SITE was established by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in response to the 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, which recognized a need for an "alternative or innovative treatment technology research and demonstration program." The SITE program was funded through fiscal year 2006 and was administered by ORD's National Risk Management Research Laboratory, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Innovative technologies were field tested on hazardous waste materials. Engineering and cost data were gathered so that potential users could assess the technology's applicability to a particular site. The data were used to assess the performance of the technology, the potential need for pre- and post-processing of the waste, applicable types of wastes and waste matrices, potential operating problems, and approximate capital and operating costs.

After each SITE demonstration, EPA prepared an Innovative Technology Evaluation Report, a Technology Capsule, and a Demonstration Bulletin. These reports evaluated all available information on the technology and analyzed its overall applicability to waste types, waste matrices, and sites with other characteristics. Testing procedures, performance and cost data, and quality assurance and quality standards were also presented.