Planning for Resiliency and Sustainability in a Changing Climate: Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials Investigation/Remedy Selection Focus Group Report

The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (“ASTSWMO”) announced the publication of an April 2022 report titled:

Planning for Resiliency and Sustainability in a Changing Climate (“Report”)

The Report was prepared by the ASTSWMO Investigation and Remedy Selection Focus Group.

Dianna Kilburn of the Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality Office of Land Resources served as Chair of the group that prepared the Report.

ASTSWMO’s Focus Group is tasked to address issues encountered during the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study stages of Superfund/CERCLA cleanups.

The Report provides what it describes as a “snapshot analysis” of the impact of climate change on contaminant character and distribution. For example, the Report notes by way of introduction:

At sites impacted by the release of hazardous substances, climate change is an emerging unit in the decision-making matrix. Many historic site remedial actions focused on immediate risk to human health and the environment. Remedy technologies focused on shorter time-frame understandings of the climate, assuming future influences could not be as dynamic. For example, most groundwater remedies may not have accounted for the possibility of salt-water intrusion, storm- water inundation or extreme drought and how such a change could alter contaminant mobilization through changes in plume shape or alter a contaminant source itself. It is imperative that the topic of climate change and the possible effect on contaminated sites is further evaluated.

Components of the Report include:

• Current Climate Reporting
  • Evidence
  • Planning
  • Impacts
• Climate Change Categories and Potential Effects
  • Increasing Precipitation
    • The Evidence
    • Impacts
      • Rising Groundwater Levels
      • Groundwater Monitoring and Treatment
      • Vapor Intrusion
      • Increased Surface Water Flow and Flooding
      • Surface Water Quality
  • Sea Level Rise
    • Evidence
    • Impacts
    • Mitigating Measures
    • Periodic Assessments and Adaptations
  • Increasing Drought Conditions
    • Evidence
    • Impacts
      • Groundwater Monitoring Network and Groundwater Remedial Effects
      • Decreasing River Flows & Lake Levels
      • Increased Erosion and Loss of Vegetation
    • Mitigating Measures
  • Increased Wildfire Potential
    • Evidence
    • Impacts
    • Mitigating Measures
  • Increased Frequency of Significant Atmospheric Events
    • Evidence
    • Impacts
    • Mitigating Measures

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.