Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council: a U.S. state-led coalition that produces consensus technical and regulatory guidance documents on contaminated-site cleanup technologies. ITRC documents are not regulations themselves, but they are routinely cited by state regulators and used to align practice across jurisdictions.
ITRC convenes state regulators, federal agencies, industry, academia, and community stakeholders into technical teams that publish guidance on specific contaminants and technologies. Widely used outputs include PFAS Technical and Regulatory Guidance, In Situ Chemical Oxidation, Remediation Management of Complex Sites, Vapor Intrusion Mitigation, and 1,4-Dioxane guidance. Each document captures current consensus on site characterization, technology applicability, design, performance verification, and limitations.
Although ITRC is U.S.-based, its guidance is referenced internationally because few jurisdictions produce technology-specific documents at the same depth. Canadian and European practitioners use ITRC documents as reference texts during remedy selection, with adjustments for local regulatory frameworks.
Also known as: ITRC, Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council.
A regulatory designation for the most effective and advanced stage of development of activities and operating methods. Regulators use BAT to set minimum performance standards for pollution control and contaminated-site remediation, anchored in technical and economic feasibility rather than vendor preference.
The U.S. federal law passed in 1980 that establishes liability, cleanup standards, and the Superfund program for sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The foundational statute for U.S. environmental remediation and the basis for the 2024 designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances.
A 2001 international treaty in force since 2004 that requires signatory countries to eliminate or restrict the production, use, and release of designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, including PCBs, dioxins, furans, and a growing list of PFAS compounds.
An independent third-party verification process for environmental technology performance, originally administered by the U.S. EPA and now operated by national and international programs in Canada, the European Union, and Asia. ETV documents what a technology actually achieves under defined conditions, separate from vendor marketing claims.