The Development of China’s Contaminated Site Remediation Industry: A Decade in Review

Abstract

A historical review of the remediation industry of China and the United States is summarized, while the common issues between the two countries are discussed. A side-by-side comparison analysis was carried out in terms of site remediation challenges, environmental policies, management guidelines, funding mechanism, and remediation processes. The key finding is that the remediation industry in China has been experiencing a fast growth since 2004, and the international experiences and lessons primarily derived from the US Superfund program may contribute to China. It is concluded that the solution to address the challenges must be a concerted effort aiming at the formulation of industrial practice code, further emphasis of environmental impact assessment, as well as the establishment of diverse funding mechanisms.