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ENGINEERING FORUM TELECONFERENCE
January 7, 2009
- Winter 2009 TSP Meeting
- 2009 NARPM Conference
- Green Remediation Subcommittee Update
- Co-Chair Election
- Participants
WINTER 2009 TSP MEETING
Engineering Forum members planning to attend the winter 2009 TSP meeting in San Diego should already have registered for the conference through the Trainex website (http://www.trainex.org/tsp). Hotel reservations at the Holiday Inn San Diego on The Bay can be made by clicking on a passkey link found on Trainex. The deadline for reserving a hotel room is January 16, 2009, if rooms are still available. The co-chairs reminded attendees that the hotel offers a free shuttle service to and from the airport.
EPA participants are invited to attend the USGS sessions scheduled for Monday and Tuesday (January 26 and 27). These sessions will discuss the accomplishments, technology transfer, and future priorities for research in the areas of fractured rock aquifers, petroleum contamination, wastewater effluent, landfills, and mixed wastes. An agenda can be found at http://www.trainex.org/tsp.
The EF will host its business session on Wednesday, January 28, and a joint field trip with the Federal Facilities Forum (FFF) on Thursday, January 29. Gary Miller (Region 6) reviewed the draft business session agenda, noting that the Wednesday business session will consist of issue paper working reviews, brainstorming sessions, and a green remediation session with Carlos Pachon (TIFSD). Sandra Bourgeois (Region 8) will lead a session on engineering challenges at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and Gary will present information on a recent vapor intrusion study. Gary will contact Terry Burton (Region 6 STL) to get an update on the ISCO lessons learned issue paper and will present a brief progress report at the meeting. Just before noon on Wednesday, Lindsey Lien (USACE) will lead a discussion on a recent USACE value engineering initiative undertaken on behalf of EPA headquarters.
During the Wednesday afternoon joint TSP session, Hilary Thornton (Region 3) will give a brief overview of the EF’s recent activities and accomplishments. In addition, Steven Chang (OSRTI) will discuss his proposal to increase voluntary, short-term collaboration with all the ORD labs to supplement the assistance provided by the ORD Technical Support Centers. The Wednesday afternoon business session will conclude with presentations on the containment issues project and a green remediation update.
Thursday morning—time permitting—EF members will meet to discuss new projects and initiatives. Hilary also will introduce the concept of an engineering puzzle. At 8:45 am, EF and FFF members will board a bus to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) at Naval Base Point Loma. In order to enter the base, EF members must complete the security form sent by Mike Gill (Region 9) and fax it to the Navy base. Participants who do not fax the form to SPAWAR by January 22 will be denied access to the facility.
Before noon, the bus will return to the hotel to drop off FFF members. EF members will continue to the University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD) campus for lunch at the cafeteria, followed by a walking tour of campus that will focus on sustainable design features. At 2:30 pm, EF members will attend a presentation on UCSD’s Superfund Basic Research Program. The final stop of the day will be a guided tour of UCSD’s co-gen plant. The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 6:00 pm. When registering for the meeting on Trainex, EF members should indicate whether they plan to participate on the field trip so that adequate transportation can be arranged.
2009 NARPM CONFERENCE
The 2009 NARPM conference likely will be held in Atlanta the first week of June. The EF will take the lead on a green remediation session with Carlos Pachon, but the scope and duration of the session needs to be defined and will be discussed in greater detail at the winter meeting and during future EF calls.
GREEN REMEDIATION SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE
Raji Josiam (Region 6) reported that the third and final green remediation Clu-In Internet seminar is scheduled for January 13. As was the case with the other two green remediation seminars, all conference lines have been booked.
Raji also noted that Region 6 recently worked with state and federal agencies, land owners, renewable energy financiers, and developers to advocate the use of previously contaminated sites as potential locations for renewable energy production. Together with the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources and the New Mexico Environment departments, Region 6 co-hosted the conference “Brown to Green: Make the Connection to Renewable Energy” in Santa Fe. Raji said that more than 200 individuals attended the conference, and the feedback has been excellent. Several large thermal and solar projects were discussed, but the tribes in attendance indicated a need for smaller-scale renewable energy projects. The size and scope of many projects in the southwest are limited by the capacity of transmission lines.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control is hosting a symposium on green remediation on February 4. The symposium will be offered live in Sacramento and by webcast. Webcast attendees are encouraged to register to receive information updates and notification of future symposia. EF members can register for the symposium or webcast by visiting the symposium web site at http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/OMF/GlobalPerspectives.cfm.
ITRC’s board has approved a green and sustainable remediation (GSR) team. Led by Tom O’Neill (NJ), the team will produce a technology overview document explaining what GSR is and how GSR is beginning to be implemented in new state and federal programs. Mike Gill will contact Tom to get more details about the team’s potential activities and products and will share this information with the EF.
CO-CHAIR ELECTION
Stephanie Vaughn (Region 2) will assume Mike Gill’s co-chair position at the winter TSP meeting. Stephanie was the only EF member who was nominated and agreed to serve, so there is no need for an official election.
PARTICIPANTS
Stephanie Vaughn, Region 2
Kevin Bilash, Region 3
Fred MacMillan, Region 3
Donna McCartney, Region 3
Hilary Thornton, Region 3
Jon Bornholm, Region 4
Leo Romanowski, Region 4
Julie Santiago, Region 4
Nate Nemani, Region 5
Bernie Schorle, Region 5
Raji Josiam, Region 6
Gary Miller, Region 6
Mike Davis, Region 7
Mike Gill, Region 9 STL
Steven Chang, OSRTI
Marti Otto, TIFSD
Lindsey Lien, USACE
Jim Harrington, NYSDEC
Susanne Davis, CA DTSC
Keith Arnold, EMS, Inc.
In an effort to foster scientific and technical advances in characterization, monitoring and remediation of contaminated sites, the EPA Technical Support Project encourages full and frank discussion of all technical matters and related issues that come before it.Information presented in these minutes represents the views of the participants and has not received formal EPA peer review. Therefore, this information does not necessarily reflect the views of EPA or other participating organizations, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The information is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States or any other party. Use or mention of trade names does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation for use. Errors and omissions in the information will be corrected as they are found and time permits.