EPA's approach to vadose zone monitoring at RCRA facilities

Journal Article · · Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6592.1993.tb00432.x· OSTI ID:6284736

Durant, N D; Myers, V B ^[1]; Eccles, L A ^[2]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Solid Waste
2. Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Environmental Monitoring Systems Lab.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed to amend federal regulations to require vadose zone monitoring at certain hazardous waste facilities. To support this proposal, EPA evaluated previous policy on vadose zone monitoring and examined advances in vadose zone monitoring technology. Changes in EPA vadose zone monitoring policy were driven by demonstrated advances in the available monitoring technology and improvements in understanding of vadose zone processes. When used under the appropriate conditions, currently available direct and indirect monitoring methods can effectively detect contamination that may leak from hazardous waste facilities into the vadose zone. Direct techniques examined include soil-core monitoring and soil-pore liquid monitoring. Indirect techniques examined include soil-gas monitoring, neutron moderation, complex resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity. Properly designed vadose zone monitoring networks can act as a complement to saturated zone monitoring networks at numerous hazardous waste facilities. At certain facilities, particularly those in arid climates where the saturated zone is relatively deep, effective vadose zone monitoring may allow a reduction in the scope of saturated zone monitoring programs.

• OSTI ID: 6284736
• Journal Information: Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation; (United States), Journal Name: Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation; (United States) Vol. 13:1; ISSN XZ212O
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CONTAMINATION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
SOILS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT