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TechDirect's purpose is to identify new technical, policy and   
guidance resources related to the assessment and remediation of   
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Open Solicitations   
   
AFCEE Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Open for FY10. The Air   
Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) BAA   
seeks out technologies and methodologies to reduce environmental   
impacts from current and past Air Force operations and apply to   
Air Force installations worldwide. The key focus of this effort   
is to further develop and validate innovative, energy efficient,   
and cost-effective technologies for the site characterization,   
remediation, and accelerated closure of environmental sites in   
Restoration, Compliance, Pollution Prevention, Military   
Munitions Response Program (MMRP) areas for complying with all   
applicable regulatory requirements, policies and guidance. The   
goal is to identify more technically advanced, efficient,   
effective, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective   
solutions than are currently available. Such technologies and   
methodologies should aid the U.S. Air Force in reaching the   
remedy-in-place (RIP) goal or optimizing current remediation,   
monitoring, or other systems already in place, or reducing the   
quantity of toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials. Phase I   
submittals must be submitted online no later than 4:00 PM CST,   
December 8, 2009. View the BAA synopsis at   
https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/HQAF ...   
.html .   
   
SERDP Core and SEED Solicitations. The DoD Strategic   
Environmental Research and Demonstration Program (SERDP)   
released its annual Core and SEED solicitations for FY 2011 on   
October 29, 2009. Funds are available through a competitive   
process to both federal and private organizations to perform   
environmental research and development. Core Solicitation   
projects vary in cost and duration, consistent with the scope of   
the work proposed. Federal organizations respond to the Federal   
Call for Proposals and private sector organizations to the Broad   
Agency Announcement (BAA). For the Core solicitation,   
pre-proposals from the non-federal sector are due January 7,   
2010 and federal proposals are due March 11, 2010. The SEED   
Solicitation is designed to provide a limited amount of funding,   
not to exceed $150,000 in total cost and approximately one year   
in duration, for researchers to test proof of concept for work   
that will investigate new environmental approaches that entail   
high technical risk and/or have minimal supporting data. Federal   
organizations respond to the Federal Call for Proposals and   
private sector organizations to the BAA. All SEED proposals are   
due March 11, 2010. View the call for proposals and Statements   
of Need at http://www.serdp.org/funding/ .   
   
Upcoming Live Internet Seminars   
   
The Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) - December 2,   
2009, 1:00PM-3:00PM EST (18:00-20:00 GMT). The 2-hour REOC   
Webinar will introduce participants to the function and   
operation of the Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC).   
The REOC webinar is aimed as Response Support Corps (RSC)   
members in the regional offices and at EPA Headquarters. The   
webinar will begin with background information on EPA's National   
Approach to Response, National Incident Management System,   
Response Support Corps, and REOC. The webinar will then focus on   
how REOCs are set up and how they function, including the (1)   
characteristic features of the REOC, (2) management structure   
and positions to be filled in the REOC, (3) types of information   
and products developed in the REOC, and (4) types of REOC   
activations that RSCs can expect. The REOC webinar is a   
prerequisite for the 4-hour Knowing and Working Within the REOC   
course to be given at the OSC Readiness Training Program in   
February 2010. For more information and to register, see   
http://clu-in.org/live .   
   
Superfund Research Program Strategic Planning - Your Input for   
Future Directions - December 7, 2009, 2:00PM-4:00PM EDT   
(19:00-21:00 GMT). The Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds   
basic and applied research addressing health effects, risk   
assessment, detection and remediation of hazardous substances.   
After over 20 years of progress, the SRP is undergoing a   
strategic planning process to develop a framework for   
prioritization of activities over the next 5-10 years and to   
enhance the impact of the Program. The purpose of this   
information session is to receive input from SRP's stakeholders   
about the future direction of the Program. The session will   
feature a moderated discussion period framed by a series of   
questions addressing the scope of SRP science, training,   
translation, and outreach. We encourage participation by   
officials from sister Superfund agencies US EPA and ATSDR, as   
well as representatives of local, state, tribal governments,   
non-profit organizations, universities, and practicing   
environmental professionals. For more information and to   
register, see http://clu-in.org/live .   
   
ITRC In Situ Bioremediation of Chlorinated Ethene - DNAPL Source   
Zones - December 8, 2009, 2:00PM-4:15PM EST (19:00-21:15 GMT).   
Treatment of dissolved-phase chlorinated ethenes in groundwater   
using in situ bioremediation (ISB) is an established technology;   
however, its use for DNAPL source zones is an emerging   
application. This training course supports the ITRC Technical   
and Regulatory Guidance document In Situ Bioremediation of   
Chlorinated Ethene: DNAPL Source Zones (BioDNAPL-3, 2008). This   
document provides the regulatory community, stakeholders, and   
practitioners with the general steps practitioners and   
regulators can use to objectively assess, design, monitor, and   
optimize ISB treatment of DNAPL source zones. For more   
information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or   
http://clu-in.org/live .   
   
Perchlorate: Concern About Environmental Exposures, Thyroid   
Homeostasis, and Developmental Impacts - December 16, 2009,   
2:00PM-3:30PM EST (19:00-20:30 GMT). Perchlorate contaminates   
important sources of drinking water in California and   
nationally. It inhibits the uptake of iodide into the thyroid   
gland, an essential part of the process of making thyroid   
hormone. Small changes is maternal thyroid hormone are   
associated with significant decreases in IQ. As well, small   
decreases in adult T4 levels are also associated with increased   
cardiovascular risk. Perchlorate has been shown to block iodine   
uptake into the thyroid gland and cause a reduction in thyroid   
hormone production. In the past, evidence showed that this   
effect occurred only at very high doses of perchlorate. Recently   
however, several epidemiologic studies have provided evidence   
that lower levels of perchlorate commonly found in food and   
water sources in the U.S. might also impact thyroid hormone   
production. These studies suggest that these impacts primarily   
occur in certain susceptible populations. Earlier studies may   
have missed these effects because these groups were not   
specifically evaluated.