ABSTRACT
This chapter provides that natural attenuation should be considered before selection of an engineered approach at all sites whether federal or state, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or non-CERCLA. To make this case it must be shown that: The current "future" doesn't work and a "future" relying on initial consideration of natural attenuation will work. As municipal solid waste (MSW) accounts for a large volume of the total waste produced, it is useful to examine the role of natural attenuation in its breakdown. High-toxicity, low-volume contaminant sources are often physically removed, whereupon the contaminated water which is left behind is treated by a variety of approaches. Much of CERCLA-related costs have been attributed to the groundwater cleanup phase. Soil flushing techniques involve the injection of a solubility or desorption-enhancing agent into the contaminated soil, followed by the pumped removal of the mobilizing agent and the contaminant.
