Over the next several decades, federal, state, and local governments and private industry will commit billions of dollars annually to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous waste and petroleum products from a variety of industrial sources. This commitment will result in a continuing demand for hazardous waste site remediation services and technologies. Hundreds of small, medium, and large companies across the nation will respond to this demand, supplying skilled professionals and advanced technologies to address contaminated sites. Researchers and technology developers will continue working to provide smarter and cheaper solutions to the complex environmental contamination problems still to be addressed. Investors will seek to identify technologies that provide the most promising technical and financial future. Universities continually seek to adjust their environmental sciences and engineering curricula to ensure that their future graduates are prepared for the challenges they will face in this field. To make cost-effective and sound investment decisions, all these groups will need information on the nature and extent of the future cleanup market. With this need in mind, EPA has produced this overview of the site characterization and remediation market. EPA believes that information on the Nation's cleanup needs will help industry and government officials develop better and more targeted research, development, and business strategies. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, (5102G), EPA542-R-04-015.