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TechDirect's purpose is to identify new technical, policy and   
guidance resources related to the assessment and remediation of   
contaminated soil, sediments and ground water.  
  
Mention of non-EPA documents or presentations does not   
constitute a U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an   
acknowledgment that they exist and may be relevant to the   
TechDirect audience.  
  
Upcoming Live Internet Seminars  
  
ITRC Remediation Process Optimization Advanced Training - April   
10. Remediation Process Optimization (RPO) is the systematic   
evaluation and enhancement of site remediation to ensure that   
human health and the environment are being protected over the   
long term at minimum risk and cost. The purpose of this ITRC   
training is to present an overview of the material covered in   
five technical fact sheets that ITRC's RPO Team produced to   
enhance site remediation optimization and decision-making. The   
training modules provide additional information and techniques   
to improve project schedules, effectively manage resources,   
emphasize risk, and discuss tools to efficiently cleanup   
contaminated sites. For more information and to register, see   
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio .  
  
ITRC Characterization, Design, Construction and Monitoring of   
Bioreactor Landfills - April 19. Bioreactors are landfills where   
controlled addition of non-hazardous liquid wastes, sludges, or   
water accelerates the decomposition of waste and landfill gas   
generation. This training, based on the ITRC's Characterization,   
Design, Construction, and Monitoring of Bioreactor Landfills   
(ALT-3, 2006), teaches the principles used to make critical   
decisions during permitting, operating, and monitoring a   
bioreactor landfill. This training also provides a general   
understanding of the biological degradation of solid wastes   
under aerobic and anaerobic waste conditions and the degradation   
products associated with each process. For more information and   
to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or   
http://clu-in.org/studio .   
  
Nanotechnology - Superfund Site Remediation - April 19. The   
Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP), in collaboration with   
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), presents   
'Nanotechnology - Superfund Site Remediation.' This seminar is   
part of a series covering the applications and implications of   
nanotechnology as it pertains to the National Superfund Program.   
The use of nanoscale materials (particles of matter < 100 nm)   
shows promise for improving the efficiency of current   
groundwater remediation approaches. Compared to microscale   
zero-valent iron, nanoscale zero-valent iron (or NZVI) has a   
higher reactivity for treating chlorinated solvents and may   
allow for more cost-effective delivery options. Marti Otto,   
Environmental Engineer (U.S. EPAs Office of Superfund   
Remediation and Technology Innovation), will describe   
field-scale and full-scale applications of NZVI. The talk will   
include background on the use of NZVI to address source areas in   
groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons focusing   
on the results of four study sites. Mary Logan, Remedial   
Project Manager (EPA Region 5), will report on the   
considerations that led to the selection of NZVI for the Nease   
Chemical Superfund Site in Ohio. In September 2005, U.S. EPA   
selected NZVI as a remedy for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)   
in bedrock groundwater, particularly for the highly contaminated   
plume core. The remedy allows NZVI to be coupled with enhanced   
biological treatment if the iron alone is not sufficient to   
treat recalcitrant compounds. For more information and to   
register, see http://clu-in.org/studio .   
  
ITRC Planning and Promoting of Ecological Land Reuse of   
Remediated Sites - April 24. This training is based on the ITRC   
Technical and Regulatory Guideline: Planning and Promoting   
Ecological Land Reuse of Remediated Sites (ECO-2, 2006). The   
document presents a process to promote ecological land reuse   
activities considering natural or green technologies instead of   
more traditional remedies. The guidance demonstrates that   
natural or ecological end-uses are valuable alternatives to   
conventional property development or redevelopment. Ecological   
benefits and a process for calculating their value are included   
in the guidance and reviewed in this training. For more   
information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or   
http://clu-in.org/studio .  
  
ITRC Evaluating, Optimizing, or Ending Post-Closure Care at   
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills - April 26. This training, based   
on ITRC's Technical and Regulatory Guidance: Evaluating,   
Optimizing, or Ending Post-Closure Care at Municipal Solid Waste   
Landfills Based on Site-Specific Data Evaluations (ALT-4, 2006),   
describes a method to evaluate the performance of Post Closure   
Care at a landfill and determine when leachate recovery,   
landfill gas management, groundwater monitoring, and cap   
maintenance can be reduced or even ended based on threats (to   
human health and the environment) posed by the closed landfill.   
The training and document describe custodial care as those   
requirements the property owner must follow after post closure   
care has been ended. For more information and to register, see   
http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio .   
  
Understanding and Reconstructing Soil Conditions at Remediation   
Sites - May 2. Effective in situ rehabilitation of drastically   
disturbed and/or contaminated sites is usually dependent upon   
understanding and modifying on-site soil conditions to support   
revegetation efforts. While site-specific characterization of   
soil conditions is essential to the development of any   
revegetation strategy, limitations posed by reactive sulfides   
and very low pH, excess soil compaction, and excess salinity are   
dominant and widespread problems on disturbed sites. This   
seminar will focus on essential steps and procedures for (A)   
characterizing limiting soil conditions, (B) ameliorating soil   
phytotoxicity, and (C) reconstructing viable and productive soil   
profiles for long-term rehabilitation. The importance of   
matching remediated soil conditions to the intended vegetative   
community will be emphasized via discussion of case study sites   
including metal contaminated sites, acid-sulfate spoils, and   
forested wetlands restoration. For more information and to   
register, see http://clu-in.org/studio .   
  
New Documents and Web Resources  
  
Technology News and Trends (EPA 542-N-06-008). This issue of   
Technology News and Trends highlights strategies and tools for   
characterizing or monitoring remediation of sites with   
contaminated sediment and surface water bodies. Addressing these   
sites often relies upon dynamic workplans that involve more   
efficient, cost-effective, and practical methods for field work   
(March 2007, 6 pages). View or download at   
http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm .  
  
Updating Remedy Decisions at Select Superfund Sites - Summary   
Report FY 2004 and FY 2005 (EPA-540-R-06-074). This is the fifth   
in a series of two-year reports which summarize the progress   
made through implementation of the Superfund Administrative   
Reform. Since this reform was announced on October 5, 1995, the   
Superfund program has continuously tracked national progress   
from up