The structure & regulatory requirements of all major cleanup programs in the U.S. are discussed, & quantitative measures of the remediation work are given. The economic & political factors that may affect the size or characteristics of each of the seven segments are also presented. A considerable portion of the report is devoted to innovative treatment technologiesÓ. In the last year, over half of the treatment technologies selected for source control were innovative. Includes an extensive bibliography & 60 different exhibits, plus contacts for federal agencies & a glossary. Of great value to mid-level executives engaged in market planning.

Across the United States, thousands of hazardous waste sites are contaminated with chemicals that prevent the underlying groundwater from meeting drinking water standards. These include Superfund sites and other facilities that handle and dispose of hazardous waste, active and inactive dry cleaners, and leaking underground storage tanks; many are at federal facilities such as military installations. While many sites have been closed over the past 30 years through cleanup programs run by the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. EPA, and other state and federal agencies, the remaining caseload is much more difficult to address because the nature of the contamination and subsurface conditions make it difficult to achieve drinking water standards in the affected groundwater. Alternatives for Managing the Nation's Complex Contaminated Groundwater Sites estimates that at least 126,000 sites across the U.S. still have contaminated groundwater, and their closure is expected to cost at least $110 billion to $127 billion. About 10 percent of these sites are considered "complex," meaning restoration is unlikely to be achieved in the next 50 to 100 years due to technological limitations. At sites where contaminant concentrations have plateaued at levels above cleanup goals despite active efforts, the report recommends evaluating whether the sites should transition to long-term management, where risks would be monitored and harmful exposures prevented, but at reduced costs.

Overview of current and emerging methods used in cleaning up pollution.

"For thirty years, David T. Hanson has made photographs that are widely celebrated for their powerful depictions of the American landscape and how it has been transformed and despoiled by our industrial and military culture.... Wilderness to Wasteland presents four series of previously unpublished and unexhibited photographs from Hanson's early work"--Book jacket.