Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Draft Recommended Interim Preliminary Remediation Goals for Dioxin in Soil at CERCLA and RCRA Sites:   In May 2009, the U.S. EPA’s Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, decided that EPA needs to accelerate work underway to reassess the human health risks from exposures to dioxin.  EPA’s Science Plan for Activities Related to Dioxins in the Environment (2009) details a plan, with interim milestones, for completion of the Agency’s dioxin reassessment.  EPA expects to complete the dioxin reassessment and release it to the public by the end of 2010, subject to further consideration of the science, and the scope and complexity of the revisions that need to be made.   However, site-specific decisions involving the cleanup of soil contaminated with dioxin may need to be made before the Agency’s dioxin reassessment is made final.  EPA typically uses preliminary remediation goals (PRG) as a starting point in the process to determine site-specific, final cleanup levels for dioxin in soil.

EPA’s current dioxin cleanup guidance recommending PRGs was issued in 1998.  In light of potential new science and the Agency’s ongoing dioxin reassessment, EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) is reviewing current dioxin cleanup guidance and PRGs set by the Agency and other entities, with the goal of recommending interim PRGs informed by the latest science for CERCLA and RCRA sites.  These interim recommended PRGs would be used until EPA issues its final dioxin reassessment.  OSWER may update the interim PRGs based on the final dioxin reassessment.

This 1 hour and 30 minute session is targeted for RPMs at all experience levels.  The session covers a description of the proposed draft recommended PRGs, implications for CERCLA and RCRA sites, implementation issues, and steps to be taken to finalize the draft PRGs.

Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Federal Facilities Forum White Paper and Presentation:  Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents:  This 1 hour and 45 minute information session is designed for RPMs who conduct cleanups at munitions sites.   The session provides technical information to RPMs to assist them in developing conceptual site models and sampling plans to investigate munitions residue at military training, testing and disposal sites.   The session also discusses the upcoming Federal Facilities Forum White Paper:  Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents.

After this session, the RPMs are provided with a better understanding to make decisions about sampling design, sampling investigation and analytical procedures suitable for investigation of various types of ranges, including open burning and open detonation areas.

The session is organized as follows:

• Introduction and overview
• Describe energetic compounds and physical and chemical properties
• Discuss depositional mechanisms for propellant residues and explosives
• Describe energetic accumulation at various types of U.S. Department of Defense ranges
• Discuss alternative soil sampling approaches
• Discuss the multi-increment sampling approach
• Provide results comparing alternative sampling strategies
• Discuss sample processing, initial Method 8330, and procedural changes in Method 8330B
• Summarize issues associated with metals on small arms ranges
• Present case study examples
• Present draft Federal Facilities Forum’s White Paper:  Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents
• Question and answer session

Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Geophysical System Verification Information Session:  Over the past 15 years, many “Geophysical Proveouts” (GPO) have been performed at munitions response sites and a significant body of knowledge has been accumulated documenting technology performance.  This accumulated understanding, along with the recognition that responses of munitions may be reliably predicted from physical models, presents the opportunity for both streamlining and enhancing the traditional GPO with a more rigorous physics-based approach.  This 1 hour and 30 minute session describes the physics basis of this evolution, outline key elements of the Geophysical System Verification (GSV) process including an instrument verification strip and a blind seeding program, and present an example of implementing this approach on a hypothetical site.

Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Human Health Risk Assessment Tools and Information for RPMs provides information on risk assessment tools, the status of re-evaluations of the toxicity of Trichloroethylene (TCE) and other common site chemicals, and other risk assessment topics likely to be of interest to RPMs.  Some of the information is new for 2010 and some is a review of the 2009 session.

By attending this 1 hour and 45 minute information session, participants:

1. Become more familiar with the on-line EPA Regional Screening Levels (RSL) available for more than 600 chemicals and useful for a variety of site needs. (The RSLs have replaced the EPA Region 3 risk-based concentrations [RBC], the EPA Region 6 screening levels, and the EPA Region 9 preliminary remediation goals [PRG].)
2. Find out what's new with TCE, perchloroethylene (PCE), arsenic, perchlorate, chromium, and other common site chemicals
3. Learn something new about key topics in toxicology
4. Hear about the next generation of risk assessment methods.
5. Have an opportunity to learn how to better respond to that annoying risk assessment question posed at your last public meeting.

Tentative speakers include risk assessors experienced in working with RPMs from EPA Region 3 and the EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA).  The instructional methodology for this information session includes lecture and discussion. The target audience for this information session is RPMs of all experience levels.

Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Integrating Water and Waste Programs to Restore Watersheds:   EPA’s Office of Water and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response have developed a manual, Integrating Water and Waste Programs to Restore Watersheds: A Guide for Federal and State Project Managers.  This information session emphasizes a cross-programmatic approach for streamlining watershed assessments and cleanups.  EPA Headquarters believes that watersheds that contain both Superfund sites and Clean Water Act Section 303(d) listed waters would benefit from collaborative efforts by state, federal, and local water programs.   The goals of this information session are to:

• Introduce the manual and its focus on bringing together resources across programs
• Present the benefits of using a cross-programmatic approach to watershed planning
• Educate participants about the existing requirements of other programs
• Encourage program managers to approach hazardous waste problems at a watershed scale
• Provide case studies of existing and proposed watershed cleanup projects that integrate the water and waste programs.

Date and Time:

Thursday, May 27, 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Technical Services for Communities and the Superfund Job Training Initiative:  Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) is a program to provide independent, non-advocacy educational and technical assistance to communities affected by hazardous waste sites regulated by CERCLA and RCRA.  The purpose of TASC is to help communities better understand hazardous waste issues, so they can participate in the hazardous waste cleanup process more effectively.  TASC also can be used to provide training through the Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) and for technical assistance under a Technical Assistance Plan (TAP).  TASC provides technical assistance through a national contract managed by the EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI).  The TASC contract is designed to be flexible to ensure that the unique technical assistance and training needs of communities can be met.  All EPA Headquarters and regional office hazardous waste programs, with the exception of Brownfields, can access it.

EPA instituted SuperJTI in 1996 to provide potential employers with a source of trained workers ready for on-site employment in technical, construction, and environmental activities at Superfund sites.  SuperJTI’s mission is to provide job training opportunities in communities affected by Superfund sites and encourage their employment in site cleanup.  The SuperJTI program combines extensive classroom instruction in hazardous environmental cleanup, health and safety, and job preparedness training, along with hands-on work experience.

Partnerships are critical to the success of SuperJTI.  The partnerships necessary to make the SuperJTI successful are EPA regional staff (Community Involvement Coordinators [CIC] and RPMs), and a community-based organization, and the Superfund cleanup contractor.  RPMs play a major role in the success of SuperJTI by approaching the cleanup contractors and encouraging them to hire graduates of the SuperJTI program. 

Participants in this 1 hour, 45 minute information session acquire a greater understanding of TASC and SuperJTI and the benefits to the community, the cleanup contractor, and the agency.  Topics include identifying communities that can benefit from job training, building a relationship with a local non-profit organization, and obtaining sustainable employment for community residents.  The session also highlights the four SuperJTI projects that are currently in progress at Savannah River Site, Tar Creek, Fort Ordinance, Jacksonville Ash and Browns Dump.  The goal of this session is to solicit RPM’s assistance in identifying two new communities where residents are interested in obtaining job training and sustainable employment.

Date and Time:

Tuesday, May 25, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

The Environmental Response Team Capabilities for RPMs:   This 1 hour and 30 minute information session informs RPMs about the personnel, tools, and technologies the Environmental Response Team (ERT) uses at remedial Superfund sites to support investigation and cleanup.  A goal of the session is to encourage RPMs to use ERT to assist them during the various investigation and cleanup phases at sites.  By attending this session, the participants learn about the following ERT technical capabilities:

• Personnel available such as, chemists, scientists, engineers, risk assessors, health and safety staff, and more.
• Type of work being performed, including vapor intrusion investigations, ground water modeling, and activity-based sampling
• Various technologies, including equipment, tools, and instruments, that are available to accomplish the goals of the investigative and cleanup.

The session also provides information on how to contact ERT to receive technical support for sites, and how ERT actually works with EPA RPMs to assess sites.  The instructional method includes both lecture and presentation of current case studies where ERT personnel are working directly with RPMs on various site investigations.  The target audience is all EPA RPMs. 

Date and Time:

Thursday, May 27, 9:00 am to 10:30 am

What the Tweet?! Social Networking and New Ways to Get the Word Out, is a 1 hour and 30 minute information session, designed for beginner to intermediate users of online social networking tools.  Web 2.0 offers new ways to engage and interact with the public, such as blogs, wikis, YouTube, and other social networking tools.  EPA’s Web council recently released policy for using such outreach tools at EPA.  This session helps attendees understand what Web 2.0 is, examples of Web 2.0-type sites and social networking services, caveats and considerations, and what EPA employees should do to apply these communication tools to their work.

EPA’s Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) describes several social networking tools and services available to EPA employees including: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, widgets, RSS feeds, wikis and blogs.  Attendees receive a basic introduction to these services to understand their general functions, and learn how to access these tools.