of existing runways in the vicinity of the plant provide an index of the size of low-flying aircraft that may cause an accident. The chapter is concluded with a short case history of investigations for the cleanup of a site contaminated by a spill of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
