Abstract
Remedial actions are typically based upon risk assessment and derived protection goals. Protection goals may or may not be overly protective. In developing a remedial action plan, it is necessary for stakeholders and decision makers to understand the potential benefits (i.e., gains in ecosystem service value) and costs (i.e., losses in ecosystem service value) associated with the implementation of various remedial alternatives based upon prescribed protection goals. In this regard, a formal quantification of the effect that remedial actions have on ecosystem service values is rarely considered. Consequently, tangible metrics that can describe the costs or benefits associated with the selection of remedial alternatives, and subsequently overall site cleanup, are lacking. Therefore, the potential exists for a remedial action based upon a protection goal(s) to create more harm to the ecosystem than is predicted by the risk assessment that drove the remedial action in the first place or provide marginal benefit for the effort expended. This paper provides an overview of a practical approach, based upon scientific and technically credible approaches, to better understand the potential impacts and/or benefits associated with remediating to a specified protection goal. A case study is provided that demonstrates the value of these approaches in guiding remedial decisions.
The integration of ecosystem service valuation into site decision-making is evolving and is broadly incorporated into an approach often referred to as net environmental benefit analysis (NEBA). A NEBA is an approach that enables quantification of the change in natural resource service values that would be associated with the implementation of an action (e.g., remedial action) and compares those changes to cost and predicted changes in risk. In this context, the NEBA approach uses various methods to quantify the change in ecological and human use service values associated with each remedial alternative so that comparisons between alternatives can be made. The NEBA approach is unique and innovative because it considers risk, cleanup and natural resource issues concurrently. The approach provides a necessary and value-added component to risk management decision-making and the final selection of remedial alternatives.
A NEBA approach can help stakeholders make decisions regarding the level and amount of remediation that is suggested by a protection goal. The approach, when conducted appropriately, will provide a systematic, consistent, and defensible process that can significantly enhance stakeholder support for selected environmental and land use planning decisions. This process also promotes the selection of decisions that demonstrate a balanced win for the environment and the stakeholders.
