Technology Alternatives for the Remediation of PCB Contaminated Soils and Sediments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Engineering Issue papers are a series of documents that summarize the available information on specific contaminants, selected treatment and site remediation technologies, and related issues. This Engineering Issue paper is intended to provide remedial project managers (RPMs), on-scene coordinators (OSCs), contractors, and other state or private remediation managers with information to facilitate the selection of appropriate treatment and disposal alternatives for soil and dredged sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This information includes the type of data and site characteristics needed by site cleanup managers to evaluate ex-situ technologies for potential applicability to their hazardous waste sites. This Engineering Issue paper does not address in situ alternatives for sediment (e.g. monitored natural recovery or capping). For a more comprehensive guidance concerning remedial alternatives specifically for sediments see the “Contaminated Sediment Remediation Guidance for Hazardous Waste Sites,” EPA-540-R-05-012, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, December 2005 [01]; “A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments National Research Council,” National Academies Press., May 2001 [02]; and “Reference Guide to Non-Combustion Technologies for Remediation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Stockpiles and Soil,” EPA-542-R-05-006, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2005 [03].