Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN)

Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) for May 14-20, 2012

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:42:57 GMT

The latest Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) update has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. It contains summaries of procurement and contract award notices issued between May 14-20, 2012 that pertain to hazardous waste, solid waste, underground storage tank remediation, and other environmental topics.

Technology Innovation News Survey for March 16-31, 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The March 16-31, 2012 Technology Innovation News Survey has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. The Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development.

Seminar: "Staying Connected with CLU-IN" from May 9, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:58:00 GMT

This seminar will discuss information delivery services offered by the Clean Up Information Network (CLU-IN). Presenters will highlight new Facebook and Twitter feeds to keep interested parties connected to CLU-IN. Other services such as free e-newsletters, RSS feeds, Podcasts, and online training will also be showcased.

Seminar: "Superfund Research Program Sediment Bioavailability Assays - Kick-off Webinar Featuring New Research Projects" from May 7, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

This webinar will be comprised of 5 short presentations from the Superfund Research Program Individual Research Grants (R01).

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) released a funding opportunity announcement in 2010 titled RFA ES-11-005 "Innovative Bioavailability Assays to Assess the Effectiveness of Contaminated Sediment Remediation (R01)." This solicitation called for the development of innovative assays of bioavailability that may be used to determine the effectiveness of sediment remediation in reducing risks to humans. The ultimate goals of this solicitation are two-fold: first, to develop and introduce new tools to assess whether remediation efforts are protective of human health; and second, to increase use of bioavailability in risk assessment through providing scientifically-valid, practical, and cost-effective tools. In response to this solicitation, five three-year awards were made in 2011.

Seminar: Technology Transfer and Training Resources for Mining Sites, June 13, 2012

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:20:49 GMT

This first webinar of the series on treatment technologies at mining sites will provide an overview of available technology-related resources and training opportunities associated with characterization, cleanup, and redevelopment of abandoned mine lands. Presenters will discuss the resources and support available through federal agencies and other organizations, including EPA's Abandoned Mine Lands Program and the Technology Innovation and Field Services Division.

Seminar: "ITRC Soil Sampling and Decision Making Using Incremental Sampling Methodology - Part 1" from May 8, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:30:00 GMT

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.

Seminar: "ITRC Green & Sustainable Remediation" from April 26, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Tue, 8 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

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.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for May 8, 2012

Tue, 8 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on May 8, 2012. There are 6 new entries, for a total of 27 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

Seminar: "ITRC Permeable Reactive Barrier: Technology Update" from April 10, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 4 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

A Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) is an in situ permeable treatment zone designed to intercept and remediate a contaminant plume to remediate groundwater. The treatment zone may be created directly using reactive materials such as iron, or indirectly using materials designed to stimulate secondary processes (e.g., adding carbon substrate and nutrients to enhance microbial activity). Since its first implementation in the early 1990s, over 200 PRB systems have been installed to treat groundwater contaminants and PRBs have become an important component among the various technologies available to remediate groundwater contamination.

The ITRC Technical/Regulatory Guidance Permeable Reactive Barrier: Technology Update (PRB-5, 2011) and associated Internet-based training is intended to help guide state and federal regulators, consultants, project managers, and other stakeholders and technology implementers through the decision process when a PRB is being considered as a remedy, or part of a remedy, to address contaminated groundwater; and to provide updated information regarding several technical aspects of the PRB using information attained from the more than 15 years that the PRB has been a viable and accepted in situ remediation technology for contaminated groundwater. The guidance and training provides an update on PRBs to include discussions of additional types of reactive media and contaminants that can be treated, design considerations, construction/installation approaches and technologies, performance assessment, and longevity.

If you are unfamiliar with PRBs, we ask that you review background information on PRBs prior to attending the training class. Documents produced by the ITRC PRB team are available for review on the ITRC Permeable Reactive Barriers Guidance Documents page. You can access archives of previous ITRC trainings at http://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/advprb_032102/, http://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/prb_031902/, and http://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/prbll_061506/.

CLU-IN Spotlight: April 2012 Technology News and Trends

Thu, 3 May 2012 14:03:03 GMT

This issue highlights projects involving optimization reviews undertaken by the U.S. EPA and partnering state agencies or site owners. Each project involved an optimization review performed by an independent organization and funded by EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation. The highlighted projects illustrate how optimization can be used to modify specific components of a treatment process or monitoring program in order to improve remedy effectiveness, reduce remedy implementation costs, and increase technical efficiencies. The highlighted projects focus on sites with operating remedies; however, EPA is now applying optimization to all phases of remediation, from remedial investigation to site completion.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for May 1, 2012

Tue, 1 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on May 1, 2012. There are 3 new entries, for a total of 27 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

Seminar: ITRC Biofuels: Release Prevention, Environmental Behavior, and Remediation, June 7, 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:14:15 GMT

Biofuels and biofuel blends are a new category of transportation fuels and are defined as liquid fuels and blending components produced from renewable biomass feedstocks used as alternative or supplemental fuels for internal combustion engines. Their manufacture and consumption are increasing, in part, due to usage mandates and incentives both in the United States and abroad. This expanded use of biofuel and biofuel blends increases the potential frequency of releases due to increased manufacture, transportation, storage, and distribution. Because biofuels differ from conventional fuels with respect to their physical, chemical, and biological properties, their introduction poses challenges with respect to understanding the potential impacts of releases to the environment. Specifically, once released into the environment, these fuels will exhibit different environmental behaviors as compared to conventional fuels.

This training, which is based on the ITRC's Biofuels: Release Prevention, Environmental Behavior, and Remediation (Biofuels-1, 2011), focuses on the differences between biofuels and conventional fuels specific to release scenarios, environmental impacts, characterization, and remediation. The trainers will define the scope of the potential environmental challenges by introducing biofuel fundamentals, regulatory status, and future usage projections. Participants will learn how and when to use the ITRC biofuels guidance document for their projects. They will understand the differences in biofuel and petroleum behavior; become familiar with the biofuel supply chain, potential release scenarios and release prevention; be able to develop an appropriate conceptual model for the investigation and remediation of biofuels; and select appropriate investigation and remediation strategies.

Seminar: ITRC Incorporating Bioavailability Considerations into the Evaluation of Contaminated Sediment Sites, June 12, 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:15:17 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 10 percent (over a billion cubic yards) of the sediment underlying our nation's surface water is sufficiently contaminated with pollutants to pose potential risks to fish and to humans and wildlife that eat fish. Based on current average costs for managing contaminated sediments, this volume of material could cost several trillion dollars to dredge. Methods to assess the potential effect of sediment contamination on human or ecological health are historically based on total contaminant concentrations in the bulk sediment. However, research conducted over the past fifteen years has shown that the bioavailability of many of these contaminants to receptors is much less than the total amount of contaminant in the sediment. "Bioavailability processes," as defined by the National Research Council, are the "individual physical, chemical, and biological interactions that determine the exposure of plants and animals to chemicals associated with soils and sediments." Only the bioavailable fraction of an environmental contaminant may be taken up and subsequently result in an effect on an organism. Incorporating bioavailability considerations in the calculation of risk can optimize the extent of cleanup required to be protective, improve site decision-making, and can be an important factor in balancing the risks caused by remedial action with the risks addressed by remedial action.

ITRC's web-based Technical and Regulatory Guidance, Incorporating Bioavailability Considerations into the Evaluation of Contaminated Sediment Sites (CS-1, 2011) and associated Internet-based training are intended to assist state regulators and practitioners with understanding and incorporating fundamental concepts of bioavailability in contaminated sediment management practices. This guidance and training describe how bioavailability considerations can be used to evaluate exposure at contaminated sediment sites, the mechanisms affecting contaminant bioavailability, available tools used to assess bioavailability, the proper application of those tools, and how bioavailability information can be incorporated into risk-management decisions. This guidance and training also contain summaries of case studies where bioavailability has been assessed and considered in the contaminated sediment remedial decision making process. This guidance and training provide insight on how bioavailability assessments can be used to understand, mitigate, and manage risk at a contaminated sediment site, often at a reduced overall project cost.

The intended users of this guidance and training participants are individuals who have a working knowledge of contaminated sediment management but seek additional information about bioavailability. Prior to the training class, participants are encouraged to review the following documents:

ITRC's web-based Technical and Regulatory Guidance, Incorporating Bioavailability Considerations into the Evaluation of Contaminated Sediment Sites (CS-1, 2011) http://www.itrcweb.org/contseds-bioavailability
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Process for Designing and Conducting Ecological Risk Assessment"- Interim Final, June 1997 http://www.epa.gov/oswer/riskassessment/ecorisk/ecorisk.htm
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS)" Volume 1 -- Human Health Evaluation Manual, Supplement to Part A: Community Involvement in Superfund Risk Assessments, 1989 http://www.epa.gov/oswer/riskassessment/ragsa/ci-ra.htm

Seminar: ITRC A Decision Framework for Applying Attenuation Processes to Metals and Radionuclides, June 14, 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:16:39 GMT

Sites contaminated with metals and radionuclides present unique challenges to the development of effective remedial alternatives that also provide long-term protection to human health and the environment. The high costs of ongoing conventional treatment, total removal, and/or management combined with the scale of potential health and environmental risks make it important to evaluate attenuation-based remedial alternatives. Sites that have been identified as having metal and/or radionuclide contamination include federal facilities, industrial (e.g., mines) sites, disposal sites, and transportation corridors. Common metals include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, copper, and selenium. For radioactive hazardous substances, uranium, radium, strontium, technetium, tritium, and thorium are the most common contaminants of concern. The attenuation processes affect most metals and radionuclides by changing their valence state, which in turn affects their solubility and therefore mobility. When properly employed, Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is an effective knowledge-based remedy where a thorough engineering analysis informs the understanding, monitoring, predicting, and documenting of natural processes. In order to properly employ this remedy, there needs to be a strong scientific basis supported by appropriate research and site-specific monitoring implemented in accordance with quality systems.

This training and the associated ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance document, A Decision Framework for Applying Monitored Natural Attenuation Processes to Metals and Radionuclides in Groundwater (APMR-1, 2010), is intended for anyone involved with evaluating, investigating, remediating or managing a site that involves metal and radionuclide contaminants in groundwater. This training and document provides:

Introduction to key attenuation processes for metals and radionuclides
Information on incorporating MNA into remedial alternatives for metals/rads
Overview of the decision framework on MNA for metals and radionuclides in groundwater within the larger evaluation framework of a contaminated site

For reference during the training class, participants should have a copy of the decision framework, Figure 3-1 on page 48 of the ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance document, A Decision Framework for Applying Monitored Natural Attenuation Processes to Metals and Radionuclides in Groundwater (APMR-1, 2010) and available as a 1-page PDF at http://www.cluin.org/conf/itrc/apmr/ITRC-APMR-DecisionFramework.pdf.

Seminar: ITRC Development of Performance Specifications for Solidification/Stabilization, June 26, 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:17:51 GMT

Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) is a remedial technology option which blends treatment reagents into contaminated material to impart physical and/or chemical changes to reduce the flux of contamination that leaches from a contaminant source to within acceptable parameters set forth in a site-specific remediation goal. S/S can be effective for metals, asbestos, radioactive materials, oxidizers, PAHs, PCBs, and pesticides and is potentially effective for dioxins/furans, some VOCs and other organics. Although there is abundant literature describing the S/S process and test methods for design and implementation, there was a lack of guidance for assessing performance. The ITRC technical and regulatory guidance document Development of Performance Specifications for Solidification/Stabilization (S/S-1, 2011) and associated Internet-based training provide an approach to assist practitioners and regulators with measuring and determining acceptable S/S performance. This approach developed by the ITRC Solidification/Stabilization Team provides information for developing, testing, and evaluating appropriate site-specific performance specifications and the considerations for designing appropriate long-term stewardship programs. In addition, the approach provides useful tools for establishing an appropriate degree of treatment and regulatory confidence in the performance data to support decision-making. This training and guidance is intended to be beneficial to anyone involved with CERCLA, RCRA, brownfields, UST or any other regulatory program where S/S has been selected or implemented as a remedial technology.

For reference during the training class, participants should have available a copy of the process diagram, Figure 4-1 on page 29 of the ITRC Technology and Regulatory Guidance Document Development of Performance Specifications for Solidification/Stabilization (S/S-1, 2011) and available as a 1-page PDF at http://www.cluin.org/conf/itrc/ss/ITRC-SS-Process.pdf.

Seminar: "Close Out Procedures for NPL Sites Training" from April 24, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:15:00 GMT

The Close Out Procedures for NPL Sites Guidance was updated and reissued in May 2011. The guidance addresses policy related to Remedial Action Completions, Construction Completions, Site Completion, Deletion and Partial Deletion. This 3 hour training will have separate modules addressing each of these policy areas.

Participants should download the guidance document "Close Out Procedures for National Priorities List Sites" for reference during the webinar.

Seminar: "NARPM Presents...Redux of NARPM 2011 Greener Cleanups Sessions: Greener Cleanups Case Studies" from April 23, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:30:00 GMT

In May 2011, EPA held its annual National Association of Remedial Project Managers (NARPM) training program in Kansas City, MO, and for the fourth year in a row, one of our most attended sessions was on Greener Cleanups (GC). And like last year, we are offering those talks again to an online audience! EPA's definition of GC includes the practice of considering the environmental effects of a remediation strategy (i.e., the remedy selected and the implementation approach) early in the process, and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of the cleanup action.

Back in August, we offered the first of three webinar sessions on the Footprint Methodology, and this April we will showcase the remaining two webinars. We've got more case studies and maturing policy and guidance that we'd like to share with an online audience. EPA's Technical Support Project, led by the Engineering Forum, will present these on April 17th and 23rd, both from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Each 2 hour session will include policy and/or case studies, with time for Q&A along the way.

During this seminar, personnel from EPA Region 4 will present a case study on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. In addition, a case study from EPA Region 9 on the Apache Powder Site in Arizona and from EPA Region 10, the Well 12A site in Tacoma, Washington, will also be presented.

Seminar: "NARPM Presents...Using Science to Find Solutions at Superfund Sites - The Benefit of EPA and USGS Collaboration" from April 19, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:30:00 GMT

This 2-hour webinar, led by two EPA Region IV Remedial Project Managers with the Superfund Division, Superfund Remedial Branch, and a Research Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will provide an overview of the various science-based approaches used from 2008-2012 at the Capital City Plume (CCP) Superfund Site characterized by chlorinated-solvent and metals-contaminated groundwater. The webinar will cover t9e investigation of: (1) potential contaminant source areas, (2) contamination pathways, and (3) probable contaminant release histories. The same science-based approaches successfully used at the CCP Site also can be used at other similar Superfund sites where potentially responsible party assessment is not straightforward.

Seminar: "Greener Cleanups - EPA's Methodology for Understanding and Reducing a Project's Environmental Footprint (Final)" from April 18, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:50:00 GMT

The process of cleaning up a hazardous waste site uses energy, water, and other natural or materials resources and consequently creates an environmental footprint of its own. The US EPA recently released a methodology for quantifying the environmental footprints. The information obtained helps prioritize efforts to reduce the footprint and improve the outcome of cleanups under any regulatory program. The two-hour seminar will: (1) discuss the genesis of the effort; (2) summarize the methodology for estimating or quantifying the footprint and the associated metrics; and (3) provide an interactive case study to allow participants to get a feel for the process of calculating an environmental footprint and evaluating options to reduce it. An open forum will be held after the presentations, during which participants will be able to submit questions and feedback to the speakers.

Seminar: "NARPM Presents...Redux of NARPM 2011 Greener Cleanups Sessions: An RPM's Primer" from April 17, 2012 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:50:00 GMT

In May 2011, EPA held its annual National Association of Remedial Project Managers (NARPM) training program in Kansas City, MO, and for the fourth year in a row, one of our most attended sessions was on Greener Cleanups (GC). And like last year, we are offering those talks again to an online audience! EPA's definition of GC includes the practice of considering the environmental effects of a remediation strategy (i.e., the remedy selected and the implementation approach) early in the process, and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of the cleanup action.

Back in August, we offered the first of three webinar sessions on the Footprint Methodology, and this April we will showcase the remaining two webinars. We've got more case studies and maturing policy and guidance that we'd like to share with an online audience. EPA's Technical Support Project, led by the Engineering Forum, will present these on April 17th and 23rd, both from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Each 2 hour session will include policy and/or case studies, with time for Q&A along the way.

During this seminar, personnel from EPA Headquarters will present information on GC and contracting as well as regional case studies on Re-Powering America's Land initiative and myths and misconceptions on greening PRP cleanups.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for April 17, 2012

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on April 17, 2012. There are 0 new entries, for a total of 27 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation: