United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Research Abstract Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) Goal 3 Annual Performance Measure #544 Significant Research Findings: Report Summarizing ORD Superfund Technical Support for FY02 to FY04, Including Trends Analysis The use of the latest monitoring and site characterization technologies, methods, and approaches almost always provides a savings in time and cost over the typical approaches used to characterize hazardous waste sites. With the focus of the Superfund remediation program on faster, less expensive, and scientifically better solutions, the use of state-of-the-art methods and technologies is imperative. Therefore, the objective of the Las Vegas Technical Support Center is to provide credible technical support and advice that will assist the Regional scientists in making sound scientific decisions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), Regional Waste Management Offices, and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) established the Technical Support Project (TSP) in 1987 to provide technical assistance to Regional Remedial Project Managers, Corrective Action Staff, and On- Scene Coordinators. Following the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, Regional decision makers, charged with administering cost-effective and permanent restoration technologies at Superfund sites, quickly became overwhelmed by the technical complexity of this responsibility. Informed decisions concerning soil and ground-water characterization and remediation require a broad, interdisciplinary, state-of-the-science level of expertise in a rapidly developing and complex environmental field. In 1987, in order to make EPA's ORD scientists more accessible to Regional decision makers, OSWER provided direct funding to ORD laboratories in Las Vegas, NV, Cincinnati, OH, and Ada, OK, to establish Superfund Technology Support Centers. Scientific Problem and Policy Issues Research Approach The Technical Support Center (TSC) for Monitoring and Site Characterization has been operational since 1987 and continues to provide ------- technical assistance to the Regions through the use of in-house EPA technical expertise and through use of contracts and interagency agreements with other federal partners. Results and During FY02 - 04, the Las Vegas TSC provided major technical assistance Impact t0 39 Superfund sites located throughout all 10 EPA Regions. The largest category of support was in environmental statistics (45%) followed by document and data review (35%), field operations (10%), and analytical chemistry support (10%). In addition, the TSC responded to over 500 minor requests, via the phone or email, which ranged from simple statistical questions to recommendations for monitoring or site characterization methods and technologies. Major technical contributions described in the report are Computational Software for Environmental Applications and Fingerprint Analysis of Contaminant Data: A Forensic Tool for Evaluating Environmental Contamination. The software, ProUCL, (used for the calculation of upper confidence limits needed for Superfund site risk assessments) was developed and has been provided to over 1300 registered users around the world. Some states have adopted the software for use in their programs and it is cited in their environmental regulations and guidance documents. Case studies were represented in the report for the following sites as examples of the support provided by the Las Vegas TSC: • Specialized Analytical Chemistry, Olin Site, Wilmington, MA, Region 1 • Environmental Statistical Support and Consultation, Hudson River PCB Site, NY, Region 2 • Chemical Fingerprinting, Roanoke River, NC, Region 4 • Advanced In-situ Monitoring Systems Development, Gilt Edge Mine Site, SD, Region 8. • Geophysical Survey Assistance, Casmalia Resources Site, CA, Region 9. Technical support products are primarily letter reports provided directly to the Regional scientific staff, Remedial Project Manager, and Regional On- scene Coordinators. Major technical products produced during this period were: Singh, A., A.K. Singh, and R.W. Maichle. "ProUCL Software and User Guide." April 2004. EPA/600/R04/079. Plumb, R.H. "Fingerprint Analysis of Contaminant Data: A Forensic Tool Research Collaboration and Research Products ------- for Evaluating Environmental Contamination." May 2004. EPA/600/5- 04/054. Future The Las Vegas TSC will continue to support the Office of Solid Waste and Research Emergency Response (OSWER), the Technical Support Project Forums, and the Regional RPMs with the latest science and technology for waste site monitoring and characterization. It is anticipated that the majority of the TSC effort will be related to environmental statistics and the support of associated EPA developed software and technical guidance. It is also anticipated that the TSC will have an increasing role in the implementation of the Triad approach to site assessment through the development of expertise and mentors. Questions and inquiries regarding NERL's Superfund Technical Support Center work can be directed to: J. Gareth Pearson U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 944 East Harmon Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: 702-798-2101 E-mail: pearson.gareth@epa.gov Funding for this project was through the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Environmental Sciences Division, and the work was conducted (in part) through an interagency agreement with the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory. Contacts for Additional Information ------- |