AbstractThe management of contaminated areas is addressed at the international level with different regulatory instruments and approaches that can influence the selection of technologies, costs, and time for site recovery. The aim of this study was benchmarking the regulatory and technical approach to contaminated areas in both the Italian and international contexts, represented by eight European countries such as, among others, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the USA. An extensive international literature research was considered, including publications and reports by sector operators, legislators, and research groups, that enabled the identification of efficient and sustainable international practices and procedures for the contaminated site reclamation. Particular attention was paid to the status and costs of soil and groundwater remediation in Europe and in the United States. The outcomes of the study have shown that, from regulatory and administrative points of view, the remediation sector in Italy is among the most conservative, that is, more binding in the identification of contaminated sites and in the definition of remediation objectives. To reverse this trend and align it to the other countries that were the focus of this study, the concepts of mobility and/or bioavailability of contaminants, sustainability, and circular economy could be taken into account in the Italian administrative procedures. These concepts are currently only referred to in the Italian legislation but have not been yet made effectively applicable by codified procedures. In the Italian context, the conservative approach to site remediation may negatively affect the process of contaminated site reclamation and ecological transition. Further debate on the development of environmental regulations to align policies among the remediation stakeholders, particularly at the Italian and international regulatory level, is therefore needed. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:920–932. © 2022 SETAC

Key Points The benchmark highlights a more pragmatic international approach to land reclamation compared to Italian procedures in terms of conservative screening criteria for identifying both potentially contaminated and contaminated sites and groundwater quality compliance at the site boundary. International best practices are needed that can facilitate site reclamation and maintain the same level of environmental protection related to establishment of codified procedures in the regulatory framework for the sustainability assessment of the remediation strategies. The actual presence of sensitive receptors hydro‐geologically downstream of the site (e.g., presence of drinking wells, protected areas, or civilian dwellings) needs to be taken into account instead of requiring mandatory groundwater quality compliance at the site boundary. The use of control receptor and protection measures must be refined instead of underground source remediation as widely used in the USA in more than one‐third of sites with historical contamination.