Methodology for Understanding and Reducing a Project's Environmental Footprint

In Methodology for Understanding and Reducing a Project’s Environmental Footprint, you'll learn ...

• A methodology for conducting an environmental footprint analysis of site cleanup activities
• The methodology’s purpose and limitations, the value of footprint analysis, and the level of effort and cost for footprint analysis
• Definitions of metrics aligning with the core elements of green remediation
• A seven-step process to quantify the metrics

Overview

Credit: 5 PDH

Length: 86 pages

Green remediation is the practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to minimize the environmental footprint of cleanup actions. “Environmental footprint” includes quantifiable metrics, such as energy use and water use as well as air emissions, to fully represent the effects a cleanup project may have on the environment.

Two concepts are central to analyzing the environmental footprint of a cleanup: (1) establish those parameters (metrics) that must be quantified, and (2) establish a straightforward process (methodology) for quantifying those metrics. This course outlines metrics and methodology developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for conducting an environmental footprint analysis of site cleanup activities and describes common approaches to reduce that footprint. These metrics and methodology span all of EPA’s five core elements of green remediation: materials and waste, water, energy, air, and land and ecosystems.

This course is intended for environmental engineers who are involved with projects that remediate contaminated soil or groundwater.