ASTM International

Standard Practice for Expedited Site Characterization of Vadose Zone and Ground Water Contamination at Hazardous Waste Contaminated Sites
 N D6235

Annotation

Applicability of the ECS Process—This practice covers a process for expedited site characterization (ESC) of hazardous waste contaminated sites2 to identify vadose zone, ground water and other relevant contaminant migration pathways and determine the distribution, concentration, and fate of contaminants for the purpose of providing an ESC client, regulatory authority, and stakeholders with the necessary information to choose a course of action.3 Generally, the process is applicable to larger-scale projects, such as CERCLA (Superfund) remedial investigations and RCRA facility investigations.4 When used as part of the Superfund response process, this Practice should be used in conjunction with U.S. EPA's guidance document titled Using Dynamic Field Activities for On-Site Decision Making: A Guide for Project Managers (37). The ESC process is also applicable to other contaminated sites where the ESC process can be reasonably expected to reduce the time and cost of site characterization compared to alternative approaches. The ESC process has been applied successfully at a variety of sites in different states and EPA regions. (See Table X1.1). It typically achieves significant cost and schedule savings compared to traditional site characterization. (See X1.2 and X1.3)5.

Features of the ESC Process—The ESC process operates within the framework of existing regulatory programs. It focuses on collecting only the information required to meet characterization objectives and on ensuring that characterization ceases as soon as the objectives are met. Central to the ESC process is the use of judgement-based sampling and measurement to characterize vadose zone and ground water contamination in a limited number of field mobilizations by an integrated multidisciplinary team, led by a technical leader and operating within the framework of a dynamic work plan that gives him or her the flexibility of responsibility to select the type and location of measurements needed to optimize data collection activities. Table 1 identifies other essential features of the ESC process, and Fig. 1 presents a flow diagram for the entire ESC process.