An analysis of a sustainability multi-critera analysis tool at contaminated sites in the north.

Abstract

Sustainable remediation aims to address the legacy of poor past environmental practices without further impacting the environment. A sustainable decision support tool is under development to guide the selection of sustainable remediation technologies at federal contaminated sites such that environmental, social and economic benefits from remediation projects are maximized. The tool has not been assessed for its performance in Arctic settings, which represent a significant portion of the federally owned sites. This paper examines the performance of the tool in general terms and is evaluated using four case studies to determine if there are differences or difficulties when applying the tool to Arctic remediation projects. The tool is a useful communication device for collaboratively evaluating sustainability options at contaminated sites, however it is found to be insensitive to extreme conditions which are characteristic of Arctic sites, biased towards in-situ technologies, and lacking in a key indicator to convey the influence of extreme distance which distinguishes most Arctic sites from southern counterparts.