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.