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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.
Special Notice
Draft Grant Guidelines To States For Implementing The Operator
Training Provision Of The Energy Policy Act Of 2005
(510-D-07-002) is now available for public comment. EPA, in
conjunction with states, developed these draft grant guidelines
for state underground storage tank programs. After receiving
comments, EPA will develop final guidelines and incorporate them
in grant agreements between EPA and states. EPA developed the
guidelines according to Title XV, Subtitle B of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, which focuses on preventing underground
storage tank releases. Comments are due by May 10, 2007. For
more information, see
http://www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/draft_ ...
Upcoming Live Internet Seminars
New Search Options for Archived Internet Seminars & Podcasts.
Over the past 8 years, we have presented Internet Seminars
covering a wide variety of technical topics related to hazardous
waste characterization, monitoring, and remediation. For each
seminar topic, we have selected the highest-quality offering for
placement in our archives. In addition to browsing all 129
archived seminars, you may now also search the archives for
seminars that interest you based on keywords, sponsors, and
archived date. Search archived Internet Seminars & Podcasts at
http://www.clu-in.org/live/archive.cfm .
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 .
ITRC Vapor Intrusion Pathway: A Practical Guideline - May 8. The
ITRC Vapor Intrusion Team developed the ITRC Technical and
Regulatory Guidance document Vapor Intrusion Pathway: A
Practical Guideline (VI-1, 2007), companion document Vapor
Intrusion Pathway: Investigative Approaches for Typical
Scenarios (VI-1A, 2007), and this Internet-based training course
to be used by regulatory agencies and practitioners alike. This
training course provides an overview of the vapor intrusion
pathway and information on the framework (evaluation process),
investigative tools, and mitigation approaches. The training
course uses typical scenarios to illustrate the process. For
more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/studio .
ITRC Radiation Risk Assessment: Updates and Tools - May 15. The
ITRC has developed a document, Determining Cleanup Goals at
Radioactively Contaminated Sites: Case Studies (RAD-2, 2002),
that examines the factors influencing the variations in cleanup
level development at various radioactively contaminated sites.
This document underscores the need for radiation risk assessment
training to enhance consistency in risk assessment application.
The document also acknowledges the differences between the 'dose
approach' used at some sites and EPA's 'risk-based approach'.
Since most radioactively contaminated DOE and DOD sites are
developing cleanup goals under CERCLA authority, there is a need
for a training course that clarifies the variations between
these approaches and elaborates on the methodology used to
develop risk-based remediation goals. To meet this need, this
training course has been collaboratively developed by the ITRC
Radionuclides Team and EPA's Superfund Office. The focus of this
training is EPA's new radiation risk assessment tools, which can
facilitate better decision making for accelerated cleanups. For
more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/studio .
ITRC An Overview of Direct-push Well Technology for Long-term
Groundwater Monitoring - May 17. Direct-push wells have been
used for temporary groundwater monitoring purposes for many
years but are generally prohibited for use as long-term
groundwater monitoring wells. Recent research indicates that
direct-push wells are as well suited for long-term environmental
groundwater monitoring purposes as conventionally constructed
wells. This training introduces ITRC's The Use of Direct-push
Well Technology for Long-term Environmental Monitoring in
Groundwater Investigations (SCM-2, 2006), provides a background
in the principles of direct-push wells, and presents the state
of the art regarding recent research. For more information and
to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or
http://clu-in.org/studio .
Nanotechnology - Environmental Sensors - May 31. The Superfund
Basic Research Program (SBRP), in collaboration with the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), presents 'Nanotechnology
- Environmental Sensors.' This seminar is part of a series
covering the applications and implications of nanotechnology as
it pertains to the National Superfund Program. Nanotechnology
involves the understanding and control of matter at dimensions
of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers. In terms of environmental
sensing, the use of nanotechnology has led to the production of
numerous small-scale, rapid, sensitive multi-analyte instruments
useful not only in the laboratory, but also as field portable
instruments. This seminar will provide an overview of some of
the capabilities and advantages of nanotechnology-based sensors.
The speakers will include Paul Gilman (Director, Oak Ridge
Center for Advanced Studies), Desmond Stubbs (Research
Associate, ORCAS), and Ian Kennedy (Professor of Mechanical and
Aeronautical Engineering, University of California - Davis). For
more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/studio .
ITRC Radiation Site Cleanup: CERCLA Requirements and Guidance -
June 5. The focus of this ITRC training is EPA's guidance for
remediating radioactively contaminated sites, which can
facilitate cleanups that are consistent with how chemical
contaminants are addressed, except where technical differences
posed by radiation are addressed. This course also discusses
long term stewardship (LTS) challenges related to the large
radioactively contaminated sites. This understanding of LTS
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