1. jb | 10.01.08

Compare the soil and groundwater contamination levels found on site against state and federal soil and groundwater cleanup values. If the concentrations on the site exceed these values then it is not suitable for human activity or use of the groundwater. USEPA has these values as does ATSDR and can be found on their website or by requesting them directly from these agencies. Each state has lists of these values.

These agencies use these values to determine if known or expected concentrations of these chemicals/substances are of public health concern. Similar values are available for protecting the environment (ecological cleanup values) in order to protect wildlife, fish, etc.

Typically, the least restrictive values used to determine site use are those for occupational health, since these people are considered to be on the site only during the work weak. They are also assumed to be healthy and they can take higher concentrations of these contaminants during the work weak without showing toxic effects. So, to be conservative, also look at the cleanup levels for sensitive populations (e.g. ill people, children, etc.) and do not use the occupational exposures because you never know how the site will be used in the future.

Hope this helps.

2. Geoff Henderson | 10.01.08

There might be something in this. But there may be sites that contain underground contaminants that are, or pose the risk of, leaching into the groundwaters. The new usage should not attempt to mask, or avoid, the obligation to clean up these sites, whatever their pollution type.
It is amazing that so much land has been allowed to be contaminated, but given that it is, perhaps there is merit in this approach…as long as the pollution is still remedied, not just glossed over. Anfd it is not a bad idea to stop further land pollution.

3. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

I am studying global warming during 4 years and found that mass media misunderstand global warming problems repeating again and again mistake of AL GORE that carbon dioxide is only one player in nature. We need reexamine role of water vapors, winds, trees, efficiency of our cars, power station, public transportation, how we build houses. What mass media think as green sources of energy in reality is disaster for environment.
Send me email and I will send to you on file 15 pages how we can be energy independent, fight global warming and save our economy in reality of simple Physics, not on mistaken suggestions.
Michael Ioffe.

4. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

Our efforts in fighting global warming can be more productive if we will reevaluate what we are writing and speaking about it. I found interesting that mass media:
1. Very often changed carbon dioxide equivalent of all greenhouse gases only on carbon dioxide.
2. Forget that “ Forests contain much more carbon than does grass, and they also absorb more sunlight (having different albedo) and produce more water vapor, which affects cloud formation”. Mature forests don’t take in much CO2 for they are in balance, releasing CO2 as old vegetation rots, then absorbing it as new grows. For these reasons the world largest forests-the coniferous forests of Siberia and Canada, and the tropical rainforests are not good carbon sinks, but new vigorously forests are.”
3. Mention only that greenhouse gases absorb heat in the atmosphere.
4. More important processes that cool the atmosphere and they are completely ignored by mass media.
5. Absolutely misunderstand role of water vapor in cooling of the Earth, despite that it is also greenhouse gas.
6. Misunderstand that any source of energy – nuclear, wind, hydro, solar cells, hydrogen, geothermal in condition when greenhouse gases anyway will increased by others processes will heat the atmosphere as heat pollutant.
7. Misunderstand possibility of conservation of energy and its limits.

5. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

The best way to use Sun for energy is to grow forests.
Trees are the champion in the world between all plants and grow faster than any others plants. They collect Sun energy during hundreds of years. Wood from the trees can be the cheapest source of energy for power plants and will give all their energy for electricity and heat production.
All emissions from these power plants can be without any harm sequestrated back to the land by water and will be together with ash the best nutrition to grow the same trees.
Instead of harvesting every year corn, grass etc for ethanol production we will harvest wood for electricity production from forest in area at least 100 times less than in case of harvesting grass, corn, etc for liquid fuel. It will be the closest to customer source of energy and therefore cheaper than coal. Coal right now the cheapest source of electrical energy.
It takes one ton of coal to generate an average of 2500 KWH of electricity.
It takes less than 1.6 ton of wood to generate the same amount of energy.

6. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

1. Clouds reflect huge parts of solar energy back to space: thick clouds-75-90%, thin clouds-30-50%;
2. Forests contain much more carbon than does grass and they also absorb more sunlight and produce more water vapor, which affect cloud formation.
3. Water vapor is one of the lightest gases and has tendency to go up to cloud level. Water has another properties it takes a lot of energy to evaporate water. To evaporate one kg of water we need 339 kcal of heat. We need one kcal to increase temperature of 1 kg of water on 1ºC. Evaporation of water will cool air temperature. Despite that water vapor is greenhouse gas, it tendency to go up bring them on cloud level, where distances between molecules bigger and heat will go to space more easily than on ground level. No others greenhouse gases have these properties. Drop of rain when falling down partially evaporated and go back to cloud level, but more important they dissolve a lot of carbon dioxide and others “heavy” greenhouse gases from the air and soil and feed all plants on the Earth.
4. Of course, reduction of carbon dioxide in the air will cool the Earth. Water vapor will produce the same effects of cooling the Earth. We need increase evaporation of water. It is significantly cheaper then other efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Drops of rain at the same time will clean air from carbon dioxide better than any efforts of conservation of energy.
5. Sun is the best source of energy to evaporate water from growing trees, and not only cool the air of Earth but also produce the cheapest, really “green” source of energy, which can be used in any time during hundreds of years.
6. White fresh snow reflects to space 75-95% of Sun radiation. White cars, houses, roads will do the same.

7. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

If we will calculate waste of energy to produce electricity as source of energy together with waste of energy when we using electrical energy we can conclude that more THAN 80% OF ENERGY WE ARE LOOSING IN VAIN.
If we will start new energy policy to make small power plants where we can use not only electrical energy but also heat energy we will increase efficiency of using fuel energy at least three-four times. In this situation wood will provide more useful energy than the same amount of oil products or coal, which we using right now in big power plants.
Small power plants surrounding by forests will use the cheapest and closest source of energy. Ash from burning trees can be used as the best nutrition to grow these forests. All carbon dioxide of these plants can be solved in huge amount of water to watering these forests. Additional nutrition from that water as evaporation of water by forests will provide us with energy sources and cooling of the air of the Earth. Here we need to remember that rain in Amazon Basin over 120 inches per year. It means than more water we will use to watering these forests than more rain will be in area of these forests. Watering trees under some conditions can provide more water in form of rain than we use to start process. Watering trees also will prevent forest fire.

8. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

We need to pay attention that most automotive and small aircraft engines have 25-30% thermal efficiency range. Because this efficiency apply to move not only passenger but and heavy cars, real efficiency of cars where we are mostly alone moving to job and back will be less than one percent.

Mass transportation will not help, because we are increasing distance to place where we are going and most important- time. Mass transportation takes more energy on short distances between stops for one or two persons.

9. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

We need to pay attention that most automotive and small aircraft engines have 25-30% thermal efficiency range. Because this efficiency apply to move not only passenger but and heavy cars, real efficiency of cars where we are mostly alone moving to job and back will be less than one percent.

Mass transportation will not help, because we are increasing distance to place where we are going and most important- time. Mass transportation takes more energy on short distances between stops for one or two persons.

10. Michael Ioffe | 10.01.08

Sun is only one nuclear power plant, which will work for millions years and mankind no need to worry about its waste, or proliferation, or others form of disasters.

Trees will work as huge pumps to evaporate water-using energy of sun. Water vapors as lightest than most others gases will go up to clouds levels, where latent heat capacity of producing droplet of water will easily escapes to space. This is natural source of cooling the Earth surfaces. More clouds will reflect to space more sun energy and additionally cool the Earth.
North America is only one huge land from France to Japan. Cooling air with help of forests in places where we growing corn or grass for ethanol production all around USA, Canada and Mexico will mild climate in North America. It will reduce power of weather disaster and more important reduce movement of air from south to north-main reason of melting ice in Greenland.

11. David | 10.01.08

When you run under ground world, how long do you think will you be living there like rats? Although the ugly wing farm, solar rray, and bioreacter you still living out in the world if the CREATOR turn all under world cities and the land to Armageddon then you will think in that day you wise you were not created because of all these parochial and arrogant minds.

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