Application of a balanced scorecard system for supporting decision-making in contaminated sites remediation

This work introduces the development and application of a multi-goal evaluation procedure for assessing sets of remedial options that have previously been found technically suitable for managing a certain contaminated site. The construction of this decision support tool, in the form of a balanced scorecard, has followed a multi-attribute conception of the contaminated sites problem, identifying the most critical aspects considered by all stakeholders involved in contaminated sites management decisions. The developed tool has been checked in its formulation and application against an export benchmark of an Austrian remediation project. The performed evaluation allowed to identify and suggest a remedial option that best fitted the expectations of all stakeholders involved in the project. Furthermore, through the accomplishment of a sensitivity analysis it has been demonstrated that the system is stable and robust in terms of the chosen elicitation schemes, and that the preferences of the different stakeholders are influencing factors on the final result. The results and conclusions of this work present the benefits of implementing the developed balanced scorecard as a tool for supporting decision making in contaminated sites remediation projects.