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Bioremediation does not necessarily involve genetic engineering; some plants are naturally able to take up contaminants from the soil, and certain microbes already possess the ability to degrade certain wastes. Genetic engineering, however, can improve bioremediation by making available plants and microbes that can more effectively degrade wastes or can tackle wastes for which no such solutions exist at present.
Benefits
According to a paper from the New Hampshire School of Law, bioremediation with genetically engineered plants and bacteria could provide more effective tools for degrading wastes at more sites around the country---without creating toxic by-products. The same paper notes that estimated clean-up costs for all U.S. hazardous waste sites using current technologies exceed $1.7 trillion, so bioremediation could prove more expensive as well.
Considerations
According to a January 2010 article in the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Journal, various lab experiments have already demonstrated that transgenic plants and microbes are in some instances more successful in removing or degrading environmental contaminants. There are still challenges that remain to be overcome, however, like ensuring the altered microbes can survive in the soil where they are used and in assessing the impact on the environment.