Green Remediation Focus

Greener Cleanup Metrics

Greener cleanup metrics quantify contributions to the environmental footprint of activities directly involved in cleaning up a contaminated site. EPA developed a set of 14 universal metrics to help stakeholders understand the total amounts of materials, waste, water or energy that are used or generated during the life or particular portion of a cleanup project:

Category	Metric	Unit of Measure
Materials
	Refined materials used or conserved	tons
	Unrefined materials used or conserved	tons
Waste	Hazardous waste generated or avoided	tons
	Non-hazardous waste generated or avoided	tons
Water	Public water used or conserved	million gallons
	Groundwater used or conserved	million gallons
	Wastewater generated or avoided	million gallons
	Other water used or conserved	million gallons
Energy	Grid electricity used or conserved	megawatt hours
	Diesel used or conserved for equipment	gallons
	Diesel used or conserved for transportation	gallons
	Gasoline used or conserved for equipment	gallons
	Gasoline used or conserved for transportation	gallons
	Other energy used or conserved	(variable)

The metrics provide an optional means for regulators, private industry and other cleanup partners to collect and track site-specific footprint information across multiple sites in a uniform and transparent manner. On a site-specific level, use of the metrics can help decisionmakers prioritize and select best management practices (BMPs) that could be implemented to minimize the footprint. The metrics may be applied to any type of site cleanup, including ones conducted through Superfund, RCRA or brownfield regulatory programs or voluntary initiatives.

EPA developed a companion Excel-based Greener Cleanup Metrics Workbook that may be used to document and report each of the 14 metrics for a cleanup project. The needed input typically exists in project planning and implementation documents or supporting records. The output depends on predetermined delineation of the timeframe in which selected activities occur, such as one or more cleanup phases or calendar years. To learn more about the metrics, view the Greener Cleanup Metrics Q&As.

Due to wide variations in cleanup project scopes and regional or local priorities, environmental footprints associated with other core elements of a greener cleanup may be quantified through additional metrics chosen by project stakeholders. Parties interested in quantifying a cleanup project's environmental footprint at a more detailed level may use EPA's Spreadsheets for Environmental Footprint Analysis (SEFA).

Questions about the Greener Cleanup Metrics may be forwarded to: Luci Dunnington, EPA/Office of Land and Emergency Management, or Hilary Thornton, EPA/Region 4.