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PARTNERING AS A KEY INGREDIENT TO IMPLEMENTING INNOVATION

• Liability release for current property owners

• Funding through the use of a tax increment district

• Use of institutional controls

• Use of hydraulic control versus aquifer restoration

• Cleanup to alternate concentration levels (ACLs) versus drinking water levels

• Use of bioremediation and reactive walls versus conventional pump and treat.

The city's use of innovative approaches and technologies resulted from the cooperative involvement of many parties including a partnering between the city and Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM), the consulting engineer. This partnering led, for example, to the selection of bioremediation as the technology for treating TCE and DCE plumes. The PCE plumes will be treated using reductive iron walls. Both of these technologies are proposed to be used in lieu of a conventional pump and treat remediation system for contaminated ground water.

The use of innovative and untested technologies requires a different approach to project planning and execution. For example, the design of innovative technologies requires more specialized professionals, multiple disciplines, a willingness of both the city and CDM to take risks, a desire to develop new processes, and the time to gain acceptance from both the regulators and the public. The innovative technologies must also present some definite advantages to the city and CDM. The advantages of this approach include the flexibility to incorporate even newer technologies in the future, and the ability to save money in the future when the technologies become more routine.

CDM and the city cooperated and partnered to effectively remove barriers resulting in a reduced cost to the city and provided the needed latitude in application of the innovative approaches and technologies. This presentation will briefly describe the project history, key project components, and common barriers to using innovative approaches and technologies. The presentation will conclude with key strategies that will set the stage for similar success on other projects where innovation is applicable.

Key words: partnering, bioremediation, ground water, technology, innovative approaches