United States Office of Solid Waste and EPA 542-F-08-012

Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Response (5102G) December 2008

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Green Remediation: Best Management Practices for 

Excavation and Surface Restoration

Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation Quick Reference Fact Sheet

This fact sheet is one of a series describing best 

management practices (BMPs) for green remediation, 

which holistically addresses a cleanup project’s (1) 

energy requirements, (2) air emissions, (3) impacts on 

water, (4) impacts on land and ecosystems, (5) material 

consumption and waste generation, and (6) long-term 

stewardship actions. BMPs can be used for sustainable 

removal or cleanup activities at contaminated sites 

under Superfund, corrective action, underground 

storage tank, and brownfield cleanup programs. 

Some green remediation strategies stem from

environmentally progressive practices of business 

market sectors such as construction. Others build new 

elements such as green purchasing into traditional 

practices of the remediation sector. Yet more evolving 

BMPs incorporate innovative technologies that can be 

readily adapted to increase cleanup sustainability. 

Excavation in varying degrees is often required at 

contaminated sites to:

▪ Address immediate risk to human health and/or the 

environment as part of immediate or long-term 

removal actions

▪ Prepare for implementation of in situ or ex situ 

remediation technologies, which often involves 

building or structural demolition, or

▪ Treat soil or sediment hot spots for which other 

remedies may be infeasible due to extremely high 

cost, long duration, or technical constraints 

Many opportunities exist to reduce the negative impacts 

of excavation, which commonly include soil erosion, 

high rates of fuel consumption, transport of air-borne 

contaminants, uncontrolled stormwater runoff, offsite 

disposal of excavated material, and ecosystem 

disturbance. Decisions regarding excavation processes

and targets affect follow-up land and surface water 

restoration strategies as well as ultimate land use. 

Early and integrated project planning allows the 

(typically early) excavation period to set the stage for 

sharing of resources, infrastructures, and processes 

throughout site cleanup and reuse. Early BMPs include:

▪ Incorporation of green requirements into product and 

service procurements

▪ Installation of a modular renewable energy system to 

meet low energy demands of field equipment, other 

remedies, and construction or operational activities 

associated with site reuse

▪ Dynamic work planning; for example, treated 

excavation material found unnecessary as backfill can 

be put to beneficial use at onsite or offsite locations

▪ Consideration of environmental and economic 

tradeoffs involved in onsite versus offsite treatment of 

excavated soil or sediment

▪ Balance of trade-offs associated with onsite versus 

offsite disposal of contaminated soil or other material 

▪ Early and continuous scouting for onsite or nearby 

sources of backfill material for excavated areas

▪ Establishment of decision points that could trigger in 

situ treatment instead of excavation in subareas 

▪ Integrated schedules allowing for resource sharing 

and fewer days of field mobilization 

Overview

Profile: RE-SOLVE, Inc. Waste Chemical 

Reclamation Facility, North Dartmouth, MA 

▪ Excavated 22,500 yd3 of polychlorinated 

biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soil above the 

water table, treated soil onsite through 

dechlorination, backfilled with cleaned soil, and 

covered with 18 inches of gravel

▪ Excavated 3,000 yd3 of PCB-contaminated 

sediments from wetland areas, treated excavated 

sediments through dechlorination, and restored 

the wetlands

▪ Excavated 36,000 yd3of soil, treated soil with 

low-temperature thermal desorption, and 

backfilled

▪ Replaced the gravel cap with a four-acre native 

upland meadow cover to reestablish onsite native 

species and enhance environmental habitat 

▪ Avoided significant fossil fuel consumption for 

offsite transportation of contaminated soils and 

replacement with clean fill

Planning for Excavation and Surface 

Restoration
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Determining the optimum extent of excavation relies on 

accurate delineation of the contaminant plume(s). Use 

of the Triad approach for site investigations can reduce

field mobilizations and associated fuel consumption 

through systematic planning, dynamic work activities, 

and real-time measurements. 

BMPs that can help reduce fuel consumption (as well as 

waste generation) during site investigations include:

▪ Direct-push technology instead of rotary drilling rigs 

to reduce drilling duration by as much as 50-60%, 

avoid drilling fluids, and eliminate drill cuttings; this 

technique may be infeasible in applications limiting 

the depth, type, weight, or volume of target samples

or installation of new ground water wells

▪ Reuse of wells and subsurface bore holes throughout 

investigations, remediation, and long-term monitoring

▪ Field test kits whenever possible and selection of the 

nearest qualified laboratory for confirmatory analyses 

or contaminants outside the scope of field kits

Procurement of goods and services offers other 

opportunities for reducing fuel consumption. 

▪ Purchase materials from one supplier of locally 

produced products to reduce need for delivery fuels 

▪ Select local providers for field operations

▪ Coordinate outside services and service providers to 

minimize transport of equipment and reduce costs

Fuel consumed during transfer of excavated soil or 

other materials to landfills can be reduced by: 

▪ Selecting the closest waste receiver

▪ Investigating alternate shipping methods such as rail 

lines 

▪ Identifying opportunities for resource sharing with 

other waste haulers 

Diesel fuel consumption by heavy construction

machinery and equipment can be conserved by: 

▪ Selecting suitably sized and typed equipment for tasks

▪ Instructing workers to avoid engine idle and using 

machinery with automatic idle-shutdown devices

▪ Employing auxiliary power units to power cab heating 

and air conditioning when a machine is unengaged

▪ Performing routine, on-time maintenance such as oil 

changes to improve fuel efficiency 

▪ Repowering an engine or replacing it with a newer, 

more efficient one

Auxiliary equipment such as electricity generators or 

wood chippers can be powered by small photovoltaic 

(PV) systems. Installations can involve placement of PV 

panel support poles on small concrete pads for shortterm use. Micro-scale solar power can be used for 

small devices such as flashlights, lamps, and 

temperature-controlled containers. 

Field generation of contaminated or uncontaminated 

dust and mobilization of volatile organic compounds 

can be reduced by new and traditional BMPs such as:

▪ Covering excavated areas with biodegradable fabric

that also can control erosion and serve as a substrate 

for favorable ecosystems, or with synthetic material 

that can be reused for other onsite or offsite purposes 

▪ Spraying water in vulnerable areas, in conjunction 

with water conservation and runoff management 

techniques 

▪ Securing and covering material in open trucks while 

hauling excavated material, and reusing the covers

▪ Revegetating excavated areas as quickly as possible

▪ Limiting onsite vehicle speeds to 10 miles per hour

Greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate matter (PM)

emissions from mobile sources can be reduced through 

use of:

▪ Equipment retrofits involving low-maintenance multistage filters for cleaner engine exhaust

▪ Cleaner fuel such as ultra-low sulfur diesel, wherever 

available (and as required by engines with PM traps)

▪ Biodiesel, particularly if made from recycled 

byproducts

Green remediation strategies help reduce consumption 

of fresh water, reuse or reclaim uncontaminated water, 

minimize potential for water-borne contamination, and 

minimize introduction of toxic processing materials.

▪ Cover soils with biodegradable tarps and mats, rather 

than spraying with water, to suppress dust while 

potentially enhancing soil fertility

New technology for 

installation of groundmounted PV systems 

requires no concrete, 

reduces subsurface 

disturbance, and 

increases options for 

equipment reuse. 

Energy Requirements

Air Emissions

Impacts on Water
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▪ Explore options for reusing operational graywater, 

capturing rainwater, and returning unused water to 

surface bodies instead of disposing it in public 

wastewater utility lines

▪ Use phosphate-free detergents instead of organic 

solvents or acids to decontaminate sampling 

equipment (if not required for some contaminants) 

▪ Employ rumble grates with a closed-loop graywater 

washing system (or an advanced, self-contained 

wheel-washing system) to minimize vehicle tracking of 

sediment and soil across non-work areas or offsite

BMPs for excavation of contaminated sediments in 

surface water or wetlands focus on slurry management 

and disposal.

▪ Evaluate fuel efficiency and sizing suitability of 

dredging equipment if multiple options can achieve 

site-specific cleanup goals

▪ Overlay synthetic barriers and fluid collection systems 

on ground surfaces of staging areas and where 

excavated material is dewatered

▪ Use dewatering processes that maximize water 

recycling, and consider automated systems to account 

for sediment variability

▪ Investigate the potential for treated slurry water to be 

beneficially reused in other cleanup activities prior to

discharge

▪ Investigate opportunities to transfer treated slurry 

water for use in non-remedial applications such as 

irrigation or wetlands enhancement

▪ Consider the use of geotextile bags or nets to contain 

excavated sediment, facilitate sediment drying, and 

increase ease of sediment placement or transport

▪ Check for toxic contents in synthetic coagulants used 

in the field and avoid spillage

▪ Evaluate potential for excavated areas to serve as 

retention basins in final stormwater control plans

BMPs for restoration of surface water and adjacent 

banks after sediment excavation rely on low impact 

development techniques that reduce impacts of built 

areas and promote natural movement of water.

▪ Undercut surface water banks in ways that mirror

natural conditions

▪ Retrieve dead trees during excavation and later 

reposition them as habitat snags 

▪ Select and place suitably sized and typed stones into

water beds and banks

Countless and diverse man-made products are 

purchased and used during excavation, such as 

personal protective equipment (PPE), synthetic sheeting, 

and routine business materials. Green purchasing 

considers product life cycles and gives preference to:

▪ Products with recycled and bio-based (instead of 

petroleum-based) contents

▪ Products, packing material, and disposable 

equipment with reuse or recycling potential

▪ Product contents and manufacturing processes 

involving nontoxic chemical alternatives

To reduce the volume of single-use material such as 

PPE and sampling materials, activity planning can 

Profile: Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 

Paducah, KY 

▪ Used Triad to integrate site characterization, 

remedial activities, and cleanup verification in a 

7,000 foot2 area with potential uranium and 

polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination

▪ Convened federal and state agencies to develop 

a conceptual site model and dynamic work plan 

prior to beginning any field work

▪ Used investigative tools requiring no soil 

disturbance (laser-based gamma “walkover” 

surveys (GWS) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) with

gamma spectroscopy) and techniques requiring 

few analytical samples and minimal sampling 

waste (PCB test kits, multi-increment sampling, 

and adaptive compositing) 

▪ Integrated field information involving 24,000

GWS data points, hundreds of XRF measurements, and nearly 400 surface soil increments, 

which resulted in a need for laboratory 

confirmation on only 23 samples instead of an 

estimated 300 using a traditional field approach 

▪ Surgically excavated 13 meter3 of uraniumcontaminated soil and confirmed PCB 

concentrations in non-excavated areas were 

below risk-based cleanup targets

▪ Completed investigatory, removal, and 

verification activities in a single 10-day field 

mobilization, resulting in less dust generation, 

fuel consumption, and site disturbance

▪ Saved significant time and costs in reaching 

cleanup closure when compared to traditional,

static work plans involving reiterative activities

Material Consumption and Waste Generation 
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reflect reduced traffic between hot and clean zones and 

fewer days in which work is performed. BMPs for waste 

management include:

▪ Establishing staging areas prior to any digging

▪ Salvaging uncontaminated and pest- or disease-free 

organic debris for use as infill, mulch, or compost

▪ Reclaiming and stockpiling uncontaminated soil for 

use as fill or other purposes such as habitat creation

▪ Salvaging uncontaminated objects with potential 

recyle, resale, donation, or onsite infrastructure value 

such as steel, concrete, granite, and storage 

containers; waste coordinators are available in many 

states to assist in decisions regarding beneficial reuse 

or exposure risk 

A primary BMP for minimizing the negative impacts on 

land and ecosystems is to perform an inventory

(including detailed photographs and videos) of 

ecological species, land contours, and drainage 

patterns prior to digging. Baseline inventories will 

facilitate restoration that best recreates original 

conditions. Other BMPs include: 

▪ Establishment of minimally intrusive and welldesigned traffic patterns for onsite activities and plans 

to reduce off-site traffic congestion

▪ Placement of metal grates over a thick mulch layer in 

onsite traffic corridors to avoid soil compaction and 

associated reduction in subsurface water infiltration

▪ Construction of long-term structural controls such as 

earth dikes and swales to prevent upgradient surface 

flow into excavated areas

▪ Installation of silt fences and basins to capture

sediment runoff along sloped areas

▪ Quick-growth seeding and geotextile placements to 

stabilize sod in staging areas

When needed, onsite landfills for excavation or other 

remedies can employ evapotranspiration covers, which 

promote microbial degradation of waste while providing 

a substrate for plant growth.

BMPs for preserving ecological systems include:

▪ Avoiding tree removal in staging areas or intermittent 

uncontaminated zones, and retrieving and 

transplanting native, noninvasive plants

▪ Using non-chemical solarizing techniques for 

vegetative transplants or new plantings, and nonsynthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides and 

integrated pest management methods

▪ Limiting noise and artificial lighting that disturbs

sensitive species, and rescuing and relocating 

sensitive or threatened species

Many environmental, academic, and broad-based 

community groups offer assistance in ecological 

inventories as well as rescues. 

Coordinated planning of remediation and anticipated 

use of a site is critical to long-term sustainability. Green 

remediation encourages decision-makers to weigh the 

environmental and economic tradeoffs of issues such as 

onsite versus offsite disposal of contaminated soil or 

sediment. Proper planning will help reduce likelihood 

of adverse impacts such as soil subsidence, unbalanced 

soil chemistry, or low microbial populations, and 

periodic post-excavation field tests will help identify 

unexpected problems quickly. 

Prompt revegetation is critical to restoration of 

backfilled areas. Installation of native rather than 

imported plants will increase vegetation viability, avoid 

immediate- or long-term irrigation needs, and promote 

rapid ground cover. Plant diversity also will create

useful wildlife habitat and more opportunities for future 

activities or site reuse. 

Long-Term Stewardship Actions 

Green Remediation: A Sampling of Success 

Measures for Excavation and Surface Restoration 

▪ Reduced fuel consumption and transportation costs 

as a result of integrated “dig and haul” planning 

with fewer field mobilizations

▪ Reduced GHG emissions through use of 

renewable resources to provide electricity for

auxiliary equipment or replace natural gas-driven 

equipment

▪ Increased volumes of graywater recycled or reused 

in sediment dewatering, in place of clean water

▪ Increased percentage of excavated, clean soil or 

material that is reused onsite

▪ Higher percentage of ground cover sooner after 

excavation, with fewer invasive species

▪ Increased utility of “excavation built” erosion and 

stormwater controls in site reuse

Impacts on Land and Ecosystems 

Visit Green Remediation online to obtain more 

information about BMPs, view site-specific examples, 

or share new ideas about green cleanups. 

http://cluin.org/greenremediation