Climate Resiliency and Superfund Site Reuse

Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM EDT (17:30-19:00 GMT)

Understanding and addressing climate change is critical to EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. This webinar will discuss how EPA is addressing the vulnerabilities of Superfund site cleanups and reuse to climate change and extreme weather events. Participants will learn about EPA tools and resources available to help communities adapt to climate change. This event will also feature the Student Conservation Association, an organization with local programs to protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks and community green spaces in all 50 states, to highlight opportunities to build ecological, social, and economic resilience.

Presenters:

Alexis Rourk Reyes, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, Superfund Redevelopment Program (Rourk.Alexis@epa.gov or 202-564-3179)

Alexis Rourk Reyes serves as the Program Manager for the Superfund Redevelopment Program at the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Superfund Redevelopment Program helps communities reuse formerly contaminated land through an array of tools, partnerships, and activities, aiming to provide long-impacted local communities with new opportunities to grow and prosper. Alexis previously served in EPA’s Office of Community Revitalization where she led technical assistance on equitable development as part of the Building Blocks program and supported other technical assistance program to communities with data analysis and engagement of underrepresented groups to ensure that community-driven action planning is done with their meaningful participation. Her previous positions and education were focused on in participatory land use planning, environmental justice, and public health.

Chelsea Sebetich, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, Superfund Redevelopment Program (Sebetich.Chelsea@epa.gov or 202-566-1151)

Chelsea Sebetich has recently joined the Office of Superfund Remediation & Technology Innovation's Community Involvement and Program Initiatives Branch at EPA headquarters, where she supports the Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) - EPA's effort to help communities reclaim and reuse formerly contaminated Superfund sites. She also supports the Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI), an environmental remediation job readiness program that provides free training and career development opportunities for people living in communities affected by Superfund sites.

Prior to her work with EPA, Chelsea served with the Peace Corps in North Macedonia, where she volunteered with a local environmental community organization, in addition to her primary role as an education program facilitator. She began her career in the nonprofit sector, working as a program coordinator for a small business foundation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Chelsea holds a Masters of Public Administration in Sustainable Development & Organizational Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and Bachelors of Arts in Spanish and International Cultural Studies from Bethany College in West Virginia.

Carlos Pachon, U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (pachon.carlos@epa.gov)

Carlos manages EPA's Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center which has an overall goal of advancing best practices and new technologies in cleaning up Brownfield sites. The Brownfields Road Map is a product of the BTSC, which in turn is a collaborative effort between the Superfund Program and the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. Carlos has a broad cross-program perspective on innovative practices in site assessment and cleanup, and he generates and manages knowledge and information on the use of technologies in the Superfund Program. He is currently leading a cross-Agency effort to advance EPA's Principles for Green Remediation.

In recent years he has held other positions including Deputy Director for Environmental Reviews with the United States Trade Representative, and as a special assistant to EPA Administrator Johnson. He has a BS from Colorado State University in Watershed Management and graduate degrees in Environmental and Management from Duke University and an MBA from Georgetown University in DC.

Kelly Runzel, Student Conservation Association (krunzel@thesca.org)

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:

• September 2022 SRP Webinar Introduction Slides (9.10MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Slides for Carlos Pachon, U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (6.79MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Slides for Kelly Runzel, Student Conservation Association (9.27MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Conclusion Slides (4.06MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• September 2022 SRP Webinar Introduction Slides (9.10MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Slides for Carlos Pachon, U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (6.79MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Slides for Kelly Runzel, Student Conservation Association (9.27MB/PDF)
• September 2022 SRP Webinar Conclusion Slides (4.06MB/PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Seminar Archives
• EPA's Superfund Redevelopment
• Superfund Redevelopment Basics
• Find the Redevelopment Tool that Works for You
• Supporting Current and Future Use at Superfund Sites
• Regional Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator Contacts
• Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
• Superfund Redevelopment Ready for Reuse Fact Sheets
• Superfund Redevelopment Success Stories, Fact Sheets and Case Studies
• Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determinations