U.S. EPA Contaminated Site Cleanup Information (CLU-IN)


U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division

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CLU-IN's ongoing series of Internet Seminars are free, web-based slide presentations with a companion audio portion. We provide two options for accessing the audio portion of the seminar: by phone line or streaming audio simulcast. More information and registration for all Internet Seminars is available by selecting the individual seminar below. Not able to make one of our live offerings? You may also view archived seminars.

 
 
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Download seminar information in iCalendar formatITRC Use and Measurement of Mass Fl...

Use and Measurement of Mass Flux and Mass Discharge
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Download seminar information in iCalendar formatPractical Models to Support Remedia...

 
 
 

Arsenic - Health and Remediation Applications, Session 2 - Emerging Issues in Arsenic Exposure and Disease

This seminar is the second in a three part series that coincides with the Superfund Research Program's 25th Anniversary and the 10th Anniversary of the Superfund Research Program (SRP) Risk e-Learning webinars. The SRP chose this opportunity to highlight the Program's accomplishments in the area of arsenic research. Since its inception, the SRP has funded work to understand the consequences of exposure to arsenic at the molecular and population levels. Equally important, these researchers have developed unique and effective methods to detect arsenic in the environment and to minimize human exposure to arsenic from drinking water and food sources.

Practical Models to Support Remediation Strategy Decision-Making - Part 4

The overall objective of this series of webinars is to explore and provide experience using publicly-available simulation and data analysis tools that can be used individually or in combination, to support remediation decisions and strategy development for sites contaminated by chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, or other constituents. The webinars will focus on questions such as:

  • Will source remediation meet site goals?
  • What will happen if no action is taken?
  • Should I combine source and plume remediation?
  • What is the remediation timeframe?
  • What are achievable and reasonable remediation objectives?

The discussion will focus on the unique features of selected models and how those features can support strategy development and effective remediation decisions. Emphasis will be on REMChlor and REMFuel, recent simulation tools developed for the U.S. EPA and DoD. These tools simulate both source and plume behavior and remediation options. By providing the ability to simulate sites where conditions change in space and time, REMChlor and REMFuel can provide information "equivalent" to the types of output from more sophisticated numerical models and can assist environmental professionals in rapidly and efficiently developing and optimizing strategies for cleaning up sites.

Building on Modules 1-3, this fourth of five modules will use the REMChlor model to help answer the question "Should I combine source and plume remediation?" It will involve a series of hands-on computer simulation exercises using the more complex site described in Module 3.

If you sign up for this session, you will automatically be registered in the other part of the series taking place on November 7.

Practical Models to Support Remediation Strategy Decision-Making - Part 5

The overall objective of this series of webinars is to explore and provide experience using publicly-available simulation and data analysis tools that can be used individually or in combination, to support remediation decisions and strategy development for sites contaminated by chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, or other constituents. The webinars will focus on questions such as:

  • Will source remediation meet site goals?
  • What will happen if no action is taken?
  • Should I combine source and plume remediation?
  • What is the remediation timeframe?
  • What are achievable and reasonable remediation objectives?

The discussion will focus on the unique features of selected models and how those features can support strategy development and effective remediation decisions. Emphasis will be on REMChlor and REMFuel, recent simulation tools developed for the U.S. EPA and DoD. These tools simulate both source and plume behavior and remediation options. By providing the ability to simulate sites where conditions change in space and time, REMChlor and REMFuel can provide information "equivalent" to the types of output from more sophisticated numerical models and can assist environmental professionals in rapidly and efficiently developing and optimizing strategies for cleaning up sites.

Building on Modules 1-4, this final module will focus on the question "What is a reasonable remediation objective?" using the REMChlor and REMFuel models. Hands-on computer exercises using both models will examine different source and plume remediation designs to see if site goals can realistically be achieved.

If you sign up for this session, you will automatically be registered in the other part of the series taking place on October 31.

Pollution Prevention Success Story: Partnering with Promotoras

This seminar will feature Denise Moreno Ramírez, MS, from the University of Arizona Superfund Research Program and will focus on working with promotoras to implement a successful pollution prevention program targeting small businesses in Tucson. Pollution prevention (P2) is an environmental management strategy that focuses on reducing or eliminating waste at the source, thus limiting the amount of future pollution requiring clean-up. Denise Moreno Ramírez, MS, Community Engagement Coordinator, will discuss a successful P2 case study targeting predominately Hispanic small businesses located in low-income areas in Tucson, Arizona. She will detail how a community health advocate (promotora) strategy provided comprehensive education and outreach to local small business owners. The contributions of delivering tailored information, developing targeted trainings, and fostering community leadership to successful reductions in waste and energy consumption and reduced worker exposures will be described. Such P2 interventions demonstrate the importance of this type of approach as a foundation for environmental protection as well as public health.
Interstate Technology Regulatory Council
Seminars Sponsored by the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council


Use and Measurement of Mass Flux and Mass Discharge

Interstate Technology Regulatory Council Most decisions at groundwater contamination sites are driven by measurements of contaminant concentration -- snapshots of contaminant concentrations that may appear to be relatively stable or show notable changes over time. Decisions can be improved by considering mass flux and mass discharge. Mass flux and mass discharge quantify the source or plume strength at a given time and location resulting in better-informed management decisions regarding site prioritization or remedial design as well as lead to significant improvements in remediation efficiency and faster cleanup times. The use of mass flux and mass discharge is increasing and will accelerate as field methods improve and practitioners and regulators become familiar with its application, advantages, and limitations. The decision to collect and evaluate mass flux data is site-specific. It should consider the reliability of other available data, the uncertainty associated with mass flux measurements, the specific applications of the mass flux data, and the cost-benefit of collecting mass measurements.

The ITRC technology overview, Use and Measurement of Mass Flux and Mass Discharge (MASSFLUX-1, 2010), and associated Internet-based training provide a description of the underlying concepts, potential applications, description of methods for measuring and calculating, and case studies of the uses of mass flux and mass discharge. This Technology Overview, and associated internet based training are intended to foster the appropriate understanding and application of mass flux and mass discharge estimates, and provide examples of use and analysis. The document and training assumes the participant has a general understanding of hydrogeology, the movement of chemicals in porous media, remediation technologies, and the overall remedial process. Practitioners, regulators, and others working on groundwater sites should attend this training course to learn more about various methods and potential use of mass flux and mass discharge information.

Soil Sampling and Decision Making Using Incremental Sampling Methodology - Part 1

Interstate Technology Regulatory Council When sampling soil at potentially contaminated sites, the goal is collecting representative samples which will lead to quality decisions. Unfortunately traditional soil sampling methods don't always provide the accurate, reproducible, and defensible data needed. Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) can help with this soil sampling challenge. ISM is a structured composite sampling and processing protocol that reduces data variability and provides a reasonable estimate of a chemical's mean concentration for the volume of soil being sampled. The three key components of ISM are systematic planning, field sample collection, and laboratory processing and analysis. The adequacy of ISM sample support (sample mass) reduces sampling and laboratory errors, and the ISM strategy improves the reliability and defensibility of sampling data by reducing data variability.

ISM provides representative samples of specific soil volumes defined as Decision Units. An ISM replicate sample is established by collecting numerous increments of soil (typically 30 to 100 increments) that are combined, processed, and subsampled according to specific protocols. ISM is increasingly being used for sampling soils at hazardous waste sites and on suspected contaminated lands. Proponents have found that the coverage afforded by collecting many increments, together with disciplined processing and subsampling of the combined increments, yields consistent and reproducible results that in most instances have been preferable to the results obtained by more traditional (e.g. discrete) sampling approaches.

This 2-part training course along with ITRC's web-based Incremental Sampling Methodology Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document (ISM-1, 2012) is intended to assist regulators and practitioners with the understanding the fundamental concepts of soil/contaminant heterogeneity, representative sampling, sampling/laboratory error and how ISM addresses these concepts. Through this training course you should learn:

  • basic principles to improve soil sampling results
  • systematic planning steps important to ISM
  • how to determine ISM Decision Units (DU)
  • the answers to common questions about ISM sampling design and data analysis
  • methods to collect and analyze ISM soil samples
  • the impact of laboratory processing on soil samples
  • how to evaluate ISM data and make decisions

In addition this ISM training and guidance provides insight on when and how to apply ISM at a contaminated site, and will aid in developing or reviewing project documents incorporating ISM (e.g., work plans, sampling plans, reports). You will also be provided with links to additional resources related to ISM.

The intended users of this guidance and training course are state and federal regulators, project managers, and consultant personnel responsible for and/or directly involved in developing, identifying or applying soil and sediment sampling approaches and establishing sampling objectives and methods. In addition, data end users and decision makers will gain insight to the use and impacts of ISM for soil sampling for potentially contaminated sites.

Recommended Reading: We encourage participants to review the ITRC ISM document(http://www.itrcweb.org/ISM-1/) prior to participating in the training classes. If your time is limited in reviewing the document in advance, we suggest you prioritize your time by reading the Executive Summary, Chapter 4 "Statistical Sampling Designs for ISM," and Chapter 7 "Making Decisions Using ISM Data" to maximize your learning experience during the upcoming training classes.

Green & Sustainable Remediation

Interstate Technology Regulatory Council The ultimate goal of remediation systems is to protect human health and the environment from contaminants. Historically, remedies have been implemented without consideration of green or sustainable concepts in order to meet this goal. This includes the potential for transferring impacts to other media. For instance, many remedial decisions do not assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy usage, or community engagement factors prior to the investigation or remedy implementation. Considering these factors throughout the investigation and remedy implementation process may lessen negative effects of the overall cleanup impact while the remediation remains protective of human health and the environment. The consideration of these factors is Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) - the site-specific employment of products, processes, technologies, and procedures that mitigate contaminant risk to receptors while making decisions that are cognizant of balancing community goals, economic impacts, and net environmental effects.

Many state and federal agencies are just beginning to assess and apply green and sustainable remediation into their regulatory programs. This training provides background on GSR concepts, a scalable and flexible framework and metrics, tools and resources to conduct GSR evaluations on remedial projects. The training is based on the ITRC's Technical & Regulatory Guidance Document: Green and Sustainable Remediation: A Practical Framework (GSR-2, 2011) as well as ITRC's Overview Document, Green and Sustainable Remediation: State of the Science and Practice (GSR-1, 2011).

Beyond basic GSR principles and definitions, participants will learn the potential benefits of incorporating GSR into their projects; when and how to incorporate GSR within a project's life cycle; and how to perform a GSR evaluation using appropriate tools. In addition, a variety of case studies will demonstrate the application of GSR and the results. The training course provides an important primer for both organizations initiating GSR programs as well as those organizations seeking to incorporate GSR considerations into existing regulatory guidance.