Emergency Response Research Webinar Series

Free webinars typically held on the second Wednesday of the month. Special webinars on COVID-19 research are conducted as research results become available. 

EPA's Office of Research and Development hosts this webinar series to share current research activities and results. This webinar series covers the latest information on research supporting EPA's response to chemical, biological, and radiological incidents, as well as natural disasters. This forum allows EPA to communicate directly with partners and stakeholders to foster collaboration and dissemination of information. 

NOTE: Attendees have the option of receiving a certificate of attendance. Acceptance of certificates is contingent on organization requirements—EPA cannot guarantee acceptance. Closed-captioned recordings of the webinars are provided below for later viewing and as a training resource; certificates cannot be provided for viewing webinar recordings. Webinar dates and topics are subject to change.

Upcoming Webinar

Twenty Years of Homeland Security Research: How it Started and Where We Are Now

September 16, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET 

Register for the webinar via Zoom

About the Webinar

U.S. EPA played a key role in the nation’s response to the events of September 11^th and the Amerithrax incident shortly thereafter. This webinar will provide an account of EPA’s emergency personnel responsibilities and expertise during the 2001 Amerithrax incident, where letters containing anthrax spores contaminated the Brentwood post office in Washington, D.C., as well as the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. Speakers will discuss how this incident and the events of September 11^th necessitated the establishment of a Homeland Security Research Program at U.S. EPA. This Program provides scientific and technical expertise to help the United States to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a potential or active chemical, biological, or radiological attack. Through the years, the Homeland Security Research Program has built up capability through a foundation of research to assist emergency responders and decision-makers on a number of incidents, such as ricin, water contamination, Fukushima, and Ebola. The Program continues to develop capability to respond to large-scale contamination incidents and improve the ability of water utilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to water contamination that threatens public health. As the Program fulfills its mission by responding to current events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, fentanyl contaminations, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, it also look to the future to apply what we know now to what’s potentially to come and ensure the United States is able to prepare for, respond to, and recover from those events.

Speakers

• Mark Durno, EPA Region 5 On-Scene Coordinator
• Tim Oppelt, Former Director of EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Program
• Gina Perovich, Director of EPA’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Consequence Management Advisory Division in the Office of Land and Emergency Management
• David Travers, Director of EPA’s Water Security Division in the Office of Water
• Shawn Ryan, National Program Director for EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in the Office of Research and Development

2021 Schedule