Remediation plans are formulated to treat environmental contamination and make the area usable again. They involve cooperation between government agencies, private companies, and communities. Developing a plan takes time and involves surveys, meetings with officials and communities, and presenting options for cleanup. Cooperation is needed to establish and implement a plan, which can take years or even decades. People affected by contamination have the right to access and comment on proposed plans.
A remediation plan is a plan formulated to deal with an incident of environmental contamination. The goal of a remediation plan is to identify and treat the contamination so that the contaminated area is usable again. Environmental remediation is occurring around the world to varying degrees, from massive remediation projects involved with former military bases to the remediation of former and current industrial sites that have been identified as sources of pollution. Remediation plans are typically developed through the cooperation of several government agencies, along with private companies that specialize in environmental cleanups and in the communities where the contamination is found.
Developing a recovery plan takes a long time. Once environmental contamination is identified, surveys are conducted to learn more about the contamination and the site. The architects of the plan are also meeting with local government officials to discuss issues such as historic land use, to see if a party responsible for the contamination can be identified. Part of the reclamation plan also involves meeting with the community to talk to them about how they would like to see the land used. For example, when a former military base is cleared, the land can be converted to a variety of uses including residential housing, public parks, light industrial use, and so on.
Once planners know how the site has been used in the past, the extent and nature of the contamination, and how people would like to use the land in the future, they can develop a remediation plan. The plan typically begins with a presentation of a number of options for environmental cleanup, with a discussion of the ramifications of each option. For example, in a dioxin-contaminated industrial site, the community may be offered the option of sequestering and capping the dioxins on site, or hauling the dioxins to a specialized landfill and backfilling with clean soil. Seizure could limit future land use options, while removal could be more costly.
A great deal of cooperation is needed to establish and implement a recovery plan. There may be conflict between agencies and within a community about the best options, timing, and how cleanup should be administered. The process can take years or even decades, especially if the contamination is complicated and there are legal issues such as pending lawsuits, and it is not uncommon for administrators to come and go multiple times in the course of developing a plan and executing it, which can complicate matters further.
People living in areas affected by contamination should be aware that they usually have the right to access any documentation related to the development of an environmental remediation plan. They also have the right to comment on any proposed plans.
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