Introduction

There are many reasons why it is important to accelerate cleanup and streamline decision making. Many other site-specific, or “project-scale reasons,” may necessitate accelerated or streamlined response actions. From a largeor grand-scale perspective, there are also important reasons for accelerating cleanup and decision making. For some, these reasons may seem less clear. However, they are just as important as the site-specific reasons. The science and models presented in this book hold true under the majority of circumstances, regardless of the regulatory framework; however, the regulatory language and nomenclature may vary. The realization that values are part of the information presented in this book helps project teams understand that they will have to use their own judgment and consider arguments for and against the various approaches and methods in order to make a final decision on the most effective strategy based on site-specific conditions. This chapter also provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.