Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN)

CLU-IN Spotlight: Treatment Technologies for Mining-Influenced Water

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:19:31 GMT

EPA’s Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES) compiled the report, Treatment Technologies for Mining-Influenced Water: Review of Non-Peer-Reviewed Performance Data, to assist EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management and remedial project managers in determining what technologies may be appropriate at metal mining CERCLA sites. The full report and Appendix A: Treatability Study Performance Data and Other Key Information, including a searchable tool for case studies, are available.

Seminar: ITRC ITRC: Reuse of Solid Mining Waste, September 3, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:45:35 GMT

Solid mining waste represents a significant quantity of waste material in the United States and around the world. Solid mining waste has a range of physical and chemical properties that make it both potentially valuable and potentially hazardous to human health and the environment. From a commercial perspective, mining removes most of the primary minerals of interest; however, waste materials can still contain valuable minerals and other materials that can be recovered. The different types of mining sites and potential wastes for reuse provide a significant challenge but also an opportunity for innovation.

Improvements in extraction and mineral processing technologies have occurred over time making it possible to recover minerals present in low concentrations. Interest in trace metals and rare earth elements (REEs) has increased, especially with the drive towards renewable energy sources increasing demand for key minerals required for solar panels and batteries. The reuse of solid mining waste can consist of reprocessing and repurposing the waste for resource recovery or a new application or product. This reuse serves as a solution to two significant needs:

a domestic supply of minerals and materials for sustainable development and national defense purposes
the reclamation and remediation of land to reduce risks to human and environmental health

The ITRC Reuse of Solid Mining Waste training and guidance document is geared towards state regulators and environmental consultants, mining and manufacturing stakeholders, community and tribal stakeholders, and other who have an interest in the potential reuse of solid mining waste.

The guidance and this associated training course includes:

Mining wastes introduction
Considerations for reusing mining waste: waste characterization, economic and market considerations, life cycle and risk assessment, regulatory considerations, & stakeholder considerations
Potential applications for the reuse of solid mining waste: examples of construction, environmental, and industrial reuses
Review of technologies used in mineral beneficiation and processing

Additionally, the guidance includes several case studies illustrating a range of current mining waste reuse scenarios. Prior to attending the training class, participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC Reuse of Solid Mining Waste document.

Seminar: ITRC Understanding Vapor Intrusion - Introductory Concepts & Fundamentals - A Two Part Series: Session 1, September 8, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:54:18 GMT

The Vapor Intrusion 101 training series provides an overview of vapor intrusion (VI) and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists).

This course introduces participants to the fundamentals of vapor intrusion, the process by which vapor-forming chemicals in contaminated soil or groundwater volatilize and migrate into buildings. The course will discuss sources, pathways, and receptors. It will identify and assess VI risks in various settings (residential, commercial, industrial) and familiarize participants with regulatory frameworks and guidelines (e.g., USEPA, state-specific regulations). The participants will gain working knowledge of how to develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM), design and implement sampling strategies, establish data quality objectives (DQOs), and conduct data and risk evaluations. It will provide an overview of mitigation strategies, including various closure strategies, land use covenants, and institutional controls.

Session 1 will focus on:

What is Vapor Intrusion
VI Exposure Pathway
VI in Practice - including common CSMs, Scenarios, and Chemicals
Potential Limiting Factors for VI - PVI vs Chlorinated VI, Geology, Hydrogeology, and Building Operating Conditions
How is VI Different & Challenges in Evaluating VI

Session 2 will focus on:

How VI is Different
How to assess VI - CSM, Sample Collection, Data Interpretation, Risk Assessment, and Project Life Cycle
Managing VI Risk at a Site - Mitigation, Remediation, Monitoring
What does Closure look like & Various Exit Strategies

The course will provide connections to the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit to help the audience understand how to find and use these new resources for VI sites.

Seminar: ITRC Understanding Vapor Intrusion -Introductory Concepts & Fundamentals - A Two Part Series: Session 2, September 22, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:54:19 GMT

What is Vapor Intrusion
VI Exposure Pathway
VI in Practice - including common CSMs, Scenarios, and Chemicals
Potential Limiting Factors for VI - PVI vs Chlorinated VI, Geology, Hydrogeology, and Building Operating Conditions
How is VI Different & Challenges in Evaluating VI

Session 2 will focus on:

How VI is Different
How to assess VI - CSM, Sample Collection, Data Interpretation, Risk Assessment, and Project Life Cycle
Managing VI Risk at a Site - Mitigation, Remediation, Monitoring
What does Closure look like & Various Exit Strategies

The course will provide connections to the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit to help the audience understand how to find and use these new resources for VI sites.

Seminar: ITRC ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework, October 1, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:47:55 GMT

In 2023, the ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Framework was published to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify, evaluate, and manage CEC's while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity. Such an approach can be conducive to improved allocation of regulatory response resources and provide a foundation for communicating potential risk to stakeholders.

The ITRC framework is comprised of a white paper and four associated fact sheets. In the white paper, CEC are defined as: "substances and microorganisms including physical, chemical, biological, or radiological materials known or anticipated in the environment, that may pose newly identified risks to human health or the environment." The framework is meant to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders by providing examples of CEC monitoring programs and guiding the user through the process of identifying CEC key characteristics, how to communicate real and perceived risk from CEC to the public, and how laboratory analytical methods can be used in the identification process.

The ITRC CEC training presents this entirely new framework for identification, prioritization, and communication of CEC. This course includes the following topics:

An overview of the framework, how and why it was developed, the factors that influence the creation of CEC management units at the state level, and a listing of existing CEC monitoring programs.
A discussion of key variables that may be used as criteria to identify and prioritize CEC for response actions. This portion of the course includes a case study that illustrates how the identification and prioritization process works with an "unknown" chemical CEC.
Practices and methods for stakeholder messaging and how to share incomplete information on CEC that could impact human health and the environment. This portion of the short course builds upon the ITRC Risk Communication Toolkit by providing additional detail addresses communications plans, message maps, and audience identification.
A paradigm for how laboratory methods can be used to identify CEC ranging from:
- "Is compound X in the sample and at what concentration?" (i.e., known knowns) to
- "Which compounds from the list are in this sample?" (i.e., known unknowns) to
- "What is in the sample?" (i.e., unknown unknowns).

CEC are typically compounds or substances whose occurrence or effect is unknown but may or may not be understood through similar compounds or substances. This module includes a discussion of the use of targeted and untargeted analysis to identify a CEC.

Participants will learn the elements of the CEC framework and gain an understanding of the framework application from case studies. Participants are encouraged to review the ITRC CEC Framework prior to the class.

Seminar: ITRC ITRC: Microplastics, October 8, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:48:16 GMT

In response to one of the biggest emerging environmental concerns, ITRC formed the Microplastics Team in 2021 to develop the Microplastics Guidance Document. Plastics have become pervasive in modern life and are now used in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Microplastics may result from the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastics, or they may be intentionally produced for specific applications and products. Regardless of their origin, microplastics are now ubiquitous in our environment. Because of their small size and pervasiveness in the environment, microplastics, along with any other contaminants which are adhered to the microplastics, may be inadvertently consumed by humans and other organisms.

The online ITRC Guidance Document is geared toward an audience with reasonable level of scientific understanding, but not microplastic-specific knowledge. The guidance provides a user with information on microplastics and the state of the applied science without having to go to the scientific literature.

The target audience for the guidance and this training course includes state regulators and environmental consultants, as well as community and tribal stakeholders.

The guidance and this associated training course uses a conceptual site model to navigate microplastics in the environment and explore the following general areas:

An introduction to microplastics, their sources, and worldwide distribution
The pathways through which microplastics can enter and travel in the environment and their distribution in various media (water, soil, sediment, air, and biota)
A current look at the most common techniques and best practices for sampling and analyzing microplastics
Potential human health and ecological risks associated with microplastics in the environment
An overview of existing regulations related to microplastics and macroplastics at the state, federal, and international levels
Examples of prevention and mitigation strategies and best management practices to reduce microplastics from entering the environment and the emerging technologies to abate, treat, and remediate microplastics once they exist in the environment
Identification of data gaps and the need for further research
Several case studies illustrating a range of current microplastics-related topics

Prior to attending the training class, participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC Microplastics Guidance Document.

Seminar: ITRC ITRC PFAS Introductory Training, October 13, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:48:37 GMT

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large and complex class of anthropogenic compounds whose prevalence in the environment are an emerging, worldwide priority in environmental and human health. The ITRC PFAS Team, formed in 2017, has prepared readily accessible materials to present PFAS information to stakeholders, regulators, and policy makers. The PFAS team represents a diverse cross-section of expertise and experience working on PFAS.

This training will include emerging science on PFAS, including topics such as Properties of PFAS, Fate and Transport, Sampling and Analysis, and Treatment Technologies. The technical presentations will be focused on those who are relatively new to PFAS. The training will last approximately 90 minutes and include time for questions.

Seminar: ITRC Vapor Intrusion Mitigation (VIM-1) - A Two Part Series: Session 1, October 22, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:55:26 GMT

ITRC's Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training is a series of eight (8) modules, presented over two sessions. If you took the ITRC VIM series previously, the content has stayed the same, but the new course directs people to the Vapor Intrusion (VI) Toolkit resources published in January 2026 by ITRC.

The Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training series provides an overview of VIM and presents information from the 2026 Vapor Intrusion (VI) ToolkitITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists).

Session 1:

Introduction & Overview of Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Training Team
Conceptual Site Models for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Community Engagement During Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Rapid Response & Ventilation for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Remediation & Institutional Controls

Session 2:

Active Mitigation Approaches
Passive Mitigation Approaches
System Verification, OM&M, Curtailment and Shutdown

When certain contaminants or hazardous substances are released into the soil or groundwater, they may volatilize into soil vapor. VI occurs when these vapors migrate up into overlying buildings and contaminate indoor air. The ITRC VI Toolkit combines the previous ITRC VI-related guidance documents (VI 2007, PVI 2014, VIM-1 2020), along with updates, into one comprehensive resource toolkit (including fact sheets, technology information sheets and checklists) published in January 2026.

After the Vapor Intrusion Mitigation series, you should understand:

How to locate and utilize the relevant document, fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists
The importance of a VI mitigation conceptual site model
How community engagement for VI mitigation differs from other environmental matters
When to implement rapid response for VI and applicable methodologies
The differences between remediation, mitigation, and institutional controls
Available technologies for active and passive mitigation, and design considerations for various approaches
How/when/why different mitigation technologies are appropriate
How to verify mitigation system success, address underperformance, and develop a plan for curtailment of a mitigation system and shutdown

We encourage you to use the ITRC VI Toolkit and these training modules to learn about VI mitigation and how you can apply these best practices to improve decision-making at your sites. For regulators and other government agency staff, this understanding of VI mitigation can be incorporated into your own programs.

While the training makes every effort to keep the information accessible to a wide audience, it is assumed that the participants will have some basic technical understanding of chemistry, environmental sciences, and risk assessment. As with other emerging contaminants, our understanding of VI mitigation continues to advance. This training provides the participants with information on areas where the science is evolving and where uncertainty persists.

Seminar: ITRC ITRC: Introduction to Hydrocarbons, October 27, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:50:13 GMT

Petroleum is a complex mixture of many compounds. Regulatory and technical guidance documents commonly focus on the hydrocarbon components of that mixture, or perceived risks that they present. However, focusing on a specific area of concern often causes practitioners to overlook other aspects of a release. For example, concerns related to exposure to total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) risks may be overlooked while pursuing concerns related to light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) recovery or petroleum vapor intrusion (PVI).

This class is designed to provide a basic overview of hydrocarbon behavior in the subsurface and how to scientifically assess concerns arising from the release of petroleum products into the environment. It will highlight key issues that help identify and manage TPH, LNAPL, and PVI risks together. Key concepts will include:

Fundamentals of petroleum hydrocarbons

Petroleum chemistry
How TPH, LNAPL, and PVI are related

Building an integrated conceptual site model (CSM)

What is a CSM…what is its purpose?
When is a CSM complete?

Identifying and managing the risks from petroleum hydrocarbons

Defining LNAPL risks based on acute, saturation, composition, or aesthetic concerns
Emphasize the importance of biodegradation in risk management decision making
How to select remedial goals and remedies that align with your goals

This course is based upon three separate Guidance Documents developed by ITRC that address the course content in detail:

Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL), LNAPL Site Management: LCSM Evolution, Decision Process, and Remedial Technologies (LNAPL-3)
Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI), Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management (PVI-1)
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), TPH Risk Evaluation at Petroleum-Contaminated Sites (TPHRisk-1)

Seminar: ITRC Vapor Intrusion Mitigation (VIM-1) - A Two Part Series: Session 2, November 3, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:55:27 GMT

ITRC's Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training is a series of eight (8) modules, presented over two sessions. If you took the ITRC VIM series previously, the content has stayed the same, but the new course directs people to the Vapor Intrusion (VI) Toolkit resources published in January 2026 by ITRC.

The Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training series provides an overview of VIM and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists).

Session 1:

Introduction & Overview of Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Training Team
Conceptual Site Models for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Community Engagement During Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Rapid Response & Ventilation for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Remediation & Institutional Controls

Session 2:

Active Mitigation Approaches
Passive Mitigation Approaches
System Verification, OM&M, Curtailment and Shutdown

After the Vapor Intrusion Mitigation series, you should understand:

How to locate and utilize the relevant document, fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists
The importance of a VI mitigation conceptual site model
How community engagement for VI mitigation differs from other environmental matters
When to implement rapid response for VI and applicable methodologies
The differences between remediation, mitigation, and institutional controls
Available technologies for active and passive mitigation, and design considerations for various approaches
How/when/why different mitigation technologies are appropriate
How to verify mitigation system success, address underperformance, and develop a plan for curtailment of a mitigation system and shutdown

Seminar: ITRC PFAS Sorption Based Technologies for Separation & Concentration of PFAS from Water, November 12, 2026

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:50:32 GMT

Removal of PFAS from water has become an important concern for water utilities; landfill operators; industry professionals; and state, local, and tribal decision makers. Sorption-based technologies, specifically granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and foam fractionation have proven to be effective solutions in this area, but choosing the most suitable sorption-based method or system configuration can be daunting. To aid treatment practitioners, the ITRC PFAS team published a technical guidance document titled "Sorption-based Technologies for Separation and Concentration of PFAS from Water" (Section 18 of PFAS-1). This training module is intended to assist in using the information presented in this document by providing an overview of the central topics along with easily digestible summaries of critical information.

This training will be crafted for an audience with some basic understanding of PFAS and that has likely already attended the PFAS 101 training and the ITRC PFAS Beyond the Basics: Fate and Transport, Site Characterization, and Source ID training.

Resources and further details for the topics included in this training are available in the ITRC PFAS-1 guidance document, specifically in Sections 12 and 18.

Learning objectives:

Review operating principles of sorption-based technologies.
Understand how site conditions and treatment objectives influence technology selection.
Become familiar with testing methods (from foamability tests to isotherm tests to full-scale demonstration tests) used to verify treatment effectiveness, optimize performance, and compare technologies.
Identify water quality parameters that may adversely affect sorption-based technologies and the available pretreatment methods to address them
Learn how test data can be combined with cost and sustainability information to select a specific technology or system configuration.

Technology Innovation News Survey for May 16-31, 2026

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The May 16-31, 2026 Technology Innovation News Survey has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. The Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development.

Federal Contract Opportunities (FedBizOpps) Update for July 6-12

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The latest Federal Contract Opportunities update has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. It contains summaries of procurement and contract award notices issued between July 6-12 that pertain to hazardous waste, solid waste, underground storage tank remediation, and other environmental topics.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for July 2, 2026

Thu, 2 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on July 2, 2026. There are 2 new entries, for a total of 6 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

Seminar: ITRC ITRC's Vapor Intrusion Toolkit Resources – An Orientation, July 21, 2026

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:41:55 GMT

This orientation will provide a brief overview of vapor intrusion and introduce attendees to the 2026 ITRC Vapor Intrusion (VI) Toolkit and its many resources.

The VI Toolkit includes the Vapor Intrusion Technical and Regulatory Guidance and a suite of fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists, all of which are individually available for download and use. Also provided is a series of YouTube Playlists featuring ITRC-produced videos and content from other organizations. Key topic areas addressed in the toolkit include:

Vapor intrusion fundamentals and conceptual site models
Site screening and investigation strategies
Sampling and analysis
Data evaluation and risk assessment
Modeling
Vapor intrusion mitigation
Community engagement

The Toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of vapor intrusion concepts, recommended practices, and decision-making approaches across a wide range of site conditions. The Toolkit replaces, combines, and updates three previous ITRC vapor intrusion guidance documents: Vapor Intrusion Pathway: A Practical Guidance (VI-1, 2007), Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management (PVI 1, 2014), and Technical Resources for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation (VIM-1, 2020). It reflects advances in science, policy, and field experience, and is designed to support regulators, practitioners, and stakeholders in conducting consistent and effective vapor intrusion assessments.

The course will provide connections to the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit to help the audience understand how to find and use these new resources, and upcoming live ITRC training opportunities that will provide more in-depth education concepts provided in the Toolkit.

CLU-IN Spotlight: Small Business Program Funding Opportunities Are Now Available for NIH/NIEHS/Superfund Research Program

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 19:15:33 GMT

NIH just released the new Small Business Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for eligible U.S. small businesses advancing innovative technologies toward public health impact. In addition to reviewing the current funding opportunities, applicants are encouraged to register for NIH Small Business 101, a new webinar series designed to help small businesses prepare for this next chapter of the program. Attendees will learn how to navigate new opportunities and policy changes, with each session followed by live Q&A with NIH Small Business experts. For questions about remediation and detection technology project ideas, please contact Heather Henry at heather.henry@nih.gov.

CLU-IN Spotlight: Notice of Funding Opportunity: Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42)

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 19:14:54 GMT

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is pleased to announce the continuation of the Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42). The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), RFA-ES-27-004, calls for applications to establish P42 Centers, which support problem-based, solution-oriented research relevant to Superfund. The Centers consist of multiple integrated projects representing both the biomedical and environmental science disciplines. Center cores are also tasked with administrative (that includes Center’s leadership, data management and analysis, and training functions) and translational research and engagement, and as applicable, research support functions. The next application due date is September 25, 2026 (5:00 PM local time of applicant organization).

CLU-IN Spotlight: EPA Waste and Materials Management Decision Support Tools

Thu, 28 May 2026 22:06:46 GMT

Natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) and wide-area chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) incidents (e.g., the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, foreign animal diseases), can generate a significant amount of debris (including both materials and waste) during the incident itself or subsequent remediation efforts. The quantification, segregation, transportation, staging, storage, and disposal of waste resulting from disasters can be an arduous and costly undertaking that is difficult for states, local governments, tribes, and territories to manage. In addition, processes are linked with decisions made throughout the response and recovery timelines and therefore, the remediation, including materials and waste management, must be holistically considered. To this end, many EPA program offices and teams have worked over the years to develop waste and materials management tools to assist decision makers with waste management decisions in the pre-planning, mitigation, response, and recovery phases of an incident.

I-WASTE: Incident Waste Decision Support Tool
Assists planning in how to handle, transport, treat, and dispose of contaminated waste and debris. I-WASTE helps characterize and produce order-of-magnitude estimates for the weight and volume of waste materials that may require management and/or disposal, as well as identifies and locates potential treatment and disposal facilities. This tool has been used to support several past responses and exercises including: Hurricane Florence response, planning for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza carcass disposal, examining disposal options for floods and fires in Idaho, estimating potential waste during the Ebola response, and it has been used during national level exercises. I-WASTE has an active user-base with over 63,000 views in 2025. Previously recorded training is available for I-WASTE.
AHWMPT: All Hazards Waste Management Planning Tool
Assists emergency managers and planners in creating or updating a comprehensive plan for managing materials and wastes generated from manmade and natural disasters. This tool walks users through the process of developing and implementing a plan while serving as a resource on various aspects of the planning process. EPA is currently working on enhancements to the AHWMPT in order to improve usability and to increase community uptake of the tool. Since 2022, there have been over 20 communities that have created waste management plans. Step-by-step instructions and a previously recorded training are available for AHWMPT.
DDRT: Disaster Debris Recovery Tool
Interactive mapping tool for locating recyclers and landfills capable of managing different materials and wastes that may be found in disaster debris. This tool provides information and locations of over 20,000 facilities with data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. The DDRT has been used to inform Tribal Emergency Operations Plans. It has an active user-base with over 179,000 requests for the national DDRT feature layer from September 2024 to March 2025.
WEST: Waste Estimation Support Tool
Estimates waste generated from remediation and cleanup activities following a radiological incident. This tool allows users to evaluate various decontamination and demolition strategies that examine the impact of those strategies on waste generation. It has been used to provide waste quantity estimations for the 2017 Gotham Shield Exercise which included a scenario of an improvised nuclear device in New York City. For more information on this tool, check out our webpage.
Waste Storage and Staging Site Tool
Identifies and prioritizes locations for staging and storing waste. Using a site suitability analysis, the tool considers complicating factors such as soil type, land cover, topography, ease of transportation, and proximity to surface waters. The tool will analyze various criteria for a specified geographic area to identify candidate sites and their total available land surface areas.
Waste Logistics Tool
Identifies optimal routes for transporting large volumes of waste from a disaster response area to waste management facilities. This tool calculates the cost and time to manage user-specified quantity of waste and allows users to run routing scenarios with user-defined destinations. Factors specific to waste type, hauling rates, and acceptance rates allow users to explore options and evaluate constraints to improve preparedness for managing large volumes of waste.

CLU-IN Spotlight: Call for Abstracts: Abandoned Mine Cleanup Information Exchange

Fri, 8 May 2026 19:43:22 GMT

This event, co-sponsored by US EPA Region 9 and the Society of American Military Engineers, San Francisco Post, will include structured opportunities for facilitated technical exchange, presentations, posters, and networking focused on key mine cleanup topic areas. The submission deadline for presentations and posters is May 19, 2026.

Seminar: "ITRC ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework" from May 7, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 8 May 2026 18:41:00 GMT

The ITRC CEC training presents this entirely new framework for identification, prioritization, and communication of CEC. This course includes the following topics:

An overview of the framework, how and why it was developed, the factors that influence the creation of CEC management units at the state level, and a listing of existing CEC monitoring programs.
A discussion of key variables that may be used as criteria to identify and prioritize CEC for response actions. This portion of the course includes a case study that illustrates how the identification and prioritization process works with an "unknown" chemical CEC.
Practices and methods for stakeholder messaging and how to share incomplete information on CEC that could impact human health and the environment. This portion of the short course builds upon the ITRC Risk Communication Toolkit by providing additional detail addresses communications plans, message maps, and audience identification.
A paradigm for how laboratory methods can be used to identify CEC ranging from:
- "Is compound X in the sample and at what concentration?" (i.e., known knowns) to
- "Which compounds from the list are in this sample?" (i.e., known unknowns) to
- "What is in the sample?" (i.e., unknown unknowns).

Seminar: "ITRC ITRC: Pump & Treat Optimization" from May 5, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 8 May 2026 18:41:00 GMT

ITRC's Pump & Treat (P&T) Optimization training aims to summarize existing information and best practices while also developing a systemic and adaptive optimization framework specifically for P&T well-network design and management.

P&T systems have been one of the most commonly used methods for hydraulic containment and treatment of contaminated groundwater at sites with large groundwater plumes. This method cleans up groundwater contaminated with dissolved chemicals by pumping groundwater from wells to an above-ground treatment system that removes the contaminants. Optimization of P&T remedies is important for maintaining contaminant removal effectiveness throughout the operation lifetime and managing the system toward an exit strategy. A strategy for routine optimization of P&T remedies is key for maintaining the contaminant removal efficiency of these systems.

The primary audience for this training is environmental project decision-makers, which may include federal, state, tribal, and various local agency employees; contractors to these agencies; and potentially liable parties and their engineers and consultants as well as involved stakeholders. Generally, those involved in designing, building and operating, and optimizing pump & treat systems would benefit.

The goal of the training is to provide a roadmap for optimizing a P&T system and refining the remedial strategy or shifting toward another remedial approach. Pump & Treat optimization should be systematic and data-based, and the training and document aim to provide tools and direction to assist in this rigorous process.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the P&T project lifecycle: evaluation, optimization, and transition, as well as considerations for sustainability, resiliency, and regulatory and stakeholder entities.
P&T optimization should incorporate adaptive site management.
P&T systems are influenced by a diverse collection of outside factors, which should be considered throughout the entire optimization process.
Transition and termination should both be considered during the optimization process.
Remedial objectives dictate evaluation and optimization efforts for P&T systems..

Prior to attending the training class, participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC Pump & Treat guidance document

Courses and Conferences Section Update for May 4, 2026

Mon, 4 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on May 4, 2026. There is 1 new entry, for a total of 6 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

US EPA and RAIS Screening Level Calculator Training for Chemical and Radionuclide Risk Analysis, Sep 14 - 17, 2026, Oak Ridge, TN