Introduction to the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) for Community Involvement Coordinators

Thursday, June 13, 2019, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM EDT (17:30-19:30 GMT)

Join us to learn about the valuable ways reuse information informs and enhances EPA cleanups and how community development provides valuable benefits to EPA, communities and the environment. We will share case studies highlighting community involvement efforts during the cleanup process and review the tools and strategies for working with communities to learn about reasonable future land use (RAFLU). Understanding the RAFLU provides EPA with a critical piece of information for selecting and implementing remedies that support reuse and creates a positive venue for allowing communities to weigh in on decisions that impact their lives. We will conclude our session by sharing a number of site and topic-specific documents geared towards promoting and sharing best practices in Superfund Redevelopment within the Agency and across the wide spectrum of stakeholders impacted by the Superfund Program in addition to learning how to secure resources to support community involvement at your site.

Presenters:

Melissa Friedland, EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (friedland.melissa@epa.gov or 703-603-8864)

Melissa Friedland is the Superfund Program Manager for Redevelopment and supports the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, EPA's effort to return contaminated Superfund sites to productive use. Ms. Friedland has been involved with the Initiative since its inception in 1999. She is also the National Program Manager for the Superfund Job Training Initiative in Regions 1 - 5. She has worked at EPA since 1980, beginning in the RCRA program, followed by enforcement, and moving to the Superfund program in 1985. Ms. Friedland has managed the Superfund community involvement program and has served on detail to EPA's New England regional office, the Department of the Navy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She has also worked as a volunteer mediator with the District of Columbia government.

Frank Avvisato, EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (avvisato.frank@epa.gov or 703-603-8949)

Jennifer Harrison, Community Involvement Coordinator, Region 8 (harrison.jennifer@Epa.gov or 303-312-6813)

Ms. Harrison has been a Community Involvement Coordinator for Region 8 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver since 2002 and she currently serves as the region's Superfund Redevelopment Community Liaison. Harrison has developed and implemented communications for numerous hazardous waste sites, including the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site in Montana. She was awarded Community Involvement Coordinator of the Year in 2009 for communications work at the California Gulch Superfund Site near Leadville, Colorado. Harrison has nearly 30 years of experience coordinating communications on behalf of government, non-profit and private organizations and prior to working for EPA she directed the marketing efforts for a photovoltaic start-up company, coordinated communications for the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation and conducted media relations for a variety of nonprofits at a Washington, DC-based consulting firm.

Angela R. Miller, Community Involvement Coordinator, Region 4 (Miller.angela@Epa.gov or 404-562-8561)

Angela Miller has been employed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 31 years and has served within the Superfund Division in various positions. For the last 22 years, she has thoroughly enjoyed her work as a Community Involvement Coordinator and was awarded the 2016 Community Involvement Coordinator of the Year National Notable Achievement Award. She is proud to be a part of the EPA family, as well as working with communities by encouraging and empowering them to get involved in EPA's Superfund process to help make a visible difference within their own communities. Angela also serves on the National Incident Management Assessment Team.

Fran Costanzi, EPA Region 8 (costanzi.frances@epa.gov or 303-312-6571)

Fran Costanzi is a Superfund Remedial Project Manager (RPM) Advisor in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 Office in Denver, Colorado. Fran is also the Region 8 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator and the Region 8 Superfund Training Coordinator.

Fran has been an EPA RPM since 1989. Beginning in September 2018, she became the RPM Advisor for the Superfund Program. The new position involves, among other things, advising the Superfund Program management and staff on cross-cutting initiatives, complex site situations, contractual work efforts, community relations activities and representing the agency to the public and news media on complex and controversial issues. She also serves as the principal liaison from Region 8 to the national Superfund Program office on matters related to development of new policy and guidance.

From 1989 to 1998, she worked in the Region 3 (Philadelphia) office of EPA. Since 1998, she has been working in the Region 8 (Denver) office. During this time she has been or is currently the RPM for many types of sites, including several mining and mineral processing sites. These sites include the Libby Asbestos, Summitville Mine, Midvale Slag, Lincoln Park, and Uravan Uranium. She is currently on the site team for the Colorado Smelter site, assisting with reuse/redevelopment issues. Before joining EPA, Fran was the lead Superfund engineer and ARAR Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality from 1986 to 1989.

Prior to her Superfund experience, Fran worked for the City of Poughkeepsie, New York in the municipal engineering office, and for the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as a wastewater treatment plant operator and shift supervisor.

Fran has a Bachelor of Science degree in Water Resources Engineering Technology from the Pennsylvania State University, and an Associate in Applied Science in Water Quality Monitoring from Ulster County Community College in New York. Fran is a Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania in Environmental Engineering.

Moderator:

Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)

Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Melissa Friedland, Frank Avvisato, Jennifer Harrison, Angela R Miller, and Fran Costanzi (7.80MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Melissa Friedland, Frank Avvisato, Jennifer Harrison, Angela R Miller, and Fran Costanzi (7.80MB/PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Reuse & Redevelopment Tool
• Video Life after Superfund