Baseline Natural Attenuation Processes Lines of Inquiry Supporting Monitored Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents

The Department of Energy is sponsoring an initiative to facilitate efficient, effective and responsible use of Monitored Natural Attenuation and Enhanced Passive Remediation for chlorinated solvents. This Office of Environmental Management ''Alternative Project,'' focuses on providing scientific and policy support for MNA/EPR. A broadly representative working group of scientists supports the project along with partnerships with regulatory organizations such as the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council and the Environmental Protection Agency. The initial product of the technical working group was a summary report that articulated the conceptual approach and central scientific tenants of the project, and that identified a prioritized listing of technical targets for field research. This report documented the process in which scientific ground rules were developed, lines of inquiry were identified and then critically evaluated, promising applied research topics were highlighted in the various lines of inquiry, and these were discussed and prioritized. The summary report will serve as a resource to guide management and decision making throughout the period of the subject MNA/EPR Alternative Project. To support and more fully document the information presented in the summary report, we are publishing a series of supplemental documents that present the full texts from the technical analyses within themore » various lines of inquiry. The following report documenting our evaluation of the state of the science of baseline natural attenuation processes is one of those supplemental documents.« less