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TechDirect's purpose is to identify new technical, policy and guidance resources related to the assessment and remediation of contaminated soil, sediments
and groundwater.
Mention of non-EPA documents or presentations does not constitute a U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an acknowledgment that they exist and may
be relevant to the TechDirect audience.
> ITRC Now Accepting Proposals for New 2025 Project Teams!
ITRC is excited to announce that they are now accepting proposals for new Project Teams to launch in 2025! The deadline to submit a proposal is May 15, 2024.
They invite proposals from any agency, organization, company, or individual on any environmental topic. More information about ITRC Project Teams and the
proposal process is available online including an electronic form and instructions for submitting Project Team proposals and frequently asked questions.
To learn more and submit a proposal, please visit https://itrcweb.org/teams/planning.
> Upcoming Live Internet Seminars
In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay (IVBA) Sampling Guidance Update - Part 4 Soil Sampling Best Practices and Laboratory Methods to Measure IVBA & RBA - Monday,
April 1, 2024, 1:00PM-2:30PM EDT (17:00-18:30 GMT). This session will focus on a discussion of soil sample collection and processing best practices and methods
to directly measure relative bioavailability (RBA) or estimate RBA by measuring in vitro bioaccessibility via EPA Method 1340 at soil arsenic and lead contaminated
sites. This training will target a general audience of regional staff working in risk assessment, remediation, emergency response, technical support, and
quality assurance. The training will be an approximately one hour long and will include time for general discussion. Members of the Bioavailability Committee
and a Regional representative will be present to answer questions in real time. For more information and to register, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ASTSWMO - EPA Risk Management Methodology (RMM) for States and EPA - Monday, April 1, 2024, 1:00PM-4:00PM EDT (17:00-20:00 GMT). This online session is open
only to State and EPA regulators and will focus on conducting baseline risk assessments on munitions response sites using the Department of Defense’s Risk
Management Methodology (RMM). In this session, State and EPA regulators will review the unique challenges of munitions response, examine the RMM model framework,
and present case studies on RMM implementation. After the presentation there will be a Q&A session for participants. For more information and to register,
see https://register.gotowebinar.com/registe ...
Federal Facilities Online Academy: Military Munitions Policy Overview - April 15, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). Military Munitions Policy
Webinar is a two-hour webinar course that provides an overview of the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP), munitions policies,
and how the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) is applied to munitions sites. By taking this course, participants
will achieve the following objectives: Learn about DoD MMRP; Understand the CERCLA process as applied to a munitions site; Understand munitions policies;
and, Explore EPA Munitions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For more information and to register, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ITRC Environmental Data Management (EDM): Best Practices for Exchanging Environmental Data Training - April 16 and 25, 2024, 1:00PM-2:30PM EDT (17:00-18:30
GMT). The ITRC Environmental Data Management Best Practices Team (EDMBP Team) prepared a series of guidance documents and case studies on best practices for
all phases of EDM to address the need for guidance on managing large stores of environmental data. Environmental data management (EDM) is a broad field that
encompasses all aspects of environmental research and regulation, from habitat studies and wildlife management plans to health advisories and remediation
of hazardous waste sites. The EDMBP Team developed three Roundtable training sessions to support the Guidance Document and case studies. This is the final
in a 3-part series. You are welcome to register for any of the series, but they do not build upon each other. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org
or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
US EPA Superfund Remedial Program's Approach for Addressing Radioactive Contamination - April 17, 2024, 1:30PM-3:30PM EDT (17:30-19:30 GMT). The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund program has developed regulations and guidance for remediating radioactively contaminated CERCLA sites.
The focus of this presentation is an overview of EPA's recommended guidance documents on ARARs and risk assessment, models for conducting risk and dose assessments,
and community involvement tools for engaging in meaningful involvement with the public that are intended to be used during the process to determine cleanup
levels for radioactively contaminated Superfund sites. The presentation is intended to help the audience obtain knowledge of EPA's recommended guidance
to facilitate cleanups that are consistent with how chemical contaminants are addressed, except where technical differences posed by radiation are addressed.
The guidance and tools that are discussed in the presentation are freely available on the internet. This webinar provides an updated version of Module 3 that
was presented in the ITRC webinar 'Radiation Site Cleanup: CERCLA Requirements and Guidance' on June 5, 2007, an archive of which is available at https://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/radscle ...
. For more information and to register for the live event, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ITRC PFAS Beyond the Basics: Sampling, Analysis, Surface Water, & Air Occurrence Training - April 18, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). This ITRC
training course will build upon PFAS sampling and analysis information presented in the PFAS 101 CLU-IN training, an archive of which is available at https://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/PFAS-In ...
. The ITRC PFAS Beyond the Basics class provides in-depth information on preparing for and implementing sampling events. Some detailed information and case
studies are presented for sampling surface water and PFAS-containing foam that can form and aggregate at the surface water-air interface. The training includes
information about PFAS analysis and discusses alternative qualitative analytical techniques. The occurrence of PFAS in air information from the literature
for outdoor air, indoor air, settled dust and precipitation is discussed. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ITRC Beyond the Basics: PFAS Human Health, Ecological Effects and Regulations Training - April 23, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). This training
class builds on the earlier information for introductory PFAS topics presented in the PFAS 101 CLU-IN training, an archive of which is available at , an archive
of which is available at https://www.clu-in.org/conf/itrc/PFAS-In ... . It provides more in-depth information for human health effects,
ecological toxicity and ecological risk assessment, PFAS regulations, and AFFF alternatives and replacement. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org
or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
SRP Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety Training and Education - Session I: April 26, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM
EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting their 2024 Progress in Research webinar series showcasing federally-funded
researchers developing curricula and educational programs focused on emergent technologies in the sphere of occupational health and safety. Over the three
sessions, presenters will highlight their research projects and accomplishments - included in this group of researchers are SRP's Occupational Health and
Safety Training Education Programs on Emerging Technologies grant recipients. For more information and to register for the live event, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ITRC Sediment Cap Chemical Isolation Training - April 30, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT) . In 2023, ITRC published the Sediment Cap Chemical
Isolation Guidance to supplement the 2014 Contaminated Sediments Remediation Guidance with the goal of improving consistency in sediment cap performance
outcomes. Sediment capping is a commonly selected remediation approach and numerous designs have been completed. Previous cap designs have been evaluated
in multiple ways, and these varying approaches have led to some differences in selection of chemical design criteria, construction tolerance specifications,
and monitoring/maintenance objectives for sites with similar characteristics and contaminants, leading to different expectations for long-term performance
and reliability. The Sediment Cap Chemical Isolation Training will cover several key elements of the recommended framework. For more information and to register,
see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://clu-in.org/live.
SRP Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety Training and Education - Session II
- May 3, 2024, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 GMT). The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting their 2024 Progress in Research webinar series
showcasing federally-funded researchers developing curricula and educational programs focused on emergent technologies in the sphere of occupational
health and safety. Over the three sessions, presenters will highlight their research projects and accomplishments - included in this group of researchers
are SRP's Occupational Health and Safety Training Education Programs on Emerging Technologies grant recipients. For more information and to register for
the live event, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
> New Documents and Web Resources
Fiscal Year 2023 Superfund Accomplishments Report. EPA’s Superfund Accomplishments Report highlights the important work of EPA staff and partners to
clean up the nation’s most contaminated land and respond to environmental emergencies and natural disasters. Superfund cleanups protect human health and
the environment, while also supporting community revitalization efforts and economic opportunities through redevelopment. For more information, please
visit https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund- ...
Sustainable Treatment System Caps Off Cleanup at Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site. The Elizabeth Mine site is an abandoned copper mine located in Vermont and
was added to the Superfund National Priorities list in 2001. EPA researchers worked with a team of other experts on the cleanup efforts to solve complex problems
at the abandoned mine site. For more information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/susta ...
Research Brief 351: Using Earth Materials to Remove Metals Near Abandoned Mines. NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers developed
a new strategy that uses limestone and a naturally occurring mineral to clean up water contaminated with arsenic and uranium — two of the most frequently detected
drinking water pollutants in Tribal communities. More than 600,000 American Indians in the Southwestern U.S. are estimated to live within six miles of an abandoned
mining site, which can contain mixtures of arsenic, uranium, and other toxic elements. These contaminants can pollute the local air, water, and soil. For more
information, please visit https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/srp/research ...
Superfund Research Program Technology Profile March 2024. Researchers at the University of Iowa are investigating how biochar, the carbon-rich byproduct
of burning plant matter, can enhance the performance of a type of bacteria — called organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) — commonly used to break down halogenated
pollutants. Chlorinated ethenes, a type of halogenated pollutants, are among the most frequently detected contaminants in aquatic ecosystems across the
U.S. OHRB is not able to fully degrade halogenated pollutants in the field. To address this limitation, the team is developing a platform to tailor the properties
of biochar to increase the ability of OHRB to break down chlorinated ethenes into non-toxic substances. For more information, please visit https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/suppo ...
Technology Innovation News Survey Corner. The Technology Innovation News 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. Recent issues, complete
archives, and subscription information is available at https://www.clu-in.org/products/tins/. The following resources were included in recent issues:
• High-Resolution Passive Profiling to Monitor Contaminated Sediments in Support of Remediation Evaluation and Risk Characterization
• Development, Evaluation, and Technology Transfer of BMPS for Optimizing Removal of PAHS, PCBS, PFAS, and Metals from Stormwater at DOD Sites
• Prevention of Sediment Recontamination by Improved BMPS to Remove Organic and Metal Contaminants from Stormwater Runoff
EUGRIS Corner. New Documents on EUGRIS, the platform for European contaminated soil and water information. More than 4 resources, events, projects and
news items were added to EUGRIS in March 2024. These can be viewed at http://www.eugris.info/whatsnew.asp . Then select the appropriate month and year for
the updates in which you are interested. The following resource was posted on EUGRIS:
Remediation Management for Local and Wide-spread PFAS Contamination (2020). This publication (report number FB000332/ENG) was produced by the German
Federal Environment Agency. PFAS - as a group of substances - are becoming increasingly important in the treatment of contaminated sites and harmful
soil changes. The present work aid 'Remediation management for local and area-wide PFAS contaminations' supports the responsible authorities in the pre-selection,
evaluation and decision for a suitable and proportionate remediation procedure, shows relevant basic conditions and accompanying measures. Due to the different
substance properties of PFAS, the possible remediation procedures must also be evaluated on a substance-specific basis. The advantages and disadvantages,
the technical and approval requirements as well as their sustainability are shown for the possible remediation methods. View or download from https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publik ...
> Conferences and Symposia
Design and Construction Issues at Hazardous Waste Sites (East), April 10-12, 2024, Philadelphia, PA. The Society of American Military Engineers organizes
this annual conference to share information about applications of engineering and science associated with cleaning up hazardous waste sites. The conference
panels focus on case studies, advances in processes such as remedy optimization, and emerging issues such as PFAS contamination. For more information, please
visit https://sites.google.com/samephiladelphi ...
ITRC Annual Meeting, April 8-11, 2024, Long Beach, CA. Environmental professionals from the state, tribal and federal government, private sector, and
stakeholder groups come to ITRC's Annual Meeting to collaborate on critical environmental topics and guidance. For more information, please visit https://itrcweb.org/itrcwebsite/events/2 ...
Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR): Spring 2024 General Meeting – May 21, 2024, Washington, D.C. and online. In this meeting, FRTR member
agencies will revisit artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), discussed previously at the Spring 2022 General Meeting. This meeting will
focus on progress and results of recent projects providing advanced contaminant plume characterization and predictive modeling, and improved cleanup efficiency.
Presentations will highlight case studies where AI/ML has substantially enhanced remedial decisions, remedy implementation and performance monitoring,
and reduced needs for extensive sampling. Discussions during the meeting will provide remedial project managers and technical staff with information and
best practices for deploying AI/ML technology. Two public attendance options will be available - attending in-person in Washington, D.C. and attending virtually
via Zoom. Registration will open soon. For more information and to view recordings of Spring 2022 presentations, please visit https://www.frtr.gov/meetings1.cfm.
Tribal Lands and Environment Forum (TLEF) - Eugene, OR, August 12-15, 2024. This is the fourteenth annual forum for environmental professionals from Tribes,
USEPA, State/Local/Federal agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties to meet, share knowledge, and learn from one another how to
improve management, protection, and restoration of Tribal lands for us and all our relations. This forum will be held in person and online. For more information
and to register, please visit http://nau.edu/tlef2024
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