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Applications of Advanced Geophysical Techniques for Superfund and RCRA Site Investigations
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm |
| Instructors: |
Robert Alvey, EPA Region 2 |
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Frederick Stumm, U.S. Geological Survey |
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John Williams, U.S. Geological Survey |
Applications of Advanced Geophysical Techniques for Superfund and RCRA Site Investigations: The advancement in technologies and analytical software during the last few years has led to development of new tools and applications in geophysical techniques for site investigations. Both surface and down-hole geophysics instrumentation can be applied to characterize the hydrogeology of sites faster and in greater detail to support the decision-making processes needed by RPMs and site hydrogeologists for unconsolidated as well as fractured bedrock environments.
During this half-day training course, USGS experts in geophysics will provide information and case studies on recent applications of down-hole and surface geophysical logging and analysis. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) geophysics specialist also will discuss how geophysics can be a cost-effective and integral part of EPA’s site investigations.
The target audience for this training course is RPMs and technical support staff.
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Be Prepared: Advanced Spokesperson and Media Training
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm |
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Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. |
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Dominic Frederico, Turner Strategies, Inc. |
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Anne Kelly, EPA Region 2 |
Be Prepared: Advanced Spokesperson and Media Training is an 8-hour course for EPA RPMs. “What you say” and “how you say it” are the critical components in ensuring that accurate information about your Superfund site is presented to the news media, community groups, the concerned public, and other organizations. This course is designed to give participants the confidence they need to explain their work and speak about tough issues.
Participants learn the following:
- How news media operate
- How to prepare for interviews or public speaking engagements
- How to craft organizational or technical messages
- How to deliver those messages effectively — even during a crisis
This highly interactive course also features the following:
- Customized scenarios relevant to each participant’s program interests or projects
- One-on-one videotaped sessions with professional interviewers
- A group training exercise
- Case studies that demonstrate how to succeed during interviews
Each participant receives a spokesperson and media training manual at the conclusion of the course. The course is limited to 12 participants who must commit to attend the workshop at the 2009 NARPM Training Conference. EPA RPMs receive priority during the registration process.
Please note: Participants are required to forward information about their jobs, interests, and projects to the instructor at least 3 weeks before of the workshop presentation. An e-mail reminder will be sent to each participant before the date of the training to explain and obtain all pre-training information.
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DNAPL Source Zone Treatment
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Matthew Charsky, EPA HQ |
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Jim Cummings, EPA HQ |
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Kathy Davies, EPA Region 3 |
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Eva Davis, EPA HQ |
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Ron Falta, Clemson University |
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Jeff Field, EPA Region 7 |
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Brian Looney, U.S. Department of Energy |
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Kira Lynch, EPA Region 10 |
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Charles Newell, Groundwater Services, Inc. |
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Kurt Pennell, Tufts University |
DNAPL Source Zone Treatment: What have we learned from sites that have implemented active dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) treatment remedies? This 8-hour training course focuses on technical and project management issues that RPMs will need to address when they oversee active remediation of DNAPL source areas. The course will cover policy and remedy implementation issues, including:
- Options for developing DNAPL source zone remedial action objectives
- Developing holistic plume management strategies that consider source zone hot spots, residual phase “warm” spots, and dissolved-phase plumes
- Appropriate roles for monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and technical impracticability (TI) waivers
- Overcoming hurdles to the mindset that we cannot actively treat DNAPL source zones
- Approaches for addressing residual uncertainties on technology performance
- Options for evaluating treatment technology performance
- DNAPL source strength reduction – what we have been able to achieve
- Developing and overseeing remedial action contracts for active DNAPL treatment
- Using RemChlor to assist with DNAPL remedial action decisions
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 and feasibility study (RI/FS) or remedial action (RA) implementation stage or who are considering active DNAPL source zone treatment for a post-construction completion (PCC) site.
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Georgia Institute of Technology Projects Presentation
| Date and Time: |
Friday, June 5, 8:30 am to 11:30 am |
| Instructors: |
Natalie Capiro, Georgia Institute of Technology |
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Kelly Fletcher, Georgia Institute of Technology |
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Emmie Granbery, Georgia Institute of Technology |
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Kurt Pennell, Tufts University |
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Kirsti Ritalahti, Georgia Institute of Technology |
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Sara Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology |
Representatives of the Georgia Institute of Technology will give presentations on four exciting projects being conducted at the school. Presentations include the following:
Characterizing DNAPL Source Zone Architecture and Associated Plume Response
Widespread use of chlorinated ethenes in dry cleaning and degreasing operations has led to groundwater contamination at thousands of industrial facilities and governmental installations, which has important implications for human health. Research has shown that in situ remediation technologies are unlikely to remove 100 percent of the chlorinated ethene dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) mass from a contaminated subsurface environment, therefore it is important to understand the effects of partial DNAPL source zone mass removal on contaminant concentrations in down-gradient groundwater plumes. A series of 2-D aquifer cell experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of source zone architecture in a mixed DNAPL system (specifically 1:1 [molar ratio] of trichloroethene [TCE] and tetrachloroethene [PCE]) on down-gradient plume concentrations as a function of source depletion. Results from these studies indicated that TCE was preferentially depleted during aqueous phase dissolution from the mixed DNAPL source zone while PCE was preferentially depleted during source zone flooding with a 4% surfactant solution (Tween 80, a nonionic, food-grade surfactant). The experimental data obtained from these studies will be used to evaluate the inter-relationships between the initial source zone architecture, mass removal, reductions in mass flux and plume evolution in subsurface systems.
Combined Remedies and Bioenhanced Dissolution for DNAPL Source Zone Bioremediation
Despite documented successes of chlorinated solvent source zone mass reduction, none of the currently employed technologies (such as surfactant flushing, air sparging, co-solvent flushing, chemical oxidation, and thermal treatment) are expected to remove all dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contamination, even under favorable conditions. This residual contamination may lead to continued and persistent contaminant elution that poses risks to human health and the environment. In an effort to improve in situ treatment of DNAPL source zones, our research evaluates the potential to combine physical-chemical and biological technologies in order to overcome the shortcomings associated with each standalone treatment. Several approaches have been investigated, including: enhanced solubilization flushing using a food-grade, biodegradable surfactant (Tween 80) followed by microbial reductive dechlorination (bioaugmentation) to achieve detoxification of residual DNAPL, and bioaugmentation down gradient from active thermal treatment of a low permeability contaminated chlorinated ethene source zone. The combination of such technologies has the potential to biologically enhancing dissolution 1.3 to 14 times (over abiotic dissolution alone), which ultimately can lead to decreased cleanup times and costs.
Molecular Tools for Microbial Reductive Dechlorination Assessment
Chloroethene contamination in groundwater poses a very real threat to drinking water. Many anaerobic bacteria reduce tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to cis-dichloroethene, which is also toxic. Dehalococcoides (Dhc) are strict anaerobic bacteria that completely detoxify chloroethenes to environmentally benign ethene. Dhc possess reductive dehalogenase (RDase) genes implicated in dechlorination, and these genes also are useful targets for nucleic acid-based molecular tools to evaluate in situ bioremediation. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) approaches provide reliable measures of Dhc abundance in groundwater samples. Analysis of Dhc abundance at chloroethene-contaminated sites provides RPMs with relevant information to guide decision-making and monitor the progress of bioremediation.
Radionuclide Immobilization
Radionuclides, in particular hexavalent uranium, U(VI), are commonly found in soils, sediments, and groundwater at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites. U(VI) is soluble in water and spread in aquifers with the flow of groundwater. Several bacteria reduce U(VI) to U(IV), which occurs as the insoluble mineral uraninite, UO2. Hence, the activity of U(VI)-reducing bacteria results in uranium immobilization as uraninite and plume containment. This bioremediation strategy is being explored at the pilot-scale at the Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge (IFC) site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
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Green Remediation: What's Next
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Harold Ball, EPA Region 9 |
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Shiann-Jang Chern, EPA Region 9 |
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Gregory Fife, EPA Region 6 |
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Michael Gill, EPA HQ |
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Ginny Lombardo, EPA Region 1 |
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Penelope McDaniel, EPA HQ |
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Matthew Monsees, EPA Region 4 |
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Carlos Pachon, EPA HQ |
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William Rothenmeyer, EPA Region 8 |
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Julie Santiago-Ocasio, EPA Region 4 |
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Karen Scheuermann, EPA Region 9 |
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Donna Seadler Webster, EPA Region 4 |
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Clint Sperry, EPA Region 7 |
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Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 |
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Suzanne Wells, EPA HQ |
Green Remediation: What's Next? This 8-hour training course on green remediation (GR) follows up on last year's successful session at NARPM in Portland. The session will concentrate on case studies and tools for use by RPMs. GR is the practice of considering the environmental effects of a remediation strategy (the remedy selected and the implementation approach) early in the process and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of the cleanup action. GR can also be considered after a remedy has been implemented — for example, as the result of a five-year review. And as you'll find out, many GR activities are really just best management practices with a twist toward sustainability.
The following are among the topics to be included in the agenda:
- Your role as an RPM is greening cleanups
- Evaluating the environmental footprint of remedies (carbon footprint, air quality, and water resources)
- Successful projects: it can be done
- Panel discussion - ask the questions we didn’t answer and share your thoughts
The training also will provide updates on GR policy and guidance and an overview of the RPM contracting toolkit with GR provisions. A practical group exercise and panel discussion will help participants consider and effectively implement GR to increase the environmental benefit of Superfund cleanups. The target audience for this training course is all RPMs.
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How to Make Public Participation Work for You
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructor: |
Doug Sarno, The Perspectives Group |
How to Make Public Participation Work for You: This 8-hour training course will provide an in-depth look at how to use public participation to improve site planning and key decision-making. The course will examine public participation through a technical prism by engaging RPMs in a dialogue on the public participation principles that work and the key communication skills that are necessary to make them work.
The course will cover the basic elements of public participation in a way that will assure they are applied in ongoing and future projects. Interactive exercises and practical tips are used to enliven the basic theory and to reinforce skills that participants can put to immediate use. Relevant reference materials are presented throughout the day, along with stories and examples from Superfund sites. Participants are encouraged to add their insights and experiences and apply their current challenges to the discussion. In addition, participants will learn the elements needed to design a successful public participation program. They will also gain an understanding of the essentials of effective communication with the public.
At the conclusion of the course, participants will have learned:
- The necessary elements for a successful public participation program
- The role of the RPM in assuring those elements are put into place
- An understanding of the communication skills needed to support effective public participation
- An understanding of two-way communication models and how to share information and to elicit feedback
- An overview of public participation communication skills and techniques, including active listening and empathy, communicating technical information to a non-technical audience, managing hostile audiences, risk communication, cross-cultural communications, and media relations
- How to use appropriate communication skills, behaviors, and tools to support effective public participation
Mr. Doug Sarno, course instructor, is a civil engineer with more than 25 years experience in Superfund and environmental cleanup. He has devoted much of his career to improving environmental decision-making and effectively engaging diverse groups of stakeholders in complex and controversial decisions. The target audience for this course is all RPMs.
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Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) Refresher Workshop
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm |
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Thursday, June 4, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Katherine Garufi, EPA HQ |
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Mark Heare, EPA HQ |
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Diane Kelley, EPA Region 1 |
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Barbara McDonough, EPA HQ |
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Robert Stewart, EPA Region 4 |
Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) Refresher Workshop is a half-day hands-on training course designed for RPMs as a refresher on the requirements of, tools and resources available for, and the art of preparing IGCEs. This critical part of the work ordering package will be the centerpiece of this course.
The workshop will provide the following:
- A quick review of guidance and policies on development of an IGCE
- An outline of the process to be followed in preparing the cost estimate and documenting the basis for the estimate
- A discussion of how the IGCE fits into negotiating and accepting a contractor’s work plan
After the brief lecture, the class will rotate among several stations, each involving a different type of project. Participants will select from a variety of tasks and actually prepare a cost estimate. Stations will include the following:
- Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study task
- Remedial Design
- Remedial Action (level of effort and task order fixed rate)
- Interagency Acquisition
After the exercise, the class will evaluate the cost estimates and discuss the process for comparing the IGCE with the contractor’s actual estimate.
The course is limited to 25 participants.
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In-Situ Bioremediation of Perchlorate in Groundwater
| Date and Time: |
Tuesday, June 2, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Erica Becvar, U.S. Air Force |
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Paul Hatzinger, Shaw Environmental Group, Inc. |
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Tom Krug, Geosyntec |
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Andrea Leeson, Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program |
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Hans Stroo, Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program |
In Situ Bioremediation of Perchlorate in Groundwater is a half-day training course that presents an analysis and synthesis of the past decade of research, development, and demonstrations of the in situ bioremediation of perchlorate in groundwater. The target audience includes the decision makers, practicing engineers, and hydrogeologists who will select, design, and operate these remedial systems, as well as researchers seeking to improve the current state of the art.
The course will include an overview of the current state of understanding of perchlorate remediation, including the basic principles of microbial and abiotic processes and the engineering and implementation issues underlying the technologies described. Various methods for implementing in situ bioremediation of perchlorate will then be described, with discussions of the advantages, performance, and relative costs of each of these technologies. Active, semi-passive, and passive in situ bioremediation approaches will be fully discussed and compared, with emphasis on field applications. Cost information for each technology will also be presented, using case studies and analyses of several template sites, and the key cost drivers will be identified. The costs will also be presented for pump-and-treat systems for each template site to illustrate the potential cost savings associated with the use of alternative approaches. Monitoring approaches will also be examined, including the use of stable isotopes to distinguish potential sources. Finally, emerging technologies such as monitored natural attenuation, phytoremediation, and vadose zone bioremediation will be briefly described.
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Interest Based Negotiation for Remedial Project Managers - You CAN Get What You NEED!
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Deborah Dalton, EPA HQ |
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Steve Garon, SRA International, Inc. |
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Catherine Garypie, EPA Region 5 |
Interest Based Negotiation for Remedial Project Managers — You CAN Get What You NEED, an 8-hour training course, is designed to give RPMs the skills to effectively deal with the many disputes that arise in managing remedial activities. By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:
- Learn the basics of Interest Based Negotiations as presented in the best-selling book, Getting to Yes (a copy will be provided to each participant)
- Learn how to discover what you and those you interact with need to successfully negotiate or collaborate and how to maximize your ability to reach an implementable solution
- Understand ways to decide who to involve in negotiations, what issues the group will be able to negotiate successfully, and when and how to retain a facilitator to assist with difficult discussions
- Practice important negotiation skills, such as active listening, questioning, and re-framing using case examples derived from more than 20 years of Superfund negotiations
- Learn about the spectrum of options for effectively conducting negotiations, including the fundamentals of Alternative Dispute Resolution
The Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center will draw on more than 20 years of case studies to illustrate the training. Sites such as Bunker Hill, McKin, Leadville, Hudson River, and numerous others will be used. The target audience for this course is both experienced and newer RPMs; experienced staff will have the opportunity to brush up on negotiation skills and see negotiations from a new vantage point, while newer professionals will get a solid foundation in negotiation practice and skills.
The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, interactive case studies, and group exercises.
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Introduction to Classification Methods for Military Munitions Response Projects
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm |
| Instructors: |
Tom Bell, SAIC, Inc. |
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Stephen Billings, Sky Research, Inc. |
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Dean Keiswetter, SAIC, Inc. |
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Herb Nelson, Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program |
Introduction to Classification Methods for Military Munitions Response Projects, a half-day training course, focuses on the sensors, methods, and status of classifying military munitions using geophysical methods. The course covers advanced processing of data collected with commercial instruments as well as the promising results from emerging optimized systems. By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:
- Learn the basic operating principles of the two main survey instruments used for digital geophysical mapping on munitions response projects: total-field magnetometers, and time-domain electromagnetic induction sensors
- Understand how the attributes of buried targets (size, depth, and orientation) affect the signals from these instruments
- Learn how these target features can be used to classify buried targets as targets of interest (hazardous items) or as nonhazardous
- Examine how classification methods have been used with commercial sensors at two live sites to increase the efficiency of a munitions response program
- Become aware of the potential of optimized sensors emerging from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) to dramatically increase the power of these methods
The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture and case studies. The target audience for this course is RPMs who deal with Military Munitions Response projects.
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Introduction to the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) Software and the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Module
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
John Hathaway, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
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Barry Roberts, Sandia National Laboratory |
Introduction to the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) Software and the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Module, a half-day training course, provides an overview of VSP, with special emphasis on the newly developed UXO modules sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:
- Understand the broad application areas of VSP for environmental characterization and remediation; response to and recovery from Chemical, Biological, and Radiation terrorist events; and long-term groundwater management
- Understand the Wide Area Assessment (WAA) applications for target area identification and the tools within VSP that apply to the WAA applications. Specifically, methods for transect design, target area identification, density mapping, and target area delineation will be demonstrated
- Learn about the transect verification sampling tools in VSP and the upcoming demonstrations during fiscal years 2009 and 2010
The target audience for this training course is RPMs that work on or are interested in sites with unexploded ordinance.
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Leadership: Attitude, Function, and Style (Leadership Development for RPMs)
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Ron Davison, Abt Associates, Inc. |
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Kim Fletcher, Abt Associates, Inc. |
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Michael Montgomery, EPA Region 9 |
Leadership: Attitude, Function, and Style (Leadership Development for RPMs) is an 8-hour training course that helps participants discover how personal preferences and “habits of the mind” influence their leadership style. The course provides approaches to help participants effectively assess themselves as leaders and identify blind spots. The course also examines how behavior changes under stress. The course combines fast-paced interactive discussions, small group activities, practical application exercises, and self-assessment tools (Meyers-Brigg Type Indicator [MBTI]) to clarify participants' strengths and indicate areas for further professional development. The course also addresses the ways that personality (or psychological type) affects decision-making. A final exercise allows participants to consolidate their insights from the workshop by applying them to a case study based on an actual remedial site example.
After taking this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify personal preferences for gathering information, making decisions, and managing people and incorporate these preferences into a balanced leadership style
- Assess strengths as a leader and identify areas for further growth
- Apply basic theories that affect leadership skills by exploring insights from three perspectives on human behavior: situational leadership, personality theory, and temperament
- Apply leadership skills to improve job performance in remedial projects and increase the contributions of others to the work of the Superfund program
Participants are required to complete two questionnaires approximately 3 weeks before the course. The questionnaires will be objectively and confidentially scored. The target audience for this course is all RPMs. The course is limited to 35 participants.
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PC3: Post Construction Completion Course
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Thomas Alcamo, EPA Region 5 |
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Katherine Garufi, EPA HQ |
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Charles Root, EPA Region 3 |
PC3: Post-Construction Completion Course is an 8-hour training course that covers important post-construction topics that RPMs and site managers need to understand and address. The course focuses on technical and administrative issues that RPMs encounter after a remedy is constructed, including:
- Remedy management
- The “operational and functional” determination
- Remedy optimization
- Remedy re-evaluation
- The transition to operation and maintenance
- Construction completion and site closeout
- Five-year reviews
- Site deletion
The course will include case studies, case examples, exercises, and opportunities for questions and answers. This course is an updated and expanded version of Planning and Implementing O&M presented at NARPM from 1997 to 2005. It is recommended for newer RPMs and site managers with 1 year or more of experience.
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Practical Process for Conducting Five-Year Reviews at Ground Water Sites
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Robert Alvey, EPA Region 2 |
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Michael Bailey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Katrina Coltrain, EPA Region 6 |
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Mark Dannenberg, EPA Region 2 |
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Rene Fuentes, EPA Region 10 |
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Katherine Garufi, EPA HQ |
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Marcia Knadle, EPA Region 10 |
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Kira Lynch, EPA Region 10 |
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Vincent Malott, EPA Region 6 |
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Barbara Vetort-Tiffany, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality |
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Don Williams, EPA Region 6 |
Practical Process for Conducting Five-Year Reviews at Ground Water Sites: The Ground Water Forum has identified the need to provide a technical companion document to the existing five-year review guidance. This companion document, currently in draft form, is designed to provide guidelines and strategies for addressing necessary technical issues in conducting five-year reviews at sites with contaminated ground water. The draft document also includes a suggested planning process to follow based on selected regional practices.
The information provided in this half-day training course will be presented in three parts:
- A discussion of the Ground Water Forum paper currently in preparation. The speakers will describe a suggested process to conduct the five-year review in a timely and robust manner that draws on appropriate professional expertise to evaluate issues and develop recommendations.
- Case study presentations provided by RPMs and hydrogeologists who have conducted five-year reviews, with emphasis on the beneficial input by the technical review team.
- One case study will describe the benefits of implementing a technical review process by comparing five-year reviews conducted before and after the process was initiated
- Another case study will look at the Delatte Metals site (Ponchatoula, Louisiana), where EPA’s Inspector General recently published its findings about the five-year review
- A third case study will describe how a site that had been considered protective, but that was found to need a revised conceptual site model (CSM) after a review of new data with improved insight. The revised CSM led to the acquisition of data needed to evaluate the remedy and address observed shortcomings
- A panel discussion centering on the development of issues and recommendations in five-year review reports. The discussion will revolve around how to identify ground water remedy issues based on past and current site data and how to develop recommendations to acquire necessary data or correct known remedy problems.
The target audience for this half-day training course is RPMs who conduct or review five-year reviews and their managers.
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Project Management Seminar
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Jonathon Gilbert, ESI International |
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Kira Lynch, EPA Region 10 |
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John Smith, EPA HQ |
Project Management Seminar is an 8-hour training course designed for new and experienced project managers. The program is geared toward Superfund projects but draws on broadly applicable management principles and techniques. The course is designed to provide participants an overview of tools and concepts and where to gain more information on their detailed application.
Topics will include developmental leadership skills, project risk management techniques, management and tracking tools, project delivery analysis, assembling a project team, and communication techniques and skills.
The training course will employ video, lecture, and interactive discourse between instructors and participants.
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Radiation Safety - Overview for Environmental Professionals
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Lawson Bailey, Tetra Tech NUS Inc. |
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Guy Cooley, Tetra Tech NUS Inc. |
Radiation Safety - Overview for Environmental Professionals: This half-day introductory training course focuses on providing participants with an overview and basic understanding of the fundamental principles of radiation safety. This course is intended for environmental professionals who desire a basic knowledge and understanding of radiation safety. Participants who are responsible for reviewing and discussing radiological issues will also benefit from this course. By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:
- Understand basic terminology and fundamental principles of radiation - this course will discuss the three basic particles of an atom, explain chemical notation, define radioactivity, explain the radioactive decay process, and explain how to calculate activity and half-life
- Identify the three primary types of ionizing radiation and their characteristics - this course will discuss the basic types of ionization radiation, distinguish between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and discuss the characteristics of ionizing radiation and how it interacts with matter
- Identify radiation dose limits and explain basic methods to control exposures - this course will identify radiation exposure limits for occupational workers, and discuss EPA’s Administrative Control Level and Action Reference Level as defined in Safety, Health and Environmental Management Program (SHEMP) Guide 38
- Understand the biological effects of radiation - this course will discuss possible biological effects of ionizing radiation on human cells, acute and chronic dose effects, and sources of radiation exposure
Instructional methods for this course include lecture, class discussion, and demonstrations. The target audience for this course is RPMs with little or no experience in radiation.
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Reducing Risk by Changing Behavior
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Stephen Groner, S. Groner Associates, Inc. |
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Sharon Lin, EPA Region 9 |
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Wesley Schultz, California State University |
Reducing Risk by Changing Behavior is an 8-hour introductory- to intermediate-level training course designed for RPMs and community involvement specialists that discusses how public outreach campaigns can effectively reduce risk. The course provides an in-depth look at commonly used public outreach strategies, and describes why many fail and why some may be detrimental to the program’s objectives by actually increasing the prevalence of unwanted behaviors. The workshop then looks at specific techniques that academic research and field application have found to be successful at changing behaviors and reducing risks. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how a focused and strategically executed public outreach effort can be an effective institutional control tool the RPM can use to help address community risk issues. Through a combination of PowerPoint presentations, videos, and group exercises, participants will learn the principles of, rationale for, and tools to create effective public outreach campaigns that specifically target reducing risk. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about how successful campaigns were developed, participate in group exercises using case studies (the Case Method), and work with key communication tools in building a mock campaign.
By taking the course, participants will:
- Learn the difference between an informational and awareness campaign and a behavior change campaign that reduces risk
- Explore the psychological principles of persuasion and why some campaigns succeed while others may actually backfire
- Learn about key tools that can help individuals in developing a strategic public outreach campaign
This course will also demonstrate techniques to quantitatively measure the risk reduction through outreach efforts using a Superfund project example.
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RPM Case Studies
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm |
| Instructors: |
Joe Alfano, EPA Region 4 |
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David Buxbaum, EPA Region 4 |
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Loften Carr, EPA Region 4 |
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David Jenkins, EPA Region 4 |
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Rusty Kestle, EPA Region 4 |
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Pam Scully, EPA Region 4 |
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Erik Spalvins, EPA Region 4 |
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Tim Woolheater, EPA Region 4 |
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Craig Zeller, EPA Region 4 |
RPM Case Studies: Region 4 is pleased to present the half-day "hot
sites" panel on five mega-Superfund sites, each with their own hazards
and challenges. The featured sites are Anniston PCB; Escambia Wood Treating
Company; Copper Basin; Milan Army Ammunition Plant; and Jacksonville Ash and
Brown's Dump Superfund Alternative Sites. RPMs for each of these sites will
offer presentations on what makes these sites unique and case studies to illustrate
their challenges.
Anniston PCB Site Anniston, Alabama Presenter: Pamela Scully, EPA Region 4
Anniston PCB is a hot site because it involves the investigation for PCB
contamination at residential and non-residential properties, more than 6,000
acres of floodplain, and 37 miles of waterway. The PCBs originated from one
of the two manufacturing facilities for PCBs in the country. The site has
been the focus of a congressional hearing, several tort litigation suits,
a number of television stories, and a book.
Escambia Wood Treating Company (ETC) Site Pensacola, Florida Presenter: Erik Spalvins, EPA Region 4
The ETC site is composed of a 26-acre abandoned wood preserving facility
and surrounding neighborhoods acquired by EPA. Superfund's first involvement
at the site was a 1991 removal action that stabilized the site and created
a 225,000-cubic-yard stockpile of contaminated soil. In 1995, the site was
part of a National Relocation Evaluation Pilot to assist in developing a national
relocation policy. EPA issued an Interim Record of Decision on February 12,
1997, which proposed to relocate the approximately 358 households near the
ETC Superfund site.
EPA completed a Record of Decision for OU1 (soils) in February 2006. The
selected remedy is on-site disposal of more than 500,000 cubic yards of contaminated
soil and permanent relocation of another nearby neighborhood as an extension
of the National Relocation Evaluation Pilot. Construction of the OU1 remedy
began in September 2007 and is expected to be completed in late 2009. At least
500 persons have been successfully relocated to comparable replacement housing
in Pensacola and the surrounding areas as part of this action.
Copper Basin Mining District Polk County, Tennessee Presenters: Loften Carr and Craig Zeller, EPA Region 4
The Copper Basin Mining District Site, known as "Copper Basin," is located
in southeast Tennessee in Polk County and in northern Georgia in Fannin County,
near the state border with North Carolina. The Copper Basin is the site of
extensive former copper and sulfur mining operations that date back to the
early 1800s. For more than 150 years, numerous companies and individuals were
involved in various mining, refining, and manufacturing operations in the
area. Historically, more than 30 square miles of Polk County in southeastern
Tennessee and Fannin County in northern Georgia were a deforested, barren,
eroded landscape caused by copper mining and sulfuric acid processing.
Over the past 25 years, various government agencies and private parties have
taken steps to stabilize and re-vegetate this large area. Mining operations
ceased in 1987, and sulfuric acid production was discontinued in 2000. Mining
and related activities have resulted in the environmental degradation of portions
of the Copper Basin, including the North Potato Creek Watershed, the Davis
Mill Creek Watershed, and parts of the Ocoee River. Waste materials from mining
and processing remain as sources of contaminants in the form of acidic drainage
and high levels of metals in the soils, sediments, and surface waters of the
watersheds that drain into and affect the Ocoee River. Acidic conditions and
leaching metals have impaired water quality, and deforestation has resulted
in severe erosion. Furthermore, PCB-containing oils have been released to
the environment from abandoned transformers. Abandoned and collapsing mine
works and other deteriorating facilities and waste piles also pose significant
physical hazards. In addition, the lack of a healthy soil structure and the
poor quality of riparian and upland ecosystems contribute to poor surface
water quality. These conditions have caused the degradation of large portions
of the 10,000-acre North Potato Creek and the 3,000-acre Davis Mill Creek
Watersheds, and 26 miles of the Ocoee River. The two creeks that drain the
Copper Basin Mining District site, when left untreated, were releasing more
than 8,600 pounds of metals and greater than 19,000 pounds of acid into the
Ocoee River every day.
In January 2001, the story of the Copper Basin changed from environmental
degradation to environmental restoration. EPA, the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and one of the potentially responsible
parties, OXY, USA, and its corporate affiliate, Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc.
(GSHI), entered into a Memorandum of Understanding and a series of enforceable
state and federal legal agreements and orders. These agreements are designed
to provide for immediate action in the short term to protect the Ocoee River
and begin the long-term environmental restoration of the Copper Basin Mining
District site. Cleanup of this unusual mining mega-site via the Superfund
Alternative site cleanup process is a success story of unprecedented teamwork.
Its numerous accomplishments over the last 7 years have achieved the goal
of protecting the Ocoee River as well as taking major steps toward the long-term
goal of environmental restoration.
Milan Army Ammunition Plant Milan, Carroll and Gibson Counties, Tennessee
Presenters: Dave Buxbaum, Dave Jenkins, and Tim Woolheater, EPA Region 4
The Milan Army Ammunition Plant is a 22,540-acre site located in Carroll
and Gibson Counties, Tennessee, that was constructed in 1941. It is currently
operated by American Ordnance Systems, Inc., with a mission that includes
loading, assembling, and packing munitions as well as reconditioning or demolishing
munitions. Wastewater discharges from the previous operations have contaminated
soil, sediment, and groundwater with explosive (nitroaromatic) compounds.
Plumes of contaminated groundwater at the site have reached the Memphis Sand
aquifer, a source of potable groundwater that supplies drinking water for
the 9,000 people in the City of Milan. For example, one plume of groundwater
contamination currently under treatment is more than 10,000 feet long, 4,000
feet wide, and 250 feet deep. This plume has moved beyond the facility boundary
and contaminated the city's drinking water supply wells, which resulted in
the remedy decision to relocate the water supply system and treat the groundwater
plume.
Additional groundwater plumes at the facility have been, or are currently
being, investigated. A feasibility study has been drafted to evaluate remedial
alternatives to address overall site groundwater, including OU 1, OU 3, OU
4, OU 5, and plumes in the vicinity of Lines B/D/C. The preferred remedial
alternative has yet to be selected, however. EPA initiated a dispute under
the Federal Facility Agreement on August 11, 2008, on the overall groundwater
feasibility study. The dispute centers on the Army's proposed remedy, which
EPA contends is inconsistent with EPA's NCP regulations, policy, and guidance.
It is expected that resolution of the dispute will provide a path forward
for addressing the groundwater plumes at the site.
Jacksonville Ash and Brown's Dump Superfund Alternative Sites Jacksonville, Florida Presenter: Joseph Alfano, EPA Region 4
From the 1900s into the early 1960s, the growing City of Jacksonville, Florida,
operated several incinerators. The by-product of burning municipal solid waste
was large amounts of ash scattered or dumped on city, residential, and commercial
properties. Although not known at the time, the ash was contaminated with
lead, arsenic, PAHs, and dioxin. Jacksonville's growth continued and the disposal
areas were further developed as residential or commercial properties, parks,
and schools so that the sites now contain approximately 2,000 residential
and public properties and approximately 500 commercial properties with sampling
continuing. The neighborhoods affected by the ash disposal are Environmental
Justice areas that have been the core of Jacksonville's African-American community
for most of the 20th century.
Four sites make up the Jacksonville Ash and Brown's Dump Superfund Sites.
The Jacksonville Ash Site consists of three separate locations including two
former city incinerators at the Forest Street site and at the Fifth and Cleveland
Street site and a former dump site that is now occupied by Lonnie C. Miller,
Sr. Park. The Brown's Dump Site was an operating landfill used to deposit
ash from municipal incinerators.
These sites are now in the Remedial Design phase having dealt with the unique
technical, logistical, and public relation issues that arise from such large
scale and complex remedial investigations in residential areas. The remedial
investigation/feasibility study process culminated with a Consent Decree settlement
for the estimated $96 million remediation. Revitalization efforts are already
underway with non-time critical removal actions having resulted in the construction
of a new tennis center at the site of one of the former incinerators and a
new Animal Care and Control Facility being built on another remediated parcel.
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State of the Art in Sediment Assessment and Remediation
| Date and Time: |
Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Todd Bridges, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Lawrence Burkhard, EPA HQ |
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Rick Fox, Natural Resource Technology, Inc. |
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Marc Greenberg, EPA |
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Karl Gustavson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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James Hahnenberg, EPA Region 5 |
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Earl Hayter, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Danny Reible, University of Texas |
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Paul Schroeder, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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Carmen White, EPA Region 9 |
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Craig Zeller, EPA Region 4 |
State of the Art in Sediment Assessment and Remediation is an 8-hour training course focusing on three specific contaminated sediment site technical issues that project managers should understand when planning and completing remedial investigations and feasibility studies. By taking the course, project managers will achieve the following objectives:
- Learn how to develop sampling and analysis plans that ensure the data collected meets multiple needs
- Learn about passive samplers, a set of new investigative assessment tools, and how they are applied at sediment sites
- Learn about the development and potential use of in-situ sediment amendments and reactive caps as another promising remedial alternative for the future
The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and facilitated group discussions. The target audience for this course is project managers that have or will have contaminated sediment sites. The following paragraphs provide additional information on the three sessions that will be presented in this full day training course.
Session No. 1 – Smart from the Start: Anticipating Sampling Needs Throughout the Life of a Sediment Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS): At many Superfund sediment sites, the main focus of RI data collection is delineating the nature and extent of contamination and risk assessment, leaving the RPM to realize late in the RI/FS process that more data are needed to address other needs such as sediment transport modeling, evaluation of remedial options, and developing a good baseline data set. Then, either the FS or record of decision (ROD) is delayed while these data gaps are filled, or the ROD is completed without this information, leading to an extended pre-design sampling effort and potentially a ROD amendment.
The purpose of this session is to discuss how the RPM can be “smart from the start” by anticipating more of the data that will be needed through the life of the project, and incorporating these into initial RI sampling. The training describes a structured planning process for developing a work plan for two hypothetical sites, and the sampling program that might result.
Session No. 2 – Use of New Assessment Tools: Passive Samplers: EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) scientists, academicians, and RPMs will describe what these samplers are, how they can be used to provide more timely and less expensive data, how the data have been used, and how these samplers could be applied in the future to understand contaminant movement and uptake.
Session No. 3 – In-Situ Sediment Amendments and Reactive Capping Technologies: USACE engineers and academicians will describe the recent developments in the lab and field in this new exciting in-situ treatment technology. Field testing and their use at some sites suggest these new alternatives can be very effective in controlling sediment exposures. Both Superfund site and non-Superfund site case studies will be described.
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Superfund Negotiations - Hardly "super" and Rarely "fun"
| Date and Time: |
Tuesday, June 2, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Catherine Garypie, EPA Region 5 |
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Dion Novak, EPA Region 5 |
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Marla E. Wieder, EPA Region 2 |
Superfund Negotiations - Hardly 'super' and Rarely 'fun' (but doable) is a half-day training course for RPMs that provides participants with an opportunity to hone and improve their negotiation skills through a series of practical, Superfund-based exercises. Just as each of our sites is 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, strategies for preparing for and conducting successful negotiations that will not span your government career, and thoughts on when you may want to consider utilizing alternative dispute resolution, a somewhat misunderstood concept. We will also discuss basic negotiation styles and how individual attitudes and emotional responses affect the negotiation process through a series of practical, reality-based exercises.
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Superfund Radiation Policy and Case Studies Panel Session
| Date and Time: |
Monday, June 1, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Andrew Bain, EPA Region 9 |
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Michele Dineyazhe, EPA Region 9 |
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Betsy Donovan, EPA Region 2 |
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Connie Jones, EPA Region 4 |
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Mark Purcell, EPA Region 6 |
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Kathy Setian, EPA Region 9 |
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Stuart Walker, EPA HQ |
Superfund Radiation Policy and Case Studies Panel Session: Within the Superfund remediation framework, radioactive contamination is addressed the same way as chemical contamination, except to account for technical differences. EPA's Superfund approach for addressing radionuclides differs from the approach used by other federal agencies under the Atomic Energy Act (such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the Department of Energy). This half-day panel session begins with an overview of Superfund policy with respect to radionuclides, including setting cleanup standards, identification of ARARs, and risk assessment. This overview will be followed by four case studies that represent a variety of sites types where radionuclides are contaminants of concern and an overview presentation of radioactive transportation and waste disposal issues. The target audience for this panel session is RPMs working on or interested in sites with radioactive contamination.
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The Superfund Redevelopment Initiative - 10 Years and Counting!
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Tom Bloom, EPA Region 5 |
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Bill Denman, EPA Region 4 |
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Melissa Friedland, EPA HQ |
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Charles L. King, EPA Region 4 |
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Angela Miller, EPA Region 4 |
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Gary Riley, EPA HQ |
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Matthew Sander, EPA HQ |
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Karen Singer, EPA Region 4 |
The Superfund Redevelopment Initiative - 10 Years and Counting! is a comprehensive, half-day training course that will explain the tools and resources that have been developed over the past 10 years, demonstrate how RPMs have incorporated redevelopment concepts into challenging Superfund sites to achieve positive outcomes, and reveal how redevelopment of Superfund sites can include the location of renewable energy sources. Participants will learn how to work effectively with communities, states, potentially responsible parties (PRP), and other stakeholders to promote reuse and redevelopment of Superfund sites. The course examines:
- The tools and resources available to facilitate redevelopment
- How reuse tools and concepts can be used at challenging sites to facilitate successful outcomes
- Current legal issues
- Location of renewable energy sources on Superfund sites as part of their redevelopment
Participants will learn about various issues related to reuse and redevelopment through group discussions and case studies that will give RPMs real-world examples of how introducing reuse concepts into troubled sites helped, rather than hindered, the cleanup process and helped EPA become a partner with local governments and communities instead of an adversary. One of these case studies will include a presentation by a local city official to discuss the city’s perspective on EPA’s redevelopment program.
The target audience for this course is all RPMs.
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Vapor Intrusion: An Interactive Workshop
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Sai Appaji, EPA Region 6 |
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David Bartenfelder, EPA HQ |
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James Dilorenzo, EPA Region 1 |
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John Gilbert, EPA |
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Alana Lee, EPA Region 9 |
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David Mickunas, EPA |
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Dennis Munhall, EPA Region 2 |
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Mary Peterson, EPA Region 7 |
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Jade Rutland, EPA Region 4 |
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Michael Sivak, EPA Region 2 |
Vapor Intrusion: An Interactive Workshop: This year, the Vapor Intrusion panel expands to a half-day workshop. The workshop will address myriad issues and concerns that confront RPMs who must evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion at groundwater sites contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOC). The workshop will also provide an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and to present any issues or concerns regarding vapor intrusion.
The slate of presenters will address and highlight the following phases of the process using case studies and identifying lessons learned:
- Preliminary Investigation: Can a site be listed on the NPL for vapor intrusion concerns? If my site is listed, do I need to conduct a vapor intrusion investigation? Who performs the work? How would the work be funded?
- Data Gathering: How do I conduct a vapor intrusion investigation? What data are necessary and sufficient to make decisions? What decisions need to be made? What is the TAGA bus and what type of data can it provide?
- Five-Year Reviews: If my site wasn't evaluated for vapor intrusion concerns during the RI, how should it be assessed during the five-year review? What data are necessary? Does this review influence the protectiveness determination?
- Risk Evaluation: What are the contaminants of concern and the risks associated with exposure to these concentrations? What concentrations require further investigation or remediation, both in the subslab and in the indoor air? What kind of public outreach is appropriate to transmit the results of a vapor intrusion investigation?
- Remediation: What types of remediation approaches should be considered? What is a subslab remediation system? How are these systems installed in a structure? What should be considered when these systems are installed in residences or large structures? What are some potential field issues that can arise during installation?
- O&M of the Subslab System: When is confirmatory sampling needed after installation? How long after a system is installed should monitoring continue? On Fund-lead sites, how and when are sites turned over to the state for O&M? Are ICs necessary at a site with vapor intrusion concerns?
The target audience for this workshop is all RPMs.
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You, Too, Can Create Effective Presentations
| Date and Time: |
Thursday, June 4, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm |
| Instructors: |
Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. |
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Gloria Sosa, EPA Region 2 |
You, Too, Can Create Effective Presentations: This half-day advanced leadership-level, highly interactive workshop is geared toward EPA staff who deliver technical training for their peers, not only at training conferences, such as NARPM, but also throughout the regions. Participants will learn how to (1) target their presentation to other technical professionals,
(2) develop and refine their message, and (3) engage the audience in ways that promote effective communication.
Participants will learn the following:
- Developing a presentation to meet 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
Participants will achieve the following:
- More polished platform skills
- Improved ability to manage content
- Greater communication skills, using a variety of training techniques
- Ability to manage participants and to facilitate discussions
Teaching a technical course to your peers involves much more than just standing in front of the room and telling them everything you know. Effective trainers know that substance is important; but they also know that presentation style goes hand in hand — the way you get across technical knowledge and experience to a willing audience.
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.
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