Bioremediation Education Science and Technology (BEST) Program Annual Report 1999

摘要

Over the next 75 years, the U.S. government will undertake what has been called the largest civil works project in world history to restore the environment damaged by previous activities at federal sites, e.g., Department of Defense (DoD) military bases and Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities. Legislative action, resulting from concern over the accumulating hazards, has mandated pollution control measures and environmental restoration of hazardous waste at all sites. Estimates of total cleanup costs range from $230 billion to more than half a trillion dollars. Given the trend of diminishing budgets throughout the federal government, future generations could inherit both an environmental and budgetary disaster.