Contaminated Sites and Environmental Cleanup

The problem of contaminated lands: defining the problem; characteristics of toxic contamination; contamination and environmental cleanup experience in the USA; contamination and environmental cleanup becomes a political issue. Remediation: remedial actions involving containment; remedial actions involving treatment; thermal treatments; thermal desorption treatments; extraction treatments; bioremediation techniques. Public health implications of contamination and environmental cleanup: exposure; exposure pathways; exposure evidence; toxicity and human health effects; risk perception and psychological risk; risk assessment; health trends. Policies to prevent additional contaminated sites: command and control policies; economic incentive policies; the policy making process; public participation in the policy making process; policy approaches in the USA to prevent additional contaminated sites; minimize dumping; treating hazardous wastes; source reduction. Legal aspects of the contamination and environmental cleanup problem: funding approaches; government funding of cleanups; private party funding of cleanups; legal tools; deep pockets; planning for environmental cleanup; municipal liability problems; private firms liability problems. Economic, spatial and social aspects of the environmental cleanup problem: economic problems of contaminated sites; economic distortions; effects on banks; effects on the real estate industry; brownfield sites; effects on the insurance industry; environmental regulation; spatial implications; social problems. The contamination and environmental cleanup problem in developing countries: economic growth and contaminated sites in developing countries; contamination and environmental cleanup; problems in urban areas; conditions in developing countries; contamination and environmental cleanup policies in developing countries. Review of USA experience with Superfund programme: two types of superfund actions; history of the Superfund programme; the Superfund process; financing the Superfund programme; problems of the Superfund; results problems with the Superfund programme; management problems; perceived problems with the Superfund programme; cost problems with the Superfund programme; fairness of the Superfund programme. Western approaches to contamination and environmental cleanup: the European Union; European Union role in setting environmental policy; environmental cleanup in the European Union; environmental cleanup in the former East Germany; redevelopment of contaminated brownfield sites. The Netherlands case study: process for reclaiming land; legislative history in Holland; Interim Soil Cleanup Act; soil cleanup guidance note; Soil Protection Act; experience wih policy and specific actions; Soil Protection Act of 1994; the Dutch approach; remediation in the Netherlands; Lekkerkerk case study; Tillburg Gas Works case study. The contamination and environmental cleanup problem in the United Kingdom: (Part contents).