Facilitating Coordinated Response from Field to Lab: ESAM Program Webinar
About the Webinar
Originally presented September 14, 2022
A large-scale release of a chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) agent can result in wide-area contamination which would require significant time and resources for recovery. Communities cannot wait weeks or months to decide how to sample or what methods to use to analyze contaminants.
To assist state and local decision-makers, EPA developed the Environmental Sampling & Analytical Methods (ESAM) program which helps facilitate a coordinated response in characterizing contaminated sites and remediating them. This decision support tool is comprised of field and laboratory ready documents as well as web-based tools that allow for a coordinated response after a contamination incident. ESAM identifies the single best method for sampling, collecting, and analyzing each contaminant. Ensuring responders and labs are using the same techniques and methods is for an efficient and effective response. This presentation will provide a concise overview of the ESAM program and its newly added/updated resources.
About the Presenter
Erin E. Silvestri has a M.P.H. in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. She has worked for the EPA Office of Research and Development’s Homeland Security Research Program for 16 years. Her current focus is on development of sampling protocols for pathogens, the Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods Program, and the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) Wide Area Demo project.
