The initial transients during the heating phase of steam stripping of soil in a column are examined and found to be typically of very short duration compared to the time required for the steam flow to dry the soil. Two one-dimensional models for steam stripping are developed which include these transients. The first permits semivolatile organic compounds tb be present as nonaqueous phase liquid or dissolved, and postulates the validity of Henry’s law and of the local equilibrium assumption. The second includes the effects of diffusion kinetics. The dependence of soil remediation rates on the parameters of the models is explored. The use of steam stripping for the remediation of soils contaminated with Lindane and its congeners is discussed.