Reducing environmental remediation impact while preserving critical wetland habitat

A U.S. federal government client managing a contaminated forested wetland in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. faced significant ecological disruption under initial remediation plans. The proposed approach identified 12.4 acres identified for excavation to a one-foot depth, including mature habitat with trees averaging 75-years old — raising concerns about long-term ecological loss alongside environmental remediation costs. With increasing scrutiny on balancing environmental protection and regulatory compliance, the need to understand tradeoffs became critical. By applying Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA), we assessed ecological service levels and modeled outcomes across a range of cleanup thresholds — creating a clearer path to reduce impact while still addressing contaminant risk. 

We completed the NEBA by quantifying existing ecological services and forecasting post-remediation conditions under different scenarios. This approach provided a robust, evidence-based comparison of environmental gains and losses, enabling informed decision-making. By demonstrating that a higher cleanup threshold could still meet regulatory intent, we supported acceptance of a reduced remediation footprint. The area requiring excavation was reduced from 12.4 acres to 1.3 acres — preserving approximately 11 acres of forested wetland and avoiding more than $10 million in remediation costs.