In August 2016, the U.S. EPA issued a guidance document that urges EPA's regional offices to consider minimizing energy and water use to reduce pollutants while promoting land and ecosystem conservation when selecting superfund cleanup remedies. The EPA guidance specifies that the Agency goals of ensuring that the energy and water used, and the emissions released in the process of remediating a superfund site don't actually do more harm to the environment than the pollution targeted for removal. The guidance document urges the EPA's Regional Offices to consider minimizing energy and water use and reducing pollutants while promoting land and ecosystem conservation, and the use of recycled materials during cleanup. The guidance document does not create legal binding obligations or formal processes for the agency and Potentially Responsible Parties under superfund law; nevertheless the guidance document marks a step towards a more formal approach to minimizing the potential environmental impact of superfund cleanup sites.
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