Ecosystem services consideration in the remediation process for contaminated sites

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Ecological Restoration

Background:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board recommended integrating ecosystem services (ES) into remediation and redevelopment in 2009.
• A decade of advancements in considering ES for contaminated site cleanup is examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide stakeholders involved in contaminated site cleanup with a foundational understanding of ES concepts.
• To offer guidelines for incorporating ES into cleanup processes using a transferable four-step framework.

Main Methods:

• A four-step framework is presented: (1) identify site-specific ES, (2) quantify relevant ES, (3) examine cleanup impacts on ES, and (4) implement solutions.
• Case study applications and activities for site teams are described for each step.

Main Results:

• The framework aims to equip site cleanup stakeholders with the knowledge to consider ES during cleanup.
• Anticipated outcomes include better management and tradeoff analyses, reduced unintended ES impacts, and development of ES for site reuse.

Conclusions:

• The article provides a practical approach for integrating ES into contaminated site management.
• This integration can lead to improved decision-making, reduced environmental harm, and enhanced site reuse potential.