Date Posted: 05/10/20
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TechDirect's purpose is to identify new technical, policy and
guidance resources related to the assessment and remediation of
contaminated soil, sediments and ground water.
Mention of non-EPA documents or presentations does not
constitute a U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an
acknowledgment that they exist and may be relevant to the
TechDirect audience.
Upcoming Live Internet Seminars
ITRC Use of Risk Assessment in Management of Contaminated Sites
- October 6, 2009, 2:00PM-4:15PM EDT (18:00-20:15 GMT). This
training course identifies how various risk-based approaches and
criteria are applied throughout the processes of screening,
characterization, and management of contaminated sites. The
training course and associated overview document, Use of Risk
Assessment in Management of Contaminated Sites (RISK-2, 2008),
are intended for risk assessors and project managers involved
with the characterization, remediation, and/or re-use of sites.
The training and overview document provide a valuable tool for
federal and state regulatory agencies to demonstrate how site
data collection, risk assessment, and risk management may be
better integrated. For more information and to register, see
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/live .
Green Remediation: Applying Strategies in the Field - October 8,
November 12, and December 15. In June 2009, EPA held its annual
National Association of Remedial Project Managers meeting in
Atlanta, GA, and for the second year in a row, one of our most
attended sessions was on Green Remediation (GR). And like last
year, we are offering those talks again to an online audience!
EPA's definition of GR includes the practice of considering the
environmental effects of a remediation strategy (i.e., the
remedy selected and the implementation approach) early in the
process, and incorporating options to maximize the net
environmental benefit of the cleanup action. Since last year,
experience has increased and policies are more developed, and
this is a chance to share that with an online audience. EPA's
Technical Support Project, led by the Engineering Forum, has
taken this full-day session and will hold one session per month
for 3 months starting in October. Each session will last no
longer than 2 hours. For more information and to register, see
http://clu-in.org/live .
ITRC Performance-based Environmental Management - October 15,
2009, 11:00AM-1:15PM EDT (15:00-17:15 GMT). Performance-based
environmental management (PBEM) is a strategic, goal-oriented
methodology that is implemented through effective planning and
decision logic to reach a desired end state of site cleanup. The
goal of PBEM is to be protective of human health and the
environment while efficiently implementing appropriate
streamlined cleanup processes. This ITRC training presents an
overview of what PBEM is, explains how and when to implement it,
and describes the issues that regulators are concerned about
throughout PBEM's implementation. Case studies will be presented
to illustrate successful PBEM projects. The course is valuable
not only because PBEM is being proposed and implemented at many
federal and private sites throughout the country, but also
because PBEM provides an opportunity to enhance all site
remediation. For more information and to register, see
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/live .
ITRC LNAPL Training Parts 1 and 2 - October 20 and 22, 2009.
Light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) are organic liquids
such as gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum hydrocarbon
products that are immiscible with water and less dense than
water. LNAPLs are important because they are present in the
subsurface at thousands of remediation sites across the country,
and are frequently the focus of assessment and remediation
efforts. Part 1 of this training course explains how LNAPLs
behave in the subsurface and examines what controls their
behavior. Part 1 also explains what LNAPL data can tell you
about the LNAPL and site conditions. Relevant and practical
examples are used to illustrate key concepts. Part 2 addresses
LNAPL characterization and site conceptual model development as
well as LNAPL recovery evaluation and remedial considerations.
Specifically, Part 2 discusses key LNAPL and site data, when and
why those data may be important, and how to get those data. Part
2 also discusses how to evaluate LNAPL recoverability. For more
information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/live .
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) 10th Anniversary:
Celebrating Success - October 22, 2009, 2:00PM-4:00PM EDT
(18:00-20:00 GMT). EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
(SRI) celebrates its 10-year Anniversary in 2009! To mark this
event, EPA is hosting a diverse series of seminars featuring
Superfund site reuse success stories. This and successive
webinars will present reuse case studies on multi-use, renewable
energy, ecological reuse, and commercial reuse. For more
information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/sri .
ITRC Quality Consideration for Munitions Response - November 3,
2009, 2:00PM-4:15PM EST (19:00-21:15 GMT). This training
introduces state regulators, environmental consultants, site
owners, and community stakeholders to Quality Considerations for
Munitions Response Projects (UXO-5, 2008), created by the ITRC's
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Team. In this document, quality is
defined as "conformance to requirements." To manage quality, the
quality requirements of the project must first be understood.
Requirements must be precisely stated and clearly understood by
everyone involved. A plan is then put in place to meet those
requirements. The UXO Team emphasizes taking a whole-system
approach to designing, planning and managing a munitions
response (MR) project to optimize quality. This training course
is intended for an intermediate audience and assumes a basic
understanding of specialized processes associated with MR
projects. For more information and to register, see
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio .
ITRC Enhanced Attenuation of Chlorinated Organics: A Site
Management Tool - November 5, 2009, 11:00AM-1:15PM EST
(16:00-18:15 GMT). This training on the ITRC Technical and
Regulatory Guidance for Enhanced Attenuation: Chlorinated
Organics (EACO-1, 2008) describes the transition (the bridge)
between aggressive remedial actions and MNA and vise versa.
Enhanced attenuation (EA) is the application of technologies
that minimize energy input and are sustainable in order to
reduce contaminant loading and/or increase the attenuation
capacity of a contaminated plume to progress sites towards
established remedial objectives. Contaminant loading and
attenuation capacity are fundamental to sound decisions for
remediation of groundwater contamination. This training explains
how a decision framework which, when followed, allows for a
smooth transition between more aggressive remedial technologies
to sustainable remedial alternatives and eventually to Monitored
Natural Attenuation. This training will demonstrate how this
decision framework allows regulators and practitioners to
integrate Enhanced Attenuation into the remedial decision
process. For more information and to register, see
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/live .
New Documents and Web Resources
Principles for Greener Cleanups and Superfund Green Remediation
Strategy. The U.S. EPA has developed Principles for Greener
Cleanups with the goal of reducing the demands placed on the
environment during cleanup of contaminated land, while
continuing to protect human health and the environment. Among
other things, the Principles call for EPA's cleanup programs to
utilize greener approaches during any phase of site work, and
establish the goal of evaluating cleanup actions more
holistically to ensure protection of human health and the
environment while reducing the environmental footprint of
cleanup activities, when feasible. Cleanups that do not satisfy
threshold requirements for protectiveness, or do not meet site
specific cleanup objectives, do not qualify as a greener
cleanup. The U.S. EPA Superfund Program is seeking public
comment on an initial draft Superfund Green Remediation
Strategy, which sets out its current plans to reduce energy use
and enhance the environmental performance of remedial and
non-time critical removal actions undertaken to address
hazardous waste sites. In consideration of the Principles for
Greener Cleanups, the Superfund Green Remediation Strategy is an
initial effort to outline key actions and related activities
that can be undertaken to promote green remediation. These
action items fall into three major categories: policy and
guidance development, resource development and program
implementation, and program evaluation. The strategy also
contains several recommendations including a call for EPA to
implement a series of near-term program initiatives and to
establish a baseline of Superfund energy usage. The public
comment period is open through November 10, 2009. View the
principles and strategy and provide comments at
http://www.epa.gov/oswer/greencleanups .
Updated Emerging Contaminants Fact Sheets. The U.S. EPA Federal
Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) has developed
fact sheets that address emerging contaminants of particular
concern to the federal facility community. While these
contaminants present a number of issues to the government, the
private sector, and other organizations, these fact sheets are
designed to provide basic information targeted to federal
facility Remedial Project Managers and other federal facility
site managers or field personnel. These fact sheets include
current information on physical and chemical properties;
environmental and health impacts; existing regulatory standards
and cleanup levels; detection and treatment methods; and
additional sources of information. View or download at
http://clu-in.org/emergingcontaminants/ .
Technology News and Trends (EPA 542-N-09-005). This issue
highlights approaches to assessing, mitigating, and monitoring
vapor intrusion (VI). Varied action levels for VI represent
varying site-specific factors included in development of the
action level (September 2009, 6 pages). View or download at
http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm .
The Use of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) in Screening High
Risk (allotment) Sites. In this CL:AIRE Feature Article, a
European City Council shares their experience of screening the
city's allotments for metal contamination using a hand-held pXRF
(portable X-Ray Fluorescence) device. The article explains the
procedures and thought processes the council underwent last year
in conducting this investigation over a total of 535 allotments
as part of regulatory obligations under Part IIa of the
Environmental Protection Act. View or download at
http://www.claire.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id
=295&Itemid=28 .
EUGRIS Corner. New Documents on EUGRIS, the platform for
European contaminated soil and water information. More than 43
resources, events projects and news items were added to EUGRIS 1
- 24 September, 2008. These can be viewed at
http://www.eugris.info/whatsnew.asp . Then select the
appropriate month and year for the updates in which you are
interested. The following reports were featured on EUGRIS:
Health Risk Perception and Environmental Problems: Findings from
Ten Case Studies in the North West of England (2009). Today,
organisations acknowledge the fundamental contribution that
perception and communication have to risk management, and Public
health practitioners are expected to take a holistic approach;
and to understand the needs of the community; communicate with
individuals and groups properly; and successfully involve the
public in any relevant risk assessment. This work aims to
provide public health specialists and practitioners with a
simple tool to assist in the management of public concerns that
arise in relation to potential environmental hazards. View or
download at http://www.cph.org.uk/showPublication.aspx?pubid=538
.
Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) Software and
Dioxins Workbook (2009). This software, CLEA software version
1.05, is a computer version of the CLEA model. It replaces CLEA
software version 1.04 (which in turn replaced CLEA software
version 1.03 beta, the evaluation version of this software). It
also contains additional approaches, which may be useful for
site-specific risk assessment that are not described within the
CLEA report but are covered in some detail within the handbook.
The handbook also provides a detailed user guide explaining how
to operate all of the functions of the software. View or
download from
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/33732.aspx
.
Conferences and Symposia
Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) 2009 Fall
Meeting Leading Environmental Change , Louisville, Kentucky,
October 26-30, 2009. This meeting offers the opportunity for
environmental professionals from across the country to network
and collaborate on innovative approaches to solving
environmental challenges. This week-long, conference-style
meeting features plenary and breakout sessions, as well as ITRC
Team meetings. Highlights include the connection between ITRC
and emerging environmental issues and topics ITRC will address
in 2010. Registration for this meeting is open to the over 500
current ITRC members in addition to outside parties who wish to
engage with ITRC (registration fee applies). For more
information and to register, see
http://www.itrcweb.org/2009FallMeeting.asp .
Nanotechnology for Environmental Cleanup and Pollution Control,
Burlingame, CA, November 3, 2009. The Symposium is a forum for
leading nanotechnology researchers, practitioners, and policy
and regulatory experts to share and express the latest research
findings, case studies, and regulatory issues of nanotechnology.
The focus of the Symposium will be on the application of
nanotechnology for groundwater remediation, surface water
treatment, and pollution control. For more information and to
register, see http://www.grac.org/nanotech.asp .
GreenRemediation, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 9-10, 2009.
Sustainable approaches for decision-making and soil remediation
are more relevant than ever. The objective of the
GreenRemediation Conference is to improve the awareness of green
remediation solutions among environmentalists and decision
makers. Main topics are Policy Drivers, Decision Support Tools
and Sustainable Remediation Technologies. The program includes
presentations from speakers from 9 countries around the world
including organisations like NICOLE, SuRF UK, EU Common Forum on
Contaminated Land and the U.S. EPA. The conference is organized
by the Danish EPA, Information Centre on Contaminated Sites -
DANISH REGIONS, The Capital Region of Denmark and a number of
private organisations. For more information and to register, see
http://www.polytec.dk/GreenRemediation/ .
Brownfields 2009 Conference, New Orleans, LA, November 16-18,
2009. The Brownfields 2009 Conference will see stakeholders from
community, planning, real estate, finance, and policy interests
from across the nation converge to focus on brownfields cleanup,
redevelopment, and a broad range of land revitalization
solutions. Take advantage of learning and networking
opportunities including first-rate educational sessions,
valuable mobile workshops, dynamic plenary speakers, excellent
organizational meetings, and more. For more information and to
register, see http://www.brownfieldsconference.org .
Call for Abstracts!! 2010 Conference on Design and Construction
Issues at Hazardous Waste Sites, Philadelphia, PA, April 21-23,
2010. This conference, to be hosted by the U.S. EPA and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, will facilitate information exchange
among professionals from the private and public sectors
regarding design and construction issues at hazardous waste
sites including effective methods, remediation strategies,
lessons learned, and application of technologies. Abstracts are
due by November 13, 2009. For more information and to submit an
abstract, see https://superfund.usace.army.mil/2010DCHWS .
Call for Abstracts!! Green Remediation: Environment - Energy -
Economics, Amherst, MA, June 15-17, 2010. The conference will
address the full range of environmental, energy and economic
aspects of green and sustainable remediation, taking into
account the energy requirements of treatment systems, air
emissions, water use requirements and impacts on water
resources, land and ecosystem use and impacts, energy use and
renewables, material consumption, reuse, and waste generation.
The conference will provide a forum for scientists, regulators,
managers, and other stakeholders from around the globe to
interact and share new knowledge in both basic and applied
research in green and sustainable remediation. Abstracts are
encouraged in all areas of green and sustainable remediation,
from basic to applied research, from case studies to
demonstration projects. Abstracts for platform presentations are
due by November 1, 2009. For more information and to submit an
abstract, see
http://www.umass.edu/tei/conferences/GreenRemediation/GreenCallFo
rAbstracts.html .
NOTE: For TechDirect, we prefer to concentrate mainly on new
documents and the Internet live events. However, we do support
an area on CLU-IN where announcement of conferences and courses
can be regularly posted. Currently there are 73 conferences and
courses featured. We invite sponsors to input information on
their events at http://clu-in.org/courses . Likewise, readers
may visit this area for news of upcoming events that might be of
interest. It allows users to search events by location, topic,
time period, etc.
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