EPA 601/K-15/001 I September 2015 I www.epa.gov/research
Homeland Security
STRATEGIC RESEARCH ACTION PLAN
2016-2019
Office of Research and Development
Homeland Security
-------
EPA 601/K-15/001
Homeland Security
Strategic Research Action Plan 2016 - 2019
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
September 2015
-------
Table of Contents
List of Acronyms ii
Executive Summary 1
Introduction 2
Environmental Problems and Program Purpose 3
Problem Statement 5
Program Vision 5
Program Design 5
Building on the 2012-2016 Research Program 5
EPA Partner and Stakeholder Involvement 6
Integration across Research Programs 8
Research to Support EPA Strategic Plan 9
Statutory and Policy Context 10
Research Program Objectives 10
Research Topics 12
Topic: Characterizing Contamination and Assessing Exposure 12
Topic: Water System Security and Resilience 17
Topic: Remediating Wide Areas 20
Anticipated Research Accomplishments and Projected Impacts 23
Conclusions 25
References 26
Appendix: Table of Proposed Outputs, Homeland Security Research Program FY16-19 27
-------
List of Acronyms
ACE Air, Climate, and Energy
BOTE Bio-Response Operational Testing and Evaluation
CBR Chemical, Biological, and Radiological agents
CBRN Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear
CIPAC Critical Infrastructure Protection Advisory Committee
CSS Chemical Safety for Sustainability
DHHS Department of Health and Human Services
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DOD Department of Defense
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ERLN Environmental Response Laboratory Network
FSMA Food Safety Modernization Act
HHRA Human Health Risk Assessment
HSRP Homeland Security Research Program
NSTC White House's National Science and Technology Council
OAR Office of Air and Radiation
OCSPP Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
OECA Office of Enforcement and Compliance
ORD Office of Research and Development
OSWER Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
OW Office of Water
SAM Selected Analytical Methods
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SCID Sample Collection Information Document
SHC Sustainable and Healthy Communities
SPORE Scientific Program on Reaerosolization and Exposure
SSWR Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
VSAT Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool
WCIT Water Contaminant Information Tool
WLA Water Laboratory Alliance
-------
Executive Summary
EPA's Office of Research and Development's (ORD) Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP)
aims to help increase the capabilities of EPA and communities to prepare for and respond to
chemical, biological, and radiological disasters. Enhancing these capabilities will lead to improved
resiliency of our nation to environmental catastrophes. Disasters resulting in environmental threats
to public health and the ecosystem may be manmade or naturally occurring incidents including,
for example, terrorist use of anthrax spores in 2001, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, and
Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Homeland Security Strategic Research Action Plan, 2016-2019 (StRAP FY16-19) is a four-year
research strategy designed to meet the following objectives:
• Improve water utilities' abilities to prepare for and respond to incidents that threaten
public health; and
• Advance EPA's capabilities to respond to wide-area contamination incidents.
EPA's homeland security research is organized into three topic areas that support these objectives:
(1) characterizing contamination and assessing exposure; (2) water system security and resilience;
and (3) remediating wide areas. Short- and long-term aims within the topics outline a strategy for
addressing the objectives.
HSRP carries out applied research that aims to deliver relevant and timely methods, tools, data, and
technologies to those who carry out EPA's homeland security mission. To accomplish this aim, we
engage our Agency customers throughout the research life cycle - identifying scientific capability
gaps, performing research to address the gaps, and formulating and delivering the products that fill
the gaps.
HSRP scientific products will improve the resilience of water systems to terrorist attacks or other
manmade and natural disasters. Specifically, utilities will have improved tools and strategies
to manage contaminated systems and approaches to make these systems inherently resilient.
HSRP products also provide the EPA with systems-based approaches for site characterization, risk
assessment, and clean up, including waste management. Such information will help federal, state
and local decision makers select cost-effective, timely options while minimizing the impact to the
environment.
-------
Introduction
The Homeland Security Strategic Research
Action Plan, 2016-2019 (StRAP FY16-19)
is a four-year strategy to deliver research
results and solutions needed to support EPA's
overall mission to protect human health and
the environment, fulfill the EPA's legislative
mandates, and advance the cross-Agency
priorities identified in the FY 2014-2018 EPA
Strategic Plan. This strategy outlines how
EPA's Office of Research and Development's
Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP)
aims to meet the homeland security science
needs of EPA partners and stakeholders.
As the science arm of the EPA, EPA's Office of
Research and Development (ORD) conducts
leading-edge research to provide a solid
underpinning of science and technology. The
HSRP StRAP is one of six research plans, which
each support one of EPA's national research
programs in ORD. The six research programs
are:
• Homeland Security (HSRP)
• Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
(SSWR)
• Air, Climate, and Energy (ACE)
• Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS)
• Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC)
• Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA)
-------
EPA's six strategic research action plans are
designed to guide a comprehensive research
portfolio that delivers the science and
engineering solutions the Agency needs to meet
its goals and objectives, while also cultivating
a new paradigm for efficient, innovative, and
responsive government and government-
sponsored environmental and human health
research.
Historically, HSRP has focused on filling
science gaps associated with EPA's work on
terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) contamination.
EPA, along with other federal agencies, now
recognizes that the activities associated with
preparing for a response to non-terror disasters
(e.g., chemical accidents, hurricanes) and acts
of terror (e.g., ricin or anthrax spores in the
mail, contamination of a water system) are
often the same. Thus, although terror-related
research remains its core, HSRP is beginning to
address a broader set of disasters.
In this way, HSRP carries out work in the core
areas of EPA's disaster response mission. These
areas include developing standardized sample
collection, analysis methods, and strategy
options for characterization of contamination
so that risk can be assessed and cleanup
approaches considered; developing approaches
for preparing water systems for disasters and
successfully responding to catastrophes so
that access to drinking water by the public
and business operations are maintained or
restored quickly; and developing approaches
for cleanup of outdoor areas and buildings so
that the impact of disasters on commerce and
personal lives is minimized. Finally, following a
disaster, the program provides expert technical
advice and hands-on assistance as needed by
the response community.
Environmental
Problems and Program
Purpose
HSRP's mission is to conduct research and
deliver scientific products to improve EPA's
capability to carry out its homeland security
responsibilities. Since the 2001 attack on the
World Trade Center and subsequent mailing
of letters containing anthrax, EPA's homeland
security efforts have focused on preparing for
and responding to purposeful deployment by
terrorists of toxic CBRN substances. HSRP has
supported the agency by conducting a broad
program of CBRN research for over a decade.
The U.S. Government has recognized that
preparing for and responding to most disasters,
manmade or natural, have common elements
(The White House, 2011). Recent major
disasters in the United States (the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in 2010, Superstorm Sandy in
2012, the Oklahoma tornados in 2013, the
West Virginia water contamination incident in
2014, and the avian flu outbreak in the poultry
industry in 2015) and abroad (Fukushima
Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011) illustrate
the critical need for rapid recovery after all types
of disasters. The federal government's view of
homeland security now includes "all hazards"
as described in Presidential Policy Directive 21:
"The Federal Government shall...take proactive
steps to manage risk and strengthen the
security and resilience of the Nation's critical
infrastructure, considering all hazards that
could have a debilitating impact on national
security, economic stability, public health and
safety, or any combination thereof."
(The White House, 2013)
-------
Communities, therefore, call on EPA to assist
them in preparing for and recovering from the
environmental aspects of "all hazards" or "all
disasters." The HSRP embraces this broader
view of EPA's homeland security mission and
is evolving its program from strictly addressing
terrorism incidents to the broader set of all
disasters.
HSRP supports EPA's responsibilities to prepare
for and respond to acute disasters by conducting
short-term, applied scientific research. The base
of the program focuses on CBRN contamination
resulting from intentional or unintentional
incidents; however, the HSRP also works to find
multiple uses of its research by applying, when
appropriate, its products to gaps in EPA's ability
to effectively respond to all hazards. Finally,
"all hazards" capability gaps exist that are not
addressed by HSRP's core program. HSRP will
collaborate with other ORD research programs
and with other federal agencies to address the
most pressing of these gaps. Figure 1 illustrates
this strategic approach, emphasizing that
terrorism-related work is the foundation of the
program and the "all hazards" efforts are built
on that foundation.
Ultimately, EPA's efforts to improve communi-
ties' ability to face and recover from disasters
helps build resilience in these communities.
Improving community resilience is especially
critical for populations that have greater ex-
posure to disasters and are more vulnerable
to their impacts. Developing resilience at the
community level is a critical aspect of building
sustainability. Communities that "prepare for,
absorb and recover" (NRC, 2012) from disasters
will, in turn, have more sustainable economic,
environmental, and social systems. Developing
and transitioning effective tools and guidance
to community decision makers, including water
utility owners and operators, enables commu-
nities to prepare for and more rapidly recover
from these incidents. Figure 2 illustrates how
EPA research related to resilience ultimately
supports sustainability.
EPA's
"all hazards"
gaps not
being
addressed
EPA's "all hazards" gaps
being addressed now by
HSRP through multi
benefits of HSRP CBRN
products
Figure 1. HSRP's approach to addressing
"All Hazards" capability gaps.
Figure 2. How EPA research
supports sustainability.
-------
The following Problem Statement and Program Vision guide the research program:
Problem Statement
Natural or manmade disasters often result
in environmental pollution that can threat-
en the health of populations and the eco-
systems and commerce on which they rely.
The United States is regularly affected by
natural disasters and industrial accidents. It
is very difficult for communities to be resil-
ient in the face of such acute environmen-
tal catastrophes, especially if scientifically
sound information to make difficult deci-
sions is not readily available.
Program Design
The HSRP StRAP 2016-2019 provides a vision
and blueprint for advancing homeland security
research in ways that meet legislative man-
dates, while addressing the highest priorities of
Agency partners and stakeholders. Accordingly,
it was developed with considerable input and
support from EPA program offices and regions,
as well as outside stakeholders including sister
federal agencies, state and local agencies, and
colleagues across the scientific community.
Building on the 2012-2016
Research Program
The current HSRP builds on the 2012-2016
StRAE(U.S. EPA, 2012). StRAP FY12-16 intro-
duced the idea that EPA's homeland security
responsibilities are comprised of interconnect-
ed systems of activities: actions taken for one
activity could impact, negatively or positively,
another activity. Thus, a "systems approach"1
requires consideration of these interdependen-
cies prior to making decisions and taking action.
This "systems" view is furthered in the StRAP
FY16-19 and continues to guide research so
that products maximize response and cleanup
efforts and minimize unintended consequences
of decisions. This in turn minimizes the overall
Program Vision
EPA and communities, including water utili-
ties, have the scientific tools they need to
prepare for and respond to disasters, there-
by helping communities achieve resilience to
catastrophes.
cost and recovery time. Figure 3 illustrates a
simplified systems diagram for the prepared-
ness-response-decontamination/waste man-
agement cycle associated with an environmen-
tal disaster. The red explosion indicates the
beginning of the incident and the text boxes in-
dicate the various activities conducted pre- and
post-incident.
Reduce
Vulnerabilities
Lessons Learned and
Preplanning
Detection
Return to
Service/
Mitigation
Decon and
Treatment
Characterization &
Risk Assessment
Figure 3. Systems diagram for response and
remediation after an environmental disaster.
'Systems approaches, including systems-based solutions, aim
to understand a system in totality through analyzing its various
components while still understanding how these components
interact. These approaches also aim to understand the system
at many levels. In this context, the "system" here is the incident
response and recovery efforts composed of many interconnected
activities such as constructing a sampling strategy, selecting a
cleanup technology, and managing wastes.
-------
The 2012-2016 StRAP outlined the HSRP's initial
focus for its water-system-related research,
supporting Homeland Security Presidential
Directive/HSPD-9 (The White House, 2004). This
directive established a national policy to defend
the agriculture and food system (including
water systems) against terrorist attacks, major
disasters, and other emergencies. For this
reason, a significant portion of the program
focused on development of contamination
warning strategies for water systems. HSRP
developed software tools for sensor placement
and evaluated sensors to support contamination
monitoring systems. These tools were piloted
in five cities and some are now used in many
other cities. As the contaminant warning system
program has matured, the HSRP has moved
its focus towards methods for response to
contamination incidents and science to support
development of resilient water systems. This is
reflected in the current StRAP.
Initial efforts related to building community
resilience to disasters, including indoor/
outdoor cleanup research outlined in the
previous StRAP, were focused on remediation
of buildings contaminated with traditional
chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR)
agents. Recently, the program completed a
full-scale evaluation of three decontamination
methods for remediation of a facility
contaminated with anthrax surrogate spores
(US EPA, 2013). The results from this evaluation
were incorporated into a facility remediation
decision support tool (US EPA, 2014a).
Remediation and recovery exercises (e.g., U.S.
DHS, 2012), however, have highlighted that
incidents impacting large portions of cities or
entire communities will require remediation of
numerous outdoor and semi-enclosed areas (e.g.,
subways) in addition to buildings. The research
program is now examiningclean up methodologies
and strategies for these wide areas.
In addition, because the EPA is designated by
the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
as a Support Agency to the Department of
Agriculture for response to a food or agriculture
emergency, the HSRP is developing methods for
cleanup (including carcass disposal) after these
incidents (FSMA, 2011). Lastly, in support of
the Agency's broadened definition of homeland
security, the program is also looking to assist
in addressing the needs related to other
environmental disasters through application
of its research products to a broader set of
incidents.
The 2012 to 2016 StRAP highlighted both
field scale demonstrations of remediation
and chemical warfare agent-focused research.
While these areas remain important, declining
resources and additional partner needs have
led to scope reduction for planned research in
these areas.
EPA Partner and Stakeholder
Involvement
Numerous Agency program offices and
regions carry out EPA's homeland security
responsibilities while EPA's Office of Homeland
Security coordinates the activities. The primary
partners for the HSRP include the EPA's Office
of Water (OW), the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (OSWER), and each of
the Agency's ten Regional Offices across the
country. In addition, other stakeholders of
the HSRP also provide critical contributions to
the program, including the Office of Chemical
Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), the
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), the Office of
Enforcement and Compliance (OECA), the Office
of Policy's Office of Sustainable Communities,
State and local laboratories, and water utilities.
The HSRP believes that the end users of our re-
search will receive the scientific products they
need only if they are closely involved with the
-------
research program. The HSRP-partner engage-
ment involves working together diligently on
each step of product development: identifying
and prioritizing research needs, implementing
research studies, and designing and delivering
useful products. To succeed in these efforts,
staff and management in HSRP work together
continuously with partner organizations.
HSRP collaborates extensively with the other
federal agencies whose missions support
response to environmental disasters. HSRP
works closely with Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DOD),
Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
others to leverage their homeland security/
environmental disaster science efforts. These
interactions range from high-level strategic
planning and coordination managed by the
White House's National Science and Technology
Council (NSTC)2 to staff-to-staff collaboration
on individual research efforts. Figure 4 shows
these agencies and their response roles in
dark blue and light blue boxes, respectively.
Directly below, the white boxes describe the
areas of research collaboration with these
agencies (described in more detail in the
Topics section). HSRP also leverages DOD's
research to support the warfighter, specifically
their CBRN decontamination and fate and
transport research.
Response
Lead
EPA and U.S.
Coast Guard
Federal Response to the Environmental Aspects
of Disasters
USDA and
Department of
Interior
U.S. Army
Corps of
Engineers
DHS'
fedei
declare
disasters
Role
Area of HSRP
Research
Collaboration9"
Protect
Nation's
agricultural,
natural, and
cultural
resources
Carcass disposal
and
decontamination
of agricultural
facilities
*Oil spill research is covered under ORD SHC - Topic 3
Emergency risk estimates are covered under ORD HHRA - Topic 3
Support critical
infrastructure
(including
water) and
environmental
response post-
disaster
Water
infrastructure
protection and
waste
management
Coordination
of Federal
Response (if
required)
CBRN threat and
risk assessment,
mitigation, and
remediation
Figure 4. HSRP research collaborations with federal partners in the environmental response context.
2ORD HSRP participates in both the Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability and Homeland and National
Security Committees under the NSTC.
-------
Using the systems understanding of disaster
preparedness and response, and identifying
high priority research needs, the program is
organized by topics, under which there are
specific research areas or projects. The work
in the projects produces bodies of data, tools,
models, and technologies ("Outputs") to address
the capability needs expressed by our partners.
The anticipated FY16-19 Outputs, organized by
project area, are listed in Appendix A.
Integration across Research
Programs
Because many of the other ORD programs
conduct research that can be leveraged to
support homeland security research, the HSRP
works closely with the other five programs on
topics that support the needs of its partners.
Figure 5 shows the research areas that the
program leverages in the other five programs.
Specific research activities are discussed
further in the Research Topics section, and they
range from information sharing to conducting
integrated research efforts.
To accomplish formal integration of research on
significant cross-cutting issues at a high level,
EPA developed several research "roadmaps"
that identify both ongoing relevant research
and science gaps that need to be filled. The
roadmaps serve to coordinate research efforts
and to provide input that helps shape the future
research in each of the six programs. Roadmaps
have been developed for the following areas:
• Nitrogen and Co-Pollutants
• Children's Environmental Health
• Climate Change
• Environmental Justice
Figure 6 indicates that HSRP has research
activities and interest in identified science gaps
within the Climate Change and Environmental
Justice Research Roadmaps. Specific research
integration activities are described in the
Research Topics section.
Social-ecological
resilience
Sustainable
approaches for
contaminated sites
and materials
management
Emergency
response
Climate change
resilience index
Safe and
Sustainable
Water
(SSWR)
Sustainable water
infrastructure
modeling
Analytical and
water treatment
methods
Net Zero
Sustainable
and Healthy
Communities
(SHC)
ERA'S
Homeland
Security Research
Program
Air, Climate
and Energy
(ACE)
Climate change
impacts/response
Cumulative risk
ExpoBox
Human Health
Risk
Assessment
(HHRA)
Chemical
Safety for
Sustainability
(CSS)
Predictive
toxicology
Figure 5. Areas of research in other ORD programs that are leveraged by HSRP.
-------
ORD Roadmap
Climate Change
Environmental Justice
Children's Health
Nitrogen & Co-Pollutants
HSRP Topic Area
Characterizing
Contamination and
Assessing Exposure
Remediating
Wide Areas
S
S
Water System Security
and Resilience
V
Table 1. Homeland Security research program contributions to critical needs identified by ORD
Roadmaps. Checkmarks indicate a larger contribution of HSRP activities and interest in the identified
science gaps of the Roadmaps than a single checkmark; a blank indicates no substantive role. The
research program provides significant contributions to two of the roadmaps as shown in the table.
Research to Support EPA Strategic Plan
In support of EPA's mission to protect human
health and the environment, the EPA Strategic
Plan identifies five strategic goals and four cross-
agency strategies (Figure 6). Homeland Security
Research significantly supports Goal 2, "Pro-
tecting America's Waters/' and Goal 3 "Clean-
ing Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable
Development." Under Goal 2, HSRP's research
supports the "Protecting Human Health" objec-
tive by providing scientific products that help
communities "protect and sustainably manage
drinking water resources." The HSRP supports
the Goal 3 objective to "Promote Sustainable
and Livable Communities and Restore Land" by
providing tools and information to help com-
munities "prepare for and respond to acciden-
tal or intentional releases of contaminants and
clean up." Homeland security research is cata-
logued in this Strategic Plan under Goal 4, "En-
suring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing
Pollution." Its research also supports the cross-
agency strategies within this plan, specifically
"Working Toward a Sustainable Future" and
"Making a Visible Difference in Communities"
through research that will "advance sustain-
ability science, indicators, and tools" (U.S. EPA,
2014b).
Supporting FY 2014-2018 EPA Strategic
Plan, Goals and Cross-Agency Strategies
Goal 1: Addressing Climate Change and Improving
Air Quality
Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters
Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing
Sustainable Development
Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and
Preventing Pollution
Goal 5: Protecting Human Health and the Environment
by Enforcing Laws and Assuring Compliance
Cross-Agency Strategies
Working Toward a Sustainable Future
Working to Make a Visible Difference in
Communities
-> Launching a New Era of State, Tribal, Local, and
Figure 6. Summary of EPA Strategic Plan: Goals
and Cross-Agency Strategies.
-------
Statutory and Policy Context
EPA has clearly defined responsibilities
associated with responding to disasters or
acts of terrorism. These responsibilities are
established through a set of laws, Homeland
Security Presidential Directives, Presidential
Policy Directives, Executive Orders, and national
strategies.3
EPA's disaster-related responsibilities can be
summarized into three areas:
1. Water systems:
(a) Protect water systems from intentional
or unintentional contamination and
(b) Detect and recover from attacks and
the effects of disasters by leading efforts
to provide States and water utilities with
guidance, tools and strategies to enhance
resilience, detect disruptions (including
contamination), mitigate impacts and
efficiently return the systems to service;
2. Indoors/outdoors:
Remediate environments contaminated
with CBRN agents or materials, including
buildings and outdoor areas impacted by
terrorist attacks or by inadvertent disasters
by leading efforts to establish clean-up goals
and remediation strategies; and,
3. Laboratories:
Develop a nationwide laboratory network
with the capability and capacity to analyze
for CBRN agents during routine monitoring
and in response to terrorist attacks and
other disasters.
The HSRP provides the scientific basis for
these strategies, tools, guidance, and cleanup
levels, as well as a continual effort to provide
laboratories with verified analytical methods.
Research Program
Objectives
The HSRP StRAP FY16-19 is aligned around two
major research objectives as were described
briefly above: (1) improve water utilities'
abilities to prepare for and respond to incidents
that threaten public health; and (2) advance
EPA's capabilities to respond to wide area
contamination incidents. These objectives
are directly in line with the EPA's primary
homeland security responsibilities and overall
strategic directions (U.S. EPA, 2014b). These
objectives also allow the program to determine
the needs of its EPA partners related to these
responsibilities.
Objective 1: Improve water utilities' abilities
to prepare for and respond to incidents that
threaten public health.
Disasters, manmade or natural, can impact
water utilities' ability to function. To support
disaster preparedness, the HSRP develops
modeling tools that support the design and
operation of water systems to decrease their
vulnerability to disasters. HSRP also builds tools,
technologies, and data to support post-incident
responses. Following an incident, HSRP research
helps water utilities detect contamination,
take mitigative actions, determine extent of
contamination, assess risk, treat water, and
decontaminate infrastructure. Collectively,
these efforts help improve the resiliency of
water systems faced with inevitable disasters.
3Bioterrorism Act, Presidential Policy Directive-8 National Preparedness, Presidential Policy Directive-21 Critical
Infrastructure Security and Resilience, Homeland Security Presidential Directive-? Critical Infrastructure Identification,
Prioritization, and Protection, Homeland Security Presidential Directive-9 Defense of United States Agriculture and
Food, Homeland Security Presidential Directive-22 Domestic Chemical Defense, Executive Order-13636 Improving Critical
Infrastructure Cybersecurity, National Response Framework, and elements of Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking
Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
-------
The research that is striving to meet this
objective can be summarized to address the
following science questions:
Can water systems models be designed
to enable utilities to be more resilient to
disruptions while enhancing daily operations?
What technologies, methods, and strategies
for detection and mitigation of contamination
in water systems best minimize public health
consequences?
What are the standardized sample collection
and analysis methods and strategies for
characterization of contamination that allow a
water utility to quickly return to service?
Can exposure pathways and models be
improved to better inform risk assessment and
risk management decisions for water-related
exposures?
What methodologies and strategies are most
effective (minimize cost while protecting
human health and the environment) for water
infrastructure decontamination and water
treatment?
How can HSRP place its research in a decision-
maker-friendly format for use by EPA water
partners and water utilities?
Objective 2: Advance EPA's capabilities to
respond to wide area contamination incidents.
Terrorist incidents or natural disasters can
result in wide area contamination with CBRN
agents or materials. EPA needs effective and
affordable cleanup strategies and methods
to enable successful recovery by affected
communities. After a wide-area contamination
incident occurs, HSRP products can be used to
assist in determining the nature and extent of
the problem, assessing risk, choosing the best
cleanup approach, and managing the resulting
contaminated wastes. Communities are also
looking for ways to holistically assess their
environmental resilience to disasters.
The research that is striving to meet this
objective can be summarized as work to address
the following science questions:
What social & environmental variables affect
a community's environmental resilience?
What are indicators and metrics of resilient
communities?
What are the standardized sample collection
and analysis methods and strategies for
characterization of contamination that enable
an expedient remediation?
Can exposure pathways and models be
improved to better inform risk assessment and
risk management decisions after a wide area
contamination incident?
What technologies, methods, and strategies
are effective for mitigating the impacts of the
contamination and for reducing the potential
exposures?
What technologies, methods, and strategies
are best suited (minimize cost while protecting
human health and the environment) for
cleanup of indoor and outdoor areas (including
management of waste) ?
How can HSRP place its research in a decision-
maker-friendly format for use by EPA partners
and State and local decision makers?
Because this program supports time-critical
response to disasters, our results must be
available in quickly accessible, usable, and
concise formats for decision makers. As
evidenced by the science challenges within
each of the two objectives outlined above,
HSRP aims to deliver science synthesis products
into the hands of end users by making this
information available through existing, widely
used information databases and supporting
this work with technical assistance. The primary
metric of the program's success is the use of its
research in databases, guidance, and training
developed by its EPA partners and external
stakeholders.
-------
Research Topics
The Research Objectives described above serve
as the overarching framework for more focused
research topics that guide specific research and
development activities. The research topics are:
Characterizing Contamination and Assessing
Exposure
Develop sample collection and analysis meth-
ods that increase the capability and capacity of
the Agency's Environmental Response Labora-
tory Network (ERLN) (which includes the Water
Laboratory Alliance (WLA))4 to respond to both
water-related and wide area contaminations.
Provide the science needed to establish sam-
pling strategies for indoor and outdoor areas
that provide the maximum amount of infor-
mation regarding the extent of contamination
while minimizing the sampling and laboratory
resources required. Develop methods to assess
exposure pathways and utilize exposure model-
ing for CBRN contaminants to support risk as-
sessment.
Water System Security and Resilience
Develop water systems models that enable util-
ities to design and operate their water systems
so that they are more resilient to intentional at-
tacks or natural disasters including understand-
ing the implications of various operational and
design decisions on the overall resilience of
the system. Develop approaches for detecting
and responding to a water system contamina-
tion event or other system disruptions. Develop
methods to decontaminate water systems and
treat contaminated water. Includes drinking
water and wastewater systems.
Remediating Wide Areas
Fill critical gaps in science and technology to
inform selection and implementation of con-
tamination mitigation and cleanup technolo-
gies, remediation monitoring approaches,
treatment and disposal tactics for contaminat-
ed wastes, and strategies for confirmation of
successful cleanup.
Each of the three research topics and corre-
sponding science questions are listed in Table
2 along with their related near- and long-term
aims.
Topic: Characterizing
Contamination and Assessing
Exposure
Following a chemical, biological, or radiological
incident, EPA will oversee site characterization
and remediation of contaminated water sys-
tems and indoor and outdoor areas. Additional
contamination characterization may be re-
quired during the cleanup operations to assess
progress and to characterize waste streams,
and may inform clearance decisions. EPA's OS-
WER constructed the ERLN to establish the ca-
pability and capacity for site characterization
and remediation after national scale incidents.
Because site characterization data informs de-
cisions regarding remediation, including deter-
mining the efficacy of the cleanup efforts, it is
important to understand how to relate these
data to risk assessment. Using these data in risk
assessment is not straightforward, particularly
for microbial contamination. This is due to the
uncertainty and variability in the field data as
well as the uncertainty of how to estimate ex-
posure.
"A nationwide laboratory network with the capability and capacity to analyze for CBRN agents during routine monitoring
and in response to terrorist attacks and other disasters. The WLA includes water utility laboratories.
-------
Table 2. Research topics, science questions, near-term aims, and long-term aims for the
Homeland Security Research Program
HSRP Research Topics Science Question
Near-Term Aim
Long-Term Aim
Characterizing
Contamination and
Assessing Exposure
What are the
standardized sample
collection and
analysis methods
and strategies for
characterization of
contamination?
Innovative
sample strategy
options, sample
collection methods,
and analytical
protocols. Improved
understanding
of sampling data
management and
interpretation.
Can exposure
pathways and models
be improved to better
inform risk assessment
and risk management
decisions for water-
related exposures?
Can exposure
pathways and models
be improved to better
inform risk assessment
and risk management
decisions after a wide
area contamination
incident?
Evaluation/
modification of
existing exposure
models for water-
related exposures.
Evaluation/
modification of
existing exposure
assessment models for
CBRN contaminants
for inclusion into
modeling tools.
Verified sampling
strategy options to
maximize needed
characterization
information and
methods that improve
laboratory capability
and capacity.
Exposure assessment
models incorporated
into water security
and resilience tools.
Modeling tools to
support exposure
assessment
for biological
and chemical
contaminants.
How can the program
place its research in
a decision maker-
friendly format for use
by EPA partners, water
utilities, and State and
local decision makers?
Incorporation of
research results into
widely used databases
and guidance
documents.
Use of HSRP
developed models and
methods by the ERLN
and EPA.
Water System
Security and
Resilience
Can water systems
models be designed
to enable utilities
to be more resilient
to disruptions while
enhancing daily
operations?
Water systems models
that allow water
utilities to evaluate
their security and
operational resilience.
Water systems models
for water utilities to
improve their security
and operational
resilience.
-------
HSRP Research Topics
Science Question
Near-Term Aim
Long-Term Aim
What technologies,
methods, and
strategies for
detection and
mitigation of
contamination in
water systems best
minimize public health
consequences?
Evaluations
of detection
and mitigation
technologies and
methods for water
systems.
Effective technologies
and methods for
detection and
mitigation for water
systems.
What methodologies
and strategies are
most effective for
water infrastructure
decontamination and
water treatment?
Assessments of
methodologies
and strategies for
water infrastructure
decontamination and
water treatment.
How can the program
place its research in
a decision maker-
friendly format for use
by EPA water partners
and water utilities?
Incorporation of
research results
into widely used
databases and
guidance documents
(e.g., Office of Water's
Water Contaminant
Information Tool).
Verified customizable
approaches for
water infrastructure
decontamination and
water treatment.
Use of HSRP water
security and resilience
tools and data by EPA
partners and water
utilities.
Remediating Wide
Areas
What are indicators
of community
environmental
resilience and how
can existing tools
incorporate these
indicators?
Determination of
the coupled human
and natural system
variables that
affect community
environmental
resilience.
What technologies,
methods, and
strategies are effective
for mitigating the
impacts of the
contamination and for
reducing the potential
exposures?
Evaluations of
mitigation methods.
Tool to support
community
resilience to risks
from environmental
disasters.
Effective methods for
mitigation.
-------
HSRP Research Topics
Science Question
What technologies,
methods, and
Near-Term Aim
Development of
effective cleanup
Long-Term Aim
Informed decision
support tools for wide
strategies are most methodologies and | area response and
effective (minimize
cost while protecting
human health and
strategies (including remediation (including
waste management) waste management).
for complex
the environment) environments.
for cleanup of Improving capability,
indoor and outdoor capacity, and
areas (including
management of
waste)?
How can the program
scalability of
remediation methods.
Incorporation of
place its research in research results into
a decision maker-
friendly format for
use by EPA partners
and State and local
decision makers?
widely used databases
and guidance
documents.
Use of HSRP tools and
data by EPA partners
and State and local
planners.
In this topic, the HSRP develops standardized
sample collection and analysis methods and
strategies for characterization of contamina-
tion to support the ERLN and other Agency
partners. Specifically by filling gaps in the sci-
ence needed to: (1) improve the capability by
developing, standardizing, and verifying sample
collection, sample preparation, and analytical
methods for CBRN agents; and (2) increase the
capacity by enhancing the efficiency of these
methods. Additionally, the program conducts
research that assists in establishing sampling
strategies and data management options for
indoor and outdoor areas that provide the
maximum amount of information regarding
the extent of contamination while minimiz-
ing the sampling and laboratory resources
required. Research also supports risk assess-
ment and risk management decisions, specifi-
cally addressing the science questions related
to exposure pathways and models. Over time,
this topic will evolve to focus more on science
to inform sampling strategies, a key challenge
for wide area contamination incidents. This
topic also addresses optimal approaches for
translating research to enable urgent decision
making by EPA's response community. Priorities
in this area are identified through discussions
with EPA and external partners who are part of
the ERLN.
Assessment of existing exposure
assessment methodology for microbial
data - connecting exposure assessment
to sampling data
After an anthrax release, the
potential for human exposure will
be considered when response
and remediation decisions are
made. Research is underway to
determine how sampling data can
be related to human exposure and
if existing exposure assessment
methods (developed for chemical
contaminants) are appropriate.
-------
Some specific areas of research are:
• Sampling Strategy for Anthrax
Sampling strategies that employed
probabilistic and/or judgmental sampling
exist to support site cleanups of chemical
and radiological contaminants in the U.S.
and abroad. Previous interagency efforts
have discussed these strategies at length
as well as potential new options. Research
conducted under this StRAP reviews these
traditional sampling strategies, assesses
these strategies for estimating exposure to 6.
anthracis, and develops innovative sampling
strategy options. This includes evaluating
composite sampling approaches and existing
EPA modeling tools to support judgment-
based air sampler placement after a wide
area outdoor release of 6. anthracis.
• Data management and usability
Data management during response to a wide
area contamination incident can be daunting.
In addition, the usability of microbiological
data is not thoroughly understood,
particularly at low concentrations. The HSRP
assesses and modifies existing software
systems that will integrate characterization
data and its geospatial metadata to meet
the needs of Agency partners. In addition,
a standardized approach for assessing the
usability of microbial data is being developed.
• Development and testing of sampling
and analysis methods and update of the
Selected Analytical Methods (SAM) and
Sample Collection Information Document
(SCID)
These documents are intended to provide
EPA responders and the ERLN with the most
current sample collection and analytical
methods to characterize a site contaminated
with CBRN materials and to monitor cleanup
activities. HSRP ensures that SAM and SCID
include methods for the highest priority
contaminants and are updated with the most
recent methods. To support these documents,
the program develops novel sample collection
techniques and evaluates existing sample
collection and analysis methodsfortraditional
environmental matrices (air, water, soil, and
surfaces). In addition, sample collection and
analysis methods for solid waste media and
matrices relevant to wastewater systems are
being developed.
• Exposure modeling tools to support
site-specific responses
Exposure-based modeling is a mature field
for traditional chemical contaminants like
pesticides, but modeling efforts for biological
agents to help plan sampling strategies
are not available. Research conducted
under this StRAP develops or modifies
existing exposure-modeling tools to support
development of these strategies. Models
for water-based exposures are also being
developed and incorporated into systems
modeling consequence estimation tools.
Integration and Leveraging
Beyond the ERLN and EPA partners, the
interagency workgroup, Scientific Program
on Reaerosolization and Exposure (SPORE)5,
continues to inform the work in this topic related
to biological agent exposure. Additionally,
analytical methods developed by EPA ORD's
SSWR (Topic 4 - Water Systems) and CSS (Topic
1 - Chemical Evaluation) are examined for their
applicability to CBRN contaminants. HSRP
also leverages DHS-funded analytical method
Scientific Program on Reaerosolization and Exposure aims to understand the degree to which B. anthracis spores
reaerosolize from surfaces, ways to mitigate this reaerosolization and the potential exposures resulting from this
reaerosolization. This research informs public health decisions and sampling, mitigation, and decontamination strategies.
DOD, HHS, and DHS participate in this group.
-------
development, which is primarily focused on
biological agents and emerging chemical
threats. Lastly, as HSRP moves further toward
addressing all hazards, it will begin to explore
integration of its applications in cumulative
risk assessment methods, in collaboration with
HHRA (Topic 3 - Community and Site-specific
Analysis), to the impacts of disaster-related
chemical contamination and non-chemical
stressors on the environment and public
health. These approaches, once mature, will
be incorporated into the cross-ORD resilience
research activities and tools discussed under
the Remediating Wide Areas topic section
below.
Topic: Water System Security and
Resilience
The public can be seriously harmed by
ingesting contaminated drinking water caused
by accidental or intentional introduction of
harmful substances into our water systems.
Contamination of drinking water can occur
through the direct introduction of CBRN
substances into the distribution infrastructure,
through compromises in the integrity of the
distribution lines, or via contaminated raw
water supply entering a treatment plant.
Direct distribution system contamination
can result from acts of terror or inadvertent
distribution system disruptions such as main
breaks or cross connections. Accidental or
natural contamination can enter drinking
water supplies via contaminated stormwater
runoff, wastewater and industrial outfalls, or
transportation or industrial incidents.
EPA supports water utilities by providing
tools and guidance that help harden their
infrastructure to respond to and recover from
contamination incidents and other disasters.
Priorities in this area are determined through
conversations with the EPA's OW, OECA, and
Regional Offices. The water utilities convey
their needs through the water sector's Critical
Infrastructure Protection Advisory Committee
(CIPAC), managed out of the DHS and co-led
by EPA's OW. This group periodically releases
research priorities and these also inform HSRP's
research in this topic.
This topic includes development of tools that
(1) enable water systems to detect and respond
to a contamination event and other system
disruptions; (2) assess the vulnerabilities of the
systems to contamination; and (3) understand
the implications of operational and design
decisions on the overall system resilience. HSRP
also develops methods for decontaminating
water infrastructure and treating contaminated
water. Decision-support tools for response to
source water contamination and for assessing
vulnerabilities due to critical infrastructure
interdependencies are also within this topic.
This research supports the science questions
related to: 1) design of water systems models;
2) technologies, methods, and strategies for
detection and mitigation of contamination
in water systems; 3) water infrastructure
decontamination and water treatment; and
4) delivering research in a user-friendly format
for use by EPA water partners and water utility
owners and operators. As the research in this
area progresses, the focus will move towards
more field-scale assessments and additional
focus on improving the overall resilience of
water systems to disasters.
Some specific examples of this research are:
• Support innovative design and operation of
water systems and technologies for resiliency
To reduce the vulnerabilities of their systems
to contamination and other disasters, water
utilities need to better understand their
system's vulnerabilities and operational
-------
conditions. The research that supports this
need includes:
o Examining the effectiveness of
cybersecurity standards,
° Developing systems modeling tool
that allows utilities to use their su-
pervisory control and data acquisi-
tion (SCADA) data to model their
system in real time, allowing them
to assess operational conditions (in-
cluding identifying disruptions) and
model the spread of contamination
in their system; and,
° Developing a framework that allows
the study of operational and design
decisions on overall system resilience
to disasters. Because this includes
disasters resulting from climate
change, this research is covered
under the Climate Change Roadmap.
• Decontamination of water infrastructure
Once a water system is contaminated, it
is important to have effective, scalable
decontamination methodologies for the
infrastructure. HSRP collects data on the
persistence of priority CBR contaminants on
water infrastructure (including wastewater
infrastructure and premise plumbing6) and
develops effective decontamination procedures
to remove persistent contamination.
Homeowner Decontamination of Post-Service
Connection Plumbing and Appliances
The persistence of high priority
contaminants on home plumbing
infrastructure is studied as well as
the effectiveness of flushing as a
decontamination method. As evidenced
by the West Virginia water contamination
incident in 2014, this information is
needed for response to a water system
contamination incident.
• Fate and transport of contaminants and by-
products in water and wastewater systems
Understanding the fate and transport of con-
taminants and their degradation or decon-
tamination by-products provides information
that is relevant to sampling, mitigation, and
decontamination methods and strategies.
Experimental data is collected and predictive
models are developed to address fate and
transport for a range of potential contami-
nants and infrastructure design features.
• Detection and mitigation methods and strategies
Detecting contamination in water is critical
for mitigating its impacts. Research efforts
in this area include testing emerging water
contaminant sensors and developing ways
to quickly mitigate impacts. Water systems
modeling efforts in this area aim to inform
mitigation strategies (e.g., flushing and
isolation).
Treatment, disposal, minimization and handling
of contaminated water
A contaminated water system may be
flushed or decontaminated, generating large
volumes of contaminated water. Indoor/
outdoor area decontamination activities may
generate large volumes of decontamination
wash water. Containment and treatment
technologies exist, but these activities will
likely result in volumes of water that cannot
be easily handled with existing capabilities.
Existing approachesfor collecting, minimizing,
treating, and disposing of large volumes of
contaminated water are being modified and
assessed.
6The customer's portion of the potable water distribution
system, which is connected to the main distribution
system via the service line.
-------
Development and enhancement of
decision-making tools
The HSRP is developing an Emergency
Management Decision Support Tool that
allows utilities to identify upstream hazards
(e.g., barges, railroad infrastructure adjacent
to drinking water sources) and model spills
from these or above-ground storage tanks
to determine time of travel to downstream
drinking water intakes as well as the leading
edge, peak, and trailing edge contaminant
levels. This modeling will provide guidance
on emergency response sampling locations,
methods, and drinking water utility options
to treat the contaminant, close the intakes,
or provide alternative sources of water.
In addition, an operational and design-
decision support tool for water systems
is being developed that factors in the
interdependencies between different critical
infrastructure and water systems.
Systems analysis and demonstration of
approaches for response to a contaminated
or disrupted water system
Approaches developed and tested at the
laboratory and pilot scale require testing at
the field scale in real time to understand their
true cost and performance under real-world
operating conditions. For these reasons,
full-scale distribution system evaluations of
cyber-based disruptions, in-line contaminant
detectors, decontamination methodologies
(including automatic flushing), wash water
treatment methodologies, and the water
system modeling tools are being conducted
at a full-scale simulation of a municipal water
system (the Water Security Test Bed).
Inform Agency tools and standards
Information developed in this topic is being
included in widely available databases such
as OW's Water Contaminant Information Tool
(WCIT). HSRP's water systems modeling tools
can potentially inform OW's tools for utilities,
including the Vulnerability Self-Assessment
Tool (VSAT).
Figure 7. Aerial picture of the water security test bed.
-------
Integration and Leveraging
The Climate Change Roadmap integrates
HSRP's research on resilience of water
systems with other climate-related research.
As a part of this integration, ACE and HSRP
will partner to develop a set of the scenarios
for water systems resilience research. The
program also continues to collaborate with
SSWR (Topic 4-Water Systems) on sustainable
water infrastructure modeling as well as on
methods for communities to achieve Net
Zero conditions7, specifically treatment of
decontamination wash water. In addition,
HSRP leverages findings from SSWR studies of
technologies for the collection and treatment
of water after a water system contamination
incident (Topic 4 - Water Systems). The program
is also working with DOD's Army Corps of
Engineers to develop and operationalize water
treatment technologies at the full scale. Lastly,
to ensure that the capabilities of the Water
Security Test Bed are fully realized and used,
the program collaborates with federal partners
(DOE, DHS, DOD) and water utilities to plan and
execute research at this Test Bed.
Topic: Remediating Wide Areas
EPA has a long history and extensive expertise
in cleaning up contamination associated with
accidental spills and industrial accidents.
However, remediating CBRN contamination
released into wide areas, such as outdoor
urban centers, is a responsibility for which
the EPA lacks substantial experience. The U.S.
Department of Defense has expertise in the
tactical decontamination of equipment in
battlefield situations, but this expertise is not
directly applicable to the decontamination of
public facilities and outdoor areas that have
a variety of porous surfaces and, potentially,
must meet more stringent clean-up goals for
public re-occupation. The HSRP activities in this
topic aim to fill the most critical scientific gaps
in the capabilities of EPA's response community
so that, when needed, EPA can make the
most informed mitigation and remediation
(decontamination and waste management)
decisions.
The ultimate aim of EPA's tools, methods,
and technologies for disaster preparedness
and response is to improve our communities'
ability to recover from a disaster successfully.
Therefore, EPA and communities need tools
to assess their current state of resilience
to environmental disasters. HSRP aims to
address science gaps related to community
environmental resilience assessment. Priorities
in this area are determined through interactions
with EPA's OSWER, OCSPP, OAR, OW, and
Regional Offices.
The research in this topic addresses the science
questions related to indicators of community
environmental resilience; technologies,
methods, and strategies for mitigating the
impacts of the contamination and for cleanup
of indoor and outdoor areas; and providing
research into decision maker-friendly formats
for use by EPA partners and other stakeholders.
Over the period of this plan, the research in
this topic will evolve to focus on scalability
of cleanup methods and application of the
research to additional hazards outside of the
CBRN paradigm.
Some specific examples of this research are:
• Environmental fate and transport of CBRN
contaminants
Understanding the fate and transport of
these contaminants is critical for informing
risk reduction, sampling, and remediation
activities. Examples of research in this area
7By definition, this means "consuming only as much energy as produced, achieving a sustainable balance between water
availability and demand, and eliminating solid waste sent to landfills."
-------
include examining 6. anthracis transport
to inform risk reduction, sampling, and
decontamination.
Gross decontamination8 and containment for
biological and radiological contamination
After a wide area contamination incident,
responders will need gross decontamination
and other mitigation technologies in order
to enable movement into and between
contaminated zones. Such zones may include
critical infrastructure that is essential to
keep on-line or get back on-line as a priority.
Mitigation technologies that are appropriate
to wide-area contamination incidents are
being assessed. This includes the study of
methods for gross decontamination and
inhibiting the spread of contamination.
Figure 8. Picture of a firefighter demonstrating gross
decontamination of a vehicle.
• Identification, development, and assessment of
decontamination methods for improved efficacy
and capacity
The ability to decontaminate CBR agents
is a function of many factors (e.g., agent,
surface type). Even where efficacious de-
contamination methods exist, the capac-
ity needed for a wide incident does not.
New decontamination methods that
are widely available, user friendly, eco-
nomical, and ideally have low human and en-
vironmental impact are identified, modified,
and evaluated. This work is done under pro-
cess variables that include diverse, realistic
environmental and operating conditions for a
variety of surfaces, including complex materi-
als such as soil and dirty concrete.
Methodologies to Apply Biocides for
Biological Agent Containment and
Decontamination on Outdoor Surfaces
Methodologies for applying biocides
are being developed to maximize
containment and decontamination
efficacy. Specifically, the influence of
spraying parameters on containment
and decontamination are being studied
for the most effective decontaminants.
After a wide area biological incident,
these methodologies will enable
continuity of response operations
and potentially reduce the size of the
oacted area.
Implementation of decontamination technologies
over the wide area
Wide areas can present many complex envi-
ronments, from open spaces with soil/veg-
etation to skyscrapers. These environments,
as well as the prospect of many square miles
of contaminated area, dictate the need for
scalable technologies. In addition, many de-
contamination technologies may include use
of chemicals such as disinfectants, which
can be toxic if used inappropriately. It is
critical to have engineering controls to pro-
tect responders and the general public, as
well as to ensure proper decontamination
conditions. HSRP develops and improves
decontamination engineering processes to
8Gross decontamination is decontamination that is conducted with the goal of reducing contamination levels. This
reduction may not meet final cleanup levels, but may be useful to mitigate some public hazard or contain contamination.
-------
facilitate implementation of technologies in
the field and provide information to assist in
scale up of these methodologies. After the
Fukushima Daiichi incident, it also became
apparent that effective risk reduction and
self-help remediation methods are needed
after a wide area contamination incident.
The program is developing methods for risk
reduction and self-help (e.g., owner/occupant
or their contractors) remediation after a wide
area anthrax or radiological contamination
incident.
Waste minimization, treatment, and disposal
As evidenced by previous incidents (US EPA,
2013) waste management dictates the reme-
diation cost and timeline. Methods to mini-
mize and treat waste are critical components
of an effective waste management strategy.
Critical for wide area remediation is treat-
ment of chemical, biological, and radiological
decontamination washwater, which is cov-
ered under the water systems topic. Under
this topic, the behavior of contaminants in
a variety of solid waste treatment processes
(e.g., incineration, autoclave) is studied, the
effectiveness of commercially available and
novel treatment methods (including on-site
technologies) is evaluated, methods for the
minimization of solid waste are developed,
and scientific information to support waste
staging recommendations (e.g., appropriate
areas for staging, packaging of waste during
staging) is generated.
Development and enhancement of decision making
tools and information to support a systems approach
to response and remediation
Making decisions regarding response to
and remediation of wide area contamina-
tion is difficult due to the complexity of
the situation. Tools that allow the decision
maker to better understand the options for
response and remediation as well as the
consequences of each decision are critical
for effective decision making. HSRP develops
and enhances computer-based decision-
support tools, which can be used to quickly
evaluate the efficacy and impacts of poten-
tial response and remediation options from
single facility to wide area scale. These tools,
as well as other previously developed tools,
are being evaluated for their ability to assess
resilience to environmental disasters beyond
traditional CBRN threats.
Community environmental resilience to disasters
Resilience to acute shocks and disasters is a
necessary underpinning of long-term sustain-
ability. Currently, while there are indicators
for communities to assess their social and
geographic vulnerability and resilience to
natural disasters, there is not a way for com-
munities to assess their environmental resil-
ience to natural disasters or CBRN incidents.
HSRP develops indicators for communities
to enhance their environmental resilience,
which will be tested in communities to de-
velop a community environmental resilience
self-assessment tool. HSRP is also developing
a framework to integrate environmental and
social indicators of community resilience. The
framework gives explicit attention to environ-
mental and ecological variables, and includes
socioeconomic and cultural variables. Be-
cause communities that have greater expo-
sure to disasters are more vulnerable to their
impacts, they are of particular interest in this
research effort. This framework is integrated
with other resilience research in the Environ-
mental Justice Research Roadmap.
Environmental Resilience:
"Minimizing environmental ri'
associated with disasters, quit
returning critical environmen
& ecological services to
functionality after a disaste
while applying this learning
process to reduce vulnerabilit
& risks to future incidents.
-------
• Inform Agency guidance
Information generated under this topic is
being included in response and remedia-
tion preparedness documents (e.g., tactical
guides, guidance) that are being developed
by the EPA program offices and regions, state
and local agencies.
Integration and Leveraging
Increasing the resilience of communities, in-
cluding their ecosystem services, to the chang-
ing climate and to acute disasters is an area of
interest for almost all of the EPA National Re-
search Programs. The HSRP is facilitating the
coordination of the research in this area as it
continues to grow.
The community environmental resilience re-
search is an integrated research area (with
SHC and ACE) under the Environmental Justice
Roadmap. Specifically, this research leverages
SHC's development of indicators of ecological
resilience (SHCTopic 2 - Community Well-Being:
Public Health and Ecosystem Goods & Services),
using these indicators within its framework to
integrate environmental and social indicators of
community resilience to disasters. When these
indicators are tested in communities, HSRP will
partner with SHC.
HSRP will also explore SHC's community assess-
ment tools as venues for the indicators, with
these tools potentially serving as the commu-
nity environmental resilience self-assessment
tool. In addition, HSRP is collaborating with SHC
on development of the Climate Change Resil-
ience Index, which examines the vulnerabilities
of communities to the impacts of the chang-
ing climate. The program also continues to ex-
change information with SHC on their research
related to cleanup of contaminated sites (SHC
Topic 3 - Sustainable Approaches for Contami-
nated Sites and Materials Management). This
topic deals with ground water and soil contami-
nated with traditional chemical and radiological
contaminants, and sustainable materials man-
agement, which is critical for dealing with waste
after environmental disasters. Lastly, HSRP and
DHS collaboratively conduct projects address-
ing remediation resulting from the release of
biological agents in underground transporta-
tion environments and remediation of outdoor
areas after biological and radiological incidents.
Anticipated Research
Accomplishments and
Projected Impacts
HSRP work is designed to address the critical
gaps in EPA's capabilities to carry out its home-
land security mission. However, this relevant
research may not have its intended impact un-
less the products are formed and delivered in a
manner most useful to Agency partners. ORD
products specifically designed to be useful in
the hands of partners are termed "outputs."
The HSRP will produce a number of outputs
from FY16 to FY19. The titles of the proposed
outputs for this time period can be found in the
Appendix. To give a better sense of the impacts
of the research program, examples of anticipat-
ed research accomplishments are given below
by topic area:
Characterizing Contamination and Assessing
Exposure
Research on characterizing contamination and
assessing exposure will improve the ability of
EPA responders and laboratories to charac-
terize environmental samples after disasters.
Specifically, the program is producing a com-
pendium of the methods for sample collection,
processing, and analysis (Selected Analytical
Methods (SAM) and the Sample Collection In-
formation Documents (SCID) 2017) that can be
used by EPA responders and laboratories during
EPA response and remediation efforts following
-------
a homeland security incident. This compen-
dium includes recently developed innovative
sample collection methods and analysis proto-
cols. Additional accomplishments in this topic
area support development of sampling strate-
gies after a wide area biological agent incident,
a critical remediation activity because sampling
and analysis can be very costly and time con-
suming. Sample strategy options are being de-
veloped through evaluation of biological agent
composite sample collection techniques and
strategies to inform what is selected during an
actual response. These techniques and strate-
gies must incorporate temporal and spatial as-
pects of agent fate and transport in urban set-
tings, sample collection efficiencies, sampling
approach representativeness, and be able to
be deployed over large spatial scales with mini-
mal time and resources. These evaluations will
provide input into various sampling approaches
and strategies that can potentially reduce the
cost and overall timeline.
Water System Security and Resilience
Anticipated accomplishments in this topic will
improve the resilience of water systems (both
drinking and wastewater systems) through the
holistic assessment of resilience indicators for
water systems and the field-scale evaluation of
drinking water infrastructure decontamination.
Specifically, a framework is being developed
which allows the impact of design and opera-
tional decisions on overall system resilience to
be studied. It is critical to assess how these de-
cisions influence the overall resilience of water
systems so that findings from the use of this
framework can inform the standard for "all haz-
ards" risk and resilience analysis and manage-
ment for the water systems and OW's Vulner-
ability Self-Assessment Tool. Other anticipated
accomplishments in this area include the evalu-
ation of infrastructure decontamination meth-
odologies and water treatment technologies at
the full scale. These studies allow understand-
ing of the applicability of these methodologies
and a system's view of how these activities
would tie together during an actual incident.
Remediating Wide Areas
The ability to remediate after a wide area biolog-
ical and radiological incident will be improved
through additional development of decontami-
nation methods for outdoor areas and decon-
tamination methods that can be employed by
owners/occupants or their contractors. In addi-
tion, tools that enable a systems approach to
remediation will be available, improving EPA's
ability to remediate the wide area. For example
under this topic, the state of the capabilities, as
determined by laboratory and field efforts, for
outdoor decontamination after a wide area 6.
anthracis incident are being assessed. This as-
sessment will help inform selection of decon-
tamination methods for these large outdoor
areas, which are critical for making substantial
progress in remediating the wide area. Another
example accomplishment is the release of a
trade-off analysis tool, which employs a geo-
spatial approach, for mitigation, decontamina-
tion, and waste management decisions after
a biological incident. For emergency planners
and federal responders to scope out the waste
and debris management issues resulting from
a biological response and recovery effort, it is
critical to understand not only the quantity,
characteristics, and level of contamination of
the waste, but also the implications of response
and cleanup decisions on subsequent waste
generation. This tool will allow planners and re-
sponders to understand these implications for
their localities.
-------
Conclusions
The entire Homeland Security Research Pro-
gram, from the community environmental resil-
ience self-assessment tool to the methods and
tools for cleanup, enhances community resil-
ience. Systems-based approaches are captured
in the program's decision support tools. These
methods and tools, along with federal, state,
and local preparedness activities, enable rapid
recovery after acute disasters.
Specifically, the resilience of water systems to
terrorist attacks or other manmade and natural
disasters will be improved by the research out-
lined above and its incorporation into widely
used EPA tools and standards. Utilities will have
improved tools and strategies to manage con-
taminated systems and approaches to make
these systems inherently resilient. In addition,
the results of research will provide EPA with
systems-based approaches to managing risk to
water systems, including reliable exposure as-
sessment tools to support risk assessment for a
particular incident. The characterization strate-
gies and methods needed to properly sample,
ship, and analyze priority contaminants in wa-
ter and wastewater will also be available. When
an attack or other disaster occurs that impacts
a water system, the United States will recover
more quickly and with more confidence be-
cause scientifically-sound methods have been
adopted by EPA.
Such integrated approaches provide water utili-
ties with cost-effective and timely options that
have minimal environmental and economic im-
pact. Collectively, the availability of this infor-
mation will increase the resiliency of the water
sector and, therefore, the ability of communi-
ties to respond to and recover from numerous
types of system disturbances.
This program will also provide the EPA with
systems-based approaches and tools for site
characterization, risk assessment, and clean
up including waste management. Such infor-
mation will help federal, State and community
decision makers select cost-effective, timely
options while minimizing the impact to the en-
vironment. Proven characterization, risk assess-
ment, and clean up approaches are a deterrent
to terrorist activities because timely, effective
responses minimize the overall impact of an
incident (Kroenig and Pavel, 2012). In addition,
the results of this work will be applicable to the
cleanup of contamination caused by accidents
or natural disasters.
-------
References
FSMA, 2011
Kroenig and Pavel, 2012
NRC, 2012
U.S. EPA, 2012
U.S. EPA, 2013
U.S. EPA, 2014a
U.S. EPA, 2014b
U.S. DHS, 2012
The White House, 2004
The White House, 2011
The White House, 2013
21 U.S.C. § 301. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety
and Modernization Act (FSMA). 2011.
Kroenig, M. and Pavel, B. How to Deter Terrorism. The
Washington Quarterly; Washington, DC; Spring 2012.
National Research Council. Disaster Resilience: A National
Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press;
2012.
Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Homeland Security Strategic Research Action
Plan 2012-2016. Washington DC: U.S. EPA; February, 2012.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Bio-Response
Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) Project - Phase 1:
Decontamination Assessment - EPA/600/R-13/168. Washington,
DC, U.S. EPA, December, 2013.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2013 U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency International Decontamination Research and
Development Conference. Research Triangle Park NC: U.S. EPA;
September, 2014.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fiscal Year 2014-2018 EPA
Strategic Plan. Washington DC: U.S. EPA; April, 2014.
Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security. Key Planning Factors For Recovery from
a Biological Terrorism Incident. Washington DC: U.S. DHS;
September, 2012.
The White House, Executive Office of the President, Defense of
United States Agriculture and Food. Washington, DC; January,
2004.
The White House, Executive Office of the President, Presidential
Policy Directive-8, National Preparedness. Washington, DC;
March, 2011.
The White House, Executive Office of the President, Presidential
Policy Directive-21, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience.
Washington, DC; February, 2013.
-------
Appendix
Table of Proposed Outputs, Homeland Security Research Program FY16-19
The following table lists the expected outputs from the Homeland Security Research Program,
organized by topic. Note that outputs may change as new scientific findings emerge. Outputs are
also contingent on budget appropriations.
Project Area
Output
Topic: Characterizing Contamination and Assessing Exposure
Sampling and analysis Protocol for detection of Y. pestis in environmental
matrices
Anticipated
Completion
Date
FY16
Selected Analytical Methods (SAM) 2017
FY17
Sample Collection Information Document (SCID) 2017 FY17
Building Material Sample Collection Strategy for
Radionuclides
FY17
Technical Brief: Ultra-Dilute Chemical Warfare Agents
Use for Reference Standards
FY17
Technical Brief: Evaluation of Commercially Available
PCR Assays for Bacillus anthracis for Wide Area
Releases
FY18
Updated/Modified Field Sample Collection and Lab
Analytical Data Management Tool
FY18
Summary Technical Evaluation: Biological Agent
Composite Sample Collection Techniques and
Strategies
FY19
Exposure assessment
Updated Tool: TEVA SPOT Consequence Estimation
Module - Determines site-specific public health
consequences from intentional or unintentional
contamination events in drinking water systems
FY17
Support innovative
design and operation
of water systems
and technologies for
resiliency
Technical Brief: Outdoor Human Activity Forces for
Reaerosolization of Bacillus anthracis Spores
Topic: Water Systems
Revised Real-time Analytics and Modeling Software in
the Water Community
FY17
FY16
Security Design and Operational Resilience Evaluation
Framework for Water Distribution Systems
FY17
Technical Brief: Recommendations for Protecting
Water and Wastewater Utilities' SCADA Systems from
Cyber Intrusions
FY18
-------
Fate and transport of
contaminants and by-
products in water and
wastewater systems
Technical Brief: Predicting Fate and Transport of
CBR Contaminants During Water Treatment and
Decontamination Processes
FY19
Detection and mitigation
methods and strategies
Software: Evaluation of Response Strategies in Water
Distribution Systems Using Simulation Studies
FY19
Water infrastructure
decontamination
Technical Brief: Homeowner Decontamination of Post
Service Connection Plumbing and Appliances
FY19
Technical Brief: Water Infrastructure Decontamination
Methods for Chemicals from Pilot Scale Studies
FY19
Treatment, disposal,
minimization,
and handling of
contaminated water
Technical Brief: Management of Cesium-
Contaminated Water
FY17
Technical Brief: Bio-Contaminated Wash-Down Water
Management Technologies and Procedures
FY19
Development and
enhancement of
decision-making tools
Ohio River Basin Vulnerability and Emergency
Management Decision Support Tool
FY18
Systems analysis
and demonstration
of response and
remediation approaches
^^^m
Environmental fate
and transport of CBR
contaminants
Technical Brief: Lessons Learned from Systems
Evaluations of Response and Return to Service after a
Water System Contamination Incident
FY19
Topic: Remediating Wide Areas
Decision-Support Tool: Radiological Agent Fate and
Transport Supporting Remediation Activities
FY19
Gross decontamination
and containment
Technical Brief: Impact of Washdown and Rain on
Urban Surfaces Contaminated with 6. anthracis FY18
Spores
Technical Specification Datasheet and Brief:
Technical Information on Gross Decontamination and
Containment for Inclusion in OSWER/OEM/DHS Rad
App for Responders
Identification,
development, and
assessment of
decontamination
methods for improved
efficacy and capacity
Technical Brief: Effectiveness of Liquid
Decontamination Technologies for Surfaces
Contaminated With Blister Agents
Technical Brief: Summary of Ricin Decon Methods
FY16
FY18
Implementation of
decontamination
technologies over the
wide area
Technical Brief: Effectiveness of Decontamination
Options for Critical Infrastructure (Efficacy And FY17
Material Compatibility)
Technical Brief: Assessment of Self-Help Methods and
Their Potential Uses and Precautions for Wide Area FY18
Anthrax Contamination Incidents
-------
Treatment, disposal,
minimization,
and handling of
contaminated waste
Development and
enhancement of
decision-making tools
Community
environmental resilience
to disasters
Summary of On-Site Waste Treatment and Staging
Approaches for CBR
Technical Brief: Methods for Waste Volume Reduction
for Radiological Incidents
Decision Support Module for Early Phase
Containment, Decontamination, and Waste Disposal
Actions after a Radiological Incident
Waste Estimation Support Tool (WEST) to Address
Wide Area Biological Response
Decontamination Support Tool (DeconST) Adapted to
Support Chemical Agent Incidents in Facilities
Carcass Disposal Technology Selection Tool
Environmental and Ecological Metrics Framework for
Measuring Community Resilience and Community
Environmental Resilience Self-Assessment Tool
FY18
FY19
FY17
FY18
FY18
FY19
FY19
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGES FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Office of Research and Development (8101R)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
------- |