How do the Trustees restoration planning efforts relate to EPAs remedial activities?
Remediation is the term generally used to describe cleanup activities at hazardous waste sites, such as those listed in the EPA National Priorities List. The purpose of remediation is to eliminate, abate, and otherwise address significant risks to human health, welfare or the environment posed by the release or threat of release of hazardous substances to the environment. Restoration is a term used in the context of natural resource damage assessment to describe action taken to restore natural resources adversely affected by the release or threat of release of hazardous substances. Remediation may sufficiently address significant risks to human health, welfare or the environment, but may not accomplish any natural resource restoration. In such cases natural resource restoration activities seek to address the residual harm to the environment that remains following the remedial action. EPA currently is performing a study of the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site to reassess the Agency’s 19
