Standardization News

ASTM International has approved a new guide that will help environmental professionals who want to assess or repurpose landfills and chemically impacted sites. ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action developed the new standard, soon to be published as E3033, Guide for Beneficial Use of Landfills and Chemically Impacted Sites.

"The committee became aware of problems such as urban lots being used for community gardens without having raised beds above the contaminated soils," says ASTM member Marty Rowland, senior project manager for environmental remediation, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. "There appeared to be a lack of a standard approach to urban agriculture to address common, known or expected risks."

The guide, based on information from several environmental site assessments, seeks to provide environmental professionals and public agencies with a standard approach to assessing the safety of landfills and properties that have been chemically impacted. The guide may also be used in establishing criteria for chemical cleanup and post-cleanup use, rehabbing decades-old landfills, and other environmental cleanup initiatives.

Looking forward, the subcommittee that developed the guide is interested in receiving feedback and participation from users to support future development. All interested parties are welcome to attend task group meetings, which take place at Committee E50 meetings.

To purchase standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (tel +1.877.909.ASTM; sales@astm.org). ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member at www.astm.org/JOIN.

CONTACT Technical Information: Marty Rowland, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation • New York, N.Y. • tel +1.718.760.6922 | ASTM Staff: Kathleen Chalfin • tel +1.610.832.9717 | Upcoming Meeting: April 11-14 • April Committee Week • San Antonio, Texas