United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research and Development (481)
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5102G)
EPA-542-F-96-031
April 1997
&EPA Bioremediation Action
Committee - A Fact Sheet
What is the BAC?
The Bioremediation Action Committee (BAC) was established in 1990 at an EPA/Industry
meeting on environmental applications of biotechnology through the recommendation of over
100 leaders in the field. In response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the BAC began as a partnership
of state and federal governments, academia, trade associations, environmental organizations,
and industry to promote the use of bioremediation as a viable cleanup alternative for
remediating hazardous waste sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recognized the value of bioremediation and agreed to work with the various participants to
enhance the reputation of bioremediation in the remedial technology marketplace.
What is Its Mission and Structure?
The BAC is dedicated to the development of bioremediation technologies focusing on research
in the areas of bioventing, co-metabolic processes, in-situ groundwater remediation, and
natural attenuation. The BAC strives to:
• Identify priority bioremediation technology development needs
• Establish and oversee subcommittees to plan and implement
collaborative research projects to address bioremediation issues
• Address scientific, institutional, and regulatory barriers to
bioremediation technologies
• Coordinate activities across organizations
The BAC was originally created around a central executive committee. Initially
developed as a partnership of experts from government, industry, the
academy, and the public, the BAC has evolved as the original objectives were
met and priorities were re-established. The EPA Offices of Research and
Development (ORD) and Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) co-
chair the BAG. Some of the areas the BAC has addressed include education,
research, pollution prevention, regulation and permitting, public communica-
tions, data and information, establishment of protocols, and spill response, as
well as a bioremediation field initiative. In August 1995 the Bioremediation
Field Initiative released Version 2.0 of the Bioremediation in the Field Search
System (BFSS). This PC-based software product provides access to information
from more than 450 sites being tracked by the Bioremediation Field Initiative,
allowing users to produce reports on site location, media, contaminants,
treatment technologies, costs, and performance. Some of the reports the BAC
has distributed include protocols for testing the effectiveness of bioremediation
products and guidelines for preparing bioremediation spill-response plans.
In 1996, the BAC members expressed their interest in new research areas. Three
subcommittees have been developed to address the new research needs and to
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Bioremediation Action Committee
tackle the new priorities. The new subcommittees will pursue issues related to Alternative Endpoints, Natural
Attenuation, and Oil Spills. These self-managed subcommittees:
• Share information about planned and ongoing research
• Define research needs, develop detailed research project plans, and implement projects that often entail
field-scale demonstrations
• Ensure that all research is based on sound scientific and engineering principles
• Enlist partners to support and participate in the collaborative research effort, either with in-kind support
or direct funding
• Produce and disseminate scientifically credible results to facilitate broad acceptance of the technology
Annual meetings will be held to review the products of the subcommittees and determine which priority areas
require research. All interested organizations are welcome to participate in these open meetings, including
forwarding recommendations for new areas of research. BAG members include representatives of industry, federal
agencies, state agencies, national laboratories, research centers and institutes, and universities. The BAG members
determine research areas and priorities by consensus when new research areas are forwarded. These research areas
may be developed into subcommittees if member consensus is obtained.
What are the Goals of the BAC Subcommittees?
Members of the Subcommittee on Alternative End Points have identified
four major areas of interest: treatability, ecological tests, human health
tests, and surrogate chemical tests. The subcommittee is in the process
of developing an overall plan of action. The subcommittee has defined
several goals:
• Compile treatability data
• Develop and implement a methodical approach to evaluate
the availability and applicability of human health and
ecological assays
• Develop mechanisms to collaborate with industry, profes-
sional groups, regulators, and enforcement to integrate future
research
Members of the Subcommittee on Natural Attenuation have identified a
need to create a scheme for distinguishing natural attenuation sites
based on contaminant type, matrix, and environment. The
subcommittee is focusing on what predictive or determinative tools
can be created from existing data to use in the decision-makinig
process. The subcommittee has defined multiple goals:
• Collaborate on searching the database of sites to get more
information
• Determine what minimal effort is required to conclude
whether natural attenuation is appropriate for a site
Members of the Subcommittee on Oil Spills have defined their primary goal as the ability to overcome the skepticism
throughout the spill responder community concerning the use and effectiveness of bioremediation. The
subcommittee's mission is to promote the acceptance of bioremediation for oil spills by developing a viable, realistic
approach for community consideration.
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