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Welcome to TechDirect! Since the November 1 message, TechDirect gained 381 new subscribers for a total of 34,967. If you feel the service is valuable, please share TechDirect with your colleagues. Anyone interested in subscribing may do so on CLU-IN at http://clu-in.org/techdirect . All previous issues of TechDirect are archived there. The TechDirect messages of the past can be searched by keyword or can be viewed as individual issues. 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. 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/HQAFCEE/AFCEEBAA-08-001/listing.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/ . 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. Potential susceptible groups include pregnant women and their children, people with moderately low iodine intake, and those who consume foods with other iodine uptake blockers like thiocyanate. Given the large number of people in the US who are exposed to perchlorate and the important health effects associated with even minor reductions in thyroid hormone levels, the new evidence linking low levels of perchlorate to reductions in thyroid hormone could have profound public health implications. For more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/live . DoD Vapor Intrusion Handbook. This handbook was developed by the Tri-Service Environmental Risk Assessment Work Group (TSERAWG) to serve as a resource for remedial project managers (RPMs) who may need to investigate the vapor intrusion pathway at Department of Defense (DoD) sites. The Tri-Services of the DoD include the Departments of the Air Force, Army, and Navy, with the Department of the Navy (DON) including both the Navy and the Marine Corps. This handbook was developed to support RPMs working on both active and closed Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps bases, as well as Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). The handbook is intended to provide a general framework for conducting vapor intrusion investigations under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP). Both residential and occupational exposure scenarios are discussed since both groups can be affected by vapor intrusion (January 2009, 172 pages). View or download at http://www.clu-in.org/download/char/dodvihdbk200901.pdf . Review of Best Practices, Knowledge and Data Gaps, and Research Opportunities for the U.S. Department of Navy Vapor Intrusion Focus Areas. In response to the need for future research and development on reducing high costs and uncertainties of VI assessment strategies, the objective of this report is to identify existing best practices, knowledge and data gaps, and future research into new strategies and techniques. This study was supported by the Navy Environmental Sustainability Development to Integration Program (NESDI) Program, as part of the study on Improved Strategies for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion, under direction by the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific (May 2009, 86 pages). View or download at http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sti/publications/pubs/tr/1982/tr1982cond.pdf . National Contingency Plan Product Schedule. Subpart J of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) directs EPA to prepare a schedule of dispersants, other chemicals, and oil spill mitigating devices and substances that may be used to remove or control oil discharges. Subpart J is a section of the NCP which stipulates the criteria for listing and managing the use of dispersants and other chemical and biological agents used to mitigate oil spills. Subpart J is found in 40 Code of Regulations Part 300.910 (October 2009, 19 pages). View or download at http://epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/product_schedule.htm . EUGRIS Corner. New Documents on EUGRIS, the platform for European contaminated soil and water information. More than 20 resources, events projects and news items were added to EUGRIS 1 - 24 November, 2009. These can be viewed at http://www.eugris.info/whatsnew.asp . Then select the appropriate month and year for the updates in which you are interested. The following reports were featured on EUGRIS: Proceedings of the Green Remediation Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark November 2009. Sustainable approaches for decision making and soil remediation are more relevant than ever. The objective of the Green Remediation Conference is to improve the awareness of green remediation solutions among environmentalists and decision makers. The main topics were: policy drivers, decision support tools, and sustainable remediation technologies. View or download at: http://www.polytec.dk/greenremediation/default.asp?page=Proceedings . Report of the NICOLE Workshop: Sustainable Remediation - A Solution to an Unsustainable Past? 3-5 June 2009, Leuven, Belgium. NICOLE's vision for this workshop is to help find a greater understanding of what sustainable remediation is and can achieve. The workshop explored what might be meant by sustainable remediation ; linked this concept to frameworks for contaminated land management, and considered how sustainability can be included in contaminated land management decisions across Europe. NICOLE's approach will be to provide a road map about the process of using sustainability in contaminated land decision making and checklists to provide technical support to decision-makers, allowing them to examine suggestions of possible sustainability criteria or factors (indicators) and available tools and techniques in the literature or on the market along with some assessment of their utility. NICOLE is collaborating closely with SURF and SURF-UK and developing links with the Common Forum to try and develop an international consensus of what sustainable remediation is and how it should be achieved View or download at: http://www.nicole.org/documents/stream.aspx?o=2&fn=NICOLE_Docs_250.pdf . Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, Washington, DC, December 1-3, 2009. Sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), DoD's environmental science and technology program, and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), this event will provide attendees: (1) plenary session speakers offering key insights into environmental issues; (2) concurrent technical sessions and short courses covering the latest in environmental research results and technical innovations as well as unique training opportunities; (3) poster sessions featuring more than 400 technical posters; (4) exhibit booths offering information about funding opportunities in related research programs; (5) networking opportunities with more than 1,000 environmental professionals from the government, academic, and private sectors; and (6) a session providing a summary of SERDP and ESTCP funding opportunities to conduct research and demonstrations. For more information and to register, see http://www.serdp-estcp.org/symposium2009/ . Green Cleanup Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, February 10-11, 2010. This symposium is a collaborative effort of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, US Army Corps of Engineers, Wildlife Habitat Council, and the States of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Join high level decision makers and the nation's leading thinkers on green cleanup and revitalization of waste sites to discuss: The ABC's of Sustainable Reuse; Cleaning up Properties While Using Green Practices; Cutting-edge Analysis and Tools for Long-term Cleanups; Initiatives Promoting Renewable Energy on Cleanup Sites; and Ecological Revitalization at Contaminated Properties. For more information and to register, see: http://drexel.edu/cities/greencleanupsymposium.html . Vapor Intrusion Pathway: A Practical Guideline ITRC 2-day Classroom Training, Norfolk, VA on March 22-23, 2010. The ITRC 2-day Vapor Intrusion Pathway class is planned for three locations in 2010: Norfolk, Virginia (March 22-23); Boston, Massachusetts (area) (July 12-13); Atlanta, Georgia (October 4-5). Led by internationally recognized experts, this 2-day ITRC classroom training will enable you to learn the latest strategies to conduct site screening and investigations; determine what tools are appropriate to collect quality data and evaluate the results; apply multiple lines of evidence to ensure quality decision-making; build solutions for VI issues through understanding of mitigation options; and network with environmental professionals dealing with this interdisciplinary and complex pathway. Interactive learning with hands-on exhibits, classroom exercises, and frequent Q&A sessions will reinforce these course objectives and contribute to a practical understanding of this difficult pathway. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org/crt.asp . Call for Abstracts!! ConSoil 2010 - Management of Soil, Groundwater, and Sediment, Salzburg, Austria, September 22-24, 2010. The 11th edition will continue the successful programme of the ConSoil conferences. The themes of ConSoil 2010 reflect the latest topics in the management of soil, groundwater and sediment. ConSoil is the leading platform to exchange news and knowledge between: scientists, policy makers, consultants/service providers, administrators, site owners/river basin, managers, remediation companies/contractors, banking and insurance companies. The conference language will be English. Abstracts are due by December 21, 2009. For more information and to submit an abstract, see http://www.consoil.de . Call for Abstracts!! Remediation Technologies Symposium 2010 (RemTech 2010) Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, Banff, Alberta - October 20-22, 2010. The Environmental Services Association of Alberta (ESAA) invites you to submit papers and presentations focusing on technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil. The preliminary selection of papers and presentations will be based on submitted abstracts and reviewed by a panel of peers. Abstracts should be no more than 500 words and should include a presenter biography (bio not part of the word count), and must be received by May 20, 2009. For more information and to submit an abstract see, http://www.esaa-events.com/remtech/call2010.htm . NOTE: For TechDirect, we prefer to concentrate mainly on new documents and the Internet live events. However, we do support an area on CLU-IN where announcement of conferences and courses can be regularly posted. Currently there are 76 conferences and courses featured. We invite sponsors to input information on their events at http://clu-in.org/courses . Likewise, readers may visit this area for news of upcoming events that might be of interest. It allows users to search events by location, topic, time period, etc.
If you have any questions regarding TechDirect, contact Jeff Heimerman at (703) 603-7191 or heimerman.jeff@epa.gov. Remember, you may subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription address at http://clu-in.org/techdirect at any time night or day.
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