Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information (CLU-IN)

Federal Contract Opportunities (FedBizOpps) Update for May 4-10

Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The latest Federal Contract Opportunities update has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. It contains summaries of procurement and contract award notices issued between May 4-10 that pertain to hazardous waste, solid waste, underground storage tank remediation, and other environmental topics.

CLU-IN Spotlight: Call for Abstracts: Abandoned Mine Cleanup Information Exchange

Fri, 8 May 2026 19:43:22 GMT

This event, co-sponsored by US EPA Region 9 and the Society of American Military Engineers, San Francisco Post, will include structured opportunities for facilitated technical exchange, presentations, posters, and networking focused on key mine cleanup topic areas. The submission deadline for presentations and posters is May 19, 2026.

Seminar: "ITRC ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework" from May 7, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 8 May 2026 18:41:00 GMT

In 2023, the ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Framework was published to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify, evaluate, and manage CEC's while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity. Such an approach can be conducive to improved allocation of regulatory response resources and provide a foundation for communicating potential risk to stakeholders.

The ITRC framework is comprised of a white paper and four associated fact sheets. In the white paper, CEC are defined as: "substances and microorganisms including physical, chemical, biological, or radiological materials known or anticipated in the environment, that may pose newly identified risks to human health or the environment." The framework is meant to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders by providing examples of CEC monitoring programs and guiding the user through the process of identifying CEC key characteristics, how to communicate real and perceived risk from CEC to the public, and how laboratory analytical methods can be used in the identification process.

The ITRC CEC training presents this entirely new framework for identification, prioritization, and communication of CEC. This course includes the following topics:

An overview of the framework, how and why it was developed, the factors that influence the creation of CEC management units at the state level, and a listing of existing CEC monitoring programs.
A discussion of key variables that may be used as criteria to identify and prioritize CEC for response actions. This portion of the course includes a case study that illustrates how the identification and prioritization process works with an "unknown" chemical CEC.
Practices and methods for stakeholder messaging and how to share incomplete information on CEC that could impact human health and the environment. This portion of the short course builds upon the ITRC Risk Communication Toolkit by providing additional detail addresses communications plans, message maps, and audience identification.
A paradigm for how laboratory methods can be used to identify CEC ranging from:
- "Is compound X in the sample and at what concentration?" (i.e., known knowns) to
- "Which compounds from the list are in this sample?" (i.e., known unknowns) to
- "What is in the sample?" (i.e., unknown unknowns).

CEC are typically compounds or substances whose occurrence or effect is unknown but may or may not be understood through similar compounds or substances. This module includes a discussion of the use of targeted and untargeted analysis to identify a CEC.

Participants will learn the elements of the CEC framework and gain an understanding of the framework application from case studies. Participants are encouraged to review the ITRC CEC Framework prior to the class.

Seminar: "ITRC ITRC: Pump & Treat Optimization" from May 5, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 8 May 2026 18:41:00 GMT

ITRC's Pump & Treat (P&T) Optimization training aims to summarize existing information and best practices while also developing a systemic and adaptive optimization framework specifically for P&T well-network design and management.

P&T systems have been one of the most commonly used methods for hydraulic containment and treatment of contaminated groundwater at sites with large groundwater plumes. This method cleans up groundwater contaminated with dissolved chemicals by pumping groundwater from wells to an above-ground treatment system that removes the contaminants. Optimization of P&T remedies is important for maintaining contaminant removal effectiveness throughout the operation lifetime and managing the system toward an exit strategy. A strategy for routine optimization of P&T remedies is key for maintaining the contaminant removal efficiency of these systems.

The primary audience for this training is environmental project decision-makers, which may include federal, state, tribal, and various local agency employees; contractors to these agencies; and potentially liable parties and their engineers and consultants as well as involved stakeholders. Generally, those involved in designing, building and operating, and optimizing pump & treat systems would benefit.

The goal of the training is to provide a roadmap for optimizing a P&T system and refining the remedial strategy or shifting toward another remedial approach. Pump & Treat optimization should be systematic and data-based, and the training and document aim to provide tools and direction to assist in this rigorous process.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the P&T project lifecycle: evaluation, optimization, and transition, as well as considerations for sustainability, resiliency, and regulatory and stakeholder entities.
P&T optimization should incorporate adaptive site management.
P&T systems are influenced by a diverse collection of outside factors, which should be considered throughout the entire optimization process.
Transition and termination should both be considered during the optimization process.
Remedial objectives dictate evaluation and optimization efforts for P&T systems..

Prior to attending the training class, participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC Pump & Treat guidance document

Technology Innovation News Survey for March 16-31, 2026

Thu, 7 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The March 16-31, 2026 Technology Innovation News Survey has been posted to the CLU-IN web site. The Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for May 4, 2026

Mon, 4 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on May 4, 2026. There are 4 new entries, for a total of 9 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

CLU-IN Spotlight: Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Call for Applications

Wed, 8 Apr 2026 22:44:57 GMT

The Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) announces a Call for Applications for assessments of technologies to characterize and recover critical minerals from mining and mineral processing waste. The deadline for applications is May 8, 2026.

Seminar: SRP Progress in Research Summer 2026 Webinar Series: Session I, June 1, 2026

Wed, 8 Apr 2026 15:46:44 GMT

This Progress in Research webinar series, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP), showcases research from 6 schools funded by SRP in 2025. These awards were made as part of the P42 grant solicitation RFA-ES-20-014. In the two-part series, awardees will highlight their research projects, accomplishments, and next steps. The newly funded centers, including Oregon State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California, are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to tackle complex problems related to hazardous substances.

The Oregon State University (OSU) SRP Center is driven to identify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment, to characterize their toxicity, and to specify the environmental concentrations at which they pose no threat to human health. The OSU SRP Center studies the composition of complex PAH mixtures, the changes in composition after remediation and natural attenuation, and the implications of PAH mixtures for human health.

The University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill SRP Center addresses serious public health challenges faced by communities in North Carolina and across the nation related to inorganic arsenic (iAs). The UNC-Chapel Hill SRP Center is working to identify these factors that would facilitate the development of novel solutions/interventions to reduce the prevalence of iAs-associated diabetes, as well as other diseases associated with iAs exposure.

The University of Southern California (USC) SRP Center works to develop problem-based, solution-oriented scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to address the issue of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water contamination in Superfund and other sites. The USC SRP Center has the goal of specifically addressing PFAS in relation to their effects on liver disease and addressing urgent concerns regarding water quality and human health in populations affected by PFAS exposures and Superfund sites.

To learn about and register for the other session in this webinar series, please see the SRP website.

Seminar: SRP Progress in Research Summer 2026 Webinar Series: Session II, July 16, 2026

Wed, 8 Apr 2026 15:47:28 GMT

This Progress in Research webinar series, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP), showcases research from 6 schools funded by SRP in 2025. These awards were made as part of the P42 grant solicitation RFA-ES-20-014. In the two-part series, awardees will highlight their research projects, accomplishments, and next steps. The newly funded centers, including Baylor College of Medicine, University of Arizona, and University of Iowa, are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to tackle complex problems related to hazardous substances.

The Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) SRP Center investigates whether the maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emanating from superfund sites, as well as other environmental chemicals, increases the risk of preterm births (PTBs) and augments major neonatal morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The BCM SRP Center wants to determine the mechanisms by which PAHs contribute to PTBs and understand the factors that could be targets for interventions to prevent and reduce the health burden associated with PAHs present in Superfund sites.

The University of Arizona SRP Center works to address the unique human health risks encountered in the U.S. Southwest, a region with a rich history of metal mining and generation of mine wastes. Their overall goal is to construct a mechanistic model of how chronic exposure to mining-impacted dust that is co-contaminated with metal(loid)s and fungal spores contributes to the development of nonmalignant lung diseases. They aim to implement this model to predict exposures and associated health outcomes, to inform public health prevention in communities neighboring mine waste sites, and design remediation-based interventions to exposure.

The University of Iowa SRP Center focuses its research on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The center studies PCBs in the air, particularly in schools and those emitted from contaminated soils and water of Superfund sites. Researchers examine the health impacts of inhaled PCBs, particularly on adolescents, with a focus on neurodevelopmental and metabolic effects. The University of Iowa SRP Center's long-term goal is to develop recommendations to prevent and/or limit human exposure to airborne PCBs and to improve the health and well-being of the population.

To learn about and register for the other session in this webinar series, please see the SRP website.

Seminar: FRTR Spring 2026 General Meeting: Characterizing Groundwater/Surface Water Interfaces for Effective Site Remediation Decisions and Contaminant Cleanup (Session 1), May 20, 2026

Thu, 2 Apr 2026 13:53:30 GMT

The FRTR 2026 Spring General Meeting, conducted as two web-based virtual sessions, provides an opportunity to share best technical practices and results of recent technical advances in understanding and characterizing contaminant fate and migration across the GSI. The first virtual session explores current scientific understanding of key hydrological and biogeochemical processes affecting contaminant distribution and transport across a GSI. This session also explores available methods and tools for characterizing contaminant migration across a GSI. The second virtual session provides an overview of recent advances in development of innovative technologies for GSI characterization. The session ends with a discussion of needs for further technological development.

Seminar: FRTR Spring 2026 General Meeting: Characterizing Groundwater/Surface Water Interfaces for Effective Site Remediation Decisions and Contaminant Cleanup (Session 2), May 21, 2026

Thu, 2 Apr 2026 13:53:30 GMT

Courses and Conferences Section Update for April 2, 2026

Thu, 2 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on April 2, 2026. There is 1 new entry, for a total of 9 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

2027 National Brownfields Training Conference, May 25 - 28, 2027, Salt Lake City, UT

Seminar: "ITRC Vapor Intrusion Mitigation (VIM-1) - A Two Part Series: Session 2" from March 17, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:35:00 GMT

ITRC's Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training is a series of eight (8) modules, presented over two sessions. If you took the ITRC VIM series previously, the content has stayed the same, but the new course directs people to the Vapor Intrusion (VI) Toolkit resources published in January 2026 by ITRC.

The Vapor Intrusion Mitigation training series provides an overview of VIM and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists).

Session 1:

Introduction & Overview of Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Training Team
Conceptual Site Models for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Community Engagement During Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Rapid Response & Ventilation for Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Remediation & Institutional Controls

Session 2:

Active Mitigation Approaches
Passive Mitigation Approaches
System Verification, OM&M, Curtailment and Shutdown

When certain contaminants or hazardous substances are released into the soil or groundwater, they may volatilize into soil vapor. VI occurs when these vapors migrate up into overlying buildings and contaminate indoor air. The ITRC VI Toolkit combines the previous ITRC VI-related guidance documents (VI 2007, PVI 2014, VIM-1 2020), along with updates, into one comprehensive resource toolkit (including fact sheets, technology information sheets and checklists) published in January 2026.

After the Vapor Intrusion Mitigation series, you should understand:

How to locate and utilize the relevant document, fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists
The importance of a VI mitigation conceptual site model
How community engagement for VI mitigation differs from other environmental matters
When to implement rapid response for VI and applicable methodologies
The differences between remediation, mitigation, and institutional controls
Available technologies for active and passive mitigation, and design considerations for various approaches
How/when/why different mitigation technologies are appropriate
How to verify mitigation system success, address underperformance, and develop a plan for curtailment of a mitigation system and shutdown

We encourage you to use the ITRC VI Toolkit and these training modules to learn about VI mitigation and how you can apply these best practices to improve decision-making at your sites. For regulators and other government agency staff, this understanding of VI mitigation can be incorporated into your own programs.

While the training makes every effort to keep the information accessible to a wide audience, it is assumed that the participants will have some basic technical understanding of chemistry, environmental sciences, and risk assessment. As with other emerging contaminants, our understanding of VI mitigation continues to advance. This training provides the participants with information on areas where the science is evolving and where uncertainty persists.

Seminar: "ITRC PFAS & Biosolids: Sources, Occurrence, Transport, and Treatment" from February 26, 2026 has been added to the Internet Seminar Archives

Tue, 3 Mar 2026 20:21:00 GMT

This ITRC training will provide information on the current understanding of PFAS and biosolids, focusing on land application. It builds on the earlier topics covered in the PFAS 101 training.

This training will provide information on potential sources of PFAS in biosolids, the implications of PFAS associated with land-applied biosolids, including leaching and associated risks, and a conceptual site model. It will also cover the nature and extent of PFAS, field and laboratory considerations when assessing land application sites, factors controlling PFAS mobility, PFAS treatment options for biosolids, and PFAS uptake by plants and animals in these settings, along with approaches to modeling that uptake.

Resources and further details for the topics included in this training are available in the ITRC PFAS-1 guidance document, specifically in Sections 1.7, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 17.3, as well as in the Regulatory Programs Table.
Key topics will include:

Understanding the Sources and Types of PFAS
Considerations for Evaluating Nature & Extent of PFAS Contamination at Land Application Sites
Evaluating Fate and Transport of PFAS in the Environment from Land-Applied Biosolids
Evaluating and Modeling Risk from PFAS in Agricultural Settings
Evaluating Treatment and Management Options for PFAS in Biosolids

CLU-IN Spotlight: Brownfields 2027 Call for Ideas

Mon, 2 Mar 2026 18:22:20 GMT

The 2027 National Brownfields Training Conference Call for Ideas is open through May 31, 2026. Submit your ideas for dynamic educational sessions that explore the latest and greatest tools, methods, trends and case studies in brownfields redevelopment and revitalization. The Conference Topic Areas (Tracks) are: Brownfields Financing, Healthy and Resilient Redevelopment, Future Economic Trends and Transformation, Community Involvement and Public Participation, Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup Approaches, and Tribal Brownfield Programs.

Courses and Conferences Section Update for March 2, 2026

Mon, 2 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The CLU-IN Upcoming Courses and Conferences section was updated on March 2, 2026. There is 1 new entry, for a total of 9 upcoming courses and conferences related to hazardous waste remediation:

RemTech Europe 2026, Sep 14 - 18, 2026, Ferrara, Italy