EPA 540-R-99/504

Executive Summary

Annual Report to Congress FY 1998
The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program
EPA 540-R-99/504
Novemberr 1999

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program has successfully promoted the development, commercialization and implementation of innovative hazardous waste treatment technologies for more than 13 years. SITE offers a mechanism for conducting joint technology demonstration and evaluation projects at hazardous waste sites involving the private sector, EPA, and other federal and state agencies. The program provides environmental decision-makers with relevant data on new, viable remediation technologies that may have performance or cost advantages compared to conventional treatment technologies. Since the initiation of the SITE Program in 1986, cleanup of contaminated sites through the use of innovative technologies has resulted in a total inflated cost savings of over 1.9 billion dollars.

During fiscal year (FY) 96, the SITE Program reviewed its approach to doing business and determined that operational shifts in the program were necessary to identify and assist in the development of the most sought-after technology types and treatment methods. Building on the strengths of the existing program, such as demonstration design, quality assurance, and technology transfer, the SITE Program shifted from a technology-driven focus to a remediation problem focus, driven by the needs of the hazardous waste remediation community. The SITE Program has the following four operating functions: (1) program planning, (2) matching priority sites with innovative cleanup solutions, (3) technology field demonstrations, and (4) information dissemination. The SITE Program’s vision of the program is to remain the premiere organization in enhancing the credibility and implementation of effective innovative remediation options.

The SITE Program continues to earn increased recognition as a leader in advancing innovative technology development and commercialization. The program is participating with 122 technology vendors. Through FY 98, the SITE Program has successfully demonstrated 101 technologies, six of which were completed during FY 98. Emphasis formerly placed on technologies requiring the removal of soil or groundwater (ex situ) is gravitating to in situ technologies that treat contamination in place. The SITE Program recognized this change and has emphasized the development of in situ technologies. Of the 24 ongoing or planned demonstrations, 16 are in situ, while only eight are ex situ. SITE’s Monitoring and Measurement Technologies (MMT) Program has completed 36 projects to date, with 2 more in the planning stages.

To ensure that the program continues to meet the needs of the remediation community, the SITE Program established a remediation stakeholder group. This group, which is composed of such agencies as the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, reviews innovative technology applications and develops an environmental emphasis area list, which ensures that the most pressing issues are prioritized and addressed. For instance, from discussions with various governmental and private groups, SITE’s Monitoring and Measurement Technologies (MMT) Program identified a need for more effective methods to evaluate soil contamination. In response to this need, the MMT Program conducted demonstrations of four soil sampling technologies and two soil gas sampling technologies in FY 97. The MMT Program is now addressing a similarly difficult problem in evaluating the performance of sediment sampling technologies in FY 99. Through such relationships with other interested parties, the SITE Program continually pursues opportunities to conduct cooperative technology demonstrations, thereby reducing expenditures and further promoting innovative technologies. These factors assist the SITE Program in attaining its primary goal B the expedited cleanup of the nation’s most contaminated sites.

Posted January 23, 2000

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