REM key terms

A chemical, radionuclide, or biological agent identified at a site as potentially harmful to human health or the environment and therefore carried through risk assessment and remediation decisions.

A written and diagrammatic summary of known and suspected contaminant sources, release mechanisms, transport pathways, and receptors at a site, used to focus investigation and risk decisions.

The route by which a receptor comes into contact with a contaminant, comprising a source, a migration mechanism, and a point of contact such as ingestion, inhalation, or dermal absorption.

A person, population, or ecological entity that may be exposed to contamination and could experience an adverse effect; identifying receptors is essential to any risk-based decision.

A structured process that combines hazard identification, dose-response information, exposure evaluation, and characterization to estimate the likelihood and severity of harm from an environmental stressor.

Actions taken to reduce, contain, or remove contamination so that risks to human health and the environment fall to acceptable levels under the applicable regulatory standard.

A document specifying cleanup objectives, selected technologies, performance standards, schedules, and monitoring for a contaminated site, usually subject to regulatory review and approval before implementation.

The post-implementation process of demonstrating, through sampling and documentation, that a remedy has met its performance standards and that residual risks are acceptable.

A cased borehole installed in an aquifer to allow measurement of groundwater level and collection of water samples representative of conditions in a specific screened interval.

A sampling technique that withdraws groundwater at rates matching aquifer recharge so drawdown stays minimal, yielding samples with low turbidity that better represent in-situ conditions.

An aliquot collected so that its composition reflects the medium being characterized within known uncertainty, supported by documented sampling design, handling, and chain-of-custody records.

A chronological written record tracking each sample from collection through transport, storage, and analysis, documenting who handled it and when to preserve evidentiary integrity.

Qualitative and quantitative criteria defining the type, quantity, and quality of data needed to support a specific environmental decision, set before sampling begins.

A planning document describing project organization, sampling procedures, analytical methods, calibration, acceptance criteria, and corrective actions so that environmental data are defensible.

The three-dimensional body of dissolved contamination that migrates from a source through an aquifer, shaped by groundwater flow, dispersion, sorption, and degradation processes.

Reliance on naturally occurring physical, chemical, and biological processes such as dilution, sorption, volatilization, and biodegradation to reduce contaminant concentrations, verified by long-term monitoring.

Use of microorganisms to degrade or transform contaminants, often enhanced by adding electron acceptors, nutrients, or cultures to accelerate biological breakdown in soil or groundwater.

An in-situ technology that applies vacuum through extraction wells in the unsaturated zone to volatilize and remove organic contaminants from soil pores for above-ground treatment.

An in-situ technique that injects air below the water table to strip volatile contaminants from groundwater and promote aerobic biodegradation in the saturated zone.

Any release of wastewater, stormwater, or air emissions authorized under a regulatory permit that sets effluent limits, monitoring duties, and reporting obligations for the facility.

A numeric or narrative restriction on the quantity, concentration, or characteristics of pollutants that may be discharged from a regulated outfall.

The U.S. Clean Water Act permitting program under which point-source discharges to surface waters require a permit with technology-based and water-quality-based limits.

A facility plan required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for sites storing certain oil volumes, specifying containment, inspection, and response measures to prevent oil reaching navigable waters.

The threshold mass of a hazardous substance released that triggers mandatory notification to designated authorities under U.S. federal release-reporting rules.

The regulatory obligation to notify authorities promptly when a spill or emission exceeds a defined threshold, followed by written follow-up documentation of causes and response actions.

Remedial or preventive measures required to address a release, a compliance violation, or a management system nonconformity and to prevent its recurrence.

A failure to meet a specified requirement, such as a legal obligation, permit condition, or management system procedure, which must be recorded, investigated, and resolved.

A systematic, documented evaluation of an organization's environmental management system conducted by the organization or its agent to determine whether it conforms to planned arrangements and is effectively implemented.

A top-management evaluation of an environmental management system's suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness, using audit results, performance data, and compliance status to drive decisions and resources.

The recurring process of enhancing environmental performance by setting objectives, measuring results, and adjusting the management system, rather than achieving a single fixed level of performance.

The structured set of policies, objectives, processes, responsibilities, and resources an organization uses to manage its environmental aspects and obligations and to improve performance.

An element of an organization's activities, products, or services that interacts or can interact with the environment, whether or not it is currently regulated.

Any change to the environment, adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from an organization's environmental aspects.

The documented evaluation used to decide which environmental aspects and impacts are significant enough to require objectives, controls, and monitoring within a management system.

A specific legal or other requirement, such as a statute, regulation, permit condition, or voluntary commitment, that an organization must identify, access, and meet.

A periodic, documented assessment of whether an organization meets its identified compliance obligations, producing findings that feed corrective action and management review.

A measurable parameter, such as emissions per unit of output or percentage of waste recycled, used to track environmental performance against objectives over time.

In sustainability and environmental reporting, the principle that information should be disclosed when it could reasonably influence stakeholder decisions or reflects significant environmental and organizational impacts.

Misrepresenting or overstating environmental performance, credentials, or product benefits so that stakeholders form an inaccurate impression of an organization's actual environmental impact.

A formal statement of the principles and expected conduct for environmental professionals, typically covering integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, competence, and avoidance of conflicts of interest.

A situation in which a professional's personal, financial, or other interest could improperly influence, or appear to influence, their environmental judgments or recommendations.

The principle that verification, audit, or technical review should be performed by parties free from the influence of those responsible for the work being examined.