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2002 Progress Report: Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center Training and Technology Transfer Program
EPA Grant Number: R829515C005Subproject: this is subproject number 005 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R829515
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: HSRC - Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center for Remediation of Mine Waste Sites
Center Director: Shackelford, Charles D.
Title: Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center Training and Technology Transfer Program
Investigators: Woods, Sandra L.
Current Investigators: Wildeman, Thomas
Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Lasat, Mitch
Project Period: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2003
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001)
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation
Description:
Objective:The Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) Program was created in 1994 to provide technical assistance to communities impacted by hazardous wastes. This program is invaluable to communities that are facing hazardous substance management issues. These hazardous substances may threaten their health or environment, and by using the educational resources of the participating universities, citizens can gain a better understanding of the problem, allowing them to make informed decisions and to participate more fully in activities that affect their communities. This technical assistance is provided to communities free-of-charge, and is based on the following principles:
- A partnership between any community and the TOSC is "two-way." The TOSC will contribute valuable, independent, and necessary information, and expertise to assist the community in addressing hazardous waste problems. The community will contribute knowledge, expertise, and time.
- A TOSC/community partnership reflects a commitment to fostering and sustaining a relationship for the time period required for meeting the needs of the community.
- A TOSC/community partnership is an opportunity for the TOSC to learn ways to continuously improve its technical assistance outreach.
- TOSC/community partnerships are characterized by the principles of trust, neutrality, and flexibility.
Montana Tech, of the University of Montana and a member of the Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRCs), has been associated with the TOSC Program since 1994. Montana Tech will continually add communities using the established site selection process pending available resources. In this endeavor, the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC will meet the following TOSC Program objectives: (1) create technical assistance materials tailored to the identified needs of a community; (2) inform community members about existing technical assistance materials, such as publications, videos, and Web sites; (3) provide technical information to help community members become active participants in cleanup and environmental development activities; (4) provide independent and credible technical assistance to communities affected by hazardous substance problems; (5) review and interpret technical documents and other materials for affected communities; and (6) sponsor workshops, short courses, and other learning experiences to explain basic science and environmental policy related to hazardous substances.
Progress Summary:The principles of the TOSC Program indicate several "best practices" will be applied.
Principle 1. A partnership between a community and TOSC is "two-way." The TOSC will contribute valuable, independent, and necessary information and expertise to assist the community in addressing hazardous waste problems. The community will contribute knowledge, expertise, and time.
- · Because communities require assistance with understanding issues involving a variety of contaminants, the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC will assemble an interdisciplinary group of faculty and staff to work with communities as necessary. The group of faculty and staff will vary with community needs.
- · In addition to identifying appropriate faculty and TOSC staff, it is important to include and consult with individuals who have a wide variety of opinions and to involve stakeholders from the community and from local, state, and federal agencies.
Principle 2. A TOSC/community partnership reflects a commitment to fostering and sustaining a relationship for the time period required for meeting the needs of the community.
- An important initial step in creating this partnership is to work with the community to jointly develop a needs assessment. This needs assessment will be conducted for those projects that emerged from the site selection process as established by the TOSC Program.
- The Community and TOSC Program will develop an initial agreement that establishes community needs and describes outcomes. This agreement will indicate a continued commitment by the TOSC Program.
Principle 3. A TOSC/community partnership is an opportunity for the TOSC to learn ways to continuously improve its technical assistance outreach.
- Community evaluation of the project will be ongoing. (The initial agreement will identify mechanisms for formal evaluation twice per year and at important milestones). The agreement also will include procedures and contact information, in the event that the community is not satisfied with the assistance that they are receiving.
Principle 4. TOSC/community partnerships are characterized by the principles of trust, neutrality, and flexibility.
- This principle indicates best practices, such as being inclusive of all stakeholders and working with communities to jointly develop needs assessments, initial agreements, and mechanisms for continuing evaluation by communities.
There are many activities that can be conducted to assist communities, including:
- Conducting technical presentations and seminars
- Performing technical document reviews
- Providing literature related to treatment technologies
- Conducting workshops related to risk
- Providing assistance with redevelopment projects (such as field demonstrations)
- Participating in public meetings
- Assisting the community group develop its capacity to monitor sites, such as determining access to monitoring data
- Providing information about health and environmental risk of applicable contaminants
The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC provides assistance through the: (1) development
of print-based materials (creation of handbooks or compilation and review of
literature); (2) face-to-face meetings, seminars, and workshops; and (3) use
of technologies such as the Internet, including the development of Web sites,
Internet-based instruction, or electronic newsletters. Each of these methods
is used as appropriate to help communities better understand technical issues
and make informed choices.
The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC provides assistance related to scientific and
engineering issues, policy, and human and ecological health on an as-needed
basis. The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC also provides assistance to communities
that must deal with all types of contaminated sites. In addition, the Rocky
Mountain Regional HSRC provides information and assistance to other HSRCs that
may be dealing with issues concerning mining wastes and acid mine drainage upon
request by the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC.
Status of TOSC Sites
Pueblo, Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC TOSC Program has
been active at this site since August 2002. We have spent time in the community,
meeting with the various stakeholders and evaluating the technical issues associated
with this site, and currently we are developing fact sheets.
The Pueblo Community is concerned about air quality, site cleanup, and CO, NOx,
PM10, SO2, VOCs, Pb.
The TOSC Program has created a mail list (Pueblo-Gov) to open and maintain the
lines of communication among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
(Hazardous Waste Program and Environmental Justice Program), the Colorado State
Government (Air Quality Planning and Standards and Pueblo County Government),
and the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC. The TOSC Program also has made contact
with the following community stakeholders:
- Margaret Barber-Citizens for Clean Air Pueblo
- Jennifer Beasley-The American Lung Association
- John Garcia and Charlie Skidmore-United Transportation Union
- Ray Mohr-Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Public Involvement
- Ross Vincent-Sierra Club (Better Pueblo Group)
- Larry Howe-Kerr-Diocese of Pueblo (Better Pueblo Group)
- Joe Ellis-Salt Creek Community
- Mark Huffington-Rocky Mountain Steel Mill
- Sam Geonetta-Fire Captain (Station 4-Bessemer/Pueblo)
- Sister Nancy Giarratano and Glen Gomez-Bessemer Elementary
- Hermelinda Vigal-Historic Southside Catholic Community
- Ron Petkosek-Zoelsmanns Bakery and Deli (Bessemer)
- Claudia-Latino Chamber of Commerce (Pueblo)
- Carla Houghton-Mauro Farms (Mesa/Vineland)
- Various members of in Salt Creek Community.
Ten to15 Fact Sheets also are being prepared, including:
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action
- State Consent Decree
- EPA Consent Decree (once finalized)
- Title V Air Permits-C, F, and I Steel (aka Oregon Steel) currently has five Title V permits
- How to read the air monitoring data on the Web
- Community Health Survey.
We plan to maintain communication with all of the stakeholders by distributing
fact sheets, continuing to evaluate the technical issues, and providing information
transfer.
Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Montana. The TOSC Program has been in
contact with Joan Mitchell of Rocky Boy's Environmental Programs. We have no
pending requests for assistance from the TOSC Program at this time.
Rocky Boy Indian Reservation has a history of water quality, Superfund cleanup,
underground storage tank (UST), redevelopment, illegal dumping, and pollution
prevention issues.
The TOSC Program has assisted Rocky Boy Environmental Program with courses covering
groundwater, USTs, and groundwater monitoring.
The TOSC will provide educational outreach as needed in the form of courses
and workshops.
Blackhills Army Depot, South Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
has been working on this site for many years and expects to be working there
another 10 years, given budget cuts and the slowing of the cleanup. The community
has not been very active during the last 2 years. There are a number of environmental
cleanup issues at this site.
The Black Hills Army Depot was used for manufacturing, storing, and destroying
weaponry. The areas of concern include chromium-contaminated soil, groundwater
issues, and contaminant transfer.
We have spoken with Jill Solberg and Linda Wagner of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and Joanne Lineburg of the South Dakota Department of Environment
and Natural Resources. We also have spoken with Blase Leven and Michael Lambert
of Kansas State University, and we have spoken with Jeff Mashburn of the EPA.
We have been in the process of obtaining background information, including the
history of the site.
Future activities revolve primarily around communicating with family members. Currently, we are waiting for a meeting with the project officers to determine future cleanup plans and schedules.
Supplemental Keywords:acid mine drainage, mine waste, risk assessment, technology transfer, training, outreach, industry sectors, contaminated sediments, ecological risk assessment, ecology and ecosystems, environmental engineering, geology, hazardous waste, mining, remediation, selenium, acid mine drainage, acid mine runoff, aquatic ecosystems, arsenic, contaminant transport, contaminated marine sediment, contaminated waste sites, field monitoring, heavy metals, metal contamination, mining, mining impacted watershed, mining wastes, natural organic matter, NOM, redox, remediation technologies, runoff, sediment transport, stream ecosystems, suspended sediment, technical outreach, technology transfer, training and outreach.
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Industry Sectors, Water, Scientific Discipline, Waste, RFA, Remediation, Geology, Ecological Risk Assessment, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Engineering, Contaminated Sediments, Hazardous, Mining - NAIC 21, Ecology and Ecosystems, arsenic, heavy metals, risk assessment, runoff, treatment, mining impacted watershed, redox, contaminated waste sites, mining, mining wastes, stream ecosystems, acid mine runoff, suspended sediment, acid mine drainage, groundwater, technical outreach, remediation technologies, contaminant transport, natural organic matter, metal contamination, aquatic ecosystems, sediment transport, field monitoring, contaminated marine sediment, training and outreach, technology transfer
Relevant Websites:
http://www.toscprogram.org/tosc-overview.html
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
2003 Progress Report
2004 Progress Report
2005 Progress Report
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R829515 HSRC - Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center for Remediation of Mine Waste Sites