SOCIAL

A majority of the bioremediation process occurs underground to not disrupt the community. However, there are cases where the noise from the process may cause a public disturbance. 

 

ETHICAL

An issue with bioremediation is the efficiency of the microbes. The process of microbial bioremediation may be too slow and result in accumulation of toxins. 

Another issue is the reliance on genetically modified bacteria. The colonies must be altered to produce such mass communities for toxin clean-up. This often raises questions on whether this effects the nature of the environment.

 

LEGAL

There are often disputes over property rights and community consent for the use of bioremediation techniques.

There are 3 major regulations applied to the use of bioremediation:

Regulation under FIFRA
"Under FIFRA, EPA cannot authorize the sale or distribution of a substance until the Agency has enough information to ensure that “when used in accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, it will not cause or significantly increase the risk of unreasonable adverse effects to humans or the environment.”"

Regulation under TSCA

"To use a bioengineered organism for a commercial purpose, a research group must submit an MCAN at least 90 days before the use of the organism. Submission of an MCAN requires data describing the genetic makeup and characteristics of the organism, any
byproducts of the organism, information relating to risks posed through worker exposure and environmental release, and health effects information."

Regulation under CERCLA

"When closing a facility under RCRA, currentregulations call for either the complete removal of all wastes (clean closure) or leavingwastes and constituents in place (landfill closure)."