Over the past 30 years, enormous progress has been made in managing a legacy of inadvertent releases of chlorinated solvents to subsurface soils and groundwater. Adverse exposure to chlorinated solvents has been eliminated at many sites where chlorinated solvent releases occurred. Additionally, understanding of the behavior of chlorinated solvents in subsurface environments has advanced, and the cost and performance of a diverse set of remedies is largely understood. In spite of these successes, employed remedies often fail to achieve closure and unanticipated further action is expected. Current knowledge of best practices must be used to support more sound decisions with regard to managing subsurface releases of chlorinated solvents.

The objective of this project was to develop a protocol for effectively selecting remedies for chlorinated solvent releases at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities that includes access to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

The protocol is composed of the following elements:

• . This guide is intended to assist decision makers with selecting remedies for releases of chlorinated solvents to the subsurface environment. Content includes a review of the nature of the problem, consideration of the critical components of setting objectives, a current overview of available options, and suggestions for developing comprehensive remedial packages.

• . This summary contains 25 questions commonly asked when selecting remedies for chlorinated solvent sites and offers a concise overview of current knowledge regarding management of subsurface chlorinated solvent releases.

• . This interactive version of the FAQ document includes links to relevant websites, video and audio clips, and an animation.

The protocol is designed to provide easy access to knowledge that supports sound decisions and frequent successes with managing subsurface releases of chlorinated solvents. The target audience is individuals involved in selecting remedies for chlorinated solvent releases, including state regulators, federal regulators, consultants, DoD staff, and members of the local community. Use of the protocol can contribute to better use of resources, more effective remediation and risk management, and more productive cooperation between the parties involved in site cleanup.