Natural resources benefit from cooperatively conducted NRDAs that integrate remediation and restoration

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:33563

Robilliard, G; Campbell, T ^[1]; Luthi, R; Monarch, J

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1. ENTRIX, Inc., Walnut Creek, CA (United States)

As a practical matter, the goal of the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) process is becoming restoration to ``without incident`` conditions, of the injured natural resources and the services they provided. Some trustees are advocating that this goal be identified at the beginning of the traditional ``Superfund`` process instead of after remediation is complete. The trustees and enlightened PRPs recognize that to do otherwise is to incur significant transaction costs, lost opportunity costs, ongoing lost use (and, in some cases, passive or non-use) damages, and ill will between the parties. Damages assessed in the litigation mode may be greater than would be paid if a cooperative process that integrates restoration into the remediation or removal actions is pursued. The cooperative, integrated approach has several advantages including: emphasis on natural resource products rather than litigation processes; environmental benefit from the restoration/remediation actions; reduction in transaction costs; reduction in legal and financial uncertainty; results in resource benefits earlier than traditional Superfund process would; fosters sharing of technical information and expertise; and reduces ill will between PRPs and the trustees and the public. The cooperative, integrated process requires several key ingredients with the most important ones being professional trust and cooperation among the PRPS, federal and state trustees and agreement on the goals, performance standards and procedure for implementing the process.

• OSTI ID: 33563
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
DECISION MAKING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
IMPLEMENTATION
LAND RECLAMATION
REMEDIAL ACTION
US SUPERFUND