Every spring, the University of Massachusetts - Amherst welcomes all ''Soils Conference" Scientific Advisory Board members with open arms as we begin the planning process responsible for bringing you quality conferences year after year. With this "homecoming" of sorts comes the promise of reaching across the table and interacting with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, each of them bringing their unique perspective in support of a successful Conference in the fall. This year marks the 20^^ anniversary of what started as a couple of thoughtful scientists interested in developing partnerships that together could fuel the environmental cleanup dialogue. Since the passage of the Superfund Law, regulators, academia and industry have come to realize that models that depend exclusively on ''command and control" mandates as the operative underpinning limit our collective ability to bring hazardous waste sites to productive re-use. It is with this concern in mind that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection privatized its cleanup program in 1993, spurring the close-out of over 20,000 sites and spills across the Commonwealth to date, in a manner that is both protective of human health and the environment while also flexible and responsive to varied site uses and redevelopment goals. So we gather together again, this year, to hear our collective stories and share success and challenges just as we share stories at a family gathering. Take a read through the stories contained in these proceedings.

Volume 9 of the series presents 38 technical papers covering a wide range of environmental issues, including Bioremediation, Chemical Oxidation, Heavy Metals, MTBE, Phytoremediation, Radiation, Regulatory and Legal issues, Remediation, Risk Based Cleanup and Site Assessment. Contributing authors are drawn from across the spectrum of interest: government agencies, academic institutions, the consulting community and industrial companies.

Introduction to Environmental Forensics helps readers unravel the complexities of environmental pollution cases. It outlines techniques for identifying the source of a contaminant release, when the release occurred, and the extent of human exposure. Written by leading experts in environmental investigations, the text provides detailed information on chemical "fingerprinting" techniques applicable to ground water, soils, sediments, and air, plus an in-depth look at petroleum hydrocarbons. It gives the environmental scientist, engineer, and legal specialist a complete toolbox for conducting forensic investigations. It demonstrates the range of scientific analyses that are available to answer questions of environmental liability and support a legal argument, and provides several examples and case studies to illustrate how these methods are applied. This is a textbook that would prove useful to a range of disciplines, including environmental scientists involved in water and air pollution, contaminated land and geographical information systems; and archaeologists, hydrochemists and geochemists interested in dating sources of pollution. - Co-edited by one of the experts from the Civil Action case in Woburn, MA - Provides essential information about identifying environmental contaminants responsible for millions of deaths per year - Contains the latest information and coverage of issues crucial to both forensics investigators and environmental scientists

Advances in Remediation Techniques for Polluted Soils and Groundwater focuses on the thematic areas for assessment, mitigation, and management of polluted sites. This book covers advances in modelling approaches, including Machine Learning (ML)/ Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications; GIS and remote sensing; sensors; impacts of climate change on geogenic contaminants; and socio-economic impacts in the poor rural and urban areas, which are lacking in a more comprehensive manner in the previous titles. This book encompasses updated information as well as future directions for researchers working in the field of management and remediation of polluted sites. - Introduces fate and transport of multi-pollutants under varying subsurface conditions - Details underlying mechanisms of biodegradation and biodetoxification of geogenic, industrial and emerging pollutants - Presents recent advances and challenges in assessment, water quality modeling, uncertainty, and water supply management - Provides authoritative contributions on the diverse aspects of management and remediation from leading experts around the world

Bioavailability refers to the extent to which humans and ecological receptors are exposed to contaminants in soil or sediment. The concept of bioavailability has recently piqued the interest of the hazardous waste industry as an important consideration in deciding how much waste to clean up. The rationale is that if contaminants in soil and sediment are not bioavailable, then more contaminant mass can be left in place without creating additional risk. A new NRC report notes that the potential for the consideration of bioavailability to influence decision-making is greatest where certain chemical, environmental, and regulatory factors align. The current use of bioavailability in risk assessment and hazardous waste cleanup regulations is demystified, and acceptable tools and models for bioavailability assessment are discussed and ranked according to seven criteria. Finally, the intimate link between bioavailability and bioremediation is explored. The report concludes with suggestions for moving bioavailability forward in the regulatory arena for both soil and sediment cleanup.

Sediments are increasingly recognized as both a carrier and a possible source of contaminants in aquatic systems, and they may also affect groundwater quality and agricultural products when disposed on land. Four aspects are covered reflecting the development of knowledge in particle-associated pollutants during the past twenty-five years: - the identification, surveillance, monitoring and control of sources and distribution of pollutants, - the evaluation of solid/solution relations of contaminants in surface waters, - the study of in-situ processes and mechanisms of pollutant transfer in various compartments of the aquatic ecosystems, - the assessment of the environmental impact of particle-bound contaminants, i.e. the development of sediment quality criteria. A final chapter focusses on practical aspects concerning contaminated sediments.