Message #103: September 2005

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The purpose of TechDirect 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.

Special Announcements

Brownfields Job Training Grants-Request for Applications
(RFA). EPA's Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
is now requesting applications for brownfields job training grants.
The goals of the Job Training Program are to prepare trainees for
future employment in the environmental field and facilitate cleanup
of brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous substances,
pollutants, contaminants, and petroleum. Applications are due
September 16, 2005. For more information, see
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/announcg.htm .

Webcast: 25 Years of Contaminated Land Management -
Achievements and Work Still to Be Done. Live from ConSoil in
Bordeaux, France, October 4, 2005. The webcast is sponsored by
the European Soil and Groundwater Remediation Information
System (EUGRIS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the
Network for Industrially Contaminated Land in Europe (NICOLE),
and ConSoil 2005. This webcast includes two panels with four
speakers each. Panel 1 is titled Shifts in Contaminated Site
Management in the EU and US and offers insight to changes in the
US and Europe to contaminated site management over the past 25
years, and insight into future directions. Panel 2 is titled, From
Site Screening to Redevelopment, Progress in Every Step. Panelists
will discuss technical advances and policy shifts that allowed them
in the field of contaminated site management go hand in hand and
feed off each other. Presentations in this panel review major
breakthroughs and their value going forward. Registration is
required for each panel at http://www.cluin.org/studio/consoil/.

Internet Seminars

NIEHS DNAPLs - Above-Ground (Ex situ) Chemical/Physical
Remediation Methods - September 7. This continues our series
of web-based seminars focusing on issues for DNAPL-
contaminated hazardous waste sites. This second event will feature
Dr. Chang Yul Cha, Cha Corporation, and Eric Betterton,
University of Arizona. Dr. Cha will discuss his recent NIEHS
SBIR-supported development of Microwave Technology for
Superfund Site Remediation. Dr. Eric Betterton, of the University
of Arizona, will present his work investigating the difficulties
associated with the destruction or final disposal of chlorinated
solvents that are traditionally recovered from contaminated sites
via pump and treat or soil vapor extraction methods. For more
information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/studio .

EPA Jump-Starting Ecological Restoration - September 8. The
goal of this seminar is to examine the relevance and importance of
ecological restoration in the Superfund program and to discuss
implementation strategies and specific techniques to speed the
recovery of disturbed and contaminated land. Participants will
learn why ecological restoration is important to the Superfund
program; gain an understanding of the relationship between land
disturbance, functioning ecological systems, and how restoration
projects are managed; and learn various techniques. The seminar
also will address in-situ remediation of metal contaminated soils.
In short, participants can expect to learn how to jump-start
restoration at a site. For more information and to register, see
http://clu-in.org/studio .

ITRC What's New with In Situ Chemical Oxidation? - September 20.
This seminar presents updated guidance and technology
advancement information for In Situ Chemical Oxidation. Topics
include a regulatory discussion related to ISCO implementation;
details on the chemistry behind ISCO technology; considerations
for system design and application, including health and safety;
and performance evaluation information. The course is
based on the ITRC's In Situ Chemical Oxidation of Contaminated
Soil and Groundwater, Second Edition (ISCO-2, 2005), with
sections on technology overview and applicability, remedial
investigations, safety concerns, regulatory concerns, injection
design, monitoring, stakeholder concerns, and case studies. For
more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/studio .

ITRC Characterization and Remediation of Soils at Closed
Small Arms Firing Ranges - September 22. This seminar
introduces the participants to the various physical (including
hydraulic), chemical, and biochemical mechanisms available to
treat or stabilize SAFRs after some unique characterization
challenges are overcome. This training is based on the ITRC
document entitled: Technical & Regulatory Guidance Document
for Small Arms Firing Range Remediation Technologies. For
more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/studio.

ITRC Permeable Reactive Barriers: Lessons Learned and New
Directions - October 6. This training presents updated
information regarding new developments, innovative approaches,
and lessons learned in the application of PRBs to treat a variety of
groundwater contaminants. The information will be presented by
reviewing the approaches and results at several sites where PRBs
have been deployed. The training is based on the ITRC guidance
document titled Permeable Reactive Barriers: Lessons Learned /
New Directions (PRB-4, 2005). For more information and to
register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio.

Documents and Web Resources

Abstracts of Remediation Case Studies, Volume 9 (EPA 542-
R-05-021). This new report, published by the Federal Remediation
Technologies Roundtable (FRTR), is a collection of recently
published abstracts summarizing 13 cost and performance case
studies on the use of remediation technologies at contaminated
sites. The case studies include several different technologies for
treating soil or groundwater contamination or both, with 7 reports
addressing soil cleanup and 8 reports concerning groundwater (July
2005, 81 pages). View or download at http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm.
For hard copies, call (800) 490-9198 or fax to (513) 489-8695.

Comparison of Diffusion- and Pumped-Sampling Methods to
Monitor Volatile Organic Compounds in Ground Water,
Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
July 1999-December 2002 ( SIR 2005-5010). This study was
done cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the
Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE). It
evaluates the applicability of diffusion sampling for monitoring
VOC concentrations in ground water collected from monitoring
wells. The applicability of the diffusion-sampling method is
measured by the utility of the method to detect concentrations of
VOCs similar to those obtained by the pumped-sampling method.
VOC concentrations in samples collected by the diffusion- and
pumped-sampling methods are compared with each other; and in
cases where the concentrations did not match, bias in the
diffusion-sampling method is assessed. Comparisons are made
between well, diffusion-sampler, aquifer, and geochemical
characteristics, and the degree of agreement of the sampling
methods. These comparisons add to the current understanding of
diffusion samplers by examining how the samplers work in wells
with short screens (2-5 ft long) (Spring 2005, 60 pages). View or
download at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5010/ .

The Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of
Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States: The Year 2000
Update (External Review Draft, EPA/600/p-03/002A). This
report, published by the U.S. EPA, is to present the most current
inventory of sources and environmental releases of dioxin-like
compounds in the United States. This is a comprehensive overview
of what is known about sources that release dioxin into the air, land
and water of the United States. It is a listing of sources by category
combined with estimates of releases of dioxin to the environment
from these sources. Estimates of environmental releases are
associated with three calendar years: 1987, 1995 and 2000. This
provides a point of reference for observing any changes in the
amount of dioxin that is released to the environment with the
passage of time (March 2005). View or download in sections at
http://www.epa.gov/ncea/pdfs/dioxin/2k-update/ .

UST Systems: Inspecting and Maintaining Sumps and Spill
Buckets (EPA 510-R-05-001). This report was published by the
EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks. It covers
recommended inspection guidelines and best management
practices for sumps associated with your UST system. This manual
will help you identify and inspect the sumps associated with an
UST system, including the equipment in sumps. It will
explain some simple steps you can take to maintain sumps
and the equipment in sumps, as well as identify potential
problems. The report also provides tips for fixing common
problems before they cause a release to the environment (May
2005, 20 pages). View or download at
http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/pubs/sumpmanl.htm .

Updated Contaminant Focus Area on CLU-IN. Comprehensive
revisions to the arsenic, chromium VI, and perchlorate sections
of Contaminant Focus have recently been posted. The Contaminant
Focus area bundles information associated with the cleanup of
individual contaminants and contaminant groups. This information
is presented in categories such as Policy and Guidance, Chemistry
and Behavior, Environmental Occurrence, Toxicology, Detection
and Site Characterization, Treatment Technologies, and
Conferences and Seminars. The TCE, PCBs, 1,4-Dioxane, and
MTBE sections will be updated in the coming months. We welcome
any suggestions you may have for new topics or additional resources.
Visit Contaminant Focus at http://clu-in.org/contaminantfocus .

Conferences and Symposia

Brownfields 2005: Reaching New Heights in Redevelopment,
November 2-4, Denver. This event is sponsored by the U.S. EPA,
the City of Denver and numerous cosponsors. This is the
conference for everyone interested in brownfields [real property,
the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of
contamination]. The program will include many different panel
sessions, mobile workshops, Marketplace of Ideas roundtable
discussions and individual poster presentations, the prestigious
Phoenix Awards, and an extensive Exhibit Hall. A 1.5 day
delivery of the Triad training course is scheduled immediately
preceding the conference (October 31-Nov 1). For more
information and to register, see http://www.brownfields2005.org .

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