At hundreds of thousands of commercial, industrial, and military sites across the country, subsurface materials including groundwater are contaminated with chemical waste. The last decade has seen growing interest in using aggressive source remediation technologies to remove contaminants from the subsurface, but there is limited understanding of (1) the effectiveness of these technologies and (2) the overall effect of mass removal on groundwater quality. This report reviews the suite of technologies available for source remediation and their ability to reach a variety of cleanup goals, from meeting regulatory standards for groundwater to reducing costs. The report proposes elements of a protocol for accomplishing source remediation that should enable project managers to decide whether and how to pursue source remediation at their sites.

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.

STATISTICS IN PRACTICE Statistical methods for interpreting and analyzing censored environmental data Nondetects And Data Analysis: Statistics for Censored Environmental Data provides solutions for environmental scientists and professionals who need to interpret and analyze data that fall below the laboratory detection limit. Adapting survival analysis methods that have been successfully used in medical and industrial research, the author demonstrates, for the first time, their practical applications for studies of trace chemicals in air, water, soils, and biota. Readers quickly become proficient in these methods through the use of real-world examples that are solved using MINITAB® Release 14, a popular statistical software package, as well as other commonly used software packages. Everything needed to master these innovative statistical methods is provided, including: Accompanying Web site featuring answers to book exercises and datasets, as well as MINITAB® macros to perform methods, which are not available in the commercial version Methods for data with multiple detection limits Solutions for research studies in which all data are below detection limits Techniques for constructing confidence, prediction, and tolerance intervals for data with nond-tects Methods for data with multiple detection limits Chapters are organized by objective, such as computing intervals, comparing groups, and correlations, which enables readers to more easily apply the text to their particular research and goals. Extensive references to the literature for more in-depth research are provided; however, the text itself avoids complex math and calculus making it accessible to anyone in the environmental sciences. Environmental scientists and professionals will find the hands-on guidance and practical examples invaluable.

The first comprehensive guide to one of today's most innovative approaches to environmental contamination Natural attenuation is gaining increasing attention as a nonintrusive, cost-effective alternative to standard remediation techniques for environmental contamination. This landmark work presents the first in-depth examination of the theory, mechanisms, and application of natural attenuation. Written by four internationally recognized leaders in this approach, the book describes both biotic and abiotic natural attenuation processes, focusing on two of the environmental contaminants most frequently encountered in groundwater--fuels and chlorinated solvents. The authors draw on a wealth of combined experience to detail successful techniques for simulating natural attenuation processes and predicting their effectiveness in the field. They also show how natural attenuation works in the real world, using numerous examples and case studies from a wide range of leading-edge projects nationwide involving fuel hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents. Finally, they discuss the evaluation and assessment of natural attenuation and explore the design of long-term monitoring programs. An indispensable reference for anyone working in environmental remediation, Natural Attenuation of Fuels and Chlorinated Solvents in the Subsurface is essential reading for scientists and engineers in a range of industries, as well as state and federal environmental regulators, and professors and graduate students in environmental or chemical engineering.

With an emphasis on methodology, this reference provides a comprehensive examination of water movement as well as the movement of various pollutants in the earth's subsurface. The multidisciplinary approach integrates earth science, fluid mechanics, mathematics, statistics, and chemistry. Ideal for both professionals and students, this is a practical guide to the practices, procedures, and rules for dealing with groundwater.