Contaminated Site Clean-up Information (clu-in): Internet Seminar Audio Archives

In 2023, ITRC published the Sediment Cap Chemical Isolation Guidance to supplement the 2014 Contaminated Sediments Remediation Guidance with the goal of improving consistency in sediment cap performance outcomes. Sediment capping is a commonly selected remediation approach and numerous designs have been completed. Previous cap designs have been evaluated in multiple ways, and these varying approaches have led to some differences in selection of chemical design criteria, construction tolerance specifications, and monitoring/maintenance objectives for sites with similar characteristics and contaminants, leading to different expectations for long-term performance and reliability. The ITRC Sediment Cap Chemical Isolation Guidance provides a framework for the design, construction, and long-term monitoring of the chemical isolation function of sediment caps. The framework consists of an iterative design process informed by site-specific data that balances achievement of chemical design criteria, physical design co

In 2020, ITRC recognized that In situ remediation technologies using amendment injections have advanced to mainstream acceptance and offer a competitive advantage over many forms of ex situ treatment of soil and groundwater. Developing a detailed site-specific strategy is absolutely critical to the success of such in situ remedies. These strategies include conducting a thorough site characterization that will allow development of a detailed Conceptual Site Model (CSM) to guide critical analysis of subsurface features and improving remediation effectiveness. In the interest of developing expedited solutions, many past in situ remediation projects have been executed based on an incomplete understanding of the hydrogeology, geology, and contaminant distribution and mass. Some of these sites have undergone multiple rounds of in situ injections but have not advanced to closure. Better strategies and minimum design standards are required to decrease uncertainty and improve remedy effectiveness. In an effort to ov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) is delivering a webinar summarizing lessons learned in conducting climate vulnerability assessments (CVAs) at sites on the National Priorities List (NPL). The webinar will cover:The underlying authorities to consider climate change at NPL sitesKey questions addressed through the climate vulnerability assessment processTools and data sources used to develop climate projectionsRecurring climate vulnerabilities that could affect remedy protectivenessThe associated adaptation measures needed to increase remedy resilience to climate impactsWhile the CVA process described in this webinar has been applied mostly to sites within the Superfund Program, it is considered "program neutral" and may be used as a guide for developing a CVA process and conducting CVAs at contaminated sites in other cleanup programs. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://w

In 2020, ITRC's 1,4-Dioxane team created multiple tools and documents that provide information to assist all interested stakeholders in understanding this contaminant and for making informed, educated decisions. Since the 1950s, 1,4-Dioxane has seen widespread use as a solvent stabilizer. The use of solvents through the 1980s suggests its presence at thousands of solvent sites in the US; however, it is not always a standard compound in typical analytical suites for hazardous waste sites, so it previously was overlooked. The U.S. EPA has classified 1,4-Dioxane as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans." Some states have devised health standards or regulatory guidelines for drinking water and groundwater standards; these are often sub-part per billion values. These low standards present challenges for analysis, characterization, and remediation of 1,4-Dioxane. The 1,4-Dioxane: Science, Characterization & Analysis, and Remediation training is a series of six (6) modules. The six individual modules will be presen

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is sponsoring a Risk e-Learning webinar series, hosted by CLU-IN, focused on research efforts to develop tools for sampling, monitoring, detecting, and characterizing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. The three-part series will feature SRP-funded researchers and collaborators whose research focuses, in part, on understanding the distribution and fate of PFAS in the environment. The final session in this series will include federal and SRP researchers featuring useful resources that can aid in site characterization, such as PFAS reference materials, libraries, and passive samplers. To learn about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP website. Jessica Reiner, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will present on work being done focused on creating reference materials for quality assurance and quality control of measurements pertaining to organic pollutants in environmenta

In response to one of the biggest emerging environmental concerns, ITRC formed the Microplastics Team in 2021 to develop the Microplastics Guidance Document. Plastics have become pervasive in modern life and are now used in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Microplastics may result from the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastics, or they may be intentionally produced for specific applications and products. Regardless of their origin, microplastics are now ubiquitous in our environment. Because of their small size and pervasiveness in the environment, microplastics, along with any other contaminants which are adhered to the microplastics, may be inadvertently consumed by humans and other organisms. The online ITRC Guidance Document (available in February 2023) is geared toward an audience with reasonable level of scientific understanding, but not microplastic-specific knowledge. The guidance provides a user with information on microplastics and the state of the applied scienc

The brownfield amendments to CERCLA and the recent Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act provide liability protections for certain landowners and potential property owners who did not cause or contribute to contamination at the property. This webinar offers an introduction or refresher on All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI), the process of evaluating a property's environmental conditions and assessing potential liability for any contamination. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/aai_103023/

This course is for those with limited exposure to the HRS and those needing a refresher prior to performing an HRS site evaluation. This course will provide an introduction to the HRS by presenting overviews of its role in the Superfund program and site assessment process and its structure. This training will also provide overviews of the HRS factor categories (Likelihood of Release/Exposure, Waste Characteristics, Targets), including their general structure and the concepts and processes involved in scoring. This session is designed for Environmental professionals that conduct HRS evaluations as part of EPA site assessment in evaluating sites for the National Priorities List (NPL). The live session will include a 1 hour break. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/HRS-Introduction_102623/