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EPA Region 2 "Clean & Green" Policy
EPA Region 2 issued the first green remediation policy on March 17, 2009. This is the second update to the Clean & Green Policy. This policy complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
The goal of the Region 2 Clean & Green Policy is to enhance the environmental benefits of federal cleanup programs by promoting technologies and practices that are sustainable. The objectives of Green Remediation are to:
- Protect human health and the environment by achieving remedial action goals
- Support human and ecological use and reuse of remediated land
- Minimize impacts to water quality and water resources
- Reduce air emissions and greenhouse gas production
- Minimize material use and waste production
- Conserve natural resources and energy
This Clean & Green policy applies to:
- Superfund cleanups performed by Potentially Responsible Parties
- Superfund cleanups performed by EPA and/or Army Corps of Engineer contractors
- Superfund cleanups performed by Federal Facilities
- RCRA corrective action cleanups performed under EPA oversight
- Cleanup work implemented through EPA’s Brownfields grant program
The policy establishes a preference for use of:
- 100% use of renewable energy, and energy conservation and efficiency approaches including EnergyStar equipment
- Cleaner fuels and clean diesel technologies and strategies
- Water conservation and efficiency approaches including WaterSense products
- Sustainable site design
- Industrial material reuse or recycling within regulatory requirements
- Recycling applications for materials generated at or removed from the site
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
- Greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies
Under this policy, certain green remediation practices will serve as touchstones for Region 2 response actions. These practices are the "point of departure" for Superfund cleanups, and will be standard unless a site-specific evaluation demonstrates impracticability or favors an alternative green approach. The Touchstone practices are listed here.
Region 2 has metrics to demonstrate the environmental benefits associated with implementing this Clean & Green policy. The Region uses existing progress reporting requirements in enforcement instruments, grants and contracts to collect data. Those metrics can be found here.
Region 2 also intends to promote this policy for inclusion in state-authorized and other state-lead cleanup programs. EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response has also issued Greener Remediation Principles. Those Principals may be found at: www.epa.gov/oswer/greenercleanups/principles.html
View a signed copy of this policy [PDF 48 KB, 1 pg]
