> Mission Statement
The Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN) Web Site provides information about innovative treatment and site characterization technologies to the hazardous waste remediation community. It describes programs, organizations, publications, and other tools for federal and state personnel, consulting engineers, technology developers and vendors, remediation contractors, researchers, community groups, and individual citizens. The site was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but is intended as a forum for all waste remediation stakeholders.
> CLU-IN History
CLU-IN has been serving the hazardous waste remediation community since 1987. The CLU-IN Bulletin Board System (BBS) was developed by the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) and began operation in 1987. This precursor to the modern form of the World Wide Web offered electronic messaging, bulletins that could be read online, descriptions and listings of EPA documents, a calendar of EPA training courses, notices of upcoming meetings, the text of EPA newsletters, files for download, and special interest group areas (SIGs) limited to particular groups or subject areas. A 1989 video entitled "The Technology Transfer Electronic Bulletin Board System" is available in Windows Media Player format.
The CLU-IN web site was launched in 1996, and was operated in parallel with the CLU-IN BBS between 1996 and 1999. In 1999, The CLU-IN BBS was discontinued to better serve the growing CLU-IN web site user community. Since 1996, CLU-IN has evolved to offer new information, features, and services to its user community, such as:
- Bulletin Board System (1987)
- CLU-IN Web Site Launched (1996)
- TechDirect Information Service Launched (1997)
- Streaming Videos (1998)
- Vendor and Developer Support (1998)
- Internet Seminars (1999)
- Online Databases (1999)
- Technology Focus (1999)
- Conference Webcasts (2000)
- Field Analytic Technologies Encyclopedia (2001)
- Technology Innovation News Survey Archives (2002)
- Contaminant Focus (2003)
- Upgraded CLU-IN Search Engine (2004)
- Project Profile Databases Search (2005)
- RSS Feed (2005)
- Internet Seminar Archive Podcasts (2005)
- Issue Areas (2006)
> Relation to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Web Site
The CLU-IN web site functions through the www.clu-in.org address as a public service of the Technology Innovation Program (TIP), out of EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI). EPA Order 2190.4 reiterates the "requirement that EPA data and information provided to the public on the World Wide Web be stored, protected, catalogued, and maintained on computer servers that form the EPA Public Access Web site (www.epa.gov)."
CLU-IN operates within the following guidelines for web sites sponsored and operated by EPA, but external to EPA's web site as outlined in Order 2190.4:
- All EPA material on CLU-IN is "mirrored" on the EPA web site. Most of this material is available through the TIP area of EPA's web site. However, CLU-IN also contains information produced by other EPA offices that is available through other sections of the EPA web site. CLU-IN content is commingled with non-EPA content relevant to all groups served by the site, and produced by other Federal Agencies, States, non-profit organizations, research centers, international organizations, etc.
- The Technology Innovation Program's outreach efforts require technologies beyond those available on the EPA's public access web servers and hence unavailable through the EPA web site. One example of these services is the various streaming videos available through the CLU-IN Studio. EPA guidance on web hosting allows for the use of external servers to supply such needs.
> Other Web Sites Supported by the Technology Innovation Program
- Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable
- The mission of the Roundtable is to exchange information and provide a forum for joint activity regarding the development and demonstration of innovative technologies for hazardous waste site remediation. The exchange systhesizes the technical knowledge that Federal Agenices have compiled and provides a more comprehensive record of performance and cost. Members include major developers and users of these technologies: Department of Defense: U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- The Training Exchange (Trainex)
- The Training Exchange website (Trainex) is designed to provide a wide range of training information to EPA, other federal agency, state, tribal, and local staff involved in hazardous waste management and remediation. Trainex focuses on free training directed to federal and state staff. This site includes training schedules for deliveries of many courses, both classroom and Internet-based.
EPA works in partnership with organizations, such as the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC), and other agencies, such as the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), to offer training relevant to hazardous waste remediation, site characterization, risk assessment, emergency response, site/incident management, counter-terrorism, and the community's role in site management and cleanup. - Scribe: Environmental Field Data Capture
- Scribe is a software tool developed by the USEPA's Environmental Response Team (ERT) to assist in the process of managing environmental data. Scribe captures sampling, observational, and monitoring field data. Examples of Scribe field tasks include Soil Sampling, Water Sampling, Air Sampling and Biota Sampling. Scribe can import electronic data including Analytical Lab Result data (EDD) and Sampling Location data such as GPS. Scribe supports handheld extensions, Scriblets, to capture and import sampling and monitoring data collected on handheld PDAs.
- EPA Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center
- Coordinated through EPA's Technology Innovation Program, the Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center ensures that Brownfields decision makers are aware of the full range of technologies available to make informed or "smart" technology decisions for their sites. The Brownfields Center provides a readily accessible resource for unbiased assessments and supporting information on options relevant to specific sites. The Center also provides a technology-oriented review process for investigation and clean-up plans for these sites. The project also provides information about other available support activities, such as those conducted by the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program located at the five regional Hazardous Substance Research Centers. Direct support is available to EPA regional staff, state staff, and local governments.
For more information, please contact Carlos Pachon, Technology Integration and Information Branch, (703) 603-9904, pachon.carlos@epa.gov. - Remediation Technologies Development Forum (RTDF)
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Remediation Technologies Development Forum (RTDF) in 1992 to enhance the development and application of innovative hazardous waste characterization and treatment technologies. Eight self-managed RTDF Action Teams have formed over the years. The last Action Team was established in 2001 and several teams have completed, or are no longer actively involved, in field demonstrations of new technologies. Therefore, as of the end of June 2006, active maintenance of the RTDF web site will no longer be conducted. However, the web site, including all RTDF products, will be available until at least 2010 and minor updates will be made on an as needed basis.
- Triad Resource Center Web Site
- This web site serves as the official web site for the Triad approach. EPA and a multiagency partnership developed this web site to provide one-stop-shopping for Triad information, case studies, training opportunities, and news.
- U.S. EPA Technical Support Project
- Provides technical assistance to Regional Remedial Project Managers, Corrective Action Staff, and On-Scene Coordinators. The Project consists of a network of Regional Forums and specialized Technical Support Centers located in ORD and the Office of Radiation Programs (ORP) laboratories, and OSWER's Environmental Response Team.
For more information, please contact Linda Fiedler, Technology Assessment Branch, (703) 603-7194, fiedler.linda@epa.gov. - State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners
- The State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners is made up of representatives of state governments with a formal program to address remediation of dry cleaner sites. The Coalition, supported by EPA's Technology Innovation Program, serves as a roundtable for discussion of issues related to cleanup of dry cleaner sites, with particular emphasis on the use of innovative technologies. Coalition members are developing and making available a variety of information to assist states in addressing the cleanup of drycleaner sites more efficiently and effectively.
- Technology Innovation Program Home Page on EPA's Web Site
- The Technology Innovation Programs Web Site provides information about characterization and treatment technologies for the hazardous waste remediation community. It offers technology selection tools and describes programs, organizations, publications for federal and state personnel, consulting engineers, technology developers and vendors, remediation contractors, researchers, community groups, and individual citizens. Our goal is to create an information support net for all technology decision makers who address contamination of soil or groundwater.
- Superfund Analytical Services/Contract Laboratory Program (CLP)
- The Analytical Services Branch (ASB), formerly the Analytical Operations/Data Quality Center, has broadened its mission and is responsible for managing the Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) for routine analytical services; developing new analytical services for other analyses such as dioxin and asbestos; providing quality assurance services for CLP and non-CLP data; developing and maintaining information technology (IT) tools for CLP and non-CLP data; and promoting field analytics and direct push technologies for sampling.
- EPA On-Scene Coordinators
- This site is intended to be a tool to help streamline the work of OSCs and provide them a forum to share information and lessons learned with OSCs around the country.
