In August 2013, the SERDP and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) held a Workshop addressing long term management of contaminated groundwater sites. Approximately 60 personnel representing DoD remedial program managers (RPMs), federal and state regulators, engineers, researchers, industry representatives, and consultants attended. Workshop participants developed research needs to more efficiently deal with the long-term management and lengthy restoration of complex sites. Specifically, the group assessed the potential impact of enhanced attenuation, predictive modeling, and long-term monitoring on the management of complex sites. A more detailed description of these issues can be found in the report from the workshop. Proposers are strongly encouraged to review the workshop report for additional detail. (https://www.serdp-estcp.org/content/download/22092/228039/version/5/file/ Groundwater+Workshop+Report_November+2013.pdf)
Research funded by SERDP suggests that some natural processes, if augmented or enhanced, could decrease life-cycle costs by decreasing the remedial timeframe and/or providing a more sustainable approach to long term source and plume management. By developing methods to enhance these processes, the DoD may reduce the life-cycle costs for these large, complex groundwater sites. While some of these processes have been exploited (notably biological reductive dechlorination), some have been understudied. Given these challenges, there is a critical need to develop and demonstrate tools and methodologies needed to estimate and enhance abiotic attenuation mechanisms at DoD contaminated sites. Enhanced attenuation can bridge the gap between active remediation and monitored natural attenuation (MNA) in an effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
SERDP and ESTCP have funded several projects in an effort to understand abiotic transformation processes of different contaminants. Proposers should be familiar with these past projects, which can be found at https://www.serdp-estcp.org/Program-Areas/Environmental-Restoration. Proposed efforts should be complementary and not duplicative of previously funded projects.