ABSTRACT
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has devised some guidelines for site remediation to incorporate sustainability objectives and to reduce the environmental footprint of the remediation process. The US Environmental Protection Agency uses the term monitored natural attenuation and defines it as: “the reliance on natural attenuation processes to achieve site-specific remediation objectives within a time frame that is reasonable compared to that offered by other more active methods. The best management practices process should be included to reduce the environmental footprint and document the processes undertaken. An ASTM guide for integration of sustainable objectives into Cleanup has been developed, which includes the environmental, social, and economic aspects. Engineering the natural attenuation capability of soils through the use of geochemical, biological, and nutrient enhancement will provide more sustainable management options. The framework is designed to assist municipalities, planners, and developers to undertake brownfield projects to enable the project to be sustainable for the community in the future.
