Abstract is not available.

Abstract is not available.

Asbestos Island, a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session, will present the latest information about investigating and evaluating asbestos at hazardous waste sites.  The session will include:

• an overview of the Agency's Asbestos Technical Review Workgroup (TRW) and their recent activities (approximately 30 minutes)
• an open session for RPMs to identify their analytical, risk assessment, and risk management needs (approximately 30 minutes)
• an interactive discussion of the difference between CERCLA and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS), as well as building demolition issues (approximately 30 minutes)

Beneficial Use of Mining and Mineral Processing Waste is a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session exploring questions about the beneficial use of mining and mineral processing waste.  These materials are the result of the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals, and they are excluded from regulation as hazardous waste.  With 1.3 billion tons generated annually, these high volume, low toxicity materials can result in the release of hazardous constituents that can and do pose a threat to human health and the environment, as is evidenced by the number of CERCLA sites associated with these materials. 

EPA is working with states and mining and mineral processing industries to evaluate and encourage the productive and beneficial use of these materials in lieu of commercially available materials.  Potential markets for these materials include road construction, concrete production, and levee development.  The projected environmental and cost savings of the beneficial use of these materials could be considerable.  An appropriate level of assurance in the environmental performance and system design, however, is crucial in order for the proposed use of these materials to be successful.  Therefore, there are a range of challenges that need to be explored prior to use of these materials, including testing, liability, and use restrictions.  The panel discussion will explore key questions:

• Are guidelines for state beneficial use programs that rely on TCLP sufficient to determine potential release or should EPA develop more rigorous and/or material-specific testing requirements?
• Should frequency of testing be established to ensure consistency of materials?
• What level of assurance will owners/managers/users request regarding CERCLA liability?

This topic of the beneficial use of mining and mineral processing waste has garnered the attention and support of the Deputy Administrator of EPA, Marcus Peacock.  Because of the multitude of issues associated with beneficial use of these materials, this is intended to be a multi-year panel discussion.  The panel will promote the formation of a national workgroup to prepare some sort of strategy for this topic, similar to the lead strategy, and will serve as a vehicle to identify individuals who are interested in this topic and may want to become members of the national workgroup.

Federal Facilities, a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session, will give an update on current initiatives and hot topics affecting federal facility sites.  Managers from the Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) and the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO) will provide insights into current activities and issues ongoing in the program, including relevant updates on emerging contaminants, the streamlined records of decision (ROD) initiative, the Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP), EPA Headquarters’ efforts to address Department of Energy (DOE) budget shortfalls, and federal facility enforcement and compliance issues.  Time will also be provided for discussion among the session attendees about issues and concerns they are experiencing.

Ground Water/Surface Water Interaction—Concepts, Field Methods, and Site Management Challenges is a 1 hour, 45 minute panel discussion.  Many Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites are located where contaminated ground water discharges to surface water.  This panel presentation includes: an overview of ground water / surface water (GW/SW) interactions; a summary of site characterization methods and tools; and the significance of GW/SW and sediment interaction from a site management perspective.  Time will be allotted after the presentations to address questions to panel members.

U.S. Geological Survey investigators have been invited to provide a presentation featuring newer methods to delineate ground water discharges by taking continuous temperature measurements along a stream bed.  Ground water discharges are often variable along the transition zone in a streambed, and that variability can make it difficult to determine: where discharges are occurring; where to focus any in-water remedial design or action; and where to monitor discharges.

Case studies illustrating EPA experiences at selected Superfund or RCRA sites will focus on the conceptual site model, investigative techniques, risks posed to receptors, and remediation options. 

RPMs and CERCLIS:  We Do Have a Future, a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session, will devote attention to some of the current problems associated with using the CERCLIS system and consider possible solutions.  CERCLIS means something to everyone.  Unfortunately, when each user has a different interpretation of what it means, it leads to confusion, data entry inconsistencies, and underutilization of this main resource for documenting work and requesting resources.

The session will review how CERCLIS processes data and uses that data for planning purposes; in addition, the panel will review how CERCLIS helps in justifying workloads for RPMs and requesting funding.  Panelists from the regions will add their insights to a national perspective to help highlight areas that are working and areas where we need consensus and improvement.  Group discussion will follow to encourage ideas for improvement, and subsequent to NARPM 2008, a national workgroup will be organized (RPMs will be active group participants) to further explore comments generated by the panel.  The panel will briefly discuss the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) as a current initiative to create a more Web-based, time critical way of updating site information.  The overall goal is to streamline data entry by minimizing the number of times one must enter data and making the system more accessible to those who use it.

Abstract is not available.

A Year in the Life:  Project Management for RPMs is a half-day training session for both new and experienced RPMs. This session provides participants with an opportunity to learn and share good project management techniques in a fun way by applying their management skills to a specific Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) site example. The session will focus on concepts, tools, and resources that RPMs can apply to RD/RA projects. Participant teams will begin by using a game board approach to work through a "planning" cycle-each team will collect project management "dos" and "don'ts," obtain site information, respond to changing circumstances, and build their project team and approach as they make their way along the game board path. Teams will then review their site, identify potential challenges, prioritize these, and develop ideas to address site challenges. Each team will share project management approaches for their site by preparing and giving a simulated "briefing" to upper management. A facilitated discussion concludes the game and allows the participants to consider different approaches that can be used to manage projects effectively. A handout will summarize key concepts presented during the session and will provide additional resources that RPMs can use to improve their project management skills.

DNAPL Source Zone Treatment is a 3.5 hour training course focusing on technical and project management issues that RPMs will need to address when overseeing active remediation of dense, non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source areas.  The course will cover policy and remedy implementation issues including:

• Developing DNAPL source zone remedial action objectives
• Developing holistic plume management strategies with consideration of source zone hot spots, residual phase “warm” spots, and dissolved-phase plumes
• Determining appropriate roles for monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and technical impracticability (TI) waivers
• Overcoming the mindset that we can not actively treat DNAPL source zones
• Exploring approaches for addressing residual uncertainties on technology performance
• Reviewing options for evaluating treatment technology performance
• Reducing DNAPL source strength—what have we been able to achieve?
• Developing and overseeing remedial action contracts for active DNAPL treatment

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and an interactive panel discussion.  The target audience for this course is experienced RPMs who are working on DNAPL sites in the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) or remedial action (RA) implementation stage or are considering active DNAPL source zone treatment for a post-construction completion (PCC) site.

Know What to Say and How to Present It is a 3.5 hour advanced, leadership-level workshop for EPA staff who conduct technical training for their peers at NARPM and throughout their regions.  Participants will learn how to target their presentation to other technical people, develop and refine messages, and engage the audience in ways that promote effective communication.

Participants will learn about:

• Developing a presentation that meets your training goals
• Applying interactive techniques that will engage learners and maximize retention
• Managing group dynamics and handling problem situations
• Delivering more effective presentations by applying delivery techniques that will take your presentation style to a new level

What’s in it for you?

• More polished platform skills
• Improved ability to manage content
• Greater skill using a variety of training techniques
• Ability to manage participants and facilitate discussions

Teaching a technical course to your coworkers involves much more than standing in front of the room and telling them everything you know.  Effective trainers know that not only does substance count, but so does their presentation style.  This course will provide hands-on techniques to help you develop and deliver presentations that boost the ability of your workshop participants to retain and apply what they learn.  This highly interactive workshop is limited to 15 participants.

Nanotechnology: Practical Considerations for Use in Ground Water Remediation is a 4-hour intermediate level course. Participants should have a basic level of understanding of the Superfund process and ground water remediation.  Nanomaterials consist of atomic, molecular, and supramolecular particles of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers (nm).  Nanomaterials are effective in degrading volatile organic compounds (VOC) and are becoming increasingly useful in ground water remediation at hazardous waste sites.  This course presents information on issues a site manager should consider when evaluating the applicability of nanotechnology for remediating ground water during the major stages of the Superfund process prior to issuing a record of decision (ROD), including site characterization, bench- and pilot-scale tests, and feasibility studies.

For the site characterization phase, instructors will discuss which contaminants are amenable to treatment, and geochemical parameters and site hydrogeology that influence effectiveness.  The course will cover when and how to conduct bench- and pilot-scale tests, as well as the cost of those studies.  For the feasibility study phase, the course addresses factors affecting the development, screening, and potential selection of nanotechnology as a ground water remedy, including challenges to implementation.  Interactive question-and-answer sessions and a ground water remediation case study will allow the participants to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of nanotechnology for the case.

Participants do not need to have prior experience with nanotechnology.  The instructors will present an overview of nanotechnology at a level reflecting the attendees’ experience, based on a pre-training survey. This course is sponsored by EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI).

RPM Case Studies, a 3.5-hour course, describes sites where RPMs have worked. Remedial projects include, but are not limited to, mine and mill cleanups, wetland restoration project, Hanford Superfund site and radiation issues, and coordinating remedial investigations with Tribes and other countries. Presentations are fast-paced and incorporate audience interaction. This course is of great value to new RPMs as well as those with substantial experience.

Bunker Hill / Coeur d'Alene Basin Superfund Site - Establish Safe Waterfowl Feeding Habitat through a Conservation Easement

Migrating waterfowl winging their way across Idaho's Panhandle will have a safe new place to rest and feed, thanks to a newly forged Conservation Easement Agreement in the Coeur d'Alene Basin. The Agreement was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and a willing private property owner. This Easement Agreement uses an innovative approach and is an integral part of the comprehensive mine waste cleanup underway in the Basin. In an unusual partnership, federal, state, tribal, a non-profit wetland conservation organization and private parties have come together to launch a cost-effective project to reduce waterfowl mortality in the Lower Coeur d'Alene Basin.

More than a century of mining and ore-processing activities upstream in the historic Silver Valley have contaminated the Coeur d'Alene River and its floodplain with sediment containing high concentrations of lead and other metals. More than 18,000 acres of wetland have lead concentrations above levels toxic to waterfowl. As a result waterfowl frequently ingest lead-contaminated sediment and suffer serious toxic effects or die. The problem has become so pervasive, an annual "die-off" of waterfowl has occurred in the area for decades. This project is an important first step in addressing contaminated wildlife feeding areas within the Coeur d'Alene Basin. In their recent final report on the Bunker Hill Superfund Site, the National Research Council encouraged EPA's efforts to secure agricultural lands, converting them to high-quality feeding grounds and reestablishing wetland in these areas is a laudable effort (NRC 2005).

The Agreement was established within the framework of the EPA's 2002 Bunker Hill Record of Decision, which charts the course of mine waste cleanup in the Coeur d'Alene Basin over the next 30 years. The EPA, FWS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are conducting a Superfund cleanup action on the easement area, converting the existing agricultural land to clean wetland waterfowl feeding habitat. The FWS will be conducting a wetland restoration project at this site in the coming years. By returning the area to a more natural state, the partnership predicts it will become an attractive feeding alternative and provide safer habitat for both resident and migratory waterfowl.

Hanford Nuclear Reservation

Hanford Topic #1

Human Health Risk Assessment for the Columbia River Component

This part of the presentation will provide the necessary back ground on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the NPL sites within the reservation. Sampling efforts for the Columbia River component of the River Corridor Baseline Risk Assessment will be presented and will include a deep core sediment sampling behind McNary and Bonneville dams. Risk coordination with tribal and stakeholder groups will also be discussed.

Hanford Topic #2

Carbon Tetrachloride Vadose Zone and Groundwater Contamination and Response Actions in Hanford's Central Plateau

This part of the presentation will explore the issues surrounding extensive carbon tetrachloride contamination of soil and groundwater that resulted from plutonium finishing processes and waste disposal. The focus of the talk will be on early interim actions and will describe the DNAPL characterization activities as well as plans for comprehensive source and groundwater response actions.

Upper Columbia River RI/FS
Site Over View and Tribal Exposure Assessment Survey: Addressing Consumption, Use, and Behaviors with Potential for Exposure

This presentation will provide an overview of the Upper Columbia River Site with an emphasis on the recent settlement and the planned Tribal Exposure Survey for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation (CCT). The CCT value natural resources which have been contaminated by pollution in the Upper Columbia River (extending 150 river miles from the U.S./Canadian Border to the Grand Coulee Dam in Northeastern Washington State). Specific dietary, as well as other resource uses/practices and the precise nature and extent of contamination have not yet been defined. The survey instrument will measure current food consumption rates and other uses/practices to inform exposure assessment. The survey will inform the types and locations of sample collection, laboratory analysis, and inclusion in the human health risk assessment as part of an ongoing Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study being prepared by EPA and Teck Cominco, Inc.

The survey has two objectives:

1. Quantify consumption and use of local resources (e.g., foods, herbs, medicines, and materials used in production of clothing, ornaments, and infrastructure) that have the potential to influence exposure to chemical contaminants associated with the Upper Columbia River site (UCR site)
2. Record data on foods and other consumed materials in a database of nutritional characteristics (e.g., caloric and essential nutrient content) of these foods or materials

Survey interviews would be conducted by trained members of CCT to facilitate access and acceptance by the community. The survey will use validated assessment methods, commonly used by epidemiologists. This may include the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AM/PM) or the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R). CCT confidentially will be balanced with EPA information requirements. For example, individual survey records would not be released, but summary statistics (e.g., mean, median, and various percentiles) of the sample population would be needed. Results of the survey will support exposure assessment, risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication activities at the UCR site to inform and promote healthy dietary and lifestyle choices for members of the CCT.

Lessons Leaned from Mine Cleanups in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, Idaho

Mining within the Coeur d'Alene Basin began more than 100 years ago. The Basin has been one of the leading silver, lead, and zinc-producing areas in the work, with production of approximately 1.2 million ounces of silver, 8 million tons of lead and 3.2 million tons of zinc. The Bureau of Land Management has identified nearly 900 mining or milling-related features in the region surrounding the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. Mining-related activities generated tailings, waste rock, concentrates, and smelter emissions. In addition, the water that drains from many abandoned adits contains elevated levels of metals. The EPA has identified three operable units in the Coeur d'Alene Basin which include actions to address the impacts from the mining, milling, and processing activities.

In combination with other actions in the basin EPA has begun to address the mine and mill sites in the Upper Basin. At this time the work has focused on sites which present a risk to human health, primarily from recreational use. While the focus of cleanup of these sites is on human health the designs and actions also addresses ecological risk associated with water quality impacts.

This presentation focuses on mine cleanups completed to date in the Coeur d'Alene basin. An overview of the sites, pre-design data collection, designs, and remedial construction will be provided. Lessons learned will focus on the following topics: process to prioritize and select the initial sites for work from the hundreds in the basin, overall contracting and funding strategy for remedial designs and construction, coordination with multiple stakeholders and multiple landowners, and issues associated with long-term operation and monitoring and effectiveness monitoring.

Abstract is not available.

Abstract is not available.

A Systematic Approach for Evaluation of Capture Zones at Pump and Treat Systems, a 3.5-hour training course, teaches a systematic approach for capture zone analysis and highlights a recently published EPA document on the topic (EPA 600/R-08/003, January 2008).  The target audience for the course is project managers who review these analyses or make decisions based on these analyses.  This course will highlight:

• The importance of capture zone analysis during ground water remediation, particularly for sites requiring containment
• Key concepts of capture, such as “target capture zones” and “converging lines of evidence”
• Typical errors made in capture zone analysis

In addition, steps associated with a systematic approach for capture zone analysis will be discussed.  These steps include the following:

• Step 1:    Review site data, site conceptual model, and remedy objectives
  Step 2:    Define site-specific Target Capture Zone(s)
  Step 3:    Interpret water levels
• Potentiometric surface maps (horizontal) and water level difference maps (vertical)
• Water level pairs (gradient control points)
• Step 4:    Perform calculations (as appropriate based on site complexity)
• Estimated flow rate calculation
• Capture zone width calculation
• Modeling (analytical and/or numerical) to simulate water levels, in conjunction with particle tracking and/or transport modeling
• Step 5:    Evaluate concentration trends
  Step 6:    Interpret actual capture based on steps 1-5, compare to Target Capture Zone(s), and assess uncertainties and data gaps

Examples will be used to demonstrate key aspects of capture zone analysis.

Awake at the Wheel: Active Remedy Management is a 4-hour, advanced-level course for RPMs and site managers who understand the basic Superfund definitions for operation and maintenance (O&M), operational and functional (O&F), and long-term response action (LTRA) and that have experience with implementation of remedial actions.  Awake at the Wheel promotes an active management approach to the operation of remedies in every phase of the Superfund remedy.  The course focuses on (1) the types of data collected during the operation of different types of remedies; (2) common problems with different types of remedies; and (3) the process for reviewing, assessing, and responding to operational data.  Participants will be challenged to review, assess, and devise strategies for responding to actual data from different types of remedies.  Awake at the Wheel will show you how to put those O&M and operational reports collecting dust on your cubicle floor to good use!

Be Prepared:  Know What to Say and How to Say It, An Advanced Media Training is an advanced level four-hour media and spokesperson training workshop.  What you say and how you say it are critical to getting information out to the news media, community groups, and others.  This intensive half-day workshop is designed to give you the confidence you need to explain your work and talk about tough issues.  By taking this workshop, RPMs will learn:

• How to prepare for interviews or public speaking engagements;
• How to craft your organization’s messages; and
• How to deliver your messages effectively—even during a crisis.

This highly interactive workshop features customized scenarios relevant to each participant's programs or projects, and several one-on-one videotaped sessions with professional interviewers.  The course is limited to 12 participants from EPA who have taken the Working with the News Media course or another similar media and spokesperson training workshop.  Due to the limited capacity of the course, only EPA RPMs will be selected to attend this course.

Contracts Training, a half-day training course that counts toward Contracting Officer Representative (COR) training requirements, will provide participants with a better understanding of a variety of contracting issues through discussion, guidance, and a case study.  Topics include:

• Tips for a successful Performance-Based Service Contract (PBSC) experience, including a discussion on the Procurement Initiation Notice (PIN) package.
• A case study on the Omaha Lead site to illustrate the PBSC process, including a discussion of lessons learned.
• Guidance on evaluating a contractor’s performance, including review of invoices and completing questionnaires.
• Discussion of the revised policy for issuing Superfund Interagency Agreements for assigning Remedial Design or Remedial Action (RD/RA) work to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or other Federal agency:
• Requiring documentation of decisions to use the USACE for RD/RA work.
• Implementing the use of cost estimates of USACE staff providing support for the Superfund program.
• Encouraging the use of term and conditions as part of Interagency Agreements (IAG) to spell out USACE requirements when providing EPA support.
• Discussion of modifications in Office of Acquisition Management’s COR policy and their effects on the current training program.  Specifically, to emphasize the importance of maintaining the 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLP) every two years, providing guidance on the CLP requirements, updating basic training required to become a COR, and providing a resource list for basic and continuous contracts training.

This course will count for 3.5 hours credit to the 40-hour COR training requirements.  The instructors will also provide opportunity for questions and answers.

The Rapid Assessment Tools, a four-hour training course, incorporates lecture, case studies, and a hands-on, in-field practicum to enable project managers and others who plan, direct, or implement in-field sampling to better understand and utilize rapid assessment tools (RAT).  RAT was developed to improve site assessment by providing real-time continuous data collection and to provide in-field spatial data analysis and two-dimensional visualization. The tools combine integrated data retrieval, global positioning system (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), mapping, and analysis through an elementary but powerful and robust interface that requires no post-processing of GPS and GIS data.  RAT includes modules for spatial data retrieval, data collection and storage, sample designs, data contouring, real-time data visualization, and non-GPS trend monitoring. All data produced from the system can be exported and used in most other GIS mapping applications and database packages for more complex modeling. In addition, all screen outputs can be printed or saved to a standard output file type. This system is unique because it has been developed in-house by EPA, is stand-alone, and requires no software licensing or purchasing. RAT also allows for mapping and recording continuous streams of external data merged with GPS locations. The data streams are processed internally and saved directly to a database-compatible format; additionally, they can be used in many other modeling applications.

Training course participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Understand how RAT aids in real-time data collection.
• Learn the basics of how RAT has been used at various Superfund remedial, removal, and emergency response sites.
• Gain hands-on experience using RAT with GPS for:
  1. Sample design generation and navigation
  2. Single-point and multiple-point data collection
  3. Real-time field sampling with integration equipment, including Niton and InnovX X-ray fluorescence devices (XRF), Ludlum radiation monitors, and a variety of air monitors (Datarams, Multi-RAEs, and Multi-warns)
  4. Data collection with manual data entry for devices without a digital output.
  5. Data contouring
  6. Data delivery by FTP and data export to GIS packages (e.g., ArcGIS, Google Earth, ArcExplorer).

The target audience for this course is project managers and others who plan, direct, or implement in-field sampling using real-time data collection.

Abstract is not available.

Be Prepared:  Know What to Say and How to Say It, An Advanced Media Training is an advanced level four-hour media and spokesperson training workshop.  What you say and how you say it are critical to getting information out to the news media, community groups, and others.  This intensive half-day workshop is designed to give you the confidence you need to explain your work and talk about tough issues.  By taking this workshop, RPMs will learn:

• How to prepare for interviews or public speaking engagements;
• How to craft your organization’s messages; and
• How to deliver your messages effectively—even during a crisis.

This highly interactive workshop features customized scenarios relevant to each participant's programs or projects, and several one-on-one videotaped sessions with professional interviewers.  The course is limited to 12 participants from EPA who have taken the Working with the News Media course or another similar media and spokesperson training workshop.  Due to the limited capacity of the course, only EPA RPMs will be selected to attend this course.

Contracts Training, a half-day training course that counts toward Contracting Officer Representative (COR) training requirements, will provide participants with a better understanding of a variety of contracting issues through discussion, guidance, and a case study.  Topics include:

• Tips for a successful Performance-Based Service Contract (PBSC) experience, including a discussion on the Procurement Initiation Notice (PIN) package.
• A case study on the Omaha Lead site to illustrate the PBSC process, including a discussion of lessons learned.
• Guidance on evaluating a contractor’s performance, including review of invoices and completing questionnaires.
• Discussion of the revised policy for issuing Superfund Interagency Agreements for assigning Remedial Design or Remedial Action (RD/RA) work to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or other Federal agency:
• Requiring documentation of decisions to use the USACE for RD/RA work.
• Implementing the use of cost estimates of USACE staff providing support for the Superfund program.
• Encouraging the use of term and conditions as part of Interagency Agreements (IAG) to spell out USACE requirements when providing EPA support.
• Discussion of modifications in Office of Acquisition Management’s COR policy and their effects on the current training program.  Specifically, to emphasize the importance of maintaining the 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLP) every two years, providing guidance on the CLP requirements, updating basic training required to become a COR, and providing a resource list for basic and continuous contracts training.

This course will count for 3.5 hours credit to the 40-hour COR training requirements.  The instructors will also provide opportunity for questions and answers.

Monitored Natural Attenuation for Inorganics, a four-hour training course, uses lectures and case studies to present an overview of site characterization approaches to support evaluation of the potential for monitored natural attenuation (MNA) as a remedy for inorganic contaminants in ground water.  The course will discuss the following technical issues:

• Identifying attenuation processes that can lead to attenuation of inorganic contaminants in groundwater.
• Determining the type of field and laboratory data needed to support site evaluation.
• Understanding the role of models to support site characterization.
• Examining the tiered process for structuring the site characterization effort.
• Looking at case studies where MNA was evaluated as part of the remedy selection process.

The instructional method for this course includes lectures and case studies.  The target audience for this course is RPMs interested in MNA for inorganics.

The Rapid Assessment Tools, a four-hour training course, incorporates lecture, case studies, and a hands-on, in-field practicum to enable project managers and others who plan, direct, or implement in-field sampling to better understand and utilize rapid assessment tools (RAT).  RAT was developed to improve site assessment by providing real-time continuous data collection and to provide in-field spatial data analysis and two-dimensional visualization. The tools combine integrated data retrieval, global positioning system (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), mapping, and analysis through an elementary but powerful and robust interface that requires no post-processing of GPS and GIS data.  RAT includes modules for spatial data retrieval, data collection and storage, sample designs, data contouring, real-time data visualization, and non-GPS trend monitoring. All data produced from the system can be exported and used in most other GIS mapping applications and database packages for more complex modeling. In addition, all screen outputs can be printed or saved to a standard output file type. This system is unique because it has been developed in-house by EPA, is stand-alone, and requires no software licensing or purchasing. RAT also allows for mapping and recording continuous streams of external data merged with GPS locations. The data streams are processed internally and saved directly to a database-compatible format; additionally, they can be used in many other modeling applications.

Training course participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Understand how RAT aids in real-time data collection.
• Learn the basics of how RAT has been used at various Superfund remedial, removal, and emergency response sites.
• Gain hands-on experience using RAT with GPS for:
  1. Sample design generation and navigation
  2. Single-point and multiple-point data collection
  3. Real-time field sampling with integration equipment, including Niton and InnovX X-ray fluorescence devices (XRF), Ludlum radiation monitors, and a variety of air monitors (Datarams, Multi-RAEs, and Multi-warns)
  4. Data collection with manual data entry for devices without a digital output.
  5. Data contouring
  6. Data delivery by FTP and data export to GIS packages (e.g., ArcGIS, Google Earth, ArcExplorer).

The target audience for this course is project managers and others who plan, direct, or implement in-field sampling using real-time data collection.

Working Redevelopment and Reuse into the Superfund Process is a 4-hour course that will show how RPMs can best incorporate redevelopment and reuse into the Superfund process. Learn how to work efficiently with communities, States, potentially responsible parties (PRP) and other stakeholders to promote the redevelopment and reuse of Superfund sites.  The course examines:

• How it started and what the current thinking is
• How reuse fits into each step of the process
• Overcoming barriers to reuse

Participants will learn about various issues related to redevelopment and reuse through group discussions and exercises, such as consideration of reuse in designing a remedy, the reuse limitations a remedy may present, and benefits of redevelopment for PRPs.

Abstract is not available.

Abstract is not available.

Federal Facility Remediation Short Course is a full-day course focusing on current and evolving issues that RPMs may encounter while managing environmental cleanups at Federal facilities. The target audience for this course is RPMs with less than five years experience working with Federal facilities. Instructional methodology for this course includes lectures and case studies, taught by variety of experienced instructors.  Senior RPMs and attorneys will assist participants in the course to examine the following topics and issues:

• Federal Facility Agreements (FFA)—Review the legal, technical, and management framework under which the response action at the Federal facility is conducted.  Review roles and responsibilities, milestone tracking, and sample FFA language.
• Federal Facilities Project Management—A panel of experienced RPMs will discuss the project framework for cleanup at Federal facilities and experiences partnering and teaming with other Federal agency representatives.  The panel will include RPMs with experience at both Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) sites.
• Institutional Controls (IC)—Examine of the role of ICs in remedies under CERCLA and RCRA; explain planning and analysis for ICs during the remedial investigation (RI) or RCRA facility investigation (RFI) and remedy selection process; and provide guidelines on IC implementation.
• Post-ROD Changes—Discuss changes that can occur at Federal facilities after the record of decision (ROD), define types of changes to the ROD, and examine how to address changes under CERCLA and RCRA.
• Five-Year Reviews—Outline the elements of a five-year review, examine the purpose and requirements, define roles and responsibilities for five-year reviews of federal facilities, and explain the procedures for assessing the protectiveness of the remedy.
• Federal Property. Introduce the Federal property screening and transfer process, identify statutory and regulatory authorities and policy statements that affect transfers of Federal property, define roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and compare types of Federal property transfers.

Green Remediation: Opening the Door to Field Use is a full-day training course on green remediation (GR), 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.  Some practices are quite "mature," such as construction site best management practices including stormwater runoff management and construction and demolition (C&D) debris recycling, while others are still emerging, including the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to power remedial systems.  The training will introduce you to the key technical, policy, and application aspects of GR.  After an introduction to GR and a review of GR tools available to you, you will learn about current best practices through case studies from RPMs and others, and an exercise to apply lessons learned.  The case study will address some of the challenges you might encounter while practicing GR.  We will close with a discussion of where GR should go next and what additional tools can help you increase the environmental benefit of your cleanups.

Leadership is an Inside Job, a full-day training course, provides both new and experienced RPMs with a chance to take stock of themselves as leaders and participate in skill-building exercises to strengthen their leadership skills.

Superfund projects involve many individuals from groups in and outside of the Agency. The challenge and burden of leading these diverse parties through the Superfund process ultimately falls on the RPM.

This one-day course focuses on three topics:

• Self-deception:  our perception of events as someone else’s fault and actions we can take to get ourselves out of this box.
• Deep listening:  Are we aware of what others are saying? Do we check for understanding? Or do we focus mostly on what we want to say next?
• Constructive speech: learning to express what we see happening, our feelings about what’s happening, our needs in the situation, and what we would like to see happen next, especially when leading small group meetings that include people we experience as difficult.

With daunting environmental concerns and shrinking financial resources to address them, overcoming self-deception, applying deep listening skills, and practicing constructive speech are essential to leadership.  This class is aimed at helping RPMs strengthen their leadership skills to meet 21st century challenges that impact their projects and EPA as a whole.

In-Situ Bioremediation and Monitored Natural Attenuation for Organic Contaminants, a full-day training course, focuses on technical issues that RPMs address during cleanups under CERCLA.  After taking the course, participants will be able to:

In-Situ Bioremediation

• Identify the chlorinated solvents that are amenable to in-situ bioremediation or monitored natural attenuation (MNA)
• Distinguish sites where in-situ bioremediation has a reasonable chance of success from sites where in-situ bioremediation will be difficult and disappointing
• Identify the design considerations and design tradeoffs for in-situ bioremediation using soluble substrates and in-soluble substrates
• Recognize appropriate and attainable goals for in-situ bioremediation
• Interpret site-specific data necessary for site characterization prior to in-situ bioremediation, with a focus on contaminant distribution and hydrogeological characteristics
• Interpret necessary site-specific data for appropriate process monitoring during in-situ bioremediation, with a focus on daughter product distribution, biogeochemical parameters, and molecular tools for characterizing active microorganisms

Monitored Natural Attenuation

• Distinguish sites where MNA has a reasonable chance of success from sites where MNA will be disappointing
• Estimate the rate of natural attenuation in concentration over time from long-term monitoring data.
• Determine the uncertainty associated with the estimate of the rate of attenuation
• Analyze data from a five year review cycle to determine whether a site is on schedule to meet a concentration-based cleanup goal within a predetermined time frame
• Design the best monitoring schedules to learn the rate of natural monitored attenuation at a site
• Use spreadsheets to easily and quickly evaluate long-term monitoring data to determine whether a site is on schedule to meet a cleanup goal

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and group exercises.  The target audience for this course is RPMs who review plans and reports for in-situ bioremediation and MNA and find the information presented to them to be cryptic, confusing, and incomplete.  This course will help RPMs gain a more complete understanding of the performance of in-situ bioremediation or MNA at their sites.  You do not have to be a subject matter expert to benefit from this course.

Risk Communication is a full-day intermediate-level course designed for RPMs.  The course provides a framework and basic principles for effectively communicating risk with local residents and other stakeholders during remedial site activities.  One of the most difficult tasks an RPM undertakes is to clearly communicate risks associated with activities at the site.  An RPM's audience for risk communication varies from concerned citizens and elected officials to the news media and business entities, and the type of risk to be communicated varies across the wide spectrum of site remediation.

Through a combination of slide presentation, videotapes, and class exercises, participants learn the principles and rationale behind risk communication techniques and their importance.  Participants also have the opportunity to examine the critical role of key messages and, through interactive examples, learn how to develop key messages for use in a variety of situations.  The course also includes scenario exercises and role-playing during which RPMs spend time applying the principles of risk communication to specific situations.  Scenarios were developed specifically for this course and are based on information from actual projects that involved situations RPMs encounter regularly.

By taking the course, participants will:

• Learn how to effectively prepare for interactions with the public and the media and avoid miscommunications and pitfalls.
• Explore the principles and rationale behind risk communication techniques and gain a better understanding of their importance.
• Examine the critical role of key messages and, through interactive examples, learn how to develop key messages for use in situations that involve communication with the public or media.

Abstract is not available.

Abstract is not available.

Abstract is not available.

Optimizing Five-Year Reviews is a 1.5 hour panel discussion that focuses on planning and reviewing technical issues that are critical to the success of a five-year review.  By attending the panel discussion, participants will learn:

• How to use the planning and coordination template for timely production of five-year reviews.
• Techniques to resolve technical site issues especially at older sites.
• How to avoid state and local government issues.
• Methods for tracking recommendations in Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS).
• Ways to address stakeholder concerns, especially from the public.
• What EPA Headquarters (HQ) looks for in a five-year review report and the review process they follow.

Panel members will share their expertise in planning, addressing technical issues, and tracking five-year reviews, followed by questions and answers.  The target audience for this panel is all RPMs.

Passing the Baton:  Better Document Management During Site Transitions, a 1.5 hour panel session, is designed to highlight some of the major issues that confront RPMs during site transitions, especially with respect to (1) records management (hard-copy, working files, administrative records, site files, archived records, etc.), (2) electronic records, including CDs, hard drives, databases (CERCLIS, etc.), (3) Web sites (internal/external) and (4) e-mail records.  The panelists will provide suggestions on how to improve the site transition process so as to avoid the loss of institutional knowledge, especially for complex Superfund sites.  Panelists will also solicit suggestions for improving the site transition process from the participants.

The old notion that an RPM can simply hand over several cardboard boxes of files to a new RPM and be done with the transfer of the relevant data and records is quite outdated.  However, we at EPA are certainly familiar with that situation.  EPA needs a system, even if it is a simple, informal guidance document, to ensure better site transitions and preservation of complete site records.

The NARPM organization has identified this panel as a multi-year panel, and we are interested in having a continual dialogue regarding records management for both program and legal staff throughout the year.  We welcome your input and commitment to improving everyone’s awareness of the importance of better records management.

Permeable Reactive Zones is a 1.5 hour panel session focusing on the current status of Permeable Reactive Zones (PRZ), sometimes referred to as permeable reactive barriers.

The speakers represent a cross section of experts from regulatory agencies, research groups, and consultants.  The session is designed to provide participants with an overview of the current state and future direction of this technology along with some select case studies.

Participants will learn about:

• new innovative applications of non-ferrous media in PRZ design.
• the effectiveness of PRZs at select sites in California from the State’s point of view.

Developments in Remedial Design is a 1.5 hour information session intended for RPMs.  Through the years, many pressures and developments have resulted in an evolution in thinking and approach to designs for hazardous waste cleanups.  This session will look at case studies that demonstrate project management considerations that must be addressed when planning a design strategy, and design techniques that RPMs can employ to improve project delivery.  Topics will include contracting strategy, confirmatory sampling approaches, risk management, and use of performance specifications.

Response Support Corps—RPMs in Response is a 1.5 hour information session focusing on the current status of EPA’s cadre of Response Support Corps (RSC), trends in membership and training, and the participation of RPMs in national-level exercises during the past year.  A panel discussion will include the national RSC program manager, a Regional RSC coordinator, and RPM RSC members who participated in TOPOFF 4 and Spills of National Significance (SONS) exercises.  Additionally, a trained Incident Commander will discuss the strengths that RPMs bring to responses and to the RSC.

Topics covered will include:

• RPMs:  are you being fully utilized during major incidents?
• When the siren sounds, who is showing up?
• Lessons learned from a RPM perspective during TOPOFF 4 and SONS.
• View from the top:  Incident Commander’s perspective.
• National and Regional exercises involving RSC for FY 2008-2009.
• Incident Command System training for FY 2008 and beyond.

Multi-Increment Sampling/Decision Unit Sampling is a 3.5 hour training course targeted for RPMs.  Multi-Increment Sampling (MIS) and analysis procedures have recently been utilized that integrate high density field sample collection procedures with laboratory subsampling procedures to address the greatest source of uncertainty in the sampling and analysis process, which is field sampling design.

MIS procedures were originally used primarily for military explosive compounds in soil due to the substantial heterogeneity of explosives in training range soils.  Application of MIS procedures improved both sample representativeness and reproducibility for these contaminants, and MIS field sampling design and laboratory subsampling procedures have been incorporated into EPA SW-846 Method 8330B, Appendix A.  Additional research has also been conducted on other classes of contaminants, including propellants, perchlorate, metals, and some additional non-volatile organic compounds in soils.

This session will focus on: 1) an overview of the concepts and principals of MIS sampling procedures, and 2) case studies on the application of MIS procedures to explosives, propellants, perchlorate and metals in soil.  Results will be presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of sample representativeness and reproducibility of MIS sampling procedures in field application.  In addition, research on the potential application of MIS to volatile organic compounds (VOC) in vadoze zone soils will be presented.

Well Performance Problems Due to Biofouling is a four-hour course for RPMs and site managers that will stress the need for a preventive maintenance monitoring program for contaminated groundwater sites.  Preventative maintenance is necessary in order to identify incipient problems in well performance generally and to minimize adverse cost and regulatory consequences.  The movement of groundwater and transport of contamination is not just a function of hydraulics and geology.  Within the subsurface, a variety of ecological environments are found; the ecology at a contaminated groundwater site can either facilitate natural attenuation of contaminants or inhibit remedial progress of engineering actions.

Biofouling problems can pose a significant challenge to successful operation of extraction, injection, and monitoring well systems.  At some sites it has caused the abandonment of the selected remedy.  Because it contributes to declining well performance, practitioners should have some understanding of preventive maintenance monitoring, problem diagnosis, well rehabilitation and long term management issues related to biofouling.

The training course will examine causes of biofouling; discuss procedures to diagnose and rehabilitate impacted wells; and recommend ways to prevent or to manage the problem long term.  A key element of this training will be an interactive session, during which the participants are encouraged to describe biofouling problems at their sites and ask questions of the instructors.

Abstract is not available.

Institutional Controls:  Current Issues is a 1 hour, 45 minute panel discussion led by NARPM members who serve on the Institutional Controls (IC) Workgroup, along with national experts from around the country.  ICs are non-engineered components of a remedy.  Examples of ICs include deed restrictions, local city ordinances, restrictions on ground water use, base-use plans, and fishing bans.  The use of ICs is often a key component of Superfund remedies.  If a site is not cleaned up to unrestricted use levels, an IC is required to ensure that restricted uses do not occur.  The national IC Workgroup meets monthly to track IC-related issues, share information, and identify solutions to the often vexing IC issues faced by Superfund site managers.  During the discussion, panel members will share their experiences with Superfund RPMs who may be facing similar issues.  Participants are invited to come to the panel session, present their IC issues, and receive some expert advice and valuable feedback.

OSC/RPM Interactions Synergy, a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session, explores the dynamics of interactions between On-Scene Coordinators (OSC) and RPMs in addressing complex situations at Superfund sites.  Superfund sites require a mix of strategies from a variety of trained EPA staff, and a key interaction on sites that require both removal and remedial actions is between the OSC and RPM.

Learn more about the Emergency Response Program, the tools used by OSCs, and how RPMs can maximize opportunities to get the job done right!

This panel explores the interaction between OSCs and RPMs through brief presentations and discussions of site experiences by a panel of both OSCs and RPMs.  Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and share their experiences for all to learn.

Working Together: Aligning Communities, Academia, and EPA is a 1 hour, 45 minute panel discussion oriented toward RPMs.  The panel will focus on how different Superfund Basic Research Programs (SBRP) are practicing Community-Based Participatory Research.  Concepts include implementation of equal representation of all partners, recognition of each partner’s strength, and the need to effectively translate findings of basic, interventional, and applied research to communities.  The instructional methodology is as follows:

• To begin the session, four university SBRPs will each present a case study demonstrating successful interaction with diverse stakeholders in their region. Session participants will learn SBRP tools to engage and increase cooperation with stakeholders near Superfund sites (45 minutes).
• The second part of the session will be an interactive activity to solicit feedback from RPMs regarding their challenges with communities and universities (30 minutes).
• Lastly, SBRPs will facilitate an interactive discussion about specific challenges presented by the NARPM participants (30 minutes).

Integrating Water and Waste Programs to Restore Watersheds is a 1 hour, 45 minute information session that will introduce Integrating Water and Waste Programs to Restore Watersheds; A Guide for Federal and State Project Managers, a manual developed by the Office of Water and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. The purpose of this manual is to help EPA better integrate assessment and cleanup activities across its programs when addressing the unique challenges presented by contaminated watersheds.  This manual will help staff make the best use of the resources and authorities offered by EPA’s existing waste and 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 attendees about the existing resources and tools available from other programs
• Encourage program managers to approach hazardous waste problems at a watershed scale

Virtual Connection: Tools and Strategies for EPA Employees, is a 1 hour, 45 minute information session, designed for beginner to intermediate users of online collaboration tools.

EPA employees are increasingly challenged to work collaboratively with teams whose members may be physically located across the country.  These teams have a continual need to exchange and share information quickly on a limited budget.  With emerging technology, EPA is better equipped with instruments and methods to overcome the problems presented by greater distance, little time, and limited funds.  These electronic tools are collectively referred to by many names: "teamware," "groupware," and "distance collaboration tools" are just a few.  As the latter name suggests, they are designed to help groups work together virtually from multiple locations as if members were in the same physical space.  Examples of such distance collaboration tools include packages to host internet meetings (also known as Web conferences or "webinars") and Web-based file storage used in conjunction with Web sites or online work areas focused specifically around a defined team or project.  Often, EPA employees do not realize that these tools are available for use now at no cost, and in most cases, can be used to collaborate with groups both internal and external to EPA.

The Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) will describe several collaboration tools and services available to EPA employees including: Oracle Web Conferencing, Sametime, Sametime Connect, AIM, Oracle Messenger, Environmental Science Connector, Collaborative Workspaces and QuickPlace.  Attendees will receive a basic introduction to these services to understand their general functions, as well as learn how to access these tools.

Abstract is not available.

Best Practices for Post-ROD Community Involvement, a 1.5 hour panel session, explores proven techniques and best practices that can be used to conduct post-ROD community activities.  Historically, post-ROD community activities have been amorphous: formless and without shape.  In short, these activities have been largely undefined, vague, and unstructured.  This workshop intends to define the steps and tactics for post-ROD community activities that are most beneficial for the community and the Agency.

Current practices focus on major changes such as rare ROD amendments or explanation of significant differences (ESD).  In addition to addressing these mandated activities, this workshop will explore other post-ROD opportunities that will help the site team maximize positive community involvement and press coverage at other more routine times:  Remedial Design, Remedial Action, construction completion, re-use of the site, five-year reviews, and even de-listing.

Remedy Rescue is a 1.5 hour panel discussion where participants will learn about RPM experiences with and approaches to responding to remedies that cannot or will not meet remedial action objectives (RAO) specified in the Records of Decision (ROD).  The panel discussion will include information about:

• Establishing realistic RAOs
• Presenting completely defined conceptual site models
• Learning the importance of effective operations and maintenance (O&M)
• Determining when "enough is enough" with the remedy and when Technical Impracticability waivers are appropriate.

Case studies will be presented to illustrate technical and policy management issues for situations where remedies require redesign and re-evaluation.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."—Thomas Alva Edison

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”—Thomas Alva. Edison

The Environmental Response Team Capabilities for RPMs will be a 1.5 hour information session for RPMs on the personnel, tools, and technologies that the Environmental Response Team (ERT) currently uses at remedial Superfund sites to support the investigation and clean up of those sites.  By attending this session, the participants will learn about the following ERT technical capabilities:

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

The session will also provide information on how one can contact ERT to receive technical support for sites, as well as how ERT actually works with the RPMs to complete assessments of those sites.

The instructional method will include both lecture and presentation of current case studies where ERT personnel are working directly with RPMs on various site investigation activities.  The target audience is all RPMs.

Advanced UXO—Wide Area Assessment, a 3.5-hour training course, focuses on the tools, case studies, and current experiences of RPMs dealing with unexploded ordnance (UXO) at military munitions sites.  Investigation of military munitions contamination and response actions at current National Priorities List (NPL) and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) federal facilities and Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) remains a large outstanding issue for the Department of Defense (DoD).  Over 3,000 sites, comprising tens of millions of acres, may contain military munitions, including UXO and discarded military munitions (DMM).  The majority of these are FUDS sites, which are no longer under DoD control, and include a variety of land uses, including residential development, recreation, grazing, and parklands, often without land use restrictions.  A typical site may be hundreds or thousands of acres and many exceed 10,000 acres.  Although large in size, often times only a small portion of the current or formerly used facility or range may have actual UXO/DMM contamination.

The objective of the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) wide area assessment (WAA) program has been to develop site characterization tools to assess an entire potentially contaminated site to identify areas of concentrated munitions use for more detailed characterization.  Based on historical records, a conceptual site model (CSM) is developed to serve as a baseline for application of multiple site assessment tools.  WAA assessment tools include high airborne, low airborne, ground, and underwater survey methods designed to provide multiple data layers and multiple lines of evidence regarding the presence or absence of military munitions or munitions-related features at a site.  WAA tools can provide information needed to support decisions at various stages of the CERCLA process, particularly at the site inspection (SI) and remedial investigation (RI) phases.

This session will include the following topics: (1) the development and demonstration of WAA tools such as LIDAR, high resolution orthophotography, and helicopter and underwater magnetometer geophysical systems, (2) case studies on the use of WAA tools at several sites currently under investigation, and (3) a panel of EPA and state RPMs to discuss considerations on the capabilities and limitations of WAA tools for potential use on a broader universe of military munitions sites.

Negotiations:  You Can Do It, We Can Help is a 3.5-hour training course for RPMs covering basic negotiation styles through a series of practical exercises.  Just as each of our sites are unique, so too are our negotiations.  With the increased complexity of issues, policies, and stake-holders on our sites, we have all witnessed or experienced the frustration and “deal fatigue” associated with a seemingly endless negotiation.  This course will focus on basic principles of negotiation and strategies for preparing for and conducting successful negotiations that will not span your government career.  We will also discuss basic negotiation styles and how individual attitudes and emotional responses impact the negotiation process through a series of practical, reality-based exercises.

Abstract is not available.

The Vapor Intrusion Panel, a 1 hour, 45 minute panel session, will address a number of issues confronting RPMs who must evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion at ground water sites contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOC).

The panel will address and highlight with lessons-learned the following phases of the process:

• Preliminary Investigation:  Where does the work start and who performs it?  How is work funded?
• Data Gathering:  What tools are used to secure adequate and sufficient data?  How does one make decisions on next steps?
• Risk Evaluation:  What are the contaminants of concern and their associated risk values, both in the subslab and in indoor air?  What risk levels prompt remediation?
• Remediation:  What types of remedial approaches should be considered?  What is a subslab remediation system?  How are these systems installed in a residence? in a commercial building?  What potential field issues can arise during installation?
• Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the Subslab System:  When does one perform confirmatory sampling after installation?  How long does one continue to monitor the system?  How and when are sites turned over to the state for O&M?

The panel will conclude with a round-table discussion to address the participants’ questions and issues.

The NARPM organization has identified this panel as a multi-year panel in order to continue its function throughout the work year, almost as a workgroup.  The panel will be a reliable source of information for RPMs, and will develop recommendations, initiate next steps, provide fact sheets, and provide a framework to focus on vapor intrusion issues.

Technical Assistance Services for Communities and the Superfund Job Training Initiative, a 1 hour, 45 minute information session for RPMs, will provide participants with a greater understanding of technical assistance services for communities (TASC) and the Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) and the benefits to the community, cleanup contractor, and the Agency.  Topics will include identifying communities who can benefit from job training, building a relationship with a local non-profit organization, and obtaining sustainable employment for community residents.  The goal of this session is to solicit assistance from RPMs in identifying two communities where residents are interested in obtaining job training and sustainable employment.

TASC is a new 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 gain a better understanding of hazardous waste issues, so they can participate in the hazardous waste cleanup process more effectively.  TASC can also be used to provide training through the SuperJTI and for technical assistance under a Technical Assistance Plan (TAP).  TASC will provide technical assistance through a national contract managed by 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-related 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 activities.  The SuperJTI program combines extensive classroom instruction in hazardous environmental cleanup, health and safety, and job preparedness training, along with hands-on work experience.  The local residents who are trained will have valuable new skills that they will immediately put to use at a Superfund cleanup project.

Abstract is not available.

Tour of Portland Harbor

Friday, July 11, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Maximum number of participants:  57
Minimum number of participants:  30

After a short presentation at the Doubletree, participants will be transported to a dock at Portland Harbor and participate in a 2-hour tour of Portland's industrial shoreline by boat.  Mr. Eric Blishke, EPA RPM, will present information about studies and cleanup actions.  The boat tour will end by approximately 12:30 p.m. and participants will return to the hotel by approximately 1:00 p.m.

Tour of the Portland Wellfield
Cascade Corporation Ground Water Cleanup Site

Friday, July 11, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Maximum number of participants:  80
Minimum number of participants:  20

After a short presentation at the Doubletree, participants will participate in a tour of the Portland Wellfield.  The first stop will be an overlook to provide a geologic context of the area and will be hosted by a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) representative.  This view shows extant landforms that hint at the magnitude of these ancient flood events and the flood's path in the present day Columbia River channel.

Participants then will arrive at the Cascade Corporation site, source of a volatile organic compound (VOC) plume affecting Portland's water supply aquifer.  A presentation will be provided on the site history, study, and ongoing ground water cleanup.  The pump and treat remedy has been supplemented by biowalls, and it appears that the site will meet cleanup objectives much sooner than originally anticipated.

After the tour, participants will be taken by bus to a wellhead in the city of Portland wellfield.  Participants will see how phytoremediation (poplars) is being used effectively.

The bus will return participants to the hotel by approximately 1:00 p.m.  Minimal walking is required for this field trip.