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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 groundwater. 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. Superfund Task Force Recommendations. This report includes recommendations from the Superfund Task Force in response to Administrator Scott Pruitt's request on May 22, 2017. The recommendations address: expediting cleanup and remediation process; reducing financial burden on all parties involved in the entire cleanup process; encouraging private investment; promoting redevelopment and community revitalization; and, building and strengthening partnerships (July 2017, 34 pages). View or download at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations. FRTR Presents…Heavy Metals-Mining Site Characterization and Treatment Session 3 - August 10, 2017, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). This webinar will focus on different techniques that can be implemented for site characterization and modelling. The two techniques of focus are as follows: Best practices for monitoring and modeling in situ biogeochemical processes for uranium treatments and AMD will be described as it relates to bioremediation of mining sites; The use of unmanned aircrafts for biological surveys at sites. For more information and to register, see https://clu-in.org/live. ITRC Long-term Contaminant Management Using Institutional Controls - August 14, 2017, 2017, 1:00PM-3:15PM EDT (17:00-19:15 GMT). Institutional controls (ICs) are administrative or legal restrictions that provide protection from exposure to contaminants on a site. When ICs are jeopardized or fail, direct exposure to human health and the environment can occur. While a variety of guidance and research to date has focused on the implementation of ICs, ITRC's Long-term Contaminant Management Using Institutional Controls (IC-1, 2016) guidance and this associated training class focuses on post-implementation IC management, including monitoring, evaluation, stakeholder communications, enforcement, and termination. The ITRC guidance and training will assist those who are responsible for the management and stewardship of ICs. After attending the training, participants will be able to: describe best practices and evolving trends for IC management at individual sites and across state agency programs; use this guidance to improve IC reliability and prevent IC failures, improve existing, or develop new, IC Management programs, identify the pros and cons about differing IC management approaches; use the tools to establish an LTS plan for specific sites; and use the elements in the tools to understand the information that should populate an IC registry or data management system. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/live. Pre-CERCLA Screening Webinar - August 15 and 30, 2017, 1:00PM-4:00PM EDT (17:00-20:00 GMT). The Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) is offering a training webinar on the recent "Pre-CERCLA Screening Guidance" issued by the U.S. EPA in December 2016. This guidance is used by EPA, State, and Tribal Superfund site assessment staff and support contractors when deciding if a new site should be added to the Superfund "active site inventory" for more thorough pre-remedial site evaluation. The training webinar will cover all elements of the guidance, from planning the screening to approving the recommended course of action based on the screening. It includes an in-depth discussion of the Pre-CERCLA Screening Checklist/Decision Form that must be completed for each Pre-CERCLA screening. The webinar provides opportunities for participation by the audience, including a section for questions and answers. Recommended Audience: EPA, State, and Tribal staff and managers and contractor support staff who are involved with planning, conducting, reviewing, and approving Pre-CERCLA screening activities. For more information and to register, see https://clu-in.org/live. ITRC Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management - August 29, 2017, 1:00PM-3:15PM EDT (17:00-19:15 GMT). Chemical contaminants in soil and groundwater can volatilize into soil gas and migrate through unsaturated soils of the vadose zone. Vapor intrusion (VI) occurs when these vapors migrate upward into overlying buildings through cracks and gaps in the building floors, foundations, and utility conduits, and contaminate indoor air. If present at sufficiently high concentrations, these vapors may present a threat to the health and safety of building occupants. Petroleum vapor intrusion (PVI) is a subset of VI and is the process by which volatile petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) released as vapors from light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPL), petroleum-contaminated soils, or petroleum-contaminated groundwater migrate through the vadose zone and into overlying buildings. The ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance Web-Based Document, Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management (PVI-1, 2014) and this associated Internet-based training provides regulators and practitioners with consensus information based on empirical data and recent research to support PVI decision making under different regulatory frameworks. The PVI assessment strategy described in this guidance document enables confident decision making that protects human health for various types of petroleum sites and multiple PHC compounds. This guidance provides a comprehensive methodology for screening, investigating, and managing potential PVI sites and is intended to promote the efficient use of resources and increase confidence in decision making when evaluating the potential for vapor intrusion at petroleum-contaminated sites. By using the ITRC guidance document, the vapor intrusion pathway can be eliminated from further investigation at many sites where soil or groundwater is contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons or where LNAPL is present. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/live. Planning for Response Actions at Abandoned Mines with Underground Workings: Best Practices for Preventing Sudden, Uncontrolled Fluid Mining Waste Releases (OLEM 9200. 3-118). The Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation and the Office of Emergency Management recommend applying these best practices, as appropriate, when carrying out EPA-lead activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act at hardrock mining and mineral processing sites with underground mine workings posing actual or potential fluid release hazards (July 2017, 70 pages). View or download at https://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/HQ/176382. Superfund Research Program (SRP) Research Briefs. To get monthly updates on research advances from the SRP you can subscribe to their Research Brief mailing list at https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=SRP-BRIEF&A=1. Technology Innovation News Survey Corner. The Technology Innovation News 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. Recent issues, complete archives, and subscription information is available at https://clu-in.org/products/tins/. The following resources were included in recent issues:
Best Practices for Site Characterization Throughout the Remediation Process, New York, NY, September 12-14, 2017. This training course is based on best management practices (BMP) implemented by the U.S. EPA, partnership organizations, federal and state partners, and consultants. Participants will learn how to streamline projects in a legal, technically sound, and cost-effective manner. By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives: integrate best practices into traditional project activities; effectively collect and communicate critical project information; design dynamic work strategies; recognize and overcome the challenges presented while implementing a dynamic work strategy; and use BMPs to support all phases of the environmental cleanup life cycle. For more information and to register, see https://trainex.org/offeringslist.cfm?courseid=1515. National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC), Washington, DC, August 7-11 2017. The theme of the 2017 conference is "Effectively Communicating Scientific Information." NEMC is held annually as a part of the Environmental Measurement Symposium - a combined meeting of the NEMC and The NELAC Institute (TNI)'s Forum on Environmental Accreditation. The Symposium is co-sponsored by TNI under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA. Some of the highlights for the week include: a special half-day general session focused on the conference theme; over 160 oral and poster presentations on a variety of cutting-edge environmental monitoring issues; meetings of TNI Committees to further TNI efforts on environmental laboratory accreditation, proficiency testing, and accreditation of field sampling and measurement organizations; an exhibit program showcasing the latest innovations in environmental monitoring; special keynote presentations on topics of general interest; and an open meeting of EPA's Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board. For more information and to register, see http://www.nemc.us. Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management - ITRC 2-day Classroom Training, Ann Arbor, MI, October 10-11, 2017, includes optional bonus day on October 12 with a Vapor intrusion update from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. This 2-day ITRC classroom training is based on the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance Web-Based Document, Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management (PVI-1, 2014) and led by internationally recognized experts. Within the training class - hear about EPA's Technical Guide For Addressing Petroleum Vapor Intrusion At Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites (June 2015). The ITRC guidance document and EPA guide are complementary documents with the ITRC training course providing the "how-to" knowledge and skills for screening, investigating, and managing the petroleum vapor intrusion pathway. The class will enable you to develop the skills to screen-out petroleum sites based on the scientifically-supported ITRC strategy and checklist; focus the limited resources investigating those PVI sites that truly represent an unacceptable risk; and communicate ITRC PVI strategy and justify science-based decisions to management, clients, and the public. Interactive learning with classroom exercises and Q&A sessions will reinforce these course learning objectives. For local, state, and federal government; students; community stakeholders; and tribal representatives, ITRC has a limited number of fee waivers available. The ITRC 2-day class is preapproved for continuing education for CT LEPs, MA LSPs, and SC PGs and approval has been requested for DE PGs, NE Water Well Standards, and NJ LSRPs. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org/training. 2017 Design and Construction Issues at Hazardous Waste Sites (DCHWS) - West, Denver, CO, October 23-25, 2017. As a result of the resounding success of last year's event and the enthusiastic feedback we received from attendees, the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), Denver Post is co-sponsoring an expanded version of this event with the U.S. EPA to encourage dialogue and information sharing on design and construction issues relevant to hazardous waste sites in the western United States. The applications of engineering and science associated with cleaning up hazardous waste sites continue to evolve rapidly. Our goal is to facilitate an interactive engagement between professionals from government and the private sector related to relevant and topical issues affecting our field. We will make every effort to mirror all aspects of past conferences in terms of format and spirit. For more information and to register, see https://www.samedmp.org/dchws-west. Groundwater High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC), Dallas, TX, November 15-16, 2017. This training course focuses on groundwater characterization and discusses (1) the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity on the investigation and cleanup of groundwater and related media, (2) the need for scale-appropriate measurements and adequate data density, and (3) the tools and strategies that are available to overcome the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity. After taking this course, participants will be armed with information that will allow them to improve their subsurface investigation approaches and develop more realistic and comprehensive conceptual site models (CSM). CSMs developed based on HRSC strategies and tools will decrease site uncertainty, improve the remedy selection process for groundwater remedies, and better enable the evaluation, design, and implementation of targeted in situ and ex situ groundwater remedies. The Groundwater HRSC course is an advanced 2-day course. The recommended audience includes EPA, federal, state, tribal and private industry technical project managers, practitioners and other stakeholders involved in groundwater investigation and remediation. For more information and to register, see https://trainex.org/hrsc. Registration Now Open! 2017 National Brownfields Training Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, December 5-7, 2017. With the session selection process completed, Brownfields 2017 is set to offer attendees a robust and expansive conference experience. This years conference programming and speakers will engage attendees on topics at the forefront of today's brownfields and economic development landscapes; challenging both emerging and seasoned professionals as well as a diverse range of brownfields stakeholders to think outside the norms when addressing land revitalization and redevelopment. Take advantage and register during the pre-registration period for the lowest conference registration fees. For more information and to register, see https://www.brownfields2017.org/register/. 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. We invite sponsors to input information on their events at https://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.
If you have any questions regarding TechDirect, contact Jean Balent at (703) 603-9924 or balent.jean@epa.gov. Remember, you may subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription address at https://clu-in.org/techdirect at any time night or day.
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