This national webcast is an opportunity for potential applicants for the CARE cooperative agreement grant program to learn more about the program and to ask questions about the CARE Request for Proposals issued in December 2008.

EPA is considering options to develop a voluntary standards and verification system that evaluates and recognizes efforts to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleaning up contaminated sites, known as green remediation or green cleanup. These standards would guide and stimulate efficient, cost effective, low impact site remediation by encouraging property owners, developers and communities to go beyond state and federal requirements in their cleanups and land revitalization projects. The purpose of this seminar is to provide insight on how EPA anticipates such a voluntary program could advance green cleanups across cleanup programs and to provide an opportunity for discussion among interested parties.

With the goal of advancing knowledge in green remediation best practices, over the last year EPA and Massachusetts DEP have collaborated to develop an approach to reduce the energy usage and carbon footprint at an existing pump and treat system. This seminar presents the results of this work, including alternatives considered and the final proposal of using combined heat and power (CHP) to provide the necessary energy to power the system and to increase the efficiency of above-ground treatment components.

Description: This seminar provides a summary of a recently-compiled document on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on chlorinated solvent site management. The FAQ document addresses 25 key questions, providing a concise overview of current knowledge regarding management of subsurface chlorinated solvent releases. The document is intended to help state regulators, federal regulators, consultants, DoD staff and community members make better site management decisions. ESTCP hopes the document contributes to better use of resources, more effective remediation and risk management, and more productive cooperation between the parties involved in site cleanups.
The FAQ document is intended to be a concise overview, while the more extensive companion document, "Guide for Selecting Remedies for Subsurface Releases of Chlorinated Solvents", is planned for release in 2009.

Treatment of dissolved-phase chlorinated ethenes in groundwater using in situ bioremediation (ISB) is an established technology; however, its use for DNAPL source zones is an emerging application. This training course supports the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance document In Situ Bioremediation of Chlorinated Ethene: DNAPL Source Zones (BioDNAPL-3, 2008). This document provides the regulatory community, stakeholders, and practitioners with the general steps practitioners and regulators can use to objectively assess, monitor, and optimize ISB treatment of DNAPL source zones. The objective is to provide adequate technology background for the user to understand the general and key aspects of ISB for treatment of chlorinated ethene DNAPL source zones. It is not intended to be a step-by-step instruction manual for remedial design, but describes technology-specific considerations for application of ISB of DNAPL source zones.

For this training and guidance document, a DNAPL source zone includes the zone that encompasses the entire subsurface volume in which DNAPL is present either at residual saturation or as "pools" that accumulate above confining units. The DNAPL source zone includes regions that have come into contact with DNAPL and may be storing contaminant mass as a result of diffusion of DNAPL into the soil matrix. Even though DNAPLs may be present in both the unsaturated and saturated zones, the discussion of ISB of DNAPL source zones in this training and guidance document focuses on treatment of DNAPL source zones within the saturated zone.

Two goals of any DNAPL source treatment technology are to 1) reduce the mass of contaminants within the source area and 2) prevent migration of contaminants above unacceptable levels. The enhanced ISB technology reduces source mass and controls flux through the enhanced dissolution and desorption of DNAPL constituents into the aqueous phase, and subsequent microbially mediated degradation processes. Although enhanced ISB of DNAPL source zones has been demonstrated in the field at a few chlorinated solvent sites, expectations for rapid depletion of the source zone must be realistic. This training and guidance provide detailed requirements necessary to support the realistic determination of goals for ISB of a DNAPL source zone.

Many sites with chlorinated organic contamination in groundwater have gone through extensive remedial evaluations and actions. After years of operating high energy processes, their effectiveness has begun to diminish without remedial objectives being met. Other effective remedial alternatives can be applied; however, there are difficulties transitioning these sites from these high energy systems to other low energy remedial alternatives and eventually to Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA).

This training on the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance for Enhanced Attenuation: Chlorinated Organics (EACO-1, 2008) describes the transition (the bridge) between aggressive remedial actions and MNA and vise versa. Enhanced attenuation (EA) is the application of technologies that minimize energy input and are sustainable in order to reduce contaminant loading and/or increase the attenuation capacity of a contaminated plume to progress sites towards established remedial objectives. Contaminant loading and attenuation capacity are fundamental to sound decisions for remediation of groundwater contamination. This training explains how a decision framework which, when followed, allows for a smooth transition between more aggressive remedial technologies to sustainable remedial alternatives and eventually to Monitored Natural Attenuation. This training will demonstrate how this decision framework allows regulators and practitioners to integrate Enhanced Attenuation into the remedial decision process.

As our experience and knowledge grows around the implementation of MNA, the EA process will be considered an important management tool for optimizing site remedies and moving sites to final completion. This approach is consistent with the current regulatory environment and can be accommodated within a broad range of regulatory programs such as CERCLA and State dry cleaner regulations. This new framework and decision process will accelerate the environmental clean-up progress on a national scale and reduce overall costs, while still providing protection to human health and the environment.

For reference during the training class, participants should download and print a copy of the decision flow chart, Figure 2-1 on page 10 of the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance for Enhanced Attenuation: Chlorinated Organics (EACO-1, 2008) and available as a 1-page PDF at http://www.cluin.org/conf/itrc/eaco/ITRC-EACO-DecisionFlowchart.pdf.

Since 1988, more than 6,100 municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills have closed (see http://www.epa.gov/msw/pubs/mswchar05.pdf). Determining when the regulatory post-closure care (PCC) period can be ended for a permitted solid waste disposal facility is one of the greatest challenges facing the solid waste industry in recent times. Using a performance-based process, conducted on a site-specific basis, to determine if a closed landfill poses a threat to human health and the environment provides information necessary to defensibly conclude that the closed landfill does not pose a threat and allows termination of the regulatory post-closure care period.

This training, based on ITRC's Technical and Regulatory Guidance: Evaluating, Optimizing, or Ending Post-Closure Care at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Based on Site-Specific Data Evaluations (ALT-4, 2006), describes a method to evaluate the performance of Post Closure Care at a landfill and determine when leachate recovery, landfill gas management, groundwater monitoring, and cap maintenance can be reduced or even ended based on threats (to human health and the environment) posed by the closed landfill. The training and document describe "custodial care" as those requirements the property owner must follow after post closure care has been ended. They include de minimus site management and care activities including meeting end-use obligations, maintaining institutional control, controlling access, satisfying local ordinances, and fulfilling other applicable regulations and are included as deed restrictions or other enforceable means which follow all land transfers. The training and document focus on Post Closure Care of municipal solid waste landfills. However, Post Closure Care is relevant to closed sites and facilities managed in accordance with a variety of regulatory programs including RCRA, CERCLA, Solid Waste, Brownfields, Voluntary Cleanup, mined land reclamation, and others. Solid waste professionals and other landfill decision makers (e.g. owners; operators; consultants; Federal, state and local government; and the public) should attend this training.

Light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) are organic liquids such as gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum hydrocarbon products that are immiscible with water and less dense than water. LNAPLs are important because they are present in the subsurface at thousands of remediation sites across the country, and are frequently the focus of assessment and remediation efforts. A sound LNAPL understanding is necessary to effectively characterize and assess LNAPL conditions and potential risks, as well as to evaluate potential remedial technologies or alternatives. Unfortunately, many environmental professionals have a faulty understanding of LNAPL conditions based on outdated paradigms.

The ITRC LNAPLs Team is providing Internet-based training to improve the general understanding of LNAPLs. Better understanding leads to better decision making. Additionally, this training provides a necessary technical foundation to foster effective use of the forthcoming ITRC LNAPLs Team Technical Regulatory Guidance Document: Evaluating LNAPL Remedial Technologies for Achieving Project Goals (to be published in 2009).

This training course is relevant for new and veteran regulators, environmental consultants, and technically-inclined site owners and public stakeholders. The training course is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: An Improved Understanding of LNAPL Behavior in the Subsurface - State of Science vs. State of Practice
  
• Part 2: LNAPL Characterization and Recoverability - Improved Analysis

In Part 1 of the training course, instructors explain how LNAPLs behave in the subsurface and examines what controls their behavior. Part 1 also explains what LNAPL data can tell you about the LNAPL and site conditions. Relevant and practical examples are used to illustrate key concepts.

Light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) are organic liquids such as gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum hydrocarbon products that are immiscible with water and less dense than water. LNAPLs are important because they are present in the subsurface at thousands of remediation sites across the country, and are frequently the focus of assessment and remediation efforts. A sound LNAPL understanding is necessary to effectively characterize and assess LNAPL conditions and potential risks, as well as to evaluate potential remedial technologies or alternatives. Unfortunately, many environmental professionals have a faulty understanding of LNAPL conditions based on outdated paradigms.

The ITRC LNAPLs Team is providing Internet-based training to improve the general understanding of LNAPLs. Better understanding leads to better decision making. Additionally, this training provides a necessary technical foundation to foster effective use of the forthcoming ITRC LNAPLs Team Technical Regulatory Guidance Document: Evaluating LNAPL Remedial Technologies for Achieving Project Goals (to be published in 2009).

This training course is relevant for new and veteran regulators, environmental consultants, and technically-inclined site owners and public stakeholders. The training course is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: An Improved Understanding of LNAPL Behavior in the Subsurface - State of Science vs. State of Practice
  
• Part 2: LNAPL Characterization and Recoverability - Improved Analysis

In Part 2 of the training course, instructors address LNAPL characterization and site conceptual model development as well as LNAPL recovery evaluation and remedial considerations. Specifically, Part 2 discusses key LNAPL and site data, when and why those data may be important, and how to get those data. Part 2 also discusses how to evaluate LNAPL recoverability.

Performance-based environmental management (PBEM) is a strategic, goal-oriented methodology that is implemented through effective planning and decision logic to reach a desired end state of site cleanup. The goal of PBEM is to be protective of human health and the environment while efficiently implementing appropriate streamlined cleanup processes. The major components of PBEM include: systematic planning; effective communications; agreement of a land use risk strategy; current conceptual site model; decision logic analysis; remediation process optimization (RPO); ARAR analysis; exit strategy development; and performance-based contracting including environmental insurance.

This ITRC training presents an overview of what PBEM is, explains how and when to implement it, and describes the issues that regulators are concerned about throughout PBEM's implementation. Case studies will be presented to illustrate successful PBEM projects. The course is valuable not only because PBEM is being proposed and implemented at many federal and private sites throughout the country, but also because PBEM provides an opportunity to enhance all site remediation.

This training is geared to those in the environmental remediation field including Federal, state and local government officials; owners or operators of sites, and consultants. The course will be most beneficial if the participant has taken one of ITRC's remediation process optimization courses. Online archives are available for What is Remediation Process Optimization and How Can It Help Me Identify Opportunities for Enhanced and More Efficient Site Remediation? and for Remediation Process Optimization - Advanced Training. These courses are recommended as pre-requisites, but are not required. The training materials are based on the ITRC RPO Team's Technical Regulatory Guidance Document: Improving Environmental Site Remediation Through Performance-Based Environmental Management (RPO-7, November 2007).