Roles:

• Sandra Bourgeois, EPA Region 8 (Instructor)
• Rich Mayer, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)

The primary mission of the Nevada Test Site has been the testing of nuclear weapons. From 1951 to 1992, when a worldwide moratorium on nuclear testing went into effect, the U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies conducted a total of 928 tests at the Nevada Test Site. The Test Site has a footprint of about 1,350 square miles (just a tad smaller than Rhode Island).

An abstract will be available soon on the exact details of the tour.

Important Logistical Information:

• Attendees must start to check-in for the site tour at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, November 26, 2012 in the Ravella’s front lobby. A representative from the U.S. Department of Energy will be onsite to conduct the check-in.
• The bus departs the Ravella at 7:30 a.m. and is estimated to return to the Ravella by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
• A grab and go breakfast box will be available for attendees to take with them on the bus. There is a café available on the tour for lunch. Please bring cash with you as this meal is not provided by the hotel or EPA.
• You may be requested in advance of the technical site tour to provide your social security number, birth date, and other information for security purposes. You will be contacted directly if this information is needed before the technical site tour.
• The following items are PROHIBITED on the Nevada National Security Site public tours. It is strongly recommended that you leave all these items in your hotel room, including your cell phone. Tour escorts are required to do random checks. If you decide to leave any valuables on the bus provided by DOE, you do so at your own risk.
  • Cameras/Camcorders
  • Cellular phones, Bluetooth enable devices and PDA, Blackberry, etc.
  • Portable Data Storage Devices and Computers
  • Recording Devices and Recorders
  • Weapons, Explosives, Incendiary Devices and Ammunition
  • Pets & Animals
  • Any Item Prohibited by Law
  • Controlled Substances
  • Binoculars and Optical Instruments
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Chemical Irritants
  • Global Positioning System (GPS)

POSSESSION OF THESE ITEMS MAY DELAY THE DEPARTURE OF THE TOUR AS WELL AS PREVENT YOUR PARTICIPATION. IF AT ANY POINT DURING THE TOUR THESE ITEMS ARE DISCOVERED, THE TOUR MAY BE TERMINATED AND SENT BACK TO RAVELLA.

Roles:

• Jacimaria Bautista, University of Nevada Las Vegas (Instructor)
• Kevin Mayer, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

Las Vegas Wash Technical Site Tour: The technical tour will visit an area near the eastern end of the Las Vegas Valley that has evolved from an industrial area using the ample power from the Hoover Dam to a developing urban area dealing with problems of water and remnants of the chemical industry. We will see how urbanization has changed a dry wash into a flowing stream, and important efforts to control and treat groundwater contamination as it threatens an important source of water for the region and entire nation.

The Las Vegas Wash is the link between the highly urbanized Las Vegas Valley and the Colorado River — the water supply for tens of millions of Americans and a major source of irrigation water for the nation's food supply. It carries the valley’s excess water — an average of more than 150 million gallons a day — creating wetlands in the desert en route to Lake Mead. The Wash transports treated wastewater, urban runoff and other commercial releases 12 miles to Las Vegas Bay, an arm of Lake Mead. Wetlands vegetation helps clean the water that comes from the valley by polishing and filtering the water, reducing pollutants as the water travels toward Lake Mead. The history of the Wash dates back millennia when Native Americans used the area surrounding the Las Vegas Wash as a food gathering spot.

During the past 30 years, the Las Vegas area of southern Nevada experienced dramatic population increases and has been one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Rising population and development rates have increased the volume of water flowing into the Valley and ultimately into the Wash. The Las Vegas Wash, typical of most desert watercourses, was a broad shallow channel with rare occasions of surface water flow during flash floods. Urbanization resulted in year round flow starting only several decades ago, which caused erosion and incision of the soft channel deposits near Henderson, NV at the lower eastern end of the Valley. The deeper channel intercepted shallow groundwater and accelerated movement of groundwater to the Wash in this area where a number of chemical manufacturing facilities had operated since WWII.

In 1997, California water agencies discovered perchlorate contamination in their Colorado River intakes hundreds of miles downstream from the Las Vegas area. At that time, State agencies as well as EPA and USGS measured about 1,000 pounds per day of perchlorate flowing from Lake Mead into the Colorado River. The contamination originated from at least one of two perchlorate-manufacturing facilities that had operated in the Las Vegas Wash area from the 1945 through the late 1990s. Major innovative activities to capture and treat the contaminants flowing into the Wash have reduced the perchlorate flux in the Colorado River from 1,000 pounds per day in 2002 to about 100 pounds per. The State of Nevada oversees a system of groundwater extraction and biological treatment for one major perchlorate plume and an in situ (underground) biological treatment system for a second plume. Addition of a carbon source and nutrients to the water enable microorganisms to grow and destroy the perchlorate through anoxic respiration. The highly soluble and mobile perchlorate could also be considered a tracer for transport of other components of the groundwater near the plumes.

• http://ndep.nv.gov/bca/perchlorate05.htm
• http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/water_issues/programs/remediation/perchlorate/04_0720_clo4_task_force.pdf
• http://www.lvvwd.com/wq/facts_perchlorate.html
• http://www.epa.gov/region9/toxic/perchlorate/per_nv.html
• http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Jan-11-Sat-2003/news/20444978.html

Important Logistical Information:

• Attendees must start to check-in for the site tour at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, November 26, 2012 in the Ravella’s front lobby.
• The bus departs the Ravella at 8:30 a.m. promptly and is estimated to return to the Ravella by 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
• Participants will need to eat breakfast at the Ravella before check-in at 8:00 a.m. Lunch at the Ravella will be available upon return from the tour.
• Participants should wear comfortable shoes or sneakers for the site tour.

Roles:

• Terence Barry, Aquamost, Inc. (Instructor)
• Michael Blaylock, Edenspace Systems Corporation (Instructor)
• Heather Henry, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Instructor)
• Brian Leen, Los Gatos Research, Inc. (Instructor)
• William Tolley, Seacost Science, Inc. (Instructor)
• Bikas Vaidya, Lynntech (Instructor)
• Robert Weber, EPA Office of Science Policy (Instructor, Moderator)

Cutting Edge Technologies: This three hour and thirty-minute (half-day) panel session will feature five topics that focus on the information transfer of innovative technologies in the research and development stage by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP). The Superfund Research Program (SRP) is a network of university and small-business grants that are designed to seek solutions to the complex health and environmental issues associated with the nation's hazardous waste sites. The research conducted by the SRP is a coordinated effort with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Featured in this panel session is cutting-edge-technology, small-business- innovative-research for phytoremediation, vapor intrusion monitoring, DNAPL monitoring, water treatment, and ambient air monitoring. By participating in this panel, participants will achieve a practitioner’s understanding of the innovative and cutting-edge technology research showcased in each of the following presentations and the potential future applicability to site investigation and remediation:

• Enhanced Endophyte: Poplar System for Remediation of Organic Contaminants
  Edenspace Systems Corporation
  Speaker: Michael Blaylock
  Grant Number: R43ES20099
  
  Edenspace Systems Corporation is developing a novel phytoremediation technology using poplar-tree associated endophytic fungi and bacteria that are capable of metabolizing TCE.  Their innovative system will degrade the organic contaminant in planta, reducing both the toxicity to the plant and the amount released aerially through transpiration while also enabling the microbes to act on subsurface contamination through the tree's deep (>5m) root system. A single mature tree is expected to process over one hundred liters of water per day. Proof-of-concept laboratory studies with inoculated trees and contaminated water have demonstrated the endophytic system’s ability to improve TCE removal rates. Additional strains are also being developed to address PAHs in the root zone. Field validation studies are anticipated in 2013-2014. 
  
  
• Field Deployable Vapor Intrusion Monitor
  Lynntech, Inc.
  Speaker: Bikas Vaidya
  Grant Number: R43ES21625
  
  Researchers at Lynntech are developing a compact, lightweight and easy to operate vapor intrusion monitor capable of providing rapid test results. The technology combines: solid phase extraction for selective capture and pre-concentration of volatile organic carbons, and infrared (IR) fingerprinting for the unambiguous identification of the analytes. The device can be used both inside and outside of a building to monitor volatile and semi-volatile toxic chemicals such as: trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polybrominated diphenyls. It is designed to log and transmit data and to operate for extended periods without intervention. In its current state of development, it can detect less than 10 parts per billion (ppb) of PCE and less than 20 ppb of TCE in air with 20 minutes capture at 1 liter per minute. The detection limits can be improved by increasing the sample volume through flow rate and capture time adjustment. Development of a field deployable prototype and field testing to gather data and identify improvement opportunities are planned for the Phase II of the project.
  
  
• Low-Cost Electronic Nose for Groundwater Contaminants
  Seacoast Science, Inc.
  Speaker: Sanjay V. Patel
  Grant Number: R44ES16941
  
  Seacoast Science, Inc., is in the 2nd year of a 2-year Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Seacoast is developing a low cost sensor system capable of detecting and monitoring dense non-aqueous phase liquids in the subsurface and groundwater, unattended, and in real-time from within a push-probe, using a chemicapacitor array and miniature preconcentrator. The systems have MEMS microcapacitor sensor arrays that can monitor for leaks of toxic chemicals, contaminants from wastes, and changes in groundwater streams. Seacoast will also introduce a device for long-term monitoring of vapor intrusion near brownfields and Superfund sites. The system automates sample collection, detection, analysis, and data transmission using microsensor technology without the need of pressurized gases or continuous attention. The system will be small, easily portable, safe and affordable. Seacoast has tested various sorbent materials as preconcentrator materials, and sensors, and worked to optimize the sensitivity of the system. In addition, Seacoast has also begun to apply the preconcentrator technology to the problem of vapor intrusion monitoring.
  
  
• Continued Development of Photoelectrocatalytic Oxidation for Treating Gasoline Contamination
  AquaMost, LLC
  Speaker: Terence P. Barry
  Grant Number: R44ES17576
  
  AquaMost is developing a water treatment device based on a technology called photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PECO). The focus for this project is using PECO systems to treat groundwater contaminated with organic pollutants released from leaking underground storage tanks. Two chemical classes are of particular concern: aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly the BTEX chemicals benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and three isomers of xylene, and fuel oxygenates, particularly methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). In addition, they are exploring the applicability of this technology for hydraulic fracking flowback water. The Phase II technology is now field ready and very close to being commercial ready.
  
  
• Laser-Based Spectrometer for Real-Time Monitoring of VOCs at Superfund sites
  Los Gatos Research, Inc.
  Speaker: J. Brian Leen
  Grant Number: 1R43ES021129 — 01
  
  Los Gatos Research (LGR) is developing an autonomous instrument for the real-time monitoring of sub-parts per billion (ppb) levels of VOCs in ambient air without requiring extensive consumables. The VOC analyzer will use LGR's mid infrared (MIR) incoherent cavity ringdown spectroscopy (iCRDS) technology, which utilizes a broadly tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (8.3 - 12.5 5m) and chemometric fitting algorithm to directly measure and analyze optical absorption due to multiple VOCs in ambient air. Results from deployment of a prototype at a Superfund site will be discussed.

Roles:

• Robert Sullivan, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)

Environmental Statutes for RPMs, a half-day course, provides a basic history and describes the major provisions of EPA statutes, such as the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Participants learn how statutes and regulations are developed. The course provides an overview of U.S. environmental regulations that have been created to control, manage or modify our activities and the effects of these regulations on the health of human beings and the natural environment.

Additionally, the course covers the history of environmental laws and the origins of EPA. This course is of great value to all RPMs who need to understand how environmental statutes, regulations and policies are formulated and implemented.

Roles:

• Sheri Bianchin, EPA Region 5 (Instructor, Moderator)
• Lori Cora, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• Cecilia De Robertis, EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (Instructor)
• Bethany Dreyfus, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Chip Love, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Sarah Mueller, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Steve Ridenour, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Dante Rodriguez, EPA Region 9 (Instructor, Moderator)

Institutional Controls 2012 ("The IC experience"): Institutional Controls (IC) are non-engineered components of a remedy, including legal mechanisms and communication mechanisms to protect the remedy. Most Superfund sites require effective ICs to ensure that our remedies remain protective. The first hour covers the basics on ICs – what are they, what are the different types and what role do they play in a CERCLA remedy. Then spend the remaining time on implementing ICs, with tips and lessons based on the newest guidance documents, issues and case studies. Some issues that will be addressed include, ICs on tribal land, IC enforcement and vapor intrusion.

Roles:

• Christopher Black, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Dave Phillips, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)

RCRA for RPMs, a half-day course, explains the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements that apply or are relevant and appropriate to most cleanups under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The course focuses on specific technical and regulatory issues that RPMs address in treating, transporting and disposing of waste. The workshop is designed for participants with a limited understanding of RCRA and for RPMs with a good knowledge of RCRA who want a refresher course or additional instruction in specific RCRA topics. By attending the workshop, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn to navigate the legal framework for implementing RCRA. The workshop guides participants through the labyrinth of statutory and regulatory requirements that govern identification and management of hazardous waste. It also addresses state authorization and the applicability of state and federal hazardous waste regulations to CERCLA cleanups.
• Practice how to decide whether a waste is defined as hazardous under RCRA. The ability to decide whether a waste is RCRA hazardous is critical in determining the applicability of RCRA hazardous waste management requirements to CERCLA response actions. The course explores the complex definitions of solid and hazardous waste and provides real-life examples of how to decide whether wastes are RCRA hazardous during a remedial action.
• Learn about the similarities and differences between RCRA Corrective Action and CERCLA through a case study format.

Roles:

• Renee Yuengling, Renee Yuengling & Associates (Instructor)

Stand and Deliver Effective Presentations, a half-day course, teaches participants how to make better presentations to the public, their peers or management. This fast-paced, hands-on workshop improves your presentation skills and provides you with tools and techniques to be an interesting and effective presenter.

What is in it for you?:

• More polished platform skills
• Improved ability to manage content
• Greater skill using a variety of training methods
• Enhanced ability to create and use visual aids
• Ability to manage your audience

As part of the course, participants are given the opportunity to stand and deliver in front of the class. Participants learn about and contribute the "gift of feedback" as part of this exercise.

Note: A short B.Y.O.P (Bring Your Own PowerPoint) portion is a part of the course offering. Participants should bring a brief electronic presentation (on USB or CD) to the course that includes three to five slides and be prepared to deliver for 5 to 10 minutes. The subject of the presentation does not matter, however, we recommend that it is technical in nature and is related to your own project, site or field of expertise.

Roles:

• David Bartenfelder, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor, Moderator)
• Helen Dawson, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Jim Dilorenzo, EPA Region 1 (Instructor)
• Bethany Dreyfus, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Janet Rosati, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Brian Schumacher, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)

TCE and Vapor Intrusion: What’s New on the Horizon: In this half-day session, presenters will utilize case studies and provide lessons learned over the last few years to support what’s up and coming in the Final EPA Vapor Intrusion guidance. The presenters will delve into relevant hot topics, including application of the new TCE short-term (subchronic) toxicity values, use of multiple lines of evidence for VI assessment and decision-making, and the latest field studies and investigative and mitigative tools and strategies.

Roles:

• David Jenkins, EPA Region 4 (Panelist)
• Herb Levine, EPA Region 9 (Panelist)
• Luanne Vanderpool, EPA Region 5 (Panelist)
• John Wilson, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)

An Approach for Evaluating the Progress of Natural Attenuation in Groundwater: This intermediate-level training class is an overview of the recently published document, An Approach for Evaluating the Progress of Natural Attenuation in Groundwater (EPA/600/R-11/204), authored by John T. Wilson, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, EPA Office of Research and Development and developed in conjunction with the EPA Technical Support Project Ground Water Forum. The document describes a simple, statistically-based approach for evaluating ground water monitoring data before monitored natural attenuation (MNA) has been selected as a remedy and for evaluating ground water monitoring data after selection (such as during a five year review). This training provides an overview of the document, explains the statistical methods for evaluating natural attenuation, and illustrates them with detailed examples. By taking this course, participants learn:

• What questions this analysis can answer
• What types of sites are appropriate for this evaluation approach
• What are the pros and cons for these methods, limitations of the techniques, and potential pitfalls when drawing conclusions based on the this evaluation
• What are the assumptions of this technique
• The step-by-step procedures used in this approach

The instructional methodology for this class is lecture with integrated case studies.

The target audience for this course is RPMs and technical staff who review ground water monitoring data and evaluations to determine the progress of natural attenuation and or make decisions based on such evaluations.

There will not be a formal plenary session on Monday evening. Attendees are provided the opportunity to network, exchange lessons learned, and share experiences from the last NARPM Training Program.

• Welcome to NARPM
• Remarks from EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI)
• Remarks from EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
• ROD of the Year Award

Roles:

• Melissa Friedland, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Panelist)

A Win-Win-Win: The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) is designed to introduce RPMs to the benefits of the training program at Superfund sites for the EPA, site contractors and the surrounding communities. Participants enrolled in the course:

• Learn about the history and background of SuperJTI. The course features presentations from the SuperJTI National Program Managers including details from recently completed programs.
• Discuss each phase of the program and how it has been implemented at different sites. The course explores site contractor and site staff involvement with the program and the eventual employment of the individuals trained.
• Listen to two testimonials from RPMs currently involved with SuperJTI in Regions 2 and 9. The RPMs explain how SuperJTI helped the EPA in various ways including building community trust and facilitating job placement for residents at environmental ustice and tribal sites.
• Learn how to get a SuperJTI at their site. The course teaches how to determine if a site is a good candidate for SuperJTI given site contractor employment and cleanup needs.

The instructional methodology for the course includes presentations, testimonials and a question and answer session. The target audience for the course is all RPMs, especially those with upcoming cleanup projects requiring entry level labor within 1-2 years.

Roles:

• Scott Huling, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)
• Raji Josiam, EPA Region 6 (Moderator, Panelist)

Critical Analysis of Issues at ISCO Sites focuses on four specific In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) issues (1) Groundwater Sample Preservation Methods, (2) Metals Mobilization, (3) Impact on Natural Attenuation, (4) Aquifer Clogging and follows on the chemical oxidation panel session at the 2011 NARPM Annual Training Program. The target audience for this course is all RPMs.

The 2012 session presents research results involving several oxidants (permanganate, persulfate) and their impact on groundwater quality. Results of the study are presented which includes guidelines and recommendations involving specific steps and procedures used to preserve binary mixture groundwater samples. Overall, if an oxidant is detected in either groundwater or bench-scale aqueous samples, and the binary sample is not appropriately detected and preserved, the quality of the sample is likely to be compromised. A new EPA Technical Support Project Ground Water Forum issue paper is provided to attendees.

The presentation also examines the following important issues when considering the deployment of ISCO at hazardous waste sites from a fundamental perspective and in conjunction with reported laboratory and field results and observations - metals mobilization, impact on natural attenuation processes, and aquifer clogging or well fouling. Specifically, the following assertions are often raised during the feasibility analysis of ISCO: (1) precipitation of manganese (Mn) as manganese dioxide (MnO₂(s)) causes a reduction of aquifer permeability, (2) the oxidant will negatively impact microbial activity and post-oxidation natural attenuation, and (3) metals mobilization will result in a heavy metal ground water plume that is more toxic. This presentation further clarifies specific mechanisms/causes which may contribute to these issues.

Roles:

• Sandra Bourgeois, EPA Region 8 (Panelist)
• Michael Gill, EPA Office of Research and Development (Moderator, Panelist)
• Vincent Malott, EPA Region 6 (Panelist)
• Ardra Morgan, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)
• Muhammad Slam, Utah Department of Environmental Quality (Panelist)
• Dena Vallano, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)

Engineering Forum Case Studies Session: The Technical Support Project’s (TSP) Engineering Forum is planning a 2-hour session focusing on 3 current engineering-based topics of interest to RPMs (and RCRA project managers and On-Scene Coordinators) with time for questions and answers and discussions following the presentations. Two topics provide practical lessons learned for onsite cleanup work and the third provides ideas for reducing environmental footprint at military installations that can be applied to other facility operations. The topics include:

• A discussion of closure criteria for Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) sites, including numerical standards and performance based standards. The presentation also covers related work on closure guidance by the EPA’s Office of Research and Development.
• A discussion on the selection of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) as a remedy for two groundwater plumes at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. The presenters describe how the EPA Region 8 with technical assistance from the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) Ada, Oklahoma Laboratory, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and Hill AFB worked together to select MNA as part of the Record of Decision (ROD) at two sites.
• A discussion on the "Army Net Zero" project, which is a holistic approach to addressing energy, water, and waste at Army installations that can "appropriately steward available resources, manage cost and provide for a sustainable future." The EPA’s ORD signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Army and two Army installations have been selected as pilot sites (Washington state and Kansas). The primary goal is to promote sustainable resource management and to achieve net zero water, waste, and energy use at 17 Army facilities by the 2020 through targeting reduction, re-purposing, recycling or composting, and recovery activities. The Engineering Forum has provided training at previous NARPM programs on Greener Cleanups, this topic is considered an extension of that work and goes beyond cleanups to include reducing the environmental footprint of operations at sites with or without waste issues.

Roles:

• Brian Beveridge, AMCO Metals Superfund Site and West Oakland Lead Removal Community Advisory Group (Panelist)
• Craig Cooper, EPA Region 9 (Panelist)
• Cecilia De Robertis, EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (Panelist)
• Sharon Lin, EPA Region 9 (Panelist)

Environmental Justice Tools and Case Studies: This session provides class participants with new information on how to achieve the goals of Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, at Superfund sites. Environmental justice concepts in CERCLA, EPA’s environmental justice policy and the use of environmental justice tools are integrated with case studies from Superfund sites, a dynamic community guest speaker and a lively class exercise. By the end of the class, participants should have a better idea on how to identify, set priorities and act on environmental justice concerns at their Superfund site.

Roles:

• Matthew Charsky, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Panelist)
• Bill Denman, EPA Region 4 (Panelist)
• Linda Fiedler, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Panelist)
• Sherrel Henry, EPA Region 2 (Panelist)

Ground Water Success Stories Update is a 2 hour session that provides an update on the efforts to identify successful groundwater remedial actions. The session discusses the EPA’s previous work to evaluate groundwater successes at sites that have been deleted from the NPL and provides an update regarding sites where significant progress in meeting groundwater remedial action objectives has been made. The session covers what constitutes "success" at a groundwater remedial action and examines common factors at successful sites.

The instructional methodology for this session includes presentations and discussions. The target audience for this course is RPMs and other site managers.

Roles:

• Marlene Berg, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Presenter)
• Fred Dolislager, The University of Tennessee (Presenter)
• Charles Partridge, EPA Region 8 (Presenter)

Human Health Risk Assessment Tools and Information for RPMs provides information on risk assessment tools, the status of re-assessment of the preliminary remediation goal (PRG) for dioxin, and other risk assessment topics likely to be of interest to RPMs.

By attending this 1 hour and 45 minute information session, participants:

• Become more familiar with the on-line EPA Regional Screening Levels (RSL) for more than 600 chemicals that are used to identify chemicals of potential concern at cleanup sites. (The RSLs have replaced the EPA Region 3 risk-based concentrations [RBC], the EPA Region 6 screening levels, and the EPA Region 9 PRGs.)
• Find out the latest status of PRGs for dioxin. Lower values will make dioxin an issue at more cleanup sites
• Update on the draft polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) non-cancer assessment
• Learn about updates to residential lead risk assessment.

Speakers include the co-chair for the Lead Technical Review Workgroup (TRW) and staff from the Office of Superfund Technology and Innovation (OSRTI). The instructional methodology for this information session includes lecture and discussion. The target audience for this information session is RPMs of all experience levels.

Roles:

• Doug Grosse, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)
• Robert Seal, U.S. Geological Survey (Panelist)
• Robert Weber, EPA Office of Science Policy (Panelist)

Rare Earth Elements: This two-hour session will feature three presentations that focus on the emerging environmental aspects of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). REEs (i.e. Lanthanides) are a group of 15 chemical elements. Additionally, scandium and yttrium are often included with REEs. While these elements are relatively abundant in the earth’s crust, they are challenging to obtain economically because they rarely occur in concentrated forms. These elements are critical components of many of today’s "high tech" and "renewable energy" technologies and products such as smart phones, hybrid vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels and are key to our national defense system. Historically, the U.S. supplied most of the world’s demand. However, over the past 20 plus years, China has been supplying over 95 percent of the world’s demand. With increasing reductions in this foreign supply, the U.S. is challenged to rapidly develop its own REE mineral resources. With this sense of urgency to develop the domestic supply, there is increased focus on locating and mining domestic mineral reserves and developing robust recycling processes. Environmental aspects are not well understood, but information is being rapidly collected in this emerging area. Many EPA regions at some point in time in the near future will likely have to address some environmental aspect of REEs either through mining/milling, resource processing, and/or recycling of materials and the associated solid and liquid wastes. By participating in this information/panel session, participants will achieve a practitioner’s understanding of the environmental aspects of REEs from each of the following three presentations:

1. Introduction to the Rare Earth Elements — Robert J. Weber, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Office of Science Policy, Regional Science Program, located in Region 7, Lenexa, Kansas
   
   Mr. Weber will provide a brief introduction on the geochemistry of REEs, why we are interested in them, where they are located in the U.S., and what may be some of their associated potential environmental impacts.
   
2. Geologic and Environmental Characteristics of Rare Earth Element Deposit Types Found in the United States — Robert R. Seal, Ph.D., U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Resources Center, Reston, Virginia
   
   Dr. Seal will provide a detailed discussion on REE ore bearing deposits, mineral mining and resource processing aspects, and where wastes are likely to be generated.
   
3. Rare Earth Element Research, Sustainable Materials Management, and EPA’s Potential Role — John McKernan, Sc.D., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Engineering Technical Support Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
   
   Dr. McKernan will present a discussion on current REE research, identify key issues for efficient extraction and use of materials, discuss efficient use of REEs to achieve sustainable use of REEs in the high tech/clean tech industry; outline a potential role for EPA in providing critical information to industry on REEs across the life cycle supply chain and ongoing ORD technical support/collaboration with DOE.
   

Real-time audience participation during this session is encouraged. A panel comprised of instructors and other ORD/regional staff will address any questions from the audience. The instructional methodology for this course includes a combination of lecture, case studies, and audience participation/discussion. The target audience for this course is all RPMs and other cleanup program staff.

Roles:

• Katie Brown, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (Panelist)
• John Frey, EPA Region 7 (Panelist)
• Laura Knudsen, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Panelist)
• Hilary Thornton, EPA Region 4 (Panelist)
• Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 (Moderator, Panelist)

RECs, Renewables, and Remediation: What does it all mean and how do I do it?: This introductory level session provides an overview of the spectrum of options available to reduce, or at least offset, the energy footprint of your sites. We explain what renewable energy credits (REC) really are, provide information about generating small-scale renewable energy on-site using mobile systems and cover the basics of how to evaluate the feasibility of using on-site renewable energy to power a remedy. The session includes a presentation on a Screening-Level Renewable Energy Assessment that was conducted for a site in the EPA Region 3, which systematically evaluated the existing energy infrastructure available for the site and options for onsite electricity generation via wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower. After the formal presentations, we plan to open up the floor for a question and answer session. Our goal is that participants leave the session with sufficient information to feel comfortable evaluating and selecting greener energy strategies for their sites. This course should be suitable for all RPMs.

Managing Performance through Diversity
Dr. Renée Yuengling, Renée Yuengling & Associates LLC

Roles:

• Reggie Cheatham, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Instructor)
• Mary Cooke, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Instructor)
• Stuart Hunt, EPA Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (Instructor)
• Monica McEaddy, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Instructor)
• Ellen Treimel, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Instructor)

The Federal Facilities Program Update, a half-day session, providing an update on current initiatives and national issues that affect federal facility cleanup sites. This session focuses on current Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) and Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO) issues, including a panel on recent enforcement issues specific to Federal Facilities. The update is divided into three parts:

• Part One features Reggie Cheatham, Director of FFRRO in the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Mr. Cheatham provides a headquarters perspective on national issues such as munitions, groundwater, institutional controls, the Federal Facilities Site Evaluation Project, document tracking, new 5-year review guidance and Goal Harmonization activities.
• Part Two features Dave Kling, Director of FFEO in the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Mr. Kling provides an update on compliance and enforcement issues in this sector, including recent disputes and penalty actions. As part of this discussion there is a panel discussion to address recent enforcement issues specific to Federal Facilities.
• Part Three is reserved for a question and answer period for attendees about issues related to their site cleanup. This allows the attendees an opportunity to raise their concerns about the federal facility program and identify issues that are occurring nationally.

The target audience for this panel session is EPA RPMs working at federal facility sites.

Roles:

• Deana Crumbling, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

Fundamentals of Incremental Soil Sampling is a half-day course that focuses on improving the effectiveness of decision-making about remedy selection and design for soil cleanups. Performance reviews tend to list "inadequate site characterization" as a culprit in cleanup projects that drag on for years due to multiple cycles of sampling and cleanup events.

• Why should soil characterization be so difficult?
• Why do soil data sometimes seem to not make sense?
• Did you know that soil data will indicate that more hot spots are present if the laboratory analyzes a smaller soil sample than if it analyzes a larger sample?
• Did you know you can use the data from routine QC checks (such as laboratory duplicates) to ascertain the degree of sampling error

This lecture course explains why the nature of soil makes generating representative contaminant concentration data for soil and sediment particularly challenging. What is necessary to get reliable soil data? The solutions lie both in the field and in the laboratory, from selection of how many field samples to collect to processing of the sample prior to laboratory subsampling and analysis.

The target audience is RPMs, OSCs, Quality Assurance reviewers, and others who review or write sampling and analysis plans and use soil data to make decisions. The information presented in this course is a prerequisite for attending the Avoiding Pitfalls in Environmental Sampling and the Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling courses. A CD of various Excel spreadsheet-based calculators for Incremental Composite Sampling-related calculations is provided.

Roles:

• Sara Jacobs, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Ellen Manges, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (Instructor)
• Krissy Russell-Hedstrom, Skeo Solutions (Instructor)
• Robert Shewack, EPA Region 1 (Instructor)
• LaTonya Spencer, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Suzanne Wells, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

How an Informed Community Makes an RPM's Life Easier: During this half-day course, RPMs learn about the latest updates to the Community Engagement Initiative from Ellen Manges, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). In addition, RPMs and Community Involvement Coordinators (CIC) share their lessons learned about:

• Community Involvement Plans (CIP). LaTonya Spencer, EPA Region 4, discusses the CIP for the Cabot /Koppers site. During the past two years, the current site team has fallen under scrutiny due to the community’s concern about the EPA’s perceived inability to "appropriately" communicate with the community about site activities. As a result, the site team participated in many community and individual meetings to discuss site-specific activities, the Superfund process, and the CIP. This CIP won the CIP of the Year award in fiscal year 2011; it presents a thoughtful and well-developed Action Plan that is targeted to the community’s specific concerns and unique needs and describes the specific community involvement activities and resources the EPA is using to help the community be actively involved in the cleanup process
• Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA). Bob Shewack, EPA Region 1, provides an overview of the TANA process that has been developed to identify whether a community requires additional support from the EPA in order to understand technical information and enable meaningful community involvement in the Superfund decision-making process. Members of the community are interviewed in order to get their views on how the community is receiving technical information about a site; whether the community needs additional assistance in order to understand and respond to site-related technical information; and whether there are organizations in the community that are interested or involved in site related issues and capable of acting as an appropriate conduit for technical assistance services to the affected community. The TANA process produces a blue- print for designing a coordinated effort to meet the community’s needs for additional technical assistance. An exercise is included.
• Northeast Church Rock (NECR) Mine Site. Sara Jacobs, EPA Region 9, shares the story of conducting a TANA at the former uranium mine located immediately adjacent to the Navajo Reservation boundary. The NECR Mine Site is the largest and highest priority uranium mine on the Navajo Nation. Soil contaminated with low-level radiation will be removed and placed in a lined and capped cell on the nearby United Nuclear Corporation/General Electric (UNC/GE) Mill Superfund site. The plan is based on more than six years of work and over 10 public meetings with the local community, the Navajo Nation, and others to ensure that the EPA heard, considered and addressed the questions and concerns of all stakeholders.

Roles:

• Barbara Alfano, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Damian Duda, EPA Region 2 (Instructor)
• Kristin Giacalone, EPA Region 2 (Instructor)
• Bruce Means, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Manuel Ronquillo, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (Instructor)
• Michael Torres, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)

Superfund Cleanup Case Studies in Saving Time and Money is a panel session with audience participation that focuses on discussing the benefit of using innovative techniques in project management to accelerate remedial design (RD) and remedial action (RA). By attending this session, RPMs and other participants will just not hear about these innovative approaches, they also will discuss how these strategies and others implemented by audience members may be carried over to other sites. Background and concepts to be discussed include:

• In 2010, the EPA initiated a three-year Integrated Cleanup Initiative (ICI) to identify and implement improvements to the Agency’s site cleanup programs and certain pilot projects were selected to demonstrate these efficiencies. As the third and final year approaches, a number of success stories can be shared about the innovative approaches to cleanup.
• Results from five of the nine pilot projects that have been completed are presented: Davis Liquid Waste (Region 1), South Jersey Clothing Company and Garden State Cleaners (Region 2), Ellenville Scrap Iron and Metal (Region 2), Flash Cleaners (Region 4) and McGaffey and Main Groundwater Plume Site (Region 6).
• Concepts to be discussed include
  1. The use of the Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) removal contract for RAs,
  2. The use of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in conducting RD/RA,
  3. Conducting concurrent RD and RA,
  4. Use of in-house resources for RD,
  5. Separating the RD into media specific designs,
  6. Optimizing the design of a vapor intrusion mitigation system and an enhanced soil vapor extraction system to rapidly achieve Human Exposure Under Control using third�party technical experts and
  7. The use of special accounts in RD/RA negotiations.
• Audience participants are invited to highlight for discussion any promising practices used at other sites or other as-of-yet untried new ideas for project acceleration.

This panel includes presentations, case studies and interactive brainstorming intended to help RPMs consider whether they can apply the ideas presented to their sites. The target audience for this session is RPMs with sites that may be writing a Record of Decision (ROD) this year or starting RD or RA within the next few years.

Roles:

• Tom Bloom, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Fran Costanzi, EPA Region 8 (Instructor)
• Cecilia De Robertis, EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (Instructor)
• Bill Denman, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Melissa Friedland, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Gary Riley, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

Supporting Reuse Post-ROD: Why Now?: The 2010 reuse guidance document, Considering Reasonably Anticipated Future Land Use and Reducing Barriers to Reuse at EPA-lead Superfund Remedial Sites (PDF) discusses what activities can be done to support reuse throughout the cleanup process. While many opportunities exist to consider reuse pre-Record of Decision (ROD), exploring post-ROD reuse options can lead to a number of concerns – will we have to reopen the ROD? What if communities now want a reuse the site cannot support? Who will support the changes? Is it not too late to work with the community to explore these issues?

This half-day session provides an overview of activities encouraged in the 2010 guidance, but also explores overarching reasons and opportunities for why and how it can be productive to consider reuse at a post-ROD site. In addition, the participants hear from a number of RPMs sharing examples of reuse support provided at their post-ROD sites. The case studies highlight why the activity was undertaken, concerns or issues at the outset of the project, and how the reuse activity benefited the community and the EPA. The course concludes with a summary of key opportunities to engage stakeholders in reuse activities at post-ROD sites and the resources available to make this happen.

By participating in the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn strategies for supporting the reuse of sites throughout the cleanup process.
• Understand what criteria to look for when evaluating which post-ROD sites would benefit from a reuse evaluation or reuse planning process.
• Participate in case study discussions led by RPMs discussing the specific issues, opportunities and approaches taken to support reuse at cleaned up sites.
• Obtain key take-home messages about opportunities to support reuse activities post-ROD.
• Learn about resources available to help with post-ROD reuse activities.

Roles:

• R. Paul Philp, University of Oklahoma (Instructor)
• Luanne Vanderpool, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• John Wilson, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)

Using Compound-Specific Isotope Analyses to Evaluate Biodegradation and MNA at Chlorinated Solvent Sites is a half-day course that provides an introduction to Compound-Specific Isotopes Analyses (CSIA) and the use of CSIA to evaluate biodegradation and monitored natural attenuation (MNA) at chlorinated solvent contaminated sites. The class begins at a fundamental level, but builds in complexity to an intermediate to advanced level.

The traditional approach of monitoring a reduction in the concentrations of contaminants at sites does not always offer compelling documentation that the contaminants are actually being degraded. When data on concentrations are the only data available, it may be difficult or impossible to exclude the possibility that the reduction in contaminant concentrations are caused by some other process such as dilution or dispersion, or that the monitoring wells failed to adequately sample the plume of contaminated groundwater. Stable isotope analyses can provide unequivocal documentation that degradation processes actually destroyed the contaminant. When organic contaminants are degraded in the environment, the ratio of stable isotopes will often change, and the extent of degradation can be recognized and predicted from the change in the ratio of stable isotopes. Recent advances in analytical chemistry make it possible to perform CSIA on dissolved organic contaminants such as chlorinated solvents, at concentrations in water that are near their regulatory standards. CSIA can be used to determine whether compounds such as cis-dichloroethene (DCE) and Vinyl Chloride are being degraded in groundwater.

The objectives of this training is to provide RPMs and technical staff an introduction to stable isotopes and CSIAs, to illustrate the application of CSIA to evaluate degradation and outline a simple graphical approach to organize and interpret the behavior of the transformation products and distinguish degradation from dilution and dispersion using CSIA. The class also includes a discussion of quality assurance/quality control considerations for CSIA. The instructional methodology for this class is lecture with integrated case studies. The target audience for this course is RPMs and technical staff.

Roles:

• Kira Lynch, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)
• John McKernan, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)
• Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 (Instructor)

RPM Recognition
NARPM Co-Chairs

Update on Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS)

Administrative Remarks

Roles:

• Steve Dyment, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Kira Lynch, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)
• Rich Muza, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)

Best Practices for More Effective Characterization and Remedy Implementation: Effective project administration in today’s challenging Superfund environment requires aggressive management of scientific, financial, social and policy processes. This half-day course uses case study examples to highlight best management and technical practices associated with meeting challenges in systematic planning and project implementation. By taking this course, participants gain a better understanding of the following concepts:

• Conducting comprehensive systematic project planning
• Using and refining conceptual site models
• Optimizing the remedial investigation
• Designing incremental and discrete sampling approaches to meet risk assessment needs
• Defining remedy objectives and performance metrics more effectively
• Increasing decision confidence through dynamic sampling and dynamic engineering controls
• Developing and executing exit strategies

This course highlights scientific and policy challenges encountered at many Superfund sites with groundwater, soil and sediment contamination, as well as successful strategies employed to manage these issues. Recent innovations in analytical tools, sampling designs, visualization software and remedy design and implementation require new thinking to effectively integrate these tools into the Superfund process. This session provides examples of practices used to systematically plan for and use these tools to implement protective, cost-effective and targeted remedies. This course is recommended for both new and more experienced RPMs, site managers and technical support personnel.

Roles:

• Katherine Garufi, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Nancy Jones, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

Close Out Procedures for National Priorities List Sites is a half-day course designed to assist RPMs in understanding the requirements for achieving and documenting accomplishments for site close out. The EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) issued an updated version of the Close Out Procedures guidance in May 2011. The guidance describes the recommended process for accomplishing and documenting four key milestones for sites on the National Priorities List (NPL): remedial action completion, construction completion, site completion, and site deletion (including partial deletion). This training assists new RPMs in understanding the requirements for each accomplishment; more experienced RPMs learn about the important changes that were made in the revised guidance.

Roles:

• Carlos Pachon, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Karen Scheuermann, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Hilary Thornton, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 (Instructor)

Greener Cleanups: Environmental Footprint Methodology is a half-day advanced session on the EPA’s newly developed Environmental Footprint Methodology. Participants walk through the Methodology and are provided with the necessary materials to participate in the exercise. The course is structured to help participants understand how footprint evaluations are conducted, major consideration in interpreting results, and how the information generated supports decision-making in the selection of footprint reduction measures. A hands-on exercise provides participants with different perspectives on application of the Methodology. The session includes:

• Case studies of footprint evaluations completed at sites with remedies including pump and treat, bioremediation, and excavation and offsite disposal
• Interpretation of results
• Application of footprint reduction measures
• Hand-on exercise
• Discussion of scenarios common in application of the Environmental Footprint Methodology
• Demonstration of the Spreadsheets for Environmental Footprint Analysis (SEFA)

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and group exercises. The target audience is RPMs who expect to perform environmental footprint analysis at their site or receive and review evaluations performed by others.

Roles:

• Mark Reising, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)
• Dennisses Valdes, EPA (Instructor)

Health and Safety Issues for Site Managers: Recent health and safety audits of various sites have noted some health and safety concerns. This half-day course discusses the audits and focuses on examples of health and safety issues and solutions. Issues planned for discussion include health and safety plans (HASP), asbestos awareness, vehicle and transportation safety and injury and illness reporting. The responsibilities of site managers also are addressed.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and group discussions. The target audience for this course is RPMs and other site managers.

Roles:

• Sai Appaji, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)
• Therese Gioia, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)
• Andrew Goldman, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)

Legal Issues: Access and Records Management is a half-day training course designed to instruct RPMs on entry to private property to implement Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response actions and on efficiently managing site records. Issues to be covered include (1) sources and limitations on entry authority under the U.S. Constitution (due process, takings and free speech), CERCLA and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP); (2) preparing to seek consent to enter from property owners; (3) tools used to document consent; (4) defining what constitutes a record; and (5) tips for managing email. An RPM’s failure to address the legal issues surrounding entry to private property and to maintain site records may lead to significant adverse consequences for the government and, in certain instances, the RPM. These consequences may include loss of opportunities for cost recovery, claims against the government, and personal lawsuits against the RPM. The information presented in this course instructs RPMs on the proper procedures for obtaining access under a wide range of circumstances and the importance of keeping site records organized and up-to-date. By taking the course, participants:

• Learn the role of the U.S. Constitution, CERCLA, the NCP, delegation, guidance and site-specific documents in obtaining access to private property to conduct work under CERCLA.
• Understand the process for obtaining and documenting access to private property under a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, when an owner is uncooperative.
• Understand the role of the EPA counsel in assisting the RPM in efforts to lawfully obtain access to private property.
• Learn the importance of managing site records, including email, to support successful cost recovery actions.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lectures, discussions and case studies. The target audience for this course is RPMs with all levels of experience, including both new and senior RPMs.

Roles:

• Deana Crumbling, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Anita Singh, Lockheed Martin Company (Instructor)
• Erik Spalvins, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)

Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling is a full-day course that focuses on the theory and application of Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council’s (ITRC) Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM), composite sampling designs and hybrids of the two Incremental-Composite Sampling (ICS). ICS hybrid designs are useful to address multiple project goals simultaneously. Since "representativeness" is a key aspect of data quality, and ISM/ICS data are demonstrably more representative than most discrete data, it is argued that ICS data are indeed "better" than non-ICS data. The course answers questions such as:

• What is the difference between ITRC’s ISM and the EPA’s Incremental-Composite Sampling strategies?
• Does the EPA have written guidance? What features should an ISM or ICS design have?
• Can ICS provide project risk assessors the data they want, while simultaneously meeting the RPM’s own data needs for characterization and or remedial design?
• How is determination of background concentrations and comparison to background handled using ICS?

The morning is lecture to familiarize attendees with concepts. In the afternoon four case studies are presented by the EPA staff:

• ICS and background determination (Region 10)
• Designing an ICS pilot study (Region 7)
• ISM sampling for soil dioxin concentrations after flooding (Environmental Response Team)
• ICS of creek and wetlands for human health and ecological risk assessment (Region 3)

The audience for the course is RPMs, OSCs and technical support staff who need to plan data collection projects, review soil sampling plans developed by others and critically review soil data for sampling errors that could cause decision errors. If the attendee does not have a good understanding of sample representativeness, soil heterogeneity and sampling errors, Fundamentals of Incremental Soil Sampling should be taken as a prerequisite for the Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling course. A CD of various Excel spreadsheet-based calculators for ICS-related calculations are provided.

Roles:

• Renee Yuengling, Renee Yuengling & Associates (Instructor)

Leadership, Culture, and Performance: This highly interactive full-day course explains a new area of understanding and research: the links among leadership, culture and performance. The course has a strong focus on how effective management of this linkage can help RPMs and other professionals achieve successful job performance.

Participants learn the correlation between leadership and culture as well as the significant implications on both individual and organizational performance. Participants also recognize when culture is at play in the workplace, whether it is organizational, group, racial, gender, or other cultural elements. We also examine appropriate leadership styles to connect to culturally diverse groups, with a focus on both transformational and situational leadership. Participants complete a personal cultural assessment that demonstrates how their own culture drives their work style preferences and how it may differ from others. This course provides a diverse mix of group discussion, assessments and exercises that allow participants to apply the material to their projects, sites and other work environments.

At the end of the course, participants are able to:

• Recognize the intersection among culture, leadership and performance.
• Understand the impact of a multiple-culture situation on both individual and group performance.
• Identify how cultures show up in work performance.
• Analyze leadership styles to connect effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Recognize their own cultural work style preferences and how those define their managerial and leadership styles.
• Apply course information to their work in a concrete and tangible way.

Roles:

• Gene Gunn, EPA Region 7 (Instructor)
• Chip Love, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Rich May, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)
• Syed Quadri, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Steven Wyman, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

Project Management: Principles and Techniques for RPMs is a full-day course that focuses on powerful but simple project management techniques that prepare RPMs for taking full advantage of the project management tools that are available through the EPA’s Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS). By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Discover the status of the SEMS project management module and how that affects work in the future. Discover practical applications of project management principles and techniques to remediation projects and the ease with which RPMs can use these techniques for project planning, executing, monitoring and controlling.
• Explore the concept of strategic project management in order to generate a project strategy from the conceptual stage of the project to the closing phase. Discover how this project strategy is utilized to develop a highly focused project plan, identify explicit objectives, and align all actions, activities and decision-making throughout the various life cycles for the project.
• Examine the creation of high performance teams and using their collective power to use dynamic project management planning techniques such as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Gantt Chart, Network Diagram (or PERT Charts), Critical Path Method (CPM), Responsibility Matrix and Earned Value Management (cost performance analysis).

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, real time project scenarios and interactive group exercises. This course is recommended for RPMs that require an understanding of basic project management techniques.

Roles:

• David Bartenfelder, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Kirk Cameron, MacStat Consulting, Ltd. (Instructor)

Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Data is a full-day intermediate training course that focuses on material from the March 2009 EPA’s Unified Guidance –Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Data at RCRA Facilities. An additional focus is on the choice and use of statistical tools for RPMs on their cleanup sites that can be used to help demonstrate a groundwater exit strategy or evaluating whether or not the cleanup standards have been met. This training provides an overview of groundwater statistical methods to RPMs and technical support staff and on how these statistical methods can be used to evaluate groundwater monitoring data. By taking this course, participants gain an understanding of the following:

• Statistical Design and Key Statistical concepts
• Diagnostic Methods and Testing
• Statistical Monitoring tests
• Statistical Methods for Evaluating attainment of the Groundwater Standards

The instructional methodology for this course includes lectures and example exercises on the various groundwater statistical methods. The target audiences for this course are RPMS and technical staff who are responsible for assessment and compliance for groundwater monitoring and statistical treatment of environmental data.

Additional details are not available.

Roles:

• Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Panelist)
• Dominic Frederico, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Panelist)

Fine-Tune Your Spokesperson Skills: This session is for NARPM participants who are conducting — or who expect to conduct — a public meeting or be involved with the news media as part of their work site. The session includes a review of key message development and delivery and a brief discussion of news media pointers.

In addition, Pam Avery and Dominic Frederico also are available for individual hour-long spokesperson coaching sessions on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, for NARPM participants who are conducting — or who expect to conduct — a public meeting or be involved with the news media as part of their work site. Visit the Coaching Sessions Available page for a description or email Pam at pam@turnerstrategies.com to reserve a 60-minute slot.

Roles:

• Brad Bradley, EPA Region 5 (Panelist)
• Raji Josiam, EPA Region 6 (Panelist)
• Kira Lynch, EPA Office of Research and Development (Panelist)
• Hilary Thornton, EPA Region 4 (Panelist)
• Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 (Panelist)

Greener Cleanups and the Role of BMPs – What’s Working and What’s Not is a quarter-day advanced panel session on the role of Best Management Practices (BPM) in achieving greener cleanups. Participants interact with a panel of experienced practitioners in the use of BMPs. The course is structured to help participants understand how BMPs are implemented at sites by their peers. An open discussion allows time for panelists and audience members to say which BMPs they have tried, which worked, which did not and why or why not. Participants also receive a brief update on the ongoing effort to develop an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard for Greener Cleanups and the role BMPs are playing in that effort.

The session includes:

• A panel of experienced practitioners sharing their uses of BMPs
• What worked
• What did not
• Why or why not?
• ASTM Standard Update

The instructional methodology for this course includes an expert panel interacting freely with the audience in a question and answer format. The target audience is RPMs who want to learn more about how to "Green up their Clean up" using BMPs.

Roles:

• Andrew Bain, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Helen Bottcher, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• David Seter, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Joshua Wirtschafter, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

Coordinating, Communicating, and Building Relationships with Tribes during Superfund Responses is a half-day course geared toward providing RPMs with the necessary knowledge to work effectively with tribes on CERCLA response actions which take place on tribal lands, or which impact tribal resources. Through the presentation of background information accessible to a wide audience, and through the more in-depth analysis of site-specific case studies presented in a panel format, course participants achieve the following objectives:

• Gain a better understanding of tribal cultures, land use perspectives, communications and protocol.
• Learn about the legal background that forms the basis for the government to government relationship between the United States and tribal sovereign nations.
• Review policies regarding coordination and consultation with Tribal governments in the context of Superfund responses, specifically through an overview of the EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes (2011).
• Examine how RPMs are addressing tribal issues during investigations and remedial responses from diverse case studies that illustrate successes and lessons learned. Case study sites include the Rio Tinto Copper Mine (NV) and Santa Susana Field Laboratory (CA).

The instructional methodology for this course includes lectures, case studies, and a panel discussion. The instructors include RPMs, staff from EPA Headquarters, and EPA Region 9 Office of Regional Counsel, and a tribal spokesperson. The target audience for this course is RPMs who currently work on, or may in future work on, Superfund responses on or near Tribal lands.

Roles:

• Tom Bloom, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Bill Denman, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Melissa Friedland, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Charles Root, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)

Playing and Learning with Superfund: Recreational and Educational Use of Superfund Sites: The reuse of Superfund sites for recreational and educational purposes is taking off. This panel presents the varied recreational and educational uses supported by Superfund sites and covers site-specific examples of how sites have been reused for these purposes. The panel includes local government perspectives on how to work with the EPA to move towards recreational and educational reuse, and concludes with an overview of applicable tools and resources. This includes highlighting existing and new partnerships with organizations that can help implement a community’s reuse vision.

By participating in the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn about the different types of recreational uses supported by Superfund sites.
• Hear about key concerns and lessons learned from the local government perspective about recreational and educational reuse.
• Understand the tools and resources that can support recreational and educational reuse, including an update on the EPA partners supporting this effort.

Roles:

• Dorothy Allen, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Instructor)
• Kirby Biggs, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Lisa Dewitt, Montana Department of Environmental Quality (Instructor)
• Steve Dyment, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Roger Hoogerheide, EPA Region 8 (Instructor)
• Doug Sutton, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)
• Mindy Vanderford, GSI Environmental, Inc. (Instructor)
• Kimberly White, EPA Region 1 (Instructor)

Practical Applications and Methods of Optimization across the Superfund Pipeline: This half-day course follows-on the course offered at the 2011 NARPM training program. This year’s course focuses on the EPA’s National Optimization Strategy,"National Strategy to Expand Superfund Optimization Practices from Site Assessment to Site Completion" (Strategy); optimization evaluation implementation, processes, and tools and lessons learned from optimization efforts.

This course:

• Provides a brief update on the development and implementation status of the Strategy and key sub-elements.
• Relays other lessons learned to improve the quality of experience and outcomes of a review.
• Introduces existing and new technologies and tools being used during the optimization process, such as 3-dimensional visualization and analysis, Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) and the monitoring and remediation optimization system (MAROS).
• Demonstrates through case studies the experiences and benefits of optimization reviews.

The instructional methodology for this course is a combination of lecture, discussion and case study presentation. It is recommended for RPMs and other managers working on sites in any phase of the Superfund process.

Roles:

• Brewster Conant, University of Waterloo (Panelist)
• Gary Cygan, EPA Region 5 (Panelist)
• Tamara Ohl, EPA Region 5 (Panelist)

A Rapid Multi-Scale Approach for Characterizing Groundwater/Surface-Water Interactions and Evaluating Ecological Risk from Contaminated Groundwater Discharge

Environmental investigations were conducted at a steel mill located on the shore of Lake Michigan (Lake) in Northwest Indiana to determine if contaminated groundwater below the facility was discharging into the Lake. A primary concern was the potential ecological impact of the contaminated groundwater discharging to the porewater and surface water. The challenge was to characterize a large area with small-scale variability in geology, groundwater flow, and contaminant concentrations, in a manner that identified preferential and high flux discharge zones for sampling. The first phase goal was to quickly (in an 8-day in-field time commitment) characterize groundwater/surface water interactions and the nature and extent of contaminants (primarily benzene) migrating into the Lake. A multi-scale, multi-technique, approach was applied using large-scale reconnaissance techniques to quickly assess large areas, followed by progressively smaller-scale techniques (with successively higher sensitivity). This method located key discharge areas for targeted sampling rather than random and out-of-context grid sampling. This approach is applicable to other sites where little previous data exists, or onsite investigations prove difficult.

Phase one of the investigation approach (from large-scale to fine-scale) included:

• A low-altitude aerial infrared (IR) thermography survey (1.5 hour flight) that found approximately 50 groundwater seeps along a 3 kilometer (km) stretch of shoreline
• A drag probe survey of water quality along the lakebed (traverses covered 9.9 km in 1.5 days) to find subaqueous discharges
• Shallow depth temperature mapping of lakebed deposits to confirm IR seep areas along 750 meters (m) of the shoreline (1 day)
• Installation, monitoring, and sampling of 14 mini-piezometers and seven seepage meters to determine flow directions, flux rates, and water quality (3 days) at locations selected using IR and temperature mapping results
• Waterloo Profiler to sample porewater at six locations in the shallow lakebed sediments (2 days)
• Surface water sampling at ten targeted locations.

The sequential application of techniques and near real-time interpretation of the IR, drag probe, and lakebed temperature survey data facilitated the selection of locations for targeted sampling.

Phase two (a 6-day in-field time commitment) involved deploying new and innovative diffusion sampler devices to characterize water quality (volatile organic compounds [VOC], metals, semi volatile organic compounds [SVOC], and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH]) in surface water, at the surface of the lakebed, and in the porewater in the top of the lakebed. Samples from the new methods were analyzed at the EPA’s Central Region Laboratory (CRL). CRL measured concentrations of benzene in porewater at 1,050 mg/l, and 38.5 ug/l, in surface water. Sediment quality and benthic aquatic life samples also were collected at several of the targeted locations to further characterize ecological impacts. These rapid, multi-scale, multi-technique, innovative characterization approaches minimized the number of days spent in the field, was cost effective as well as a valuable method in determining the impacts of discharging groundwater and the potential for increased ecological risks.   

Roles:

• Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Panelist)
• Dominic Frederico, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Panelist)

Additional details are not available.

Beyond NARPM
NARPM Council

• Learn about the activities, training, and outreach the NARPM Council works on and addresses in addition to the annual training program.

Update on Current Guidance from EPA OSRTI’s Assessment and Remediation Division (ARD)
Helen Dawson, Chief, Science Policy Branch, EPA OSRTI

Administrative Remarks

Roles:

• Helen Bottcher, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• Kris Flint, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• Marc Mills, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)
• Amy Mucha, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Stephanie Vaughn, EPA Region 2 (Instructor)
• Jonathan Williams, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• Craig Zeller, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)

The EPA Contaminated Sediment Forum (CSF) Training focuses on addressing source control challenges at contaminated sediment sites, including technically difficult source control challenges, cross-program collaboration issues, and lessons learned.

In 2002, the EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) issued a directive identifying 11 key principles in managing contaminated sediment sites. The first principle is simply “Control Sources Early.” This principle has proven to be challenging at many sediment sites across the country, where sources control challenges have delayed remedies, caused recontamination, and significantly increased site cleanup costs. Project manager-led contaminated sediment site case studies are presented, highlighting technical aspects, guidance and policy issues, and how-to aspects of source control. The case study topics include:

Roles:

• Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Instructor)
• Dominic Frederico, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Instructor)

Be Prepared: Advanced Spokesperson and Media Training is a full-day course for the EPA RPMs. “What you say” and “how you say it” are the critical components in ensuring that accurate information about your Superfund or hazardous waste cleanup site is presented to community groups, the news media, the concerned public, and other organizations. This course is designed to provide participants with the confidence they need to explain their work and speak about tough issues.

Participants learn the following:

• How news media—including social media—operate.
• How to prepare for interviews or public speaking engagements.
• How to craft organizational or technical messages.
• How to deliver those messages effectively—even during a crisis.
• Your rights as an interview subject.

This highly interactive course also features the following:

• Customized scenarios relevant to each participant’s program interests or projects.
• One-on-one videotaped sessions with professional interviewers.
• A group training exercise.
• Case studies that demonstrate how to succeed during interviews.

Each participant receives an EPA Spokesperson / Media Training Manual at the conclusion of the course and a DVD of workshop on-camera interviews. The course is limited to 15 participants who must commit to attend the workshop at the 2012 NARPM Training Program. EPA RPMs receive priority during the registration process.

Please note: Participants are required to forward information about their jobs, interests, and projects to the instructor at least 3 weeks before the workshop presentation. An email reminder is sent to each participant before the date of the training to explain and obtain all pre-training information.

In addition, Pam Avery and Dominic Frederico also are available for individual hour-long spokesperson coaching sessions on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, for NARPM participants who are conducting —or who expect to conduct — a public meeting or be involved with the news media as part of their work site.  Please see the Fine-Tune Your Spokesperson Skills course description for more information or email Pam at pam@turnerstrategies.com to reserve a 60-minute slot.

Roles:

• Sai Appaji, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)
• Bonnie Arthur, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Rose Marie Caraway, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Jim Cummings, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Kathy Davies, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)
• William Davis, Triad Environmental Solutions, Inc. (Instructor)
• Camille Hueni, EPA Region 6 (Instructor)
• Daniel Keefe, EPA Region 1 (Instructor)
• Kira Lynch, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)

DNAPL/LNAPL Source Zone Treatment Path to Closure: ISTT and Combining Remedies to Get it Right the First Time: This training course focuses on the challenges RPMs face in assessing and characterizing nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL and LNAPL) source zones at hazardous waste sites across the country. The course focuses on the application of in-situ thermal technologies (ISTT) and combined approaches using ISTT for NAPL sites. A case example of the use of in situ stabilization at a wood treatment site also will be covered. The instructors address policy considerations and remedy implementation issues that include:

• Discussion on use of combined remedies as a best practice for DNAPL remediation.
• Discussion on what happens to plumes downgradient during and after source treatment.
• How to identify the "sweet spot" for site characterization knowing that sources reveal themselves as the remedy progresses.
• Opportunities for the instructors and attendees to participate in an open discussion about lessons learned and sharing experiences related to assessment, characterization, and remediation of DNAPL/LNAPL source zones.

The instructional methodology for this training includes lecture, case studies, and an interactive discussion. The target audience for this course is RPMs who are working on DNAPL/LNAPL sites in the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) or remedial action (RA) implementation stage or who are considering active DNAPL/LNAPL source zone treatment for a post-construction completion (PCC) site.

Roles:

• J. Kyle Bryant, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)
• Helen DuTeau, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)
• Yolanda Sanchez, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• LaTonya Spencer, EPA Region 4 (Instructor)

Effective Community Involvement for RPMs: Through lecture, extensive discussions and highly interactive group exercises, Effective Community Involvement for RPMs introduces an approach for planning and implementing an effective community involvement program at Superfund sites. Through the framework of a communications strategy and Community Involvement Plan (CIP), participants learn how to develop a proactive approach for meaningfully involving the public through all stages of the Superfund process. During this course, participants have an opportunity to assess and resolve a variety of community involvement situations and sketch out the basic community involvement activities to include in a CIP for a typical Superfund site.

This course encourages participants to share their own community involvement experiences and current challenges they face at their sites. Collectively, instructors and participants brainstorm possible solutions to challenges presented by course participants.

By taking this course, participants:

• Discuss community involvement challenges and possible solutions with instructors and course participants.
• Identify resources available to RPMs to assist in planning and implementing a community involvement program.
• Describe various community involvement techniques and approaches that can be used at Superfund sites.
• Plan an effective community involvement activity using the framework of a communications strategy.
• Explain the elements and function of a CIP and understand how to sketch out the activities contained within a plan at a typical Superfund site.

Roles:

• Anna Abbey, EPA Office of General Counsel (Instructor)
• Deborah Dalton, EPA Office of General Counsel (Instructor)
• David Hoefer, EPA Region 7 (Instructor)

Interest Based Negotiation for Remedial Project Managers — You CAN Get What You NEED, a full-day course, is designed to provide RPMs and other site managers the skills to effectively deal with the many disputes that arise in managing remedial activities. By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn the basics of Interest Based Negotiations as presented in the best-selling book, Getting to Yes (a copy will be provided to each participant).
• Learn how to discover what you and those you interact with need to successfully negotiate or collaborate and how to maximize your ability to reach an implementable solution.
• Understand ways to decide who to involve in negotiations, what issues the group will be able to negotiate successfully, and when and how to retain a facilitator to assist with difficult discussions.
• Practice important negotiation skills, such as active listening, questioning, and re-framing using case examples derived from more than 20 years of Superfund negotiations.
• Learn about the ways to counter difficult negotiation tactics and the fundamentals of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center draws on more than 20 years of case studies to illustrate the training. Sites such as Ringwood Mines, Remington Arms, McKin, Borit, and numerous others are used. The target audience for this course is both experienced and newer RPMs; experienced staff have the opportunity to brush up on negotiation skills and see negotiations from a new vantage point, while newer professionals can build a solid foundation in negotiation practice and skills.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, interactive case studies, and individual and group exercises. This course meets the mandatory inspector training requirements set forth under EPA Order 3500.1 for EPA RPMs and OSCs. Participants also receive 7 hours of Contracting Officer Representative (COR) training toward the requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act.

Roles:

• Guy Cooley, Tetra Tech, Inc. (Instructor)
• Fred Dolislager, The University of Tennessee (Instructor)
• Stuart Walker, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

Radiation Risk Assessment is a full-day advanced course that focuses on specific technical and regulatory issues that RPMs and OSCs address when managing sites that have a risk assessment conducted for radioactive contaminants. By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn a step-by-step approach to the Superfund risk assessment process for radioactive contamination. The course discusses of the major steps in Superfund risk assessment for radioactive contamination and the EPA recommended guidance documents and calculators and or models for conducting such risk assessments.
• Explore methods for conducting site-specific risk assessments. The course examines how to alter the default input parameters in the Superfund risk calculators.
• Discover practical recommendations for improving the radiation risk assessments conducted at your site. The course stresses some obvious and other less obvious aspects helpful in improving the radiation risk assessment process.
• Master information about the radiation risk assessment process. Participants obtain information from experienced professionals about the radiation risk assessment process.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lectures and demonstrations of using EPA’s calculators. The target audience for this course is RPMs and OSCs with less than five years experience at radiation sites.

Roles:

• Melanie Culp, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Silvina Fonseca, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Holly Hadlock, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Dion Novak, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)

Writing a Good ROD is a full-day interactive workshop that uses real case studies to highlight specific topics and areas of Records of Decisions (ROD) to illustrate what makes a "good ROD." The workshop looks at areas of interest that are of concern to national consistency and have been identified as focus areas by the program. These areas include monitored natural attenuation, principal threat waste, trigger for action, remedial action objectives and cleanup levels, comparative analysis and preference for treatment. Individual and group exercises are used to provide participants the opportunity to explore into and expand their knowledge of the concepts covered throughout the day. Exercises involve reviewing language from actual RODs and, through discussion, identifying the qualities of a well-written decision document. The participants:

• Explore the pros and con of various approaches to documenting information
• Identify and separate valuable information from superfluous
• Understand the concept of national consistency and setting national precedence
• Enhance their knowledge of the statutory and policy requirements for remedy selection
• Understand how remedy selection affects the future actions at a site

The intended participants are all RPMs. The attendance is limited to 30 individuals.

EPA Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT) and Radiation Task Force Leader
Scott Hudson, EPA RERT (Invited) and Colleen Petullo, EPA OSRTI Environmental Response Team

Annual NARPM Picnic

Social Media Update — Available EPA Tools
Jean Balent, EPA OSRTI

Administrative Remarks

Roles:

• Deana Crumbling, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)

Avoiding Pitfalls in Environmental Sampling is a half-day course that focuses on select technical issues affecting the reliability of soil, sediment, and groundwater contaminant concentration data. Since decisions about “dirty” or “clean,” risk, and cleanup design all rest on concentration data, unreliable results or misinterpretation can lead to unnecessary cleanups, unacceptable exposures and ineffective remedial design. Much of this course focuses on soil data issues. By taking this lecture course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Understand how to avoid non-representative data that can lead to decision errors that increase risk to receptors or waste money.
• Know how to guard against “statistics that lie.”
  • Has Visual Sample Plan (VSP) software been “gamed” to falsely recommend a low number of soil samples?
  • Should that “outlier” be discarded?
  • How can the r² of a linear regression be “gamed,” and how can the r² mislead?
• Learn how to tell whether field-generated data can be trusted.

The audience for the course is RPMs and technical support staff who need to plan data collection projects and critically review sampling and analysis plans and data submitted by others. This course builds upon information presented in the Fundamentals of Incremental Soil Sampling course which is scheduled for earlier in the week.

If the attendee is not already thoroughly familiar with sample representativeness, soil heterogeneity, and sampling errors, Fundamentals of Incremental Soil Sampling is a prerequisite for this course. A CD-ROM of various Excel spreadsheet-based calculators for Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling-related calculations is provided.

Roles:

• Pamela Avery, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Instructor)
• Dominic Frederico, Turner Strategies, Inc. (Instructor)

Defusing Hostile Meetings and Other Difficult Encounters

Sooner or later RPMs encounter a challenging site or situation that results in a difficult meeting or encounter with a combative, perhaps even hostile, audience. Preparing for this is essential, and that includes recognizing why meetings can go bad in the first place, and then having effective public participation strategies and tools in place to defuse hostility and avert further conflict.

During this highly interactive half-day course, participants:

• Review the principals of effective public participation.
• Explore why conflict occurs and how to recognize the types and level of conflict likely to occur at a public meeting or other stakeholder encounter.
• Learn how to prevent conflict from escalating and regain control over the situation.
• Practice harnessing the power of body language to convey calm and defuse conflict.
• Gain skills to recognize and handle specific types of disruptive individuals.
• Develop ways to cope with the personal discomfort that can accompany conflict.

Participants are contacted a few weeks before the course and asked to bring examples of challenging meeting encounters to share with the class. The course includes videos of effective and not-so-effective stakeholder meetings and several group exercises, including those featuring real-life meeting examples.

This course is primarily for RPMs and other EPA staff looking to acquire additional skills for facilitating, presenting at, or participating in difficult exchanges with communities, the public, and other stakeholders.

About the Trainer: Pamela Avery has conducted spokesperson, presentation, news media/social media and facilitation training workshops and coaching sessions for the EPA for more than 12 years, including those at annual NARPM training programs. A certified public participation/conflict resolution professional, she has facilitated more than a dozen challenging public and government stakeholder meetings in recent years.

Roles:

• Steve Dyment, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Seth Pitkin, Stone Environmental, Inc. (Instructor)

Groundwater High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) is a half-day abbreviated version of the two-day course that focuses on groundwater characterization and discusses (1) the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity on the investigation and cleanup of groundwater and related media, (2) the need for scale-appropriate measurements and adequate data density and (3) the strategies and some of the tools that are available to overcome the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity. The course addresses the following technical content:

• Defining and explaining the need for and benefits of HRSC at all stages of the project pipeline.
• Understanding the sources and attributes of subsurface heterogeneity and their impact on hydrogeology, contaminant fate and transport and source and plume relationships.
• Defining and using scale-appropriate measurements, adequate data density and collaborative data sets.
• Explaining the application of HRSC strategies to the characterization of integrated media, including: groundwater, soil, soil vapor, surface water, sediments and bedrock.
• Identifying some of the primary tools for HRSC implementation.
• Highlighting the management and visualization of HRSC data for decision making.

After taking this course, participants are armed with HRSC fundamentals that help them to improve their subsurface investigation approaches and develop more realistic and comprehensive conceptual site models (CSM). CSMs developed based on HRSC strategies and tools decrease site uncertainty, improve the remedy selection process for groundwater remedies and better enable the evaluation, design and implementation of targeted in situ and ex situ groundwater remedies. The recommended audience for this course includes new and experienced EPA RPMs and technical support staff, and federal, state and tribal project managers involved in groundwater investigation and remediation.

Roles:

• John Hillenbrand, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Shahid Mahmud, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Kevin Mayer, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Dion Novak, EPA Region 5 (Instructor)
• Gary Riley, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

Mining Panel is a half-day course that provides information and examples on a variety of technical, policy and reuse issues at hardrock mining sites. By taking the course, participants learn about current developments in the topic areas:

• Treatment of mining-impacted water at remote sites
• Mine waste reuse
• CERCLA 108(b) financial assurance update
• Smelter and mercury mine site remediation
• Greener mine remediation

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture and case studies. The target audience for this course is RPMs and OSCs with beginning to intermediate experience in mining site remediation.

Roles:

• Pauletta France-Isetts, EPA Region 7 (Instructor)
• Mark Heare, EPA Office of Acquisition Management (Instructor)
• Matthew Jefferson, EPA Region 7 (Instructor)
• Kira Lynch, EPA Office of Research and Development (Instructor)
• Barbara McDonough, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Charles Root, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)

RPM Project Management from the Contracts Perspective: This course is designed for new RPMs to help them understand and learn the intricacies and nuances of using contracts to better manage projects (experienced RPMs are welcome to attend as mentors). Through a better understanding of contracts, RPMs learn to improve their overall project management skills. We review which contacts are available to an RPM, how you get work started on specific contracts and how to manage the work once the task is in place. Topics covered include:

• Selecting a contracting approach
• Contract vehicles, including removal, crossovers and interagency assisted acquisitions
• Process for initiating work, including independent government cost estimate (IGCE) and conflicts of interest
• Evaluating a work plan
• Reviewing and paying invoices
• Addressing common issues and their solutions
• Establishing and maintaining contract files

• Welcome/Introductions — Helen Bottcher
• Session 1: Sediment Related Updates.
  These are intended to be 5 — 15 minute updates, with another 5 minutes or so for questions, if there are any. Additional topics are welcome — let Helen know if you have an Update to present
  • SEDA Guidance — status, plans for training classes (SEDA = Technical Guidance on Performing a Sediment Erosion and Deposition Assessment) — Matt Lambert
  • ITRC forthcoming Guidance on Sediment Remediation — Helen Bottcher
  • EPA HQ Workgroup on CERCLA / CWA interactions — Becky Chu, R10
  • HQ developed database of Tier 1 sediment remedies — Matt Lambert
  • CSTAG and NRRB reviews conducted in 2012, plans for 2013 — Helen Bottcher
  • Washington State proposed freshwater sediment standards — Ravi Sanga, R10
  • News from around the regions — upcoming decisions at sediment sites, status of high profile sites, etc. — All (we'll go around the table and make sure we hit all the regions, HQ, GLNPO & ORD)
• Session 2: Use of SEDA Guidance in assessing erosion and deposition potential at the Coeur d'Alene Project — Kim Prestbo and Ed Moreen, R10
• Session 3. Directions for the CSF in 2013
  • Facilitated discussion focused in how the CSF can be of the most benefit to RPMs, project managers, and other members
  • What types of activities should the CSF continue and/or add?
  • What policy and technical issues would you like to see discussed, addressed?
  • What presentation topics are you interested in — assessment tools, source control, case studies, monitoring, remedy effectiveness, 5 year reviews, use of ICs, etc.?
  • Are there areas for improvement?
• Session 4: New Co Chair for 2013/2014
  • Call for nominations
  • Vote

Roles:

• Thomas Cooper, Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Group (Instructor)
• Michael Dale, New Mexico Environment Department (Instructor)
• Steve Dyment, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Monica McEaddy, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Instructor)
• Heather Njo, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)

Feedback on the 2012 NARPM Training Program
NARPM Co-Chairs

Roles:

• Charles Root, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)
• Brad White, EPA Region 3 (Instructor)

IGCEs for RPMs: From Scoping to Funding: This half-day course focuses on the procedures and resources RPMs can use for preparing independent government cost estimates (IGCE) for remedial program activities. Participants discover the recommended procedures for accomplishing this challenging task. This course provides an overview of current policies and resources for RPMs to use in preparing IGCEs. Following the review, participants are challenged by a hands-on exercise to prepare their own IGCEs. At the end of the exercise, participant results are compared against the result from the model IGCE and the source of the different outcomes are discussed. This course also includes a discussion of the types of IGCEs used in the Superfund program and negotiations and documentation of costs.

This course is recommended for both new and experienced RPMs and others who are responsible for developing IGCEs for remedial program activities. Participants receive 3.5 hours of Contracting Officer Representative (COR) training toward the requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act.

Roles:

• Andrew Bain, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Catherine Brown, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Craig Cooper, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)
• Matt Salazar, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

RPM Case Studies: This interactive half-day course highlights the diverse and technical EPA Region 9 sites at which RPMs have worked. RPMs share their experiences and provide lessons learned along with techniques applied at their sites. This course is of great value to all RPMs.

• Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Groundwater — Catherine Brown, RPM, EPA Region 9
  The environmental conditions which impact cleanup of two chlorinated solvent plumes in groundwater in the arid Southwest US will be examined. Case 1 involves a relatively low volume of surface contamination and runoff from airport operations for over 40 years. Case 2 involves disposal of a large volume of solvents in shallow drywells at a research and manufacturing site which occurred over a relatively shorter period of approximately 20 years. Extraction of groundwater for treatment and reinjection began in 1991 and 1994, 50 and 30 years after the onset of known environmental contamination, respectively. In Case 1, through aggressive action, including one of the first applications of Groundwater Modeling (MODFLOW and MT3D) at a Superfund Site, plume containment was accomplished in approximately 10 years and at a significantly lower cost. In the meantime, population growth and changes in land use in the surrounding cities and the concomitant rapid increase in groundwater use for domestic supply impacted contaminant plume containment in Case 2. Reuse of treated water for plume control as well as other beneficial purposes of importance to the desert Southwest will be highlighted.
  
• Santa Susanna Radiation Investigation — Andy Bain, RPM, EPA Region 9
  Abstract coming soon!
  
• South Bay Sites Vapor Intrusion — Matt Salazar, RPM, EPA Region 9
  This case study highlights the vapor intrusion (VI) evaluations for multiple sites in Silicon Valley. All 11 of these "simple" sites have needed a VI investigation due to trichloroethylene contamination in shallow groundwater with homes and businesses above. Learn about the investigations, results and obstacles in the way as he went from knowing almost nothing about vapor intrusion or testing to being somewhat proficient in managing these investigations. Topics covered include: working with stakeholders on this sensitive topic, convincing potentially responsible parties to do VI investigations, and tips to accomplish success (on VI assessments).
  
• Yosemite Slough — Craig Cooper, RPM, EPA Region 9
  The Yosemite Slough Sediment Site consists of contaminated sediments in an intertidal mudflat on San Francisco Bay located between the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard NPL site and Candlestick Point. The slough is adjacent to a State-funded wetlands restoration project and within a larger multi-phase urban redevelopment project in an environmental justice neighborhood of San Francisco. Due to decades of uncontrolled discharges and neglect, the slough sediments are contaminated with PCBs and metals. EPA plans to release the Engineering Evaluation / Cost Analysis in 2013 to be immediately followed by enforcement negotiations with the site potentially responsible parties (PRP). This presentation will cover challenges concerning the PRP search at this multi-source contaminant site, considerations for sediment site remediation goals and cleanup technologies, strategies to expedite site cleanup, community involvement during remedy scoping and the interplay with adjacent current and planned land uses.

Roles:

• Steve Dyment, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Instructor)
• Rich Muza, EPA Region 10 (Instructor)
• Zi Zi Searles, EPA Region 9 (Instructor)

Seeing in 3-D: "Put on these Glasses" for Optimized Cleanups is a half-day session that highlights the use of 3D and 4D visualizations at Superfund sites to facilitate information transfer, optimize characterization and remediation efforts, as well as improve stakeholder and community outreach. Recent advancements in 3D visualization tools have spurred improvements to the utility of conceptual site models in optimizing site characterization and cleanup efforts. Geo-referenced information — including geology, hydrogeology, aquifer characteristics, contaminant concentration and distribution, well screens, sampling points, temporal information and more — can now be visualized in a single platform. 3D tools are used to synthesize and summarize high-density and complex hydro geologic and chemical information to illustrate site progress and challenges as well as areas of stakeholder consensus and areas of contention or uncertainty.

More than just a "pretty picture," 3D visualization platforms maximize use of existing data that are often buried in a series of reports, text and tables. Visualization of existing data offers technical team members and affected communities the opportunity to identify potential data gaps or unique site features that can lead to regulatory or redevelopment challenges. Using 3D visualization platforms allows technical teams to focus data collection in areas necessary to address stakeholder concerns while optimizing characterization or remediation efforts.

In addition to focusing planned data collection, many of today’s 3D visualization platforms offer analytical capabilities as well. Mass and volume calculations, geostatistical analyses, particle tracking, temporal plume dynamics, and other data evaluations improve our understanding of site complexities and lead to efficient, timely site cleanups. Relatively modest in resource requirements when compared with traditional investigation and cleanup costs for most sites, these tools provide the incentive for improved electronic data management and represent a platform that can easily accommodate new data or site information as it becomes available.

This course is recommended for new and experienced RPMs and technical support staff, and federal, state and tribal project managers.

Roles:

• Shahla Farhat, GSI Environmental, Inc. (Instructor)
• Charles Newell, GSI Environmental, Inc. (Instructor)

SERDP and ESTCP: Decision Support System for Matrix Diffusion Modeling: The objective of this short course is to provide training on an accessible, easy-to-use and useful decision support system for matrix diffusion modeling. The decision support system enables users to enter site-specific parameters that can be used to predict matrix diffusion effects. The Decision Support System consists of two modules: the mass discharge module and the concentration module. In the Mass Discharge Module, four separate models provide users with planning level estimates of the mass discharge (in units of grams per day) caused by back diffusion from a low permeability diffusion-dominated unit (typically silt or clay) into a high permeability advection-dominated unit (typically sand or gravel). The Concentration Module provide more detailed "two-layer" analytical matrix diffusion models and provide insights regarding complex heterogeneous settings. Attendees receive training on the Decision Support System, as well as a copy the software, which includes an interactive help guide and user’s manual.

Roles:

• Ann Borden, Solutions-IES, Inc. (Instructor)
• Robert Borden, Solutions-IES, Inc. (Instructor)

SERDP and ESTCP: Design Tool for Planning Aqueous Amendment Injection Systems: In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and in situ anaerobic bioremediation (ISAB) technologies are being implemented at numerous private and U.S. Department of Defense sites. With both approaches, a chemical reagent (aqueous chemical oxidant or organic substrate) is distributed throughout the treatment zone using a system of temporary or permanent wells. For the technologies to be effective, sufficient reagent must be brought into contact with the contaminant to be treated. At some sites, ISCO and ISAB work very well, resulting in substantial reductions in contaminant concentration and mass. However, at many sites, the remediation process does not meet cleanup objectives due to poor delivery of the chemical reagent to the treatment zone. By providing design engineers with a simple easy-to-use tool for planning aqueous injection systems, the performance of these systems can be substantially improved and costs reduced. The course will focus on the tools that was developed to assist design engineers in developing effective, reasonably efficient systems for distributing aqueous amendments for in situ treatment of groundwater contaminants. Primary applications for the tools are for design of ISCO systems using permanganate and ISAB systems using soluble substrates and emulsified oil. As technology evolves, this general approach should be applicable to the distribution of other aqueous amendments.

Roles:

• Phil Gschwend, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Instructor)
• Danny Reible, University of Texas at Austin (Instructor)

SERDP and ESTCP: Passive Sampling Methodologies for Monitoring Contaminated Sediments: This course provides training on the passive sampling systems currently available for contaminated sediments. It includes descriptions of the various passive samplers, a tutorial on how to deploy the samplers, and how to interpret the resultant data. The training course includes hands on demonstrations and provides an overview of the benefits of using passive samplers to more accurately monitor bioavailability and contaminant mobility.

There will not be a formal plenary session on Friday evening. Attendees are provided the opportunity to network, exchange lessons learned, and share experiences from this year’s NARPM training program.