ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents the broad scope of the remedial process, from initial site assessment to closure, in an integrated, understandable, and coherent format. It provides environmental consultants, managers, and owners and operators with the tools needed to follow a remediation through to completion. The book presents a summary of federal environmental statutes that affect petroleum contaminated sites and remedial activities either directly through regulation and permitting, or indirectly through liability considerations. It describes the various levels and types of soils that must be considered including soil types, classification, and subsurface characteristics from the point of view of remedial choices and planning. The book discusses sampling protocols, laboratory methods, and data quality. It sets up a logical chain of procedures for integrating data into the remediation scheme.
