EiwironmentalTechmology Verification
Homeland Security and Cyanide Detectors
Robert G. Fuerst,1 Ryan James2, Helen Latham2, and Karen Riggs2
1Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory; 2Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus Ohio
What is ETV?
EPA's Environmental Technology Verification
(ETV) Program was established in 1995
to objectively verify the performance of
technologies that measure/monitor the quality
of our environment, both for background or
at suspected contamination sites. The ETV
program has established six centers to verify
a wide variety of environmental technologies.
This technology verification program is now
incorporated into EPA's Homeland Security
efforts. One of the Centers, the Advanced
Monitoring Systems (AMS) Center, recently
conducted an analysis of commercially
available devices to detect cyanide in water.
I
ETV Program
Advanced Monitoring Systems Center
Goal: to generate credible third-party
performance data so that buyers and
users of the technologies can make
informed purchase, application, and
permitting decisions
V Open to all commercial technologies
-/ Stakeholder involvement
V Outreach and communication
V High level of quality oversight
The
Volume fi m.™..--..
HERMO-ORION
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CHEMj
Ryan James, Battelle's
ETV verification test
coordinator,
demonstrated the test
process for the six
cyanide detectors.
- vanidt* netecfnrc —-5
TTe first verification test of ^ ^^logies
technologies applicable to
homeland security was launched in
t^s r •Vn°tC Spcafcers&om
p _• Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) at a
Technology Field Day at Battelle's
laboratories in Columbus Ohio
'A
I fPA^fficiais Express ~
Importance of Homeland
I ecurity Technologies
Following are excetpts from ,ht.
fM .hcrandMr
at the Technology Field Day.
Linda Fisher
Deputy Administrator
U.S. EPA
Ijoda Fisher, EPA Deputy
Administrator, and Tim Oppelr
Director of EPA's new National
Homeland Security Research
Center, described the important
role of EPA's Environmental
echnology Verification (ETV)
program in testing technologies
that can monitor for, detect, and
Clean up chemical or biological
contamination intentionally placed
in the nation s drinking water
supplies and indoor environments
^7 thur remarks at 2
echnology Field Dar are infh„
right-hand column. Jeff
atBarT»rth' ,eni°r vice president
at Battelle, served as the master of
ceremonies.
¦?C TCf«ti0n test featured at
? Technology Day will evaluate
the performance of six-
technologies that can detect
cyanide in water. The test is beine
conducted by Battelle, which
manages with EPA the ETV
%an.Iames, Battelle's venfication
test coordinator, demonstrated
how the hand-held technologies
«n be used in the field to detect
cyanide. Two types of portable
water angers/test kits are being
tested: colorimeter test kits and
wn selective electrodes. The test
(See Launch on Page 2)
I ~ EPA has a long history ofresponsibilir, in
""JV^onse, chemical and hazardous
control md
'he safety „fM,
Ł it ''kn"«"
P'f role in oar header
mission of homeland security.
~ Oj responsibilities include Mng w
sekssz"*"
radiological attacks.. .and, a new
responsibility reducing ^ M,nmm
'^zzzfzzs.
mil J "'"rifg systems. These systems
offJJs IT "m"' t"'Mc kM
fr"' r"P°",krS Jd«"^1g
wjer Anting
(See Officials ¦
Launch (from Page})
^cre,Va°'OUSparaniete»for
ach technology, such as precision
accuracy, and detection limit.
Sixty-five people attended the
Technology Field Day, including
representatives from the Ohio E?PA
fficials and researchers from area '
and state agencies and water
utilities, members of state and
national associations with interests
n water treatment and monitoring
emergency responders, area
environmental groups, stakeholder
groups, and media representatives
Their major questions revolved
around the technologies'accuracy
and precision, vulnerability to
readier conditions, real-time
capability, other detection uses, and
The AMS Center is currently
Filing additional water security
vertficanon tests as well as tests for
technologies that can detect or
decontaminate chemical and
biological agents on indoor surfaces
or in air and water.
Tim Oppeit
Director
National Homeland (
Security Research j
Center g
mr
~yj "j 'wnvlogfes V
to support the nation i Home/and
Security needs is not my diffen„,fnm
the nation s environmental needs.
echnologi verification is one n>av EPA ir
tructurefrcm bam b, using
2/ ""»P™>»t or
' "mn't threats, and mediate
contam,noted site, in the event of an
attack.
hZrfr verifi""i0" '""m of
ologpes to monitor andprotect the
quality of fa „a,im j drjnki^
'"Ppies, which is why we are here today
Also winded i„ETVsseope is
"'"'King water.
* OB*'r&!!*"* mtb EPA's
Office of Water, three ETV centers ui„
foots on technologies, in,lading the AMI
Center operated by Battel!,, which will
eh,It T'Tlt- a"d mmKas 10 ""A
'^ul and btok^ca, demand *
monitoring technologies.
~ The verification of,band-heldcyanide
detectors that began Monday is the first
mfcaf10r' of Homeland Security
technologies under the ETVprogram and
any additional verifications areplanned
for both water and safe buibti,,.
'
improved ,nvm„m,na, ""'urate to,
tecWog/sj'pcrt The rn a" ,Bnd """"""flb'tha of
Peg 2)
The Six Cyanide
Detectors Being
Tested
y of the
1 Independent
electrode'sensunds.
associations, public JSer 9l,t'u Professional
h^-dfedera,and^0™2ch^~SOf
Kirmtfln" id FroHuimtn -mil ih? iimrDJimeni
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