FY 2014 STATEMENT OF NEED

Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area

The overall objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to improve the operation of remedial technologies through fine-scale delineation of contaminated subsurface environments. Work may include more detailed and cost-effective techniques and data analyses and interpretation to delineate processes within either the unsaturated or saturated zones, and within either consolidated or unconsolidated media. Clear linkage between the proposed techniques and resulting data interpretation, and contaminated site management decisions should be demonstrated with the recognition that many sites are likely to have already completed initial characterization efforts, but site challenges necessitate additional investigation. Proposed research should focus on developing technologies that address the following issues:

  • Improved delineation of contaminant distribution after initial characterization activities have been conducted and while the remedial action-operation phase is in progress;
  • Improved measurements of key biogeochemical processes at relevant scales; and
  • Improved resolution of key hydrogeological features.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects can be found by clicking the project title.


    • Lead Investigator: Dr. William Jackson, Texas Tech University

    • Lead Investigator: Dr. Michael Annable, University of Florida

    • Lead Investigator: Dr. Lee Slater, Rutgers University

Research should lead to improvements in fine-scale delineation should improve decision-making, risk analysis and remedial effectiveness, and thereby improve our ability to address contaminated sites in a cost effective manner. Techniques developed through this SON will expedite the cleanup and closure of contaminated Department of Defense (DoD) sites.