The USA and other nations have massive industrial, radiologic, and chemical legacy wastes on numerous sites, for example from the Cold War and industrial activities. Most of these sites will require remediation (cleanup of contaminants). Prioritization is essential to determine the order of cleanup, leaving some tasks for a later time. This paper examines the potential costs and benefits of delaying remediation on ecological resources on contaminated sites. Aspects to consider include those related to management and planning, source term and pathways, risks and resources, and external drivers (regulations and laws, stakeholders). The US Department of Energy was used as a case study to examine the effects of delaying remediation. The conceptual model and tables provided here can serve as guidance or checklists for site managers.

中文翻译：

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延迟修复受污染场地生态资源的成本和收益。

美国和其他国家/地区在许多地点（例如，冷战和工业活动中）都有大量的工业，放射性和化学遗留废物。这些站点中的大多数将需要进行补救（清除污染物）。优先级对于确定清理顺序至关重要，可将某些任务留待以后处理。本文研究了延迟修复受污染场地生态资源的潜在成本和收益。需要考虑的方面包括与管理和计划，源术语和途径，风险和资源以及外部驱动因素（法规和法律，利益相关者）有关的方面。以美国能源部为例，研究了延迟修复的影响。此处提供的概念模型和表格可以用作站点管理员的指南或清单。