Environmental remediation aims to restore contaminated sites to a safe level for humans and animals. It can be costly and complex, with various technologies employed worldwide. Governments regulate remediation, with industrialized nations having higher standards. Liability is often avoided, but laws dictate remediation standards in many countries.
Environmental remediation involves providing a remedy to an environmental problem. This may include removing contaminants from groundwater or cleaning up after an oil spill. Remediation is not always just subject to the will of the people, but is often a matter of government regulation or intervention.
One of the main purposes of environmental remediation is to restore contaminated sites or resources to a level that is safe for humans and animals. Depending on the type of damage caused, this can be a complex and costly process. There are companies that specialize in environmental remediation. Even with the help of these environmental professionals and experts, however, sometimes nothing can be done to restore a contaminated site to a point where it is safe.
There are various remediation technologies employed around the world. Since environmental remediation is often more expensive in the event of contamination, many companies try to take preventative measures. They employ the relevant technology to treat their industrial waste before it comes into contact with the environment. Examples of these methods include incineration, soil washing, and chemical precipitation.
Environmental remediation tactics are sometimes divided into groups called ex-situ and in-situ. Processes involving excavation of land are considered ex-situ. In situ procedures are those that attempt to treat contamination without removing the soil.
In many cases, nobody wants to claim liability and be held financially liable for assessments and damage to the environment. If the situation were left as a matter of goodwill, it is very likely that the Earth would be much more polluted and contaminated than it is. In many countries, governments have therefore made it a matter of law. Industrialized nations generally have higher and stricter standards than developing nations.
Repair standards can be set by higher governing bodies or by smaller bodies. In the United States, for example, much of the environmental remediation legislation is dictated by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Individual states can also issue regulations as long as they don’t violate federal standards.
In Canada, the situation is more or less the same. Canada’s Council of Environment Ministers provides the big picture. Thereafter, each province has great power to decide how matters are handled in their areas.
There are situations for which even the most industrialized nations do not have remediation standards and procedures. These are often addressed by conducting assessments, weighing the risks and getting a certain authority to consider how to proceed. Sometimes companies will voluntarily conduct assessments and propose solutions. Other times, these measures may be part of licensing and permit requirements or claimed to be necessary to prevent lawsuits that could result in the closure of a company.
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