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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).