Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN): Internet Seminar Audio Archives

Characterization and remediation of contaminated groundwater in fractured rock has not been conducted or studied as broadly as groundwater at unconsolidated porous media sites. This unfamiliarity and lack of experience can make fractured rock sites perplexing. This situation is especially true in portions of the U.S. where bedrock aquifers are a primary source of drinking and process water, and demands on water are increasing. As a result, remedial activities often default to containment of contaminant plumes, point of use treatment and long-term monitoring rather than active reduction of risk. However, this attitude does not incorporate recent advances in the science and technology of fractured rock site characterization and remediation. The basis for this training course is the ITRC guidance: Characterization and Remediation of Fractured Rock. The purpose of this guidance is to dispel the belief that fractured rock sites are too complex to characterize and remediate. The physical, chemical and contaminant transport concepts in fractured rock have similarities to unconsolidated porous media, yet there are important differences. These differences are the focus of this guidance. By participating in this training class, you should learn to:Use ITRC's Fractured Rock Document to guide your decision making so you can:Develop quality Conceptual Site Models (CSMs) for fractured rock sites Set realistic remedial objectives Select the best remedial options Monitor remedial progress and assess resultsValue an interdisciplinary site team approach to bring collective expertise to improve decision making and to have confidence when going beyond containment and monitoring - - to actually remediating fractured rock sites.Case studies of successful fractured rock remediation are presented to provide examples of how fractured rock sites can be evaluated and available tools applied to characterization and remediation. Training participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC guidance, Characterization and Remediation of Fractured Rock prior to attending the class.