Land Division Tribal Section • August 2017 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 866-EPA-WEST • www.epa.gov/region9 v»EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Serving Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 Tribes U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest Tribal Section Newsletter EPA Releases Materials for Cyanobacterial Bloom Management in Recreational Waters EPA released a suite of materials states and communities can use to protect public health during harmful algal bloom (HAB) outbreaks caused by cyanobacteria. Some blooms are capable of producing toxins, called cyano- toxins, which can harm humans and animals, affect drinking water sources and impact local economies. Public health officials and outdoor water recreational managers can use EPA's online resources to develop a cyanotoxin monitoring program, communicate potential health risks to the public, and address HAB outbreaks. View the materials at: epa.gov/nutrient-policv-data/moiiitoring-and-responding-cyaiiobacteria-and-cyanotoxins- recreational-waters New Citizen Science Mosquito Habitat Mapping Tool NASA and the Global Learning Observation to Benefit the Environment Program have recently developed the "GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper" to help citizen scientists collect and map mosquito habitat in their communities. The information assists public health and science institutions complete a better threat risk picture of mosquito habitat and mosquito-borne disease, as well as, to develop action plans that address the contributing factors. Though mosquitos are small, they are also deadly. A new app helps citizen scientists fight back: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/earthniatters/?p=7749&src=eoa-blogs To go directly to the GLOBE Observer app page, please visit: "Get the App - GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper": observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app Upcoming Opportunities Superfund Pre-CERCLA Screening Training Webinars set for August 15 and 30 The Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) is offering a training webinar on the recent "Pre-CERCLA Screening Guidance" issued by the EPA in December 2016. This guidance is used by EPA, state, and tribal Superfund site assessment staff and support contractors when deciding if a new site should be added to the Superfund "active site inventory" for more thorough pre-remedial site evaluation. The training webinar will cover all elements of the guidance, from planning the screening to approving the recommended course of action based on the screening. It includes an in-depth discussion checklist/decision form that must be completed for each pre-CERCLA screening. The webinar provides opportunities for participation by the audience, including a section for questions and answers. Recommended Audience: EPA, state, and tribal staff and managers and contractor support staff who are involved with planning, conducting, reviewing, and approving pre-CERCLA screening activities. Registration is required and can be completed by going to the CLU-In website at clu-in.org/training/ # upcoming and scrolling down to the Pre-CERCLA Screening Webinar entry. ------- EPA plans to post a recording of the webinar on the CLU-IN website in case interested participants cannot attend the live webinars. If you have questions, please contact Randy Hippen at (703) 603-8829. Mobile Home Deconstruction Training Two-Day Training presented by the Hopland Band of Pomo Idands and EPA Region 9 2000 Shan el Rd., Hopland, CA 9:00 AM. - 3:00 PM Day 1 - Tuesday September 12 • Site Access Challenges • Environmental hazards (asbestos, lead based paint, other concerns) • Cost considerations: deconstruct or demolish? • Deconstruction process: jobsite safety basics, organizing staging areas, process and techniques • Recycling, Salvage, Reuse and Disposal • Field Activities: Site Set Up and Walk Through Day 2 - Wednesday September 13 • Field Activities: observe and take part in deconstruction activities Additional Hands-On Learning Options Join Hopland tribal staff In deconstructing mobile homes at Hopland from September 13 through 21. Contact Terri McCartney, Hopland Environmental Director, if you're interested in building skills with this hands-on learning option. All are welcome. For logistics information please contact Terri at (707) 472-2100 x 1304 or tmccartney(ft>hoplandtribe.com Informal Discussion and Training Wrap-Up - Tuesday September 19th at 9:00 a.m. Join EPA and Hopland tribal representatives in an informal discussion on challenges that come up in the mobile home deconstruction effort September 13 through 21. To Register for training: Contact Deirdre Nurre, EPA Region 9 Tribal Solid Waste Coordinator, nurre.deirdre(5>epa,gov or (415) 947-4290. Please contact us in advance so that we can provide logistics information! Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling U.S. EPA, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation: trainex.org/ offeringslist.cfm?courseid= 1621 &all=yes October 26, 2017 at 8:30 AM October 26, 2017 at 4:30 PM U.S. EPA - Region 9 75 Hawthorne St. Maui/Kauai Training Rooms (Rooms 1131 and 1132) San Francisco, CA 94105 Incremental-Composite Soil Sampling is a full-day course that focuses on the theory and application of ITRC's Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM), composite sampling designs, and hybrids of the two (Incremental-Composite Sampling, ICS). ICS hybrid designs are useful to address multiple project goals simultaneously. Since "representativeness" is a key aspect of data quality and ISM/ICS data are demonstrably ------- more representative than most discrete data, it will be argued that ICS data are indeed "better" than non-ICS data. The course will answer questions such as: • What is the difference between ITRC's ISM and EPA's Incremental-Composite Sampling (ICS) strategies? • Is there written EPA guidance? What features should an ISM or ICS design have? • Can ICS give project risk assessors the data they want, while simultaneously meeting the RPM's own data needs for characterization or remedial design? • How are background concentrations determined and comparisons to background handled using ICS? • How do we know whether ICS "worked" for the project? Registration is open. Contact information for this event: Jodi McCarty (ICF) by telephone at (703) 251-0347 or via e-mail at jodi.mccartv(q>icf.com. Groundwater High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) Hosted by U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation https://trainex.org/offeringslist.cfm?courseid=1389&all=yes The Groundwater High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) training course focuses on groundwater characterization and discusses (1) the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity on the investigation and cleanup of groundwater and related media, (2) the need for scale-appropriate measurements and adequate data density, and (3) the tools and strategies that are available to overcome the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity. The course addresses the following technical issues: • Defining and explaining the need for and benefits of HRSC • Understanding the sources and attributes of subsurface heterogeneity and their impact on hydrogeology, contaminant fate and transport, and source and plume relationships • Defining and using scale-appropriate measurements, adequate data density and collaborative data sets • Explaining the application of HRSC to the characterization of integrated media, including: groundwater, soil, soil vapor, surface water, sediments and bedrock • Evaluating potentially applicable tools for subsurface investigations of shallow unconsolidated environments, deep unconsolidated environments, fractured and porous media, and the groundwater and surface water interface* Developing effective HRSC implementation and investigation strategies • Managing and visualizing HRSC data for decision making • Applying HRSC to remedy design, implementation and optimization After taking this course, participants will be able to improve their subsurface investigation approaches and devel- op more realistic and comprehensive conceptual site models (CSM). CSMs developed, based on HRSC strategies and tools, will decrease site uncertainty, improve the remedy selection process for groundwater remedies, and better enable the evaluation, design, and implementation of targeted on-site and off-site groundwater remedies. The Groundwater HRSC course is an advanced 2-day course. The recommended audience includes EPA, federal, state, tribal and private industry technical project managers, practitioners and other stakeholders involved in groundwater investigation and remediation. This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend. Contact information for this event: Jodi McCarty (ICF) by telephone at (703) 251-0347 or via e-mail at iodi.mccartv(q)icf.com. ------- More information on this event is available: click here. BIA Student Internship Job Announcements The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Trust Services (OTS) is continually seeking scientists and technicians in a range of STEM-related disciplines to protect, conserve, utilize, and manage Indian forest and agricultural lands and resources, including water and power. BIA is recruiting for several internship positions working across various Agriculture and Rangeland Management or Forestry and Wildland Fire Management programs. Students can intern with the BIA or with a tribal-related program. Intern job vacancy announce- ments are posted to USAJOBS and can be found at www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads. Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance - National Enforcement Training Institute The National Enforcement and Training Institute (NETI) courses are open to federal, tribal, state, and local government environmental compliance and enforcement personnel. NETI offers live broadcast and on-demand training covering virtually every environmental issue that confronts compliance monitoring and enforcement personnel. Additional information is available on the NETI website: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/national-enforcement-training-institute-neti-elearning-center Free Online Resources for Federal Grant Applications Managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Grants.gov system houses information on over 1,000 grant programs. The Community Blog features content and resources that may be helpful as you navigate and apply for a grant. To access the Community Blog and explore additional resources go to blog.grants.gov/. ------- |