How can S/S be protective of human health and the environment if the technology does not lower the concentration of hazardous constituents in the treated material?
Solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment does not generally result in a reduction of the total concentration of hazardous constituents (contaminants) in a treated material. S/S protects human health and the environment by immobilizing hazardous constituents within the treated material. Protection is achieved by preventing migration of hazardous constituent to human and environmental receptors. Contrast that with “dig and dump” remedies that merely move the hazardous constituents to another place. S/S fits into a risk-based remedy decision. Further, an in-situ remedy lowers risks to surrounding communities since less excavation is involved. S/S can treat a very broad group of hazardous constituents, both inorganic and organic. Most other remediation treatment technologies can not. This lowers cost of the remediation of properties. Protective remedies at a lower cost conserve resources that can be applied to other sites. More sites remediated means greater overall protection of human
