ABSTRACT
The modern approach to remediation is the risk-based approach. The idea is to provide rationale to the environmental problem by linking health hazard risk at receptors to acceptable treatment levels at the contaminant source. The added advantage is that this allows accounting for the capacity of the medium for natural attenuation (assimilative capacity). Often, extracting the contaminated water for treatment can do more damage than letting it biodegrade in situ. The regulatory position is that natural attenuation can be acceptable, provided that short- and long-term monitoring proves the truthfulness of the theory in the field, and guarantees compliance at imposed checkpoints. Therein lies the difficulty, because whatever can be saved by reduced remediation can be squandered by a burdensome monitoring plan. Furthermore, sometimes the collection of data-drilling monitoring wells through various formations-actually creates artificial pathways which cause further contamination.
