Environmental Protection Agency
National Dive Safety Program
2019 Annual Report
Executive Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts a wide range of diving
activities for regional and national programs. Diving is conducted in rivers, lakes, harbors, and
the open ocean to support monitoring, research, and Superfund site investigations. The EPA
administers diving activities under guidelines established through the EPA Diving Safety
Management Program, and in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulations. This report has been developed in response to the
requirements of EPA's Diving Safety Policy.
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The EPA's National Diving Safety Program conducted 914 scientific, training and
proficiency dives in FY2019, involving nine EPA dive units and 62 divers. This is a reduction
from 1203 dives in 2018. The number of dives conducted annually will vary from year to year
due to the variable number of requested dive projects. This report describes how the program is
administered nationally, and what activities each EPA dive unit undertakes.
Questions regarding this report or about the EPA Diving Safety Program should be
directed to: Mel Parsons, Chairman, USEPA Diving Safety Program, parsons.mel@epa.gov.
Sean Sheldrake, the EPA Dive Training Director, sheldrake. sean@epa. gov, or Scott Grossman,
the EPA Dive Technical Director grossman.scott@epa.gov.
Introduction
This report is provided to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safety and
Sustainability Division (formerly SHMED) in accordance with EPA's Dive Safety Policy. This
policy and EPA's Diving Safety Manual (DSM), April, 2016, vl.3, can be viewed online at:
https://www.epa.gov/diving/epas-diving-safetv-program. The EPA Diving Safety Board (DSB)
has spent many hours over the past year discussing and voting on revisions to the DSM, which
when finalized, will include a new light working or commercial diving category, in order to
cover dives that may not meet the OSHA Scientific Diving Exemption.
This report is a summary of the EPA's National Diving Safety Program (NDSP) activities
from October 1, 2018, through September 31, 2019. The annual reports from EPA Unit Dive
Officers (UDOs) serve as the basis for the information contained in this report. Each UDO's
Annual Report is available upon request.
Overview
The EPA's NDSP conducted 914 scientific, training and proficiency dives in FY 2019
(Figures 1 and 2), involving nine EPA dive units, and a total of 62 divers (Figure 3). Dives
conducted at EPA's National Dive Training are not included in the total dive number to avoid
double counting dives. EPA dives were conducted in a variety of water bodies that include lakes,
rivers, harbors, and the open ocean. Several EPA dive units volunteer at local aquariums and
log a significant number of off-duty proficiency dives in this manner. R3, R4, Atlanta, PESD and
RIO all log a significant number of off-duty proficiency dives. These off-duty dives are not
counted in EPA's total dive numbers. The population of qualified EPA divers fluctuates
annually. Qualification is based on medical compliance, diving proficiency, and other regulatory
requirements. No serious injuries or accidents were reported by the dive units for the FY2019
operational year.
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Figure 1: Total EPA On-Duty Dives
300
265
0 *
R1 R2/ERT R3 R4 R4 GEMMD R6 PESD RIO EPA Dive
Athens Atlanta Training
DIVE UNIT
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Figure 2: Type of EPA Dives by Unit
R1 R2/ERT R3 R4 Athens R4 Atlanta GEMMD R6 PESD RIO
DIVE UNIT
¦ Scientific Dives ¦ Light Work ¦ Training Dives ¦ On-duty Proficiency Dives ¦ Off-duty Proficiency Dives
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Figure 3: Number of EPA Divers by Unit
14 13
R1 R2/ERT R3 R4 Athens R4 Atlanta GEMMD R6 PESD RIO
DIVE UNIT
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EPA has scientific divers based in 9 offices around the country. See the map or contact list below
to find the Dive Officer for each unit.
Dive Units by EPA Region
• Boston, MA (EPA Region 1), Eric Nelson (nelson.ericp@epa.gov), Unit Diving Officer
• Edison, NJ (EPA Region 2), Scott Grossman (grossman.scott@epa.gov), 732-452-6407,
Unit Diving Officer
• Philadelphia, PA (EPA Region 3), Steve Donohue (donohue.steven@epa.gov), Unit
Diving Officer
• Atlanta, GA (EPA Region 4), Tara Houda (houda.tara@epa.gov), Unit Diving Officer
• Athens, GA (EPA Region 4), Mel Parsons (parsons.mel@epa.gov), Chair, Diving Safety
Board
• Sabine Island, Florida (Office of Research and Development, Gulf Ecosytem
Measurement and Modeling Division), Cheryl Hankins (hankins.cheryl@epa.gov), 850-
934-9340, Diver Training Center
• Dallas, TX (Region 6), Ashley Howard (howard.ashleya@epa.gov), Unit Diving Officer
• Newport, OR (Office of Research and Development, Pacific Ecological Systems
Division), T Chris Moeh on-Coll lira (mochoncollura.tchris@epa.gov), Unit Diving
Officer
• Seattle, WA (Region 10), Sean Sheldrake (sheldrake.sean@epa.gov), Unit Diving
Officer
Following are the individual annual dive reports from each unit as well as the annual dive
training report.
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US EPA R1
New England Dive Unit
ANNUAL REPORT
October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019 (FY-19)
The US EPA's New England Dive Unit is comprised of divers from the Atlantic Ecology Division
(AED) Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and the Region 1 Office in Boston,
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Massachusetts. The following is a summary of diving operations, purchases and training in
FY-19.
A: DIVING ACTIVITIES
In FY19, the New England Dive Unit continued to focus on supporting ongoing
research related to understanding seagrass ecology, the role seagrass serves in
sequestering carbon, and efforts to enhance the success in restoring seagrass
habitat. For a second year, the Unit collected plant samples and shoot density
data to ground truth a new assessment technique designed to predict seagrass
abundance, as measured by biomass and leaf area, using high resolution satellite
images. Other work included supporting efforts to restore historic seagrass
habitat and participating in the State of Maine's new Rapid Assessment Survey
program for marine invasive species.
1. Diving Operations and Locations
For all dives listed, no pollution exposure was expected.
• October 2018 - Attempted to recover temperature monitor (Hobo) in Nahant,
MA in support of Blue Carbon Study. Hobo was not recovered.
• May 2019 - Conducted requalifying dives, gear check, diver fitness assessments,
and searched for Hobo in Nahant, MA following the suspension of diving
activities during the months of November through April.
• June 2019 - Conducted training with new dry suits and completed boat-based
diving accident scenario in
Gloucester Harbor, MA.
• Supported Region 3 with two
divers on establishing SAV survey
. .. techniques in the lower Delaware
P River, Philadelphia, PA.
- Collected eelgrass
reproductive shoots in Manchester
r Harbor, MA and Newport, Rl, and
relocated them in dispersion bags to
unvegetated areas of the same
embayments to assess seed
germination success and survival.
• Conducted training dives at
Fort Wetherill, Narragansett Bay, Rl.
• Collected plants and shoot
density measurements with MA
Division of Marine Fisheries in
Buzzards Bay, Falmouth, MA in
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support of a RARE study that compared diver-collected data with high resolution
satellite data.
• August 2019 -
Collected scrape samples
arid photos as part of
Maine's new Rapid
Assessment Survey of
marine invasive species
conducted in Portland
Harbor, ME,
• September 2019-
Deployed and recovered
sediment traps, Hobos,
and GoPro cameras.
Also, collected sediment
and plant samples, and
took shoot density
measurements for a project working in collaboration with Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT.) This project is an effort to measure how particle
deposition will vary at small scales in seagrass meadows. This has application to
better understanding carbon sequestration by seagrasses.
• Searched (without success) for a data sonde that had been collecting water
quality data in Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
2. Diving Statistics
# Dives Bottom Time (min) Exposure Days
Scientific: 34 2,322 22
Training: 17 604 12
Total: 51 2,926 34
Proficiency/off duty: 12 442 9
Total; 63 3,368 43
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B. DIVING ACCIDENTS,
INJURIES, OR
INCIDENTS
None reported.
C. DIVE TRAINING
1. Training Received in FY19: Region 1
CPR/AED*, Neuro* 5 divers
First Aid* 5 divers
Emergency 02 Administration* 5 divers
Nitrox 0 divers
EPA Divemaster training 0 divers
Scientific Diver 0 divers
Advanced Operations 0 divers
AED
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
2. Training Needed in FY20
CPR/AED 0 divers
First Aid 0 divers
Emergency 02 Administration 0 divers
Nitrox 0 divers
Scientific Diver 0 divers
Divemaster 0 divers
Advanced Operations 1+divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
0 divers
* All covered in DAN's Diving First Aid for Professional Divers (DFA Pro) course.
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D. DIVE EQUIPMENT
1. Same as last year? No (Region 1)
Yes (AED)
2. New: 2 DU! dry suit ensembles
with rock boots, undergarment and
fins, 5 Spare Air tanks and gages, 2
ScubaPro BCDs, 2 tourniquets for in-
water application, 1 handheld GPS,
3. Equipment problems: 1 old Viking
dry suit taken out of service.
4. Equipment needed: 1 wet suit
(7mm)
E. REVIEW OF UNIT DIVING PERSONNEL
Diver
Region 1: 1, Jean Brochi
2. Phil Colarusso
3. Brent England
4. Eric Nelson
5. Chuck Protzmann*
EPA Certification
Divemaster
Alternate UDO, Divemaster
Scientific Diver
Unit Diving Officer
Divemaster
AED:
Notes:
1. Marty Chintala**
2. David Katz**
Alternate UDO, Divemaster
Scientific Diver
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* Chuck was not able
to dive in FY19 due to
a shoulder injury
sustained during a
snow mobile accident
last winter. Now fully
mended and ready to
dive, Chuck is awaiting
medical clearance
from FOH, and snow.
** Both AED divers are
currently in inactive
status.
F. RESOURCES SPENT ON THE NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM
1. Time expenditures Hours
Assistance with DiverTraining Course 32
Review of documents 8
Performing action items 0
Preparation for and attendance at meetings 0
Technical assistance to other units 8
Annual meetings 15
64
2. Fiscal (monetary) Expenditures Costs
Equipment maintenance and repair $1,484
New equipment $8,656
2 DUI dry suit ensembles
5 Spare Air tanks and pressure gages
1 handheld GPS
2 ScubaPro BCDs
Supplies $ 518
Assist at EPA DiverTraining $1.674
Total $12,332
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G. NOTEWORTHY ITEMS
* EPA's Safety and
Sustainability Division (SSD)
conducted a three-day safety
audit of the New England
Dive Unit from July 10-12,
2018 (FY-18). The audit
report was finalized and sent
to Region 1 in December
2018 (FY-19). While no
findings were identified in
the report, several
recommendations made by
the audit team and included
in the report were discussed
by the Diving Safety Board
for possible adoption.
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* The New England Dive Unit renewed its
diving reciprocity agreement with the
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
(MA DMF). This agreement allowed for two
days (four dives) of joint operations in FY19.
Region 1 expects additional diving
opportunities with MA DMF on projects of
mutual interest to our agencies in 2020.
* The AED laboratory's dive team has been in inactive status since FY15 due to a
lack of dive work and no identified needs for the foreseeable future. The team is
now limited to two divers (Marty Chintala and
David Katz) who have both expressed interest
in maintaining their status as inactive divers
should the need for dive support at the lab
change.
* The New England Dive Unit relies on boat
support from the Field Services Branch of the
Region 1 Lab and the AED Lab for much of its
dive work. We appreciate the professionalism and attention to safety that is consistently
demonstrated by the boat operators and thank them for their assistance.
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US EPA Environmental Response Dive Team
Annual Report of Dive Operations
Office of Land and Emergency Management
Edison, New Jersey
Fiscal Year 2019 - October 2018 through September 2019
Prepared by: Scott Grossman, Unit Diving Officer (UDO)
A. DIVING ACTIVITIES
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Response Dive Team (ERDT) is
based out of Edison, New Jersey (NJ) as a field office of the Office and Land and Emergency
Management (OLEM) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI).
The ERDT conducts dive operations across the country and while focused on Superfund sites
and contaminated water diving, the ERDT also support a wide range of non-contaminated water
scientific dive operations.
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The numbers of the ERDT divers have been significantly reduced in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19)
due to the retirement of the ERDT Unit Dive Officer (UDO) Alan Humphrey, and ERT Dive
Master Buddy Lobue, and the transfer of ERDT Diver Chris Gallo to a non-dive position in EPA
Region 2. Due to the loss of personnel from the ERDT, most of our dive projects for FY19
required support from US EPA Mid-Atlantic Region 3 Scientific Dive Unit (SDU). Without the
exceptional support from the Region 3 SDU, the ERDT would not have been able to complete all
requested dive projects.
The combined total for ERDT and Region 3 SDU personnel on ERDT projects for the year were
142 scientific dives consisting of 3,161 minutes of bottom time and 55 exposure days. The total
just for ERDT divers alone for the year were 73 scientific dives (1,660 minutes of bottom time &
29 exposure days), 5 training dives (211 minutes of bottom time & 5 exposure days) and 14 off-
duty proficiency dives (624 minutes of bottom time & 7 exposure days).
Scientific Diving Operations:
Remote Access Sampler Recovery Operations, Lake Huron, MI
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As part of EPA's Missi on in the Great Lakes, the Research Vessel (R/V) Lake Guardian
conducts a variety of water quality testing under the direction of the Great Lakes National
Program Office (GLNPO). Two remote sampling arrays or Remote Access Samplers (RAS)
were moored in Lake Huron at depths around 40 feet. When these units failed to release, ERDT
was contacted to assist with the location and retrieval of these units. A very short time window as
available prior to the R/V Lake Guardian concluding operations for the season. Due to poor
weather/sea conditions and the limited time window, the search time was limited to less than one
day of survey time. Accurate coordinates of the deployment locations were collected and most
of the survey time was spent with small vessel operation searching for the arrays with single
beam sonar (depth sounders). Based on the best data available, ERDT divers were able to make
one dive in about 50 feet of water to search for the units, but they were not located within the
area. Operations were aborted after the first dive due to deteriorating weather and sea
conditions. Divers and Dive Masters from the Region 3 SDU assisted with this project.
-------
Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair Sampling, Bayonne, New Jersey
The ERDT was requested to collect sediment samples outside the caisson doors at the Bayonne
Dry Dock and Repair facility to assess possible site related impacts to the Upper New York Bay
ERDT conducted two dives off the EPA Biglane in depths up to 40 feet using a single diver on
surface supplied air wearing a full-face mask and dry suit mated with dry gloves. Following
collection, the sediment samples were turned over to the Region 2 NPDES Investigators to be
submitted for analytical analyses (PCBs and metals).
Lake Ontario Comparative Science and Monitoring Initiative Dive Operations, Lake
Ontario, NY
At the request of EPA Region 5 Great Lakes Program Office and EPA Region 2, ERT is
participating in the 2019 Comparative Science and Monitoring Initiative in the Great Lakes
Region for a second year. Multiple Federal, State, and Academic parties are involved in this
Biological Monitoring related to water quality, nutrient loading, and the relationship between
invasive species Dreissenapolymorpha (zebra mussels) and Cladophora (a filamentous green
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algae). This is also part of a cross-border activity in cooperation with Environment Canada,
which is conducting similar scientific dives on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Nuisance
growth of Cladophora has been documented in the Great Lakes since the 1930s. It was nuisance
algae when the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was first implemented, but control of
nutrients reduced the concern for its growth. However, Cladophora's biomass has increased
steadily through the past decade due to increased water clarity caused by zebra mussels.
Cladophora''s impact is most felt through beach fouling.
For 2019, ERDT performed four weeks of dive operations between May and August, including
one week installing instruments and three weeks of data collection. Data collection included
video documentation, collection of benthic invertebrates and water samples, deployment and
retrieval water quality monitoring instruments and documentation of diver obsersations/habitat
assessments. Dives were conducted in Lake Ontario at depths up to 60 feet with water
temperatures ranging from the upper 30's to the lower 70's. Visibility was generally good, but
during some of the events at some of the stati ons visiblity was limited to less than a couple of
feet. Over the four weeks on this project, a total of 104 dives were made consisting of 2,424
minutes of bottom time. Divers and Dive Masters from the Region 3 SDU assisted with this
project during all four mobilizations.
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RACER Trust (former GM Massena Powertrain Plant), Massena, NY.
The former General Motors (GM) Massena Powertrain Plant, now known as RACER Trust, was
an industrial and manufacturing site from the late 1950s until the early 2000's. During its die
casting process, GM used hydraulic fluids containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). As a
result of the manufacturing process on the site, the St. Lawrence River adjacent to the site was
contaminated with PCBs. Removal and partial capping of sediments was performed in 1995 in
the river adjacent to the site. Following this action, fish were periodically collected adjacent to
the site and analyzed for PCBs. In 2016, elevated concentrations of PCBs were detected in the
fish tissue samples and the Remedial Project Manager (RPM) requested assistance from the
Environmental Response Team (ERT) to assess the source of these PCBs. Working with
RACER Trust and their environmental consultant, ERT has continued to provide project support
which has previously included a diver cap inspection. To assess potential PCBs sources, a side-
wide passi ve sampler investigation was developed. As part of the support on this project, ERDT
divers installed 33 passive samplers at the site. The passive samplers were installed in the upper
6 inches of sediment and in the surface water at the surface water/sediment interface so both
matrices could be assessed. Divers were dressed in dry suits with full face masks and mated dry
gloves and utilized surface supplied air. Dives were conducted off of the ERT Pontoon vessel in
depths up to 20 feet although a number of the samplers were installed in depths of less than 5
feet. A total of 29 dives were made consisting of 462 minutes of bottom time. Divers and Dive
Masters from the Region 3 SDU assisted with this project during all four mobilizations.
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Detroit River CID Investigation, Trenton, MI
The ERDT was contacted by EPA Region 5 Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to conduct an
underwater search for bagged asbestos construction debris or other potential hazardous material
that may have been illegally dumped in the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River from the
McLouth Steel Plant. Divers dressed in dry suits with full face masks and mated dry gloves
conducted dives from a Michigan State Police (MSP) vessel. Divers were line tended and
searched over a mile of shoreline. Although no targets were located, the divers were able to
eliminate the areas searched from having any illegally disposed of hazardous materials. Limited
current, and visibility ranging from around 3 to 5 feet allowed the divers to search about a mile
of shoreline in 12 dives over a period of 2 days. Only the first day of the project was in FY19
the second day was in FY20.
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B. DIVE STATISTICS
Table 1. ERDT Dive Statistics (including dive support from EPA Region 3 SDU divers)
Project
Average
Depth
(fsw)
Date
Dive Type
Dives
Bottom
Time
(minutes)
Exposure
Days
Lake Huron RAS Search on Lake
Guardian
52
9/2018
Scientific
2
72
2
Bayonne Dry Dock Site
37
10/2018
Scientific
2
43
1
Mav Lake Ontario CSMI Stuclv
21
5/2019
Scientific
10
142
5
June Lake Ontario CSMI Study
33
6/2019
Scientific
34
676
14
July Lake Ontario CSMI Study
30
7/2019
Scientific
30
868
12
August Lake Ontario CSMI Study
29
8/2019
Scientific
30
738
12
Racer Trust Passive Sampler
Deployment
7
10/2019
Scientific
29
462
7
Detroit River CID Dive Support
30
10/2019
Scientific
5
160
2
Pool Training Dive YMCA Pool
7
4/2019
Training
2
16
2
Pool Training Dive Underwater
Phantaseas
8
5/2019
Training
3
195
3
Subtotal Scientific Dives
142
3,161
55
Subtotal Off-Duty Proficiency Dives
14
624
7
Subtotal Training Dives
5
211
5
TOTAL DIVES
161
3,996
67
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Table 2. ERDT Dive Statistics (including only ERDT dives)
Project
Average
Depth
(fsw)
Date
Dive Type
Dives
Bottom
Time
(minutes)
Exposure
Days
Lake Huron RAS Search on Lake
Guardian
52
9/2018
Scientific
2
72
2
Bayonne Dry Dock Site
37
10/2018
Scientific
2
43
1
May Lake Ontario CSMI Study
21
5/2019
Scientific
2
30
1
June Lake Ontario CSMI Study
33
6/2019
Scientific
17
324
7
July Lake Ontario CSMI Study
30
7/2019
Scientific
22
675
9
August Lake Ontario CSMI Study
29
8/2019
Scientific
12
273
6
Racer Trust Passive Sampler
Deployment
7
10/2019
Scientific
16
243
3
Detroit River CID Dive Support
30
10/2019
Scientific
0
0
0
Pool Training/Requalification Dive
YMCA Pool
7
4/2019
Training
2
16
2
Pool Training/Requalification Dive
Underwater Phantaseas
8
5/2019
Training
3
195
3
Subtotal Scientific Dives
73
1,660
29
Subtotal Off-Duty Proficiency Dives
14
624
7
Subtotal Training Dives
5
211
5
TOTAL DIVES
92
2,495
41
C. DIVING INJURIES
There were no diving accidents, injuries or incidents experienced by the ERDT in FY19.
D. DIVE TRAINING
In May 2019, ERT divers made pool requalification dives using SCUBA and full-face mask.
Due to a busy scientific dive schedule and the ERDT being very limited on personnel, no
additional training dives were able to be scheduled in FY19.
Members of the ERDT were provided 8-hour OSHA HAZWOPER Refresher, First Aid,
CPR/AED and Oxygen Administration training.
In FY20 all divers must complete 8-hour OSHA HAZWOPER Refresher Training and one new
ERDT member (Katelyn Amraen) will complete OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER Training.
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E. DIVING EQUIPMENT
Current Equipment Inventory
ERDT primary equipment is:
1) Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) Tanks (24)
2) Pony Bottles (8)
3) Dive Regulators (first and second stage) (14)
4) Buoyancy Compensating Devices (BCDs) (8)
5) Whites Dry Suits (7)
6) Full Face Masks (10)
7) Communication Ropes (Comropes) (2)
8) Kirby Morgan (KM) Surface Supply Control Box
9) Communication Boxes (2)
10) Surface Supply Dive Umbilicals, 150 feet & 300 feet
11) Superlight 17 Helmets (2)
12) MS 1000 Vector Scanning Sonar (1)
13) Outland 1000 Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) (1)
During FY19, ERT did annual maintenance on dive equipment (regulators, BCs, dry suits,
surface supplied, AGAs, computers), and the 41-footBiglane dive/survey vessel.
Primary purchases were:
1) Replacement hoses for all regulators and pressure gages.
2) Replacement AIR2 regulators for all BCDs (8)
3) An Enviro Hybrid Whites Dry Suit
4) Avanti Quattro Fins (5 sets)
5) 200' Comrope with banana plugs
6) Whites Enviro Hybrid Dry Suit
7) XS Scuba Deluxe Cylinder Equalizer (2)
8) Zeagle Ranger BCD (2)
Needed Equipment
ERDT is currently evaluating our equipment inventory to determine what items may need to be
removed from inventory and replaced/upgraded.
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F. REVIEW OF DIVING PERSONNEL
Presently, the ERDT has five full-time members, including four dive masters.
Katelyn Amraen Scientific Diver
Steve Blaze Dive master
Scott Grossman Dive master/UDO
Rich Henry Dive master
Jon McBurney Dive master
G. TIME SPENT ON THE NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM AND RELATED COSTS
Assistance with EPA Diver Training Course Five days
Preparation for and Attendance at Meetings Nine Days
Dive Plan Review Two days
DSB Technical Director Duties Three days
Attendance at EPA Diver Training Course $5,000
and the EPA Diving Safety Board Meeting
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US EPA MID-ATLANTIC REGION 3
SCIENTIFIC DIVE UNIT
ANNUAL REPORT OF DIVE OPERATIONS
Fiscal Year 2019 - October 2018 through September 2019
Prepared by: Steven J. Donohue, Unit Diving Officer (UDO)
A. BACKGROUND AND SUPPORT OF AGENCY GOALS
The US EPA Mid-Atlantic Region 3 Scientific Dive Unit (SDU) is a program within the Field
Services Branch in the Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences Division (LSASD). This
Annual Report of Dive Operation for the SDU (Report) describes the activities and
accomplishments of Philadelphia and Wheeling based Region 3 divers for Fiscal Year 2019.
SDU scientists and engineers include representatives from the following offices and divisions;
Air and Radiation Division (ARD), Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division (ECAD),
Land, Chemicals and Redevelopment Division (LCRD), LSASD and Superfund and Emergency
Management Division (SEMD).
The SDU helped contribute to the EPA 2019 Strategic Plan goal of protecting America's waters
and working toward a sustainable future by assisting external and internal customers including:
• Region 3 SEMD with completing a freshwater mussel bioassay at the Big John Salvage
Superfund Site
• Office of Research and Development (ORD) with deploying methane monitoring
equipment in Ohio
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), Pennsylvania Fish and
Boat Commission (PAFBC), and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with
conducting freshwater mussel collection and surveys
• Environmental Response Team (ERT) and EPA Region 2 with the Lake Ontario
Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative
• ERT and Region 2 Superfund Program with PCB passive sampler deployment at the
Racer Trust Site in Massena NY
• Region 3 Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences Division with Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation (SAV) surveying on the Delaware River
• West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR) with the retrieval of
scientific equipment and data in the Ohio River
• ERT and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) with searching for possible asbestos
containing material in the Detroit River.
In addition, the SDU completed training dives to maintain readiness, practice skills, maintain
proficiency and satisfy program requirements.
The SDU conducted dives and cross trained with Region 1 and ERT in FY 2019. Region 3
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cross-funded Region 1 to travel and assist on development of our SAV survey method
ERT/Region 2 provided cross funding for Region 3 divers to assist them in several dive
operations as described above. Cross funding travel can be invaluable in sharing resources and
enhancing uniformity, safety and the capability within our EPA Diving Program.
Brad White in the Delaware River June 2019
B. DIVING ACTI VITIES
Below is a summary of metrics and analysis of SDU activities in FY 2019, followed by a
description of each activity. Table 1 and 2 provides summary data for each scientific and
training dive, respectively, including the location, purpose, depth, conditions, breathing gas,
number of dives, hyperbaric exposure days, and total and average bottom time for dives
conducted by the SDU. Additional detail on each SDU activity is available in the site-specific
Dive and Safety Plan (completed prior to diving) and the Operation Report (completed following
diving). Figures 1 and 2 show the number and percentage of Scientific, Training and Personal
Proficiency Dives and Flyperbaric Exposure Days.
Summary
In FY 2019 the SDU completed 219 scientific dives and 46 training dives during 20 separate
operations for 9 different external and internal customers. Region 3 Scientific Divers
collectively spent over 100 hours underwater during our scientific and training dives in FY 2019.
This is over double the "bottom time" that was logged in FY 2018. The average of 29 minutes
per dive is also slightly higher than the 24-minute average dive time from last year.
Tasks completed by scientific divers in FY 2019 included: running transect lines and collecting
and reporting observations and data to the surface, obtaining scrape samples of epibenthic
organisms and algae, locating and servicing cameras and water quality monitors deployed
underwater, deploying and retrieving cages filled with juvenile freshwater mussels for a
bioassay, deploying passive sediment samplers and raising and lowering an air monitoring tower
and documenting underwater conditions with FID still and video cameras.
Dives were conducted in freshwater environments ranging from the Great Lakes, tidal and
Page 27 of 79
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controlled rivers, a quarry, and saltwater bays. No open ocean dives were conducted this year.
H ScBsm&IKFOe
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Figure 1 Scientific, Training, and Proficiency Dives for SDU in FY 2019
H S€5©miftfflc
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Proficiency
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Figure 2 Hyperbaric Exposure Days for SDU in FY 2019
Notes: Scientific Dives are performed for scientific, research, or educational purposes. Training Dives are done on government
time and at government expense. Personal Proficiency Dives are done on personal time and at personal expense in order
to enhance or maintain proficiency. Divers may have used government dive equipment during personal proficiency
Dives. A hyperbaric exposure day is defined as any day a diver is exposed to greater than ambient pressure due to
diving.
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More than half (8 of 13) divers completed at least one proficiency dive on their own time. Three
of our divers completed proficiency/working dives at the Adventure Aquarium in FY 2019.
Aquarium diving is considered a commercial dive operation subject to OSHA requirements.
Duties include participating in a public dive show and doing cleaning and maintenance diving.
There are multiple benefits to SDU participation as volunteer divers including improved
proficiency, regular repetitive dives, and familiarization with the requirements of diving in a
commercial dive operation. The SDU hopes to continue to expand our relationship with the
Aquarium so that more SDU divers may participate in proficiency diving at the aquarium.
The Region 3 UDO participated as a trainer/mentor for the EPA National Scientific Diver
Training Program in May of 2019. The UDO completed 18 dives during the training week, as a
safety diver and with Region 6 to video/document their sampling methodology. Region 3 had
two Dive Master candidates participate and successfully complete the class this year. The SDU
also participated in all Diving Safety Board meetings via conference call. There were no changes
to SDU personnel in FY 2019, i.e. no divers were added, and no current divers retired or
separated from the SDU.
The SDU continued and expanded the level of support provided to ERT in FY 2019. SDU sent
divers in May, June, July, and August to assist ERT/Region 2 with an international project with
Canada studying water quality and sampling benthic organisms in Lake Ontario. In September,
the SDU provided two divers for an ERT project at a Superfund Site on the Saint Lawrence
Seaway in upstate NY to help deploy passive PCB samplers. In September, the Region 3 SDU
mobilized two divers to Detroit to support an ERT/CID investigation of possible disposal of
asbestos containing materials in the Detroit River.
Retrieving Divers with a Tag Line in the Delaware River June 2019
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Table 1 Data Summary for SDU Scientific Dives in FY 2019
Lead
FY 2019
R3-1
FY 2019
R3-2
FY 2019
R3-3
FY 2019
R3-5
FY 2019
R3-6
FY 2019
R3-6
FY 2019
R3-6
Location
Monongahela
River, West
Virginia
Monongahela
River, West
Virginia
Lake Acton,
Ohio
Lake Acton,
Ohio
Purpose &
Customer
Date
Depth
in Feet
Conditions
FW Mussel Bioassay
Eight Week Growth and
Mortality Check for Big 10/12/2018
John Salvage Superfund
Site
FW Mussel Bioassay
Ten Week Growth and
Mortality Checkfor Big 10/25/2018
John Salvage Superfund
Site
ORD EC Tower
Lowering
ORD EC Tower Raising
11/15/2018
3/19/2019
Allegheny River, Salamander Mussel
NW
Pennsylvania
Collection with USFWS 5/6/2019
and PADEP
Allegheny River, Salamander Mussel
NW
Pennsylvania
Collection with USFWS
and PADEP
Allegheny River, Salamander Mussel
NW Collection with USFWS
Pennsylvania and PADEP
FY 2019
R3-8
FY 2019
R3-9
Lake Ontario,
Lockport New
York
Lake Ontario,
Irondequoit New
York
Lake Ontario,
Stony Island
New York
Monongahela
River, West
Virginia
Lake Ontario,
Lockport New
York
Lake Ontario,
Lockport New
York
Lake Ontario,
Irondequoit New
York
Lake Ontario,
Irondequoit New
York
Lake Ontario,
Stony Island
New York
Lake Ontario,
Stony Island
New York
Delaware River
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
FW Mussel Bioassay
Final Check and
Retrieval for Big John
Salvage Superfund Site
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
Total #
M t t * 14* Hyper Total
... Names of Total# . . _ „
Breathing „ baric Bottom Dive
_ Diver and (#) of __ A
Gas „ ,. ' . Expos Time in Master
of dives Dives ... .
ure Minutes
Freshwater River
Impounded by
13 Locks
Freshwater River
Impounded by
Locks
Freshwater lake
Freshwater lake
Freshwater River
Impounded by
Locks
Freshwater River
Impounded by
Locks
Freshwater River
Impounded by
Locks
Freshwater lake
Freshwater lake
Freshwater lake
Freshwater River
Impounded by
Locks
57 Freshwater lake
6/18/2019 10 to 34 Freshwater lake
21 Freshwater lake
6/19/2019 10 to 61 Freshwater lake
20 Freshwater lake
Freshwater lake
Light (11)
Adamiec (9) and
Borusk (2) 22
Donohue (4),
Doyle (5), Ettema
(2) and Light (7)
Light (1) and
White (1)
Light (2) and
White (2)
Light (1) Johnson
(1) Doyle (2)
Newman (2)
Borsuk (2),
Ettema (2),
Johnson (4), Light
(3), Doyle (6), and
White (6)
Adamiec (3), Eller
(3), Ettema (2),
Light (2) and
Newman (3)
White (3) and
Eller (3)
Eller (2)
SAV Survey for Field
Services Branch
White (1)
Light (6) and
Doyle (6)
Adamiec (1)
Adamiec (1) and
Light (3)
Adamiec (3)
Light (4)
Adamiec (1)
Doyle (2) and
Light (2)
Donohue, White,
Colarusso, and
Nelson
Days
226 Borsuk
48 Borsuk
Light
211 Supervised by
Borsuk
260 Borsuk
584 Borsuk
666 Borsuk
Grossman
82
Grossman
218 Borsuk
44 Grossman
Grossman
76 and
McBurney
55 Grossman
69 McBurney
40 Grossman
154 Donohue
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Table 1 Data Summary for SDU Scientific Dives in FY 2019 continued...
Lead
Location
Purpose &
Customer
Date
Depth
in Feet
Conditions
Breathing
Gas
Names of
Diver and (#)
of dives
Total# Total#
of Hyper
Dives baric
Total
Bottom
Time in
Dive
Master
FY 2019
R3-10
Delaware River,
Florence Bend
PADEP FW Mussels
7/11/2019
41
Tidal River
Air
Adamiec (4) and
Light (4)
8
2
170
White/Doyle
FY 2019
R3-10
Delaware River,
Florence Bend
PADEP FW Mussels
7/12/2019
33
Tidal River
Air
Doyle (3) and
White (3)
6
2
156
White/Light
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Lockport New
York
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
7/22/2019
58
Freshwater lake
Air
Borsuk
3
1
66
Grossman
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Irondequoit New
York
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
7/23/2019
55
Freshwater lake
Air
Borsuk
3
1
43
Grossman
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Stony Island
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
7/25/2019
22
Freshwater lake
Air
Borsuk
2
1
71
Grossman
FY 2019
R3-12
Delaware River,
Florence Bend
PADEP FW Mussels
8/19/2019
30
Tidal River
Air
Doyle (3) and
Adamiec (3)
6
2
86
White/Doyle
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Cladophora Study for
8/19/2019
Freshwater lake
Donohue (5) and
McBurnie
Lockport New
Region 2 and ERT
56
Air
Ettema (5)
10
2
280
York
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Irondequoit New
York
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
8/20/2019
58
Freshwater lake
Air
Donohue (3)
3
1
50
McBurnie
ERT
Lake Ontario,
Stony Island
New York
Cladophora Study for
Region 2 and ERT
8/21/2019
50
Freshwater lake
Air
Donohue (3) and
Ettema (3)
6
2
115
McBurnie
FY 2019
Ohio
WVDNR Scientific Data
9/11/2019
River
Light (2) Newman
Light
R3-13
River, Gallipolis,
OH
and Equipment
Recovery
40
Air
(2)
4
2
118
FY 2019
Delaware River,
Light (2), Doyle
R3-14
Near Tinicum
and Petty Island
SAV Survey for Field
Services Branch
9/17 and
18/2019
6
Tidal River
Air
(4), Eller (1),
Chase (3), and
Newman (2)
12
7
400
Light
ERT
Saint Lawrence
ERT Passive Sampler
week of
9/16/2019
Donohue (10),
Seaway
Deploment at Racer
Air
Borsuk (4)
14
4
224
Grossman
Massena NY
Trust Superfund Site
River
Ohio River
USFWS
9/24 and
9/25/19
24
River
Air
Light (5), Borsuk
(2)
7
3
333
Clayton
ERT
Detroit River, in
Detroit Michigan
CID/ERT Asbestos
Search
week of
9/30/2019
Air
Light (3) and Eller
(2)
5
2
160
Grossman
2019
Totals
219
75
6381
Avg.
Dive in 29
Min.
Page 31 of 79
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Table 2 Data Summary for SDU Training Dives in FY 2019
Total #
Lead
Location
Purpose &
Customer
Date
Depth
in Feet
Conditions
Breathing
Gas
Names of
Diver and (#)
of dives
Total#
of
Dives
Hyper
baric
Expos
ure
Days
Total
Bottom
Time in
Minutes
Dive
Master
FY2019-
R3-4
Moundsville WV
Training
3/2/2019
9
Indoor Pool
Air
Borsuk (1) and
Light (1)
2
2
60
Borsuk
GED
GED
Scientific Diver and Dive
Saltwater Tidal
Donohue (5)
Henry,
Master Training
5/14/2019
12
Bay
Air
5
73
Gannon, Light
and Doyle
GED
GED
Scientific Diver and Dive
Saltwater Tidal
Donohue (2),
Gannon and
Howard
Master Training
5/15/2019
12
Bay
Air
Doyle (1), Light
(1)
7
3
40
GED
GED
Scientific Diver and Dive
5/16/2019
12
Saltwater Tidal
Air
Donohue (6)
133
Gannon
Master Training
Bay
FY 2019
Adamiec (2),
R3-7
Amraen (3),
Borsuk (2), Doyle
Dutch Springs
Re-qualification and
5/22/2019
28-69
Freshwater
Air
(2), Donohue (3),
22
10
White and
Quarry
Equipment Testing
Quarry
Eller (2), Forren
(2), Light (2),
Newman (2) and
White (2)
Borsuk
FY 2019
Friendship Lake,
Re-qualification and
8/7/2019
45
Freshwater lake
Air
Brosuk, Ettema,
124
Borsuk
R3-11
OH
Equipment Testing
Light
46 20
Chronologic Description of FY 2019 Dive Operations
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-01 - Big John Salvage Superfund Site - The SDU completed dives on
October 12, 2018 at four locations on the mainstem of the Monongahela River. The divers
retrieved and replaced deployed caged juvenile freshwater mussels to evaluate the toxicity of the
contaminated sediment in the Monongahela River adjacent to the Big John Salvage Superfund
site, near Fairmont, WV. The bioassay is being done at the request of Region 3 SEMD BTAG and
with support from the WVDNR and USFWS. The USFWS provided the mussels that the SDU
deployed in areas of known PAH-impacted sediment in addition to an upgradient background
location. This study will function as a pre-dredging baseline and findings are expected to assist in
the development of the post-dredging monitoring plan. The growth rate and mortality of the
mussels has been checked at week 2, 6 and 8. The week 4 check was canceled due to conditions
on the river. Divers and equipment from the Wheeling and Philadelphia Office were mobilized to
support this study.
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Monongahela River Superfund Site Fresh Water Mussel Bioassay
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-02 - Big John Salvage Superfund Site - On October 25, 2018, the
Region 3 SDU completed the last dives for 2018 at four locations on the mainstem of the
Monongahela River adjacent to the Big John Salvage Superfund Site. After the mortality check on
October 25, the mussels were returned to the river and secured for overwintering. Divers and
equipment from Wheeling and Philadelphia mobilized to support this study.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-03 - ORD Lake Acton Methane Emission Study - On November 15,
2018 the Region 3 SDU assisted ORD Cincinnati with methane study equipment. At the request
of EPA ORD Laboratory in Cincinnati, SDU deployed divers from Wheeling and Philadelphia to
assist with preparing a scientific-equipment tower for winter lake conditions. Earlier this year,
SDU and ORD staff assembled and deployed an aluminum tower used to suspend methane-
emissions monitoring equipment over Acton Lake, near Cincinnati, OH. During the recent site
visit, the tower was lowered to the lake bottom to prevent damage from winter ice build-up on the
lake. Divers and surface personnel worked in 32-degree air temperature and 37-degree water
temperature with 1-2 feet of underwater visibility to partially disassemble the tower and attach
surface markers.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-04 - Wheeling Pool Training - On March 2, 2019 Wheeling-based
members of the Region 3 SDU conducted a training dive in a pool in Moundsville, WV.
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Acton lake Methane Emission Tower Project
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-05 - ORD Lake Acton Methane Emission Study - On March 19, 2019
the Region 3 SDU raised EPA's ORD Laboratory in Cincinnati Monitoring Tower in Acton Lake
in southwestern Ohio. ORD requested dive assistance from Region 3 with the installation and
lowering of an aluminum tower in the lake, which took place in April and November 2018. The
tower was installed to hold monitoring equipment to measure methane emissions from lake
sediments and mounted in the middle of the lake. The SDU conducted dives and provided topside
assistance for several tasks, including raising the lightweight aluminum tower from the bottom
where it was set in previous dives to prevent ice damage over the winter. The new location in the
middle of the lake has increased the percentage of time data is useable from 25% to 75%, as well
as providing more and better nighttime and C02 data.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-06 - Allegheny River Salamander Mussels Sampling - On May 6, 7, and
8, 2019 the Region 3 SDU partnered with the USFWS, PADEP, and the PAFBC to recover
Salamander mussels (Simpsonaias ambigua) on Allegheny River in Northwest Pennsylvania. The
mussels are currently under review for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The
objective was to collect mussels that would be used as brood stock at the White Sulfur Springs
National Fish Hatchery and offspring would then be re-introduced at locations within the Ohio
River Islands National Wildlife Refuge in PA and WV as well as several sites within Dunkard
Creek in southwestern PA. Unfortunately, only one salamander mussel was found due to poor
habitat in the sections where dives were conducted.
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2019 Scientific Diver Training - On May 13-17, 2019 the IJ DO and two scientific divers from the
Region 3 SDU parti cipated in at the Annual Scientific Diver Training held at the Gulf Ecology
Division Laboratory in Gulf Breeze Florida. The two SDU divers attended and successfully
completed the Dive Master Class and the Region 3 UDO participated in the training as a trainer,
mentor, videographer and safety diver.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-07 - Quarry Training - On May 22, 2019 scientific divers from
Philadelphia, Wheeling, and HQ mobilized to Dutch Springs Quarry (Bethlehem, PA) for
equipment checkout and requalification/training dives. All divers performed two or three dives
after they completed equipment setup and checks with their assigned dive buddy. All required
SDU safety equipment (AED, first aid/trauma kits, backboard, oxygen kit, and diver recall) were
deployed prior to diving. During diving operations, a diving medical emergency drill was
conducted and included a diver rescue tow, removal of the diver from the water, an initial diver
assessment, oxygen delivery, and simulated 911/Divers Alert Network notification.
Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative - From May 28-31, 2019 2 scientific
divers from the SDU Region 3 scientific divers supported the Lake Ontario Cooperative Science
Monitoring Initiative, Region 2 and the ERT with its study of water quality and sampling of
benthic organisms near Olcott, Irondequoit, and Sackets Harbor, NY. For the initial deployment
for 2019, SDU divers completed 9 dives in 4 Hyperbaric Exposure Days. At each site, divers
deployed water quality monitoring instrument packages and collected water and benthic samples
at depth. Videos of overall bottom conditions were also taken.
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Lake Ontario ERT Region 2 Support for Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative
X
M
• , » - V _ 1
I
1
i
W
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-08 - Big John Salvage Site - On May 30, 2019 scientific divers retrieved
deployed caged juvenile freshwater mussels from four locations at the Big John Salvage Site on
the mainstem of the Monongahela River. The mussels were deployed in FY 2018 to evaluate the
toxicity of PAH-contaminated sediment adjacent to the site. This final recovery concluded a 7-
month bioassay study performed at the request of the SEMD's BTAG, and with support from the
WVDNR and USFWS. The USFWS provided the mussels that the SDU deployed in areas of
known contamination, as well as in an upstream background location.
Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative - From June 17-20, 3 scientific divers
from the SDU supported the Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative, Region 2
and the ERT with its study of water quality and sampling of benthic organisms near Olcott,
Irondequoit, and Sackets Harbor, NY. For this first check after deployment, SDU divers
completed 17 dives in 8 Hyperbaric Exposure Days. At each site, divers deployed water quality
monitoring instrument packages and collected water and benthic samples at depth. Videos of
overall bottom conditions were also taken.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-09 - SAY Method Development and Cross Training with Region 1 - On
June 27 the SDU, with support from Region 1 Scientist/divers, conducted dive operations at a site
located just downstream of the Walt Whitman Bridge on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware
River. The purpose of the diving was to test alternate protocols to document the in-situ condition
of the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Delaware Estuary. Region 3 requested and
provided travel support to cross train with Region 1 due to their over twenty years of experience
conducting SAV studies in New England waters. Teams of two divers (one from Region 3 and 1
from Region 1) dove at two locations. At each location data was collected from 4 radial transects
starting from a center point. Data including; the name and number of species present, percent
cover and height range. A de-briefing meeting with the entire survey team conducted following
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the diving resulted in a conceptual plan for future studies.
Delaware River Region 3 and 1 Cross Training Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Survey
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-10 - PADEP FW Mussels Survey - On July 11 and 12, 2019 the SDU
supported a PADEP study of freshwater mussels on the Delaware River. PADEP's Coastal
Programs Office (CPO) has been utilizing side scan sonar to map areas of potential freshwater
mussel beds within the Delaware River. The CPO requested the EPA dive operations to ground-
verify the sonar data. Over a two-day period, the divers completed requested transects, providing
valuable information to our state partners.
Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative - From July 22 to 25, 1 scientific diver
from the SDU, supported the Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative, Region 2
and the ERT with its study of water quality and sampling of benthic organisms near Olcott,
Irondequoit, and Sackets Harbor, NY. For this second check after deployment, the diver
completed 8 dives in 3 Hyperbaric Exposure Days.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-11 - Wheeling Lake Training - On August 7, 2019 two Wheeling-based
divers conducted a training dive at Friendship Lake to check out dry suit repairs and improve their
buoyancy control before planned dives the following week on Lake Ontario and the Delaware
River.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-12 PADEP FW Mussels Survey - On August 19, 2019, the SDU
completed transects to supports PADEP CPO study of freshwater mussels on the Delaware River.
EPA boat operators and divers mobilized, using an EPA vessel, to assist PADEP in completing a
quantitative freshwater mussel survey on the Delaware River near Bristol, PA. This was the third
and final day of diving for this project. PADEP has been mapping freshwater mussel beds using
sidescan sonar. In this reach of the river, the substrate is primarily rock (boulder, cobble, rock)
and PADEP was concerned their interpretation of the sonar imaging may not accurately reflect
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actual mussel densities. PADEP requested that the SDU visually determine the density of
freshwater mussels, determine substrate type, and capture video from transects determined by
PADEP. PADEP will compare the data collected by the SDU to the sonar imaging. The SDU
provided a comprehensive operations report to PADEP that includes quantitative and video data.
Delaware River PADEP Fresh Water Mussel Survey
Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative - From August 19-21, 2 scientific divers
from the SDU supported the Lake Ontario Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative, Region 2
and the ERT with its study of water quality and sampling of benthic organisms near Olcott,
Irondequoit, and Sackets Harbor, NY. For this final check and gear retrieval, SDU divers
completed 19 dives in 5 Flyperbaric Exposure Days.
EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-13 - Ohio River WVDNR Data Recovery - On September 11, 2019
Philadelphia and Wheeling-based divers mobilized to Gallipolis, OH and the Robert C. Byrd
Pool at River Mile 273.7 in the Ohio River to assist the WVDNR in recovering an acoustic
monitoring receiver that was being used to study the movement patterns of blue catfish (Ictalurus
furcatus) in the river. WVDNR personnel contacted the SDU and requested assistance after they
were unable to retrieve the acoustic receiver. This effort was unsuccessful but provided
information that would be useful in a successful dive operation in early FY 2020.
Racer Trust Massena NY Superfund Site - During the week of September 15, 2019 two SDU
divers mobilized to support the ERT in the installation of 38 passive pore water PCB samplers in
the Saint Lawrence Seaway adjacent to the Racer Trust Superfund Site in Massena, NY. The
samplers will remain anchored to the river bed until they come to equilibrium with the
surrounding sediment and pore water in five to six weeks. The SDU is scheduled to support
retrieval of the samplers in late fall. Dives were conducted with full face masks and surface
supplied air with divers fully encapsulated in dry suits.
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EPA R3 SDU -FY-2019-14 - Delaware River SAY - On September 17 and 18, 2019 SDU
scientific divers mobilized to two locations on the Delaware River to support the Field Services
Branch (LSASD/FSB) and State and Watershed Partnerships Section (WD/SWPS) SAV survey of
the tidal Delaware River. The SDU completed ten quantitative dive transects at five sites near
Petty and Tinicum Islands. The transects were completed to ground truth previously collected
hydroacoustic data.
ERT/CID Detroit River Asbestos Search - On September 30, 2019 two Region 3 SDU diver
mobilized to Detroit to assist ERT and CID with a dive survey looking into reported illegal
disposal of asbestos materials in the River.
C. DIVING ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR INCIDENTS
Describe all accidents, injuries, and incidents: There were no diving accidents, injuries or
incidents experienced by the SDU in FY 2019.
D. DIVE TRAINING
1. Describe the type of training conducted/received, and list the name, office, and level
of certification for each trainee.
Region 3 sent two scientific divers to attend the Dive Master class at the National EPA
Diver Training that was held in May in Gulf Breeze, Florida. David Light and Nathan
Doyle both successfully completed the class. Dave achieved his 100 dives in August and
was designated as a Dive Master.
The entire Region 3 SDU participated in and successfully completed the DAN First Aid
for Professional Divers Course in FY 2019.
As described above, Regional Office based divers completed spring training dives on May
22, 2019 at a local quarry. Wheeling completed training dives on March 2, 2019 at a local
pool and on August 7, 2019 at a nearby lake.
2. List any training needed for FY2020.
a. Divers must complete 8-hour field safety training in FY 2020.
b. The three SDU Divers who have not completed the 40-hour Hazardous Site
Worker training class will be encouraged to take this training.
c. The Region hopes to select one or possibly two trainees and send them to
the Annual Scientific Diver Training Class in FY2020.
d. The Region may also send one dive master candidate to the training in FY
2020
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E. DIVE EQUIPMENT
1. Same as last year? Yes No X
a. If no, list and note the equipment that is new or removed from service.
New Items:
Three new HAZMAT capable dry suits were purchased for divers Mike Eller,
David Light, and Leah Ettema.
As a result of suggestions received during our recent dive audit, the SDU also
purchased new folding back boards for Philadelphia and Wheeling. Wheeling
purchased an Oxygen kit, first aid and trauma kit and other safety gear. This
enhanced logistics and allowed Wheeling to run concurrent dive operations with
the Philadelphia Office in FY 2019.
Using the specifications and a vendor provided by Region 1, the SDU purchased a
hoisting net for recovery of a diver onto our dive platform.
Removed from Service:
Several Suunto computers failed and were taken out of service this year. This has
been an ongoing problem in the dive community. Region 3 will be sending all our
computer to an authorized Suunto vendor over the winter for service, and
determination of any warrantee or replacement that may be available as a result of
settlement of a class action suit.
2. New Equipm ent Needed
Two of our Wheeling-based divers who participate in ocean dives currently have a
wireless air integrated primary dive computer but no backup air integrated dive
computer. Based on available budget and in order to have uniformity of equipment
across all regional divers the SDU will assess whether to purchase additional
computers for these two divers.
The Wheeling Office needs HD video capability and we will potentially purchase
GoPro cameras and/or housings for digital still cameras. The Philadelphia Office
had a GoPro unit fail in FY 2019 and we will likely replace this unit.
Depending on funding the SDU may replace some or all of its BCDs to have
uniformity and hazmat capability for this piece of gear.
The SDU will likely purchase the Emergency Gas Supply (EGS) system developed
by Region 4 Athens. This system is not only cost effective but will enhance safety
by providing ease of use, quick disconnects and uniformity across regions in EGS
equipment.
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F. REVIEW OF UNIT DIVING PERSONNEL
Table 2 below contains the names, division and current certification for Philadelphia and
Wheeling-based members of the SDU at the end of the Fiscal Year.
Table 2 SDU Personnel in FY 2019
Name
Certification
Division
Title
Jim Adamiec
Scientific Diver
ARD
Life Scientist
John Armstead
Dive Master
LCRD
Env. Scientist
Frank Borsuk
Dive Master/AUDO
LSAS
Biologist
Kelley Chase
Dive Master
SEMD
Env. Scientist
Steve Donohue
Unit Dive Officer
LSAS
Env. Scientist
Nathan Doyle
Scientific Diver
SEMD
Physical Scientist
Mike Eller
Scientific Diver
ECAD
Env. Scientist
Leah Ettema
Scientific Diver
LSAS
Life Scientist
John Forren
Scientific Diver
LSAS
Env. Scientist
Jennifer Fulton
Scientific Diver
LSAS
Aquatic Biologist
David Light
Dive Master/AUDO
LSAS
Physical Scientist
Eric Newman
Dive Master
SEMD
Env. Engineer
Brad White
Dive Master/AUDO
SEMD
Env. Scientist
G. TIME SPENT ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAM
1. Time expenditures.
Activity (Description) Time
Assistance with Diver Training Course
5 days
Review of Documents (revision to DSM, emails)
5 days
Performing Action Items
0 day
(e.g., Response to Dive Audit)
Preparation for and Attendance at Meetings 3 days
(Annual DSB Meeting)
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Technical Assistance to Other Units 0 days
Other 0 days
2. Fiscal (monetary) expenditures:
Cost of Travel Spent on the National Program
(list by trip)
UDO participating in DSB Meeting/Call and Training $2,160.00
H. FY 2019 BUDGET
Purchases of new equipment, the cost to operate and maintain the SDU tanks and equipment, and
training costs in FY 2019 were $18,715. Annual operating costs include the cost for new
equipment and supplies, required annual maintenance for regulators, and tanks for both the
Philadelphia and Wheeling locations and entrance fees at the training venue (quarry). This also
includes the cost of filling tanks with air/nitrox as well as miscellaneous supplies. This does not
include any travel costs and employees time. The SDU had one operation that involved overnight
travel in FY 2019, the Salamander mussels Allegheny River Sampling, that was not paid for by
cross funding by another Region or ORD.
SDU Capital Equipment and Operating Costs
$30,000.00
$25,066.63
$25,000.00
$20,000.00
$15,000.00
$10,000.00
$5,000.00
$-
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 8YearAvg.
I. FY 2020 PLANS
In FY 2020 the SDU plans to continue to foster strong partnerships internally, as well as with
other federal agencies, states, and other organizations by conducting monitoring and assessment
of our Mid-Atlantic rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters.
$20,421
$11,062.94
$9,234.73 <8.674.13 M
3-
$11,768
>12,6/8.44
¦
$6,872.56
¦
¦
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R4 ATHENS DIVE UNIT
ANNUAL REPORT OF UNIT DIVE TRAINING AND OPERATIONS 2019
Diving Unit: Region 4 Athens, GA Time Period: 11/01/18-12/31/19
Mel Parsons, UDO
A. DIVING ACTIVITIES
The EPA R4, Athens Dive Team logged 162 dives with 68 exposure days and had a total
bottom time of 5,199 minutes over the past year. Dives were performed primarily conducting
surveys to determine dredged material sediment impacts to coral, working with NOAA, FL DEP
and R4 Atlanta. Other dives were for Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) Studies and training
dives.
1. Description/type of diving operations
a. Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites (ODMDS) - 108 Dives. 32 Exposure
Days and 3.800 minutes underwater.
No dives were conducted specifically at ODMDS sites this year, but the 108 dives
listed above were logged in conjunction with a study to establish a baseline of
sedimentation impacts to coral reefs, adjacent to previous as well as planned,
dredging activities at the Port Everglades (82 dives) and Port of Miami (26 dives)
entrance channels. These projects were conducted at the request of NOAA
National Marine Fisheries (NMF). The Miami entrance channel was dredged in
2015, without proper oversight for protection of adjacent coral reefs, resulting in
fine sediment smothering acres of live coral heads. Port Everglades is the port at
Fort Lauderdale, FL and is planning to deepen their entrance channel and port in
the near future. In addition, the Port of Miami wants to conduct additional
dredging. Therefore, NMF requested EPA's assistance in establishing baseline
sediment conditions on adjacent reefs prior to dredging.
The projects were joint projects, coordinated between NMF in W. Palm Beach, FL,
Wade Lehmann of the R4 Atlanta Dive Team and R4 Athens. R4 Athens provided
their 28' Parker pilot house vessel as the dive platform and R4 Athens coordinated
and oversaw all dive activities. NMF and Florida DEP were diving under EPA's
Diving Safety Manual guidelines. NMF and Athens provided all tanks. In addition
to the 108 dives conducted by the Athens Dive Team and the 109 dives conducted
by Atlanta Dive Team, R4 Athens oversaw an additional 122 dives conducted by
NOAA NMF and FL DEP. As reported in the Atlanta dive report, a total of 339
dives were conducted with 96 Dive Days and divers spent 12,060 minutes
underwater!
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06/05/7019
Large Ship Traffic
Page 44 of 79
Transect Video
Sediment Sampling
Scorpion Fish
Buddy Breathing
Transect Line
-------
b. Sediment oxygen demand/nutrient flux studies - 23 Dives, 16 Exposure Days
and 640 minutes:
Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD)/Nutrient Flux studies were conducted at Big
Wills Creek in AL and in Lake Wateree, SC.
SOD Site Lake Wateree, SC Dry hood and FFM for SOD
c. Training Dives - 15 Dives, 9 Exposure Days 311 minutes:
Training dives were conducted at Lake Jocassee, SC and Lake Flartwell, GA
d. Proficiency Dives - 12 Dives. 9 Exposure Days. 222 minutes:
Proficiency dives were conducted at Lake Flartwell, GA
2. Location of diving operations/water body
Florida - Offshore, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Marathon
Georgia - Lake Flartwell
South Carolina - Lake Jocassee, Fishing Creek Reservoir and Lake Wateree
Alabama - Big Wills Creek
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3. Dive Statistics
R4 ATHENS 2019 DIVE STATISTICS
DIVES
EXPOSURE DAYS
MINUTES
SCIENTIFIC
135
50
4666
WORK
0
0
0
TRAINING
15
9
311
PROFICIENCY
12
9
222
TOTAL
162
68
5199
B. DIVING ACCIDENTS
No accidents this year.
C. DIVING SAFETY AUDIT
No findings on our Dive Safety Audit.
D. DIVE TRAINING
Jon McMahan attended Dive Master Training this year.
E. DIVING EQUIPMENT
All dive equipment was serviced and passed inspection.
Tanks: 12 - 100 ft3, 16 - 80 ft3, 10-63 ft3, 4-19 ft3, 4-13 ft3, 4 - 6 ft3
1 KM Superlight 27 w/tri valve exhaust w/wireless and hardwire/wireless comms
1 Amron two diver dive control console w/150' light umbilical
1 Amron two diver com box
Regulators: 2 Zeagle 50D/w ZX second
3 Zeagle Flathead 7
2 Zeagle Flathead 8
3 Genesis GS 2000
Computers: 2 Suunto Cobra
5 Suunto Gekos
2 Suunto ZOOP NOVOs
5 Aqualung Brotula BCs
AGAs: 7 Av silicone skirts—1 with comms - AGAs have been decommisioned
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OTS Wireless communications for 6 FFM and 1 surface unit
6 OTS Buddy Phones to replace SSB Comms
6 OTS Guardian FFM w/OTS Wireless Comms
Gates Dry Suits w/attached Superlight neck yoke: 1
Viking Dry Suit w/attached Superlight neck yoke: 1
Viking Dry Suits w/ latex hoods: 13
Whites HazMat Dry Suits: 2
Olympus TG-3 14 MP digital camera w/Olympus U/W housing and strobe
Olympus 8080, 8 MP digital camera w/Olympus U/W housing
GoPro Hero 4 Black w/UW strobes
2 Dacor dive scooters
Parker 25' and 28' Pilot House Boats for dive ops.
F. REVIEW OF DIVING PERSONNEL
There are 4 divers on the EPA Region 4 Athens Dive. The dive team currently has 4
divemasters.
NAME
AGE SEX CERTIFICATION LEVEL
Nate Barlet—
Jon McMahan
54 M Dive Trainee - Leaving R4 for HQ
37 M Divemaster
61 M UDO/Divemaster
Mel Parsons
John Ruiz
Greg White
54 M Divemaster
33 M Divemaster
Changes in personnel
Nate Barlet has accepted a position in HQ and is leaving R4.
G. TIME SPENT OF THE NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM
ACTIVITY (describe)
TIME
Assistance with Diver Training Course
20 days
Review of Documents (EPA Dive Manual vl.2)
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5
-------
Performing Action Items 2
Preparation for and Attendance of DSB Meeting 5
Technical Assistance to Other Units 1
Equipment Servicing $ 5000.00
Equipment Purchases $ 2000.00
Other 0
COST OF TRAVEL SPENT ON NATIONAL PROGRAM
(list by trip)
Attend Diver Training/Diving Safety Board Meeting/GED Training $ 1830.00
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REGION 4 ATLANTA DIVE UNIT
ANNUAL REPORT
OF
DIVE TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
U.S. EPA
Atlanta Region 4
Dive Unit
10/01/2018 through 09/30/2019
Submitted by
Tara Levine Houda, Unit Dive Officer
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The US EPA's Atlanta Dive Unit is comprised of divers from the Atlanta EPA office.
Historically this Unit has been made up of divers from across the Divisions and has
supported a variety of programs, including Ocean Dredge Material Disposal Sites (ODMDS),
TMDLs, current meters, Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD), criminal enforcement,
emergency response, permitting, artificial reefs, Superfund, and civil enforcement. The Unit
has also provided partnership support to the Florida artificial reef program, Florida
Department of the Environmental Protection (FDEP), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern University, Broward County FL, EPA ORD
development of Rapid Bioassessment protocol, and other EPA Regions. This year analysis of
our historical diving trends was conducted and found that our dives numbers tend to have a 5-
year cycle. The cyclical pattern has been 2-3 years with 35-219 science dives followed by 1-2
years of under 20 science dives. In FY16 the Atlanta Unit reported the greatest number of
Science dives (101) and total dives (197) of any of the units that year. It has long been
understood that the number of dives is a direct result of the types of projects schedules for the
given year but taking the time to look at the pattern has been interesting. The following is a
summary of dive operations and training in FY19.
A. Diving Activities
1. One diver participated in a Coral Protocol Assessment (5/2/19) with EPA Athens
Unit divers in Marathon, FL.
Atlanta divers collaborated with NOAA Fisheries on a project to assess sediment
impacts from dredging of the Port Everglades (6/4/19-6/11/19) and Miami
(7/30/19-8/6/19) shipping channels. This project will help to assess impacts and
identify natural background sedimentation on Florida reefs. Three Atlanta divers,
dove with NOAA, FDEP, and EPA Athens divers on two 10-day projects.
Sediment depth, characterization, sampling and impacts were documented along
transects. For the 8 multi-agency divers that participated on the Miami portion of
this project, 6,075 minutes and 171 dives were logged. For all 9 multi-agency
divers that participated in the Port Everglades portion, 5,985 minutes and 168
dives were logged. Collaboration with non-EPA divers enabled these 339 dives.
The Atlanta Dive Unit and Athens Dive Units had Safety Audits this year. The
Atlanta UDO was divemaster for Athens divers as part of the Safety Audit. The
closing conference of the Safety Audit indicated that no findings were identified,
and a few minor recommendations were made. We are awaiting receiving the
official report.
Proficiency - Due to medical status, two divers were unavailable for diving
during various points in the year. This year three of our divers participated in
personal proficiency diving to maintain their proficiency. Three divers are or
were involved with the Georgia Aquarium and conducts several volunteer dives
on their personal time to help with aquarium maintenance on a monthly basis.
One diver is involved with the Coral Restoration Foundation and conducted
several volunteer dives on their personal time to help with coral restoration.
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2. Dive locations for scientific diving this year:
Florida, Marathon
Florida, Port Everglades (Broward County)
Florida, Miami
3. Dive Statistics:
These dives were logged by 3 of our 5 divers.
Number of Dives
Total Dive Time
(min.)
Number of Ex
posure Days
Science:
Ill
3,928
Science:
33
Training:
0
0
Training:
0
Proficiency*:
2
35
Proficiency+:
1
Totals 113 3,963
* Additionally, 74 personal proficiency (off-duty) dives were conducted.
+ All proficiency, including off-duty exposure days.
Scientific, Training, and Proficiency Dives for
Atlanta in FY19
i Science:
0
i Training:
Proficiency ¦ Personal Proficiency
B. Diving Accidents, Injuries, or Incidences
One diver experienced an ear infection during an EPA diving project that was treated,
but reoccurred when she returned to the water and required a second round of
treatment. The incident was reported to the regional safety officer.
C. Dive Training
• Due to lack of travel funds, the Atlanta UDO did not participate in the 2019 Gulf
Breeze EPA diver training course.
• Several members of the unit participated in HAZWOPER refresher courses.
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• A training dive was planned for the last day of our Miami field project, but due to
the diver ear infection, it was unable to be conducted.
D. Dive Equipment
Regulators: 11 Atomic Z2 regulators (1st and 2nd stages) w/ Sea Elite octo.
BC's: 6 - Sea Elite Profile Hybrid; 1 - Mares Dragonfly; 1 - Sea Elite (no model
available); 2 - Zeagle Ranger; 1 SeaQuest Black Diamond; 1 - Dacor Falcon; 1 -
Sherwood Luna; 1 - ScubaPro X-Tek.
Computers: 6 Suunto Gekko, 1 Suunto Zoop, 2 Suunto Vyper dive computers
Drysuit(s): 0 (transfered 1 Viking modified to fit smaller female divers and 2 custom
fit drysuits with 1 set of accessories to LSASD Athens Unit to be shared between
Athens and Atlanta divers)
U/w digital camera: GoPro Hero 4 Black Adventure Video Camera with GoBe700
dual Lights package. Olympus TG-3 and TG-5 U/W cameras with PT-056 housing
and Sea&Sea YS-03 U/W strobe.
MiniOx I Oxygen Analyzer, sensors with backup sensor
2 OTS DRS-100B: diver recall system
Marine Trauma Kit (Practical Trauma), Inventory of the First Aid Kit was conducted
in 2018, and a purchase request was submitted, but the items have not yet been
ordered.
AED
Oxygen Kit: OSV Bold single cylinder kit not in use and out of service. DAN 02 dual
J Kit with MTV valve, 2 non-rebreather masks and 1 orinasal resuscitation mask
(https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/dive-store/?id=33>)
E. Review of Unit Diving Personnel
One employee, Lena Weiss, left the EPA in July 2019. Two divers did not maintain
medical clearance for the duration of the year. Wade Lehmann has been cleared to be a
fully qualified Divemaster. One potential candidate has been identified and has the
support of his management.
Diver Name
Age
Sex
Certification Level
TaraHouda 35
Chris Mc Arthur 50
Rosemary Hall 43
Wade Lehmann 46
Female Divemaster, UDO
Male Divemaster
Female Divemaster
Male Divemaster
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F. Time Spent on the National Dive Program
1. Time Expenditures
ACTIVITY TIME
Assistance with Diver Training Course 0
Review of Documents
Dive Plans 2
Dive Reports 2
Manual review/updating 4
Performing Action Items
Action Item Follow-through 40
Preparation for and Attendance at Meetings (UDO)
Annual Reports 8
Meeting participation 24
Technical Assistance to Other Units 0
2. Fiscal Expenditures
Cost of Travel Spent on National Program during FY19
Travel to Training Course $0
DSB Meeting $432
Emergency Oxygen Administration Training $0
Gear $200
Gear Maintenance $1,188
Total $1,820
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ORD GULF ECOSYSTEM MEASUREMENT & MODELING DIVISION
ANNUAL REPORT OF DIVE TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
Diving Unit: EPA GEMMD (Gulf Ecosystem Measurement & Time Period: FY2019
Modeling Division)
Cheryl Hankins, UDO
Peggy Harris, Alt UDO
A. DIVING ACTIVITIES
Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division (GEMMD), formerly Gulf Ecology
Division, dive unit had one scientific diving event in FY19. Additionally, the dive unit provided
support in the maintenance of the seawater delivery system which supplies water to the
laboratory housing a variety of fish and invertebrates. Training and proficiency dives were also
conducted throughout the year.
1. Describe each type of diving operation; include pollutant exposure (use separate
sheet, if necessary).
a. Scientific - National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).
GEMMD assisted NOAA with the annual NCRMP survey in St. Croix, U.S.
Virgin Islands. Habitat assessments were performed around the entire island. This
was a NOAA planned and operated mission, therefore diving was conducted off
NOAA small boats and all diving was conducted under NOAA guidelines and
overseen by a NOAA divemaster.
Divers conducting coral demographic and line point intercept surveys in St. Croix, USVI.
b. Commercial - All dive plans in FY19 involving assessment and
maintenance of GEMMD's seawater delivery system were categorized as
commercial to ensure compliance with safe diving operations. The seawater
system delivers filtered seawater to research organisms in the wet laboratory.
Clean seawater is critical for the health of the research organisms and the quality
of the research being conduction. In addition to the scientific observations of
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biofouling organisms on and around the filter intakes, light hand tools such as
mallets and snips/shears were used to clear the intakes. After clarification by EPA
Diving Safety Board, the use of light hand tools is permitted under the exemptions
for Scientific Diving, therefore, future inspections of GEMMD's seawater
delivery system will conducted as scientific dives.
c. Training - Rescue drills were performed at GEMMD on the west dock.
Divers mimicked rescuing an unconscious diver and bringing onto the dock to
provide first aid treatment. Additional training was provided to a diver in training
on deploying inflatable signaling device, hand signals, and compass bearings.
d. Proficiency - Multiple proficiency dives were completed off the west dock
to maintain familiarization with dive equipment. In preparation for the NCRMP
survey, deep-water dives were performed on two wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ocean Wind wreck dive off the coast of Pensacola in the Gulf of Mexico
2. Locations of diving operations (list each state and type of water body).
St. Croix, USVI - Caribbean Sea
Flori da - Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound
3. Dive Statistics:
Type of Dive
Number of
Dives
Number of
Minutes
Number of Hours
Number of
Exposure Days
Scientific
40
1138
19.0
10
Commercial
7
275
4.6
7
Proficiency
23
405
6.8
7
Training
6
91
1.5
5
Total
76
1909
31.8
30
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B. DIVING ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR INCIDENTS
No accidents, injuries, or incidents to report.
C. DIVE TRAINING
1. Describe the type of training conducted/received, and list the name, office, and level of
certification for each trainee.
Elizabeth Moso (ORD, GEMMD) successfully completed EPA Scientific Diver training.
She is currently listed as a GEMMD diver-in-training.
E. Moso conducting her first surface supply dive during EPA Scientific Diver training
2. List any training needed. None known at this time.
D. DIVE EQUIPMENT
1. Same as last year. Yes No x
2. If no, list and note the equipment that is new or removed from service.
Most of the dive equipment remained the same, however, a few pieces of equipment are
new. GEMMD purchased two new manually triggered ventilators (MTV-lOOs) to replace
outdated ventilators. Additionally, the oxygen hoses on the existing MTVs were replaced
with new hoses. Two safe seconds (Air2) were also purchased to exchange outdated
Air2s for two divers' primary gear.
The surface supply umbilical hoses were upgraded this year. Region 9 donated their used
umbilical hoses after purchasing new hoses.
3. Describe any important equipment problems: n/a
4. Equipment needed: n/a
E. REVIEW OF UNIT DIVING PERSONNEL
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Name
Certification Level
Beddick, David
Scientific Diver
Fisher, Bill
Scientific Diver
Hankins, Cheryl
UDO
Harris, Peggy
Divemaster/Alt UDO
Moso, Elizabeth
Scientific Diver (in training)
Nestlerode, Janet
Divemaster
Santavy, Deborah
Divemaster*
Wilkinson, Sherry
Divemaster
*As of June 2019, Santavy is not on dive team
F. TIME SPENT ON THE NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM
1. Time expenditures.
ACTIVITY (Described
Assistance with Diver Training Course
Review of Documents
• Dive Plans
• Dive Safety Manual updates
Performing Action Items
(Identify, e.g. Prep for & Audit of Dive ops)
Preparation for and Attendance at Meetings
Dive Safety Board meeting
Technical Assistance to Other Units
Other
2. Fiscal (monetary) expenditures:
Equipment Servicing $1035
Equipment Purchases $2300
COST OF TRAVEL SPENT ON NATIONAL PROGRAM (list by trip)
Attend Diver Training/Diving Safety Board Meeting: $0.00
Page 57 of 79
TIME
15 days
1 day
4 days
3 days
10 days
0 days
0 days
-------
2019 EPA DIVER TRAINING ANNUAL REPORT
The 2019 EPA scientific diver training course was conducted May 13-17 at the ORD Gulf
Ecology Division (GED) Laboratory and EPA Dive Training Center. Eight scientific dive
candidates and four divemaster candidates attended the course this year.
The scientific divers were
David Crane - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Angela Hays - US-EPA R6
Scott Heidel - Pennsylvania DEP
Richard Markland - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Elizabeth Moso - US-EPA Gulf Breeze Lab (GEMMD)
Mark Nicholas - Escambia County Marine Resources Division
Dustin Shull - Pennsylvania DEP
Rebecca Whiteash - Pennsylvania DEP
The divemasters were:
Joe Campbell - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Nathan Doyle - US-EPA R3 Philadelphia
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David Light - US-EPA R3 Wheeling
Jon McMahan - US-EPA R4 Athens Lab
All course participants passed and did a great job.
In attendance for instruction and assistance with the course were:
Mel Parsons - EPA Diving Safety Board (DSB) Chairman and R4 Athens UDO
Sean Sheldrake - EPA DSB Training Director, Divemaster Trainer and RIO UDO
Scott Grossman - EPA DSB Technical Director, Blackout Mask Lead, ERT/R2 UDO
Eric Nelson - Director of Scenarios, R1 UDO
Cheryl Hankins - GED Representative, GED UDO
Steve Donohue - R3 UDO
Rich Henry - US-EPA ERT
Dan Marelli - Lead Scientific Diving Instructor, Scientific Diving International
Lyle Becker - Surface Supply Diving Instructor, Scientific Diving International
Alan Humphrey - Equipment manager, Scientific Diving International
Van Kozak - Equipment manager, Scientific Diving International
Amy Brower - Photographer, Equipment assistance, Scientific Diving International
Allen Pyburn - TN DWR, Underwater project deployment, Equipment assistance
Bobby Brown - TN DWR, Underwater project deployment, Equipment assistance
In addition to sending a candidate to the course, Region 6 sent nearly all of their divers to the
course to serve as safety divers and conduct additional training for team members.
R6 Participants:
Ashley Howard - R6 UDO
Nick Gannon - R6 Alternate UDO
David Robertson - R6 Diver and general assistance
John Penland - R6 Diver and general assistance
Selena Medrano - R6 Diver and general assistance
Laura Hunt - R6 Diver and general assistance
Logan Campbell participated in dock exercises on Thursday.
A total of 158 dives with 3960 minutes underwater were conducted at the course in 2019.
However, 61 of those dives were conducted by the R6 dive team and other divers assisting with
the course, including, setup/breakdown of equipment and the DM surface supply dive. In
addition, safety diver dives were recorded with trainee dives. Due to the nature of the many
divers, divelogs and inconsistency in dive recording, it became difficult to break out all of the
various dives. In the 2019 dive stats table below, they are broken down by dive team, including
safety divers, the R6 divers and all others, labeled general.
Diver Training dives are not included in the overall EPA diving stats due to each individual dive
unit recording their diver's dives as part of their unit dives.
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Below are statistics for this year's course compared to 2016 and 2017 and 2018. The differences
in total dives and dive minutes are a reflection of the number of divers in each class - eight in
2019, nine in 2018, eleven in 2017 and sixteen in 2016. In addition, the R6 and safety divers
participating this year increased the total number of dives substantially.
D
ive Course 2016 Stats
Prep
Breakdown
Team Alpha
Team Bravo
Team Charlie
Team Delta
Total
No. of Dives
9
3
40
43
36
30
161
Dive Days
9
3
16
21
16
16
81
Dive Minutes
388
50
1211
1650
1460
1160
5919
Dive Course 2017 Stats
Prep
Breakdown
Team Alpha
Team Bravo
Team Charlie
Total
No. of Dives
12
30
45
30
117
Dive Days
7
12
16
16
51
Dive Minutes
161
707
1317
963
3148
Dive Course 2018 Stats
Prep
Breakdown
Team Alpha
Team Bravo
Team Charlie
Total
No. of Dives
10
3
35
37
35
120
Dive Davs
4
3
20
21
17
65
Dive Minutes
210
125
1119
969
629
3052
Dive Course 2019 Stats
General
R6
Team Alpha*
Team Bravo*
Team Charlie*
Team Delta*
Total
No. of Dives
33
55
18
18
18
16
158
Dive Days
18
28
8
8
8
8
78
Dive Minutes
727
1128
380
620
540
565
3960
* Includes safety diver dives
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05/l5ftO19
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Page 62 of 79
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USEPA REGION 6 ANNUAL REPORT OF DIVE OPERATIONS AND TRAINING
Region 6 Diving Unit: EPA Region 6 (Dallas office and Houston Laboratory)
Reporting Period - FY19: October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2019
R6 Dive Team - Scientific Diver Training (May 2019)
R6 Dive Team - Scientific Diver Training (May 2019)
R6 Divers at Lake Travis Cleanup Service Project (September 2019)
-------
A. DIVING ACTIVITIES
The Region 6 Dive Team continued to develop its capabilities to serve Region 6 with Scientific Dive
Team support. A permanent R6 Unit Dive Officer (UDO) was approved by the EPA Dive Safety Board
(DSB). One new Scientific Diver completed the 2019 EPA Scientific Diving training class. Six existing
team divers also attended and assisted in the annual training, including participation in various rescue
drills. For FY 2019, the Region 6 Dive Team conducted 49 training dives and 14 proficiency dives: 63
total dives, 16 hrs. + 55 min. bottom time, 26 exposure days.
Dive Team Service Event:
The Region 6 Dive Team was recognized in the September Regional Newsletter, distributed by the
Regional Administrator, for their participation in the Lake Travis Cleanup Service Event in September
2019.
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R6 Dive Team
Lake Travis Cleanup
R6 Dive Team Volunteers (L to R): Nick Cannon, Ashley
Howard. David Robertson, Selena Medrano, Laura
Hunt.
Members of the EPA Region 6 Dive Team volun-
teered to use their diving skills to remove underwa-
ter trash as part of the Lake Travis Cleanup service
event on September 15,2019. Lake Travis is a
drinking water source for thousands of residents in
the Austin area. Each year, volunteers gather to col-
lect an average of 5 tons of trash from the bottom of
Lake Travis and many Travis County Parks around
the lake, while also helping to raise public awareness
of the importance of Lake Travis and the Highland
Lakes to the community. The Lake Travis Cleanup
is the largest scuba diving, shoreline, and watercraft
cleanup in Texas.
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B. DIVE STATISTICS
Total Number
Total Dive Time
Number
Dive
of Dives
(hrs. / min.)
Exposure Days
Scientific dives
0
N/A
0
Training dives
49
16 hrs. 1 min.
21
Proficiency dives
14
3 hrs. 55 min.
5
Working dives
0
N/A
0
Total
63
19 hrs. 56 min.
26
C. DIVING INJURIES
There were no diving injuries or incidents during FY2019.
D. DIVE TRAINING and DIVER RECRUITMENT
Per previous direction from R6 management, an ongoing recruitment effort was continued to add
members to the R6 Dive Team. One candidate, previously in trainee status, successfully completed the
2019 EPA Scientific Diver Training course. Another candidate remains a trainee diver.
The annual Scientific Diver training was held in Gulf Breeze, FL in May 2019. Along with the one diver
going through certification, six current team members attended and assisted during the training.
Internal dive unit training sessions were held at Scuba Toys Dive Shop (pool) in Dallas TX. The training
focused on the following: dry suit and full-face mask familiarity and proficiency along with underwater
navigation. The training session concluded with an in-water rescue drill with use of backboard.
In 2020, the usual refreshers for first aid, CPR/AED and 8-hour health and safety are required annually
(or biannually) for some first aid courses. Also, the whole unit participates in HAZWOPER refreshers due
to the polluted water nature of the majority of R6 diving support.
R6 divers continue to have difficulty maintaining proficiency by diving at bimonthly intervals, and
overall the need to dive has lessened over the last few years due to a shift in projects. Management
still supports diving operations and divers are requalified as needed.
The R6 team continues to accept new diver applications, and may seek approval for one additional diver
in FY2020. We will use dive experience, management support, and any potential projects that the diver
will bring to the team as the main criteria when selecting from applicants.
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E. DIVING EQUIPMENT
Current Equipment Inventory - Primary dive team equipment includes: Scuba tanks (9), Pony bottles (2),
Regulators (6), BCDs (6), Dry Suits (5), Full Face Masks (5), One 2-way communication system with
OTS Aqua-Com control box and 300 ft. umbilical line.
Safety Equipment: Backboard, AED, Emergency Oxygen with 2 regulators, First Aid kit, Dive Flag.
Equipment Needs: Female (small) dry suits, various hoses lengths, two redundant air supply set-ups,
additional face masks and full sets of equipment for new divers (as funding allows).
F. REVIEW OF DIVING PERSONNEL
Presently, the Region 6 Dive Team has nine members and two support members:
Ashley Howard
Nick Gannon
Valmichael Leos
John Penland
Laura Hunt
Selena Medrano
David Robertson
Angela Hays
Stephanie Meyers
UDO / Divemaster
Divemaster
Scientific Diver
Scientific Diver
Scientific Diver
Scientific Diver
Scientific Diver
Scientific Diver
R6 Trainee Diver
Chris Villareal
Scott Grossman
R6 Management Liaison
Technical Assistance (ERT-NJ / UDO)
G. TIME SPENT ON THE REGION 6 DIVE PROGRAM AND RELATED COSTS
Scientific Diving field activities
0 days
EPA Diver Training Course
35 days
Bi-annual DSB meetings and conference calls
6 days
Dive Plan(s) preparation
2 days
Equipment maintenance, cleaning and upkeep
4 days
Recordkeeping (dive logs, medical, training)
2 days
Reporting (site specific and annual reports)
5 days
Cost of attendance at EPA Diver Training course
$ 11,500
Equipment maintenance costs
$ 1,614
H. FY 2019 TEAM OUTLOOK
The Region 6 dive team continues to look for opportunities to support R6 Superfund, Water, and
Enforcement divisional activities. There is some discussion with the EPA R4 dive unit regarding Soil
Oxygen Demand (SOD) projects. Discussions have also been initiated with federal agency partners
within the dive community for inter-agency participation under MOUs. Additionally, a potential new
diver has proposed a project regarding brine water disposal on offshore drilling rigs. The team will
Page 67 of 79
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continue to explore these options in FY2020.
The ongoing San Jacinto Waste Pit Superfund Site was heavily involved in sampling for the remedial
design during FY 19, so the annual routine cap inspection was not completed. In FY 19 the UDO also
became a Remedial Project Manager for this Site, bringing the experience gained from annual dive team
inspections and previous sampling events. The UDO participated in a probing event after a tropical storm
to assess if dive team assistance was needed, but the cap was determined to be intact. This project remains
a priority in the region, and dive team support is routinely considered.
R6 is tentatively scheduled to be audited by HQ-SHEMP in April 2020.
FY 2020 training may include sending divers to EPA Scientific Diver training or team participation in
Advanced Dive Operations training, depending on the Dive Safety Board (DSB) program offerings.
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ORD PACIFIC ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS DIVISION
ANNUAL REPORT OF DIVE TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
Diving Unit: Pacific Ecological Systems Division
ORD/Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment
Time Period: Oct. 2018 - Sept. 2019
A. DIVING ACTIVITIES
1. Dive activities during FY 2019 consisted of work, training and proficiency dives.
One diver is involved with the Oregon Coast Aquarium and conducted a number of
dives to help with aquarium maintenance on a monthly basis.
2. Location of work dive operations: OSU Cove, Yaquina Bay, Newport, OR
3. WED divers continue to have difficulty maintaining proficiency by diving at
bimonthly intervals, and overall the need to dive has lessened over the last few years
due to a shift in projects. Management still supports diving operations at the division
and divers are requalified as needed.
4. Dive Statistics:
Total Number
Total Dive Time
Number of
Dive
of Dives
(min.)
Exposure Days
Working dives
3
114
1
Training dives
6
220
1
Proficiency dives
52
2472
23
Total
61
2806 min. (46.7 hrs.)
25
5. Dive Audit:
Tentatively scheduled for 2 - 4 June 2020.
(Last external audit - completed in July 2011.)
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B. DIVING ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR INCIDENTS
None
C. DIVE TRAINING
Andersen, Kaldy and Reichman were 're-qualified' by Mochon Collura following
extended absences from diving.
All divers completed DAN DFA Pro training in early 2019 (one in Feb. and four in April)
Mochon Collura completed 40-hr HAZWOPER training in May to dive with RIO at
potentially polluted water sites. Planning for ops in Sept./Oct. 2020.
All divers, except Johnson, trained with Spare Air cylinders in anticipation of future
commercial ops. Also trained with underwater pinger/pinger locator.
D. DIVE EQUIPMENT/MAINTENANCE
Date
Diver
Item
Cost
ll-April-19
Team
Cylinder VIS (8)
$120.00
ll-April-19
Team
Reg. and BC annual insp.
(several hoses replaced)
$545.00
16-April-19
Kaldy
Dry suit seals
$120.00
23-April-19
Team
Spare Air, 3 cu. ft. (4)
$1074.93
8-May-19
Team
02 reg insp. and service (2)
$185.90
10-May-19
Team
02 cylinder hydro and fill (2)
$87.50
22-July-19
Reichman
Dry suit zipper replacement
$295.00
April/May 19
Team
Medical Monitoring
$3009.00
June-19
Mochon Collura
Hazmat dry suit
Paid for by R10
Total (w/o med mon)
$2428.33
E. REVIEW OF DIVER PERSONNEL
Diver
Certification
Sex
Status
Chris Andersen
Divemaster
Male
Qualified
Mark Johnson
Divemaster, Alt. UDO
Male
Inactive, OK to DM*
Jim Kaldy
Scientific Diver
Male
Qualified
T Chris Mochon Collura
Divemaster, UDO
Male
Qualified
Jay Reichman
Divemaster
Male
Qualified
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*Voted on and approved by DSB on 9 May 2019
F. TIME SPENT ON NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM
1. Time Expenditures: hrs.
Assistance with Diver Training 0
Dive Program Audit 0
Review of Documents 10
Performing Action Items 8
Preparation for and Attendance at Meetings 16
Technical Assistance to other Units 0
2. Fiscal (monetary) expenditures
DSB Meeting $0.00
Training at GED $0.00
Diver Physicals $3009.00
New Gear $1074.93
Gear Maintenance $938.40
Gear Repair $415.00
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IS-IP A REGION 10 DIVE UNIT
ANNUAL REPORT OF UNIT DIVE TRAINING AND OPERATIONS
Diving Unit: EPA Region 10 Time Period: FY 2019
DIVING ACT! VITIES
1. Describe each type of diving operation.
During FY 2019, the Region 10 (R10) dive unit had six scientific work diving events. There
were also four fonnal training events to practice critical rescue and scientific data collection
techniques. Of the six work diving events, one was in support of the Superfund and Emergency
Management Division (SEMD), which is less than most years past (as work is episodic, it's worth
noting that FY 2020 is expected to have several weeks of Superfund five-year review work).
Fiver work diving events were related to Water Division (WD) support of an arsenic impact study
at Killamey Lake. One of these work projects this year involved use of free swimming SCUBA,
five were via tethered SCUBA, and none were surface supplied. Training was conducted to
maintain proficiency with all the diving modes, rescue, sampling, and underwater photography.
Region 10 had 16 work dives and 69 training dives. Training dives were significant in number
primarily from training new diver, Rachel Stephenson in September, 2019. Overall, R10 had a
total of 239 dives. While this is far less than in past years, it is important to note that training will
prepare the unit for a busy 2020 field season. During FY2019, R10 had the following work
projects:
1. Wvckoff Superfund Site cap and buoy inspection. Divers investigated buoys
designed to protect the cap meant to address creosote and other contamination at
the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site, as well as inspected the surrounding
Figure: Divers photo document buoy and bottom conditions necessary to protect the
Superfund cap.
2. Killarney Lake arsenic study with University of Washington. Sponsored by WD,
this study is designed to determine the fate and transport of elevated levels of
arsenic near the former Ruston smelter. Itis likely that project data will be used to
inform nearby residents about their potential exposure to contaminants.
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Figure: Deputy Rob Rau dresses in on shore, then walks out (bottom right) to sufficient
depth to put his fins on and complete instrument recovery (top left)
For more EPA scientific diving project information, see:
https://www.epa.gov/scientific-diving and
www.facebook.com/EPADivers
Training projects included (no pollutant exposure expected):
1. Rescue training at the Manchester Lab campus- January and March 2019 (March was a
surface supply training refresher with outside trainer, Dan Marelli).
2. NOAA dive training, Sept. 2019- one dive unit member, Rachel Stephenson, received
training at the NOAA Sandpoint campus over three weeks to build critical team capacity:
Rachel Stephenson (scientific diving)
3. American Association of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) dive safety training- October
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2018 for Schulze, Sheldrake, and Leefers to learn and share invaluable dive safety officer
information. The tethered diving workshop was a resounding success and critical safety
information was shared by all involved.
Projects deferred to others or cancelled.
The dive unit remains in high demand to conduct scientific surveys and provide Health and Safety Plan
(HASP) review for contracted scientific diving operations. 2019 updates: Wallowa lake drum recovery
was deferred to contractors though utilized assistance from Schulze for on-site dive safety.
2. Location of diving operations (list each state and type of water body).
Scientific work and training dives were conducted in the Puget Sound and Killarney Lake in
Washington.
3. Dive Statistics.
Number of Dives Minutes
Work
16 199
Training
Other (off-duty/ proficiency)
69 1901
154 5986
Total Dives
Total Dive time (minutes)
239
8086
Number of Diving (exposure) Days
(=sum divers/davs)
Work
Training
Other
12
59
8 (NOAA training plus 7
Divemaster/assist only days topside) (Non diving
(hyperbaric exposure training in chambers/Tending
Assist/Non diving DM/+ OD = Off Duty)
Total
79
Page 74 of 79
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DIVING ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR INCIDENTS
1. Description of all accidents, injuries, and incidents (use separate page if necessary and include
copies of applicable forms, e.g.. EPA Form 1440-9. CA-1. or CA-2).
No injuries reported. All Region 10 divers receive training during annual HAZWOPER
refreshers which covers reporting processes, including form CA-1, or worker's compensation
claims.
None.
DIVE TRAINING
1. Describe the type of training conducted/received, and list the name, office and level of
certification for each trainee (use separate page if necessary).
Approximately $4400 was spent on dive training with FY 19 funds from the dive budget and from OMP.
Divers are current for basic first aid, CPR, AED, Oxygen Administration, neuro examinations, and the
annual 8-hour HAZWOPER refresher. Most training was sponsored by our Dive unit and field
operations. Schulze provided field neurological exam/oxygen administration training to the unit in
February 2019, saving travel and overall cost($300). CPR/AED/First Aid training conducted by Schulze
is expected in December, 2019.
HAZWOPER 40-hour training was conducted for Rachel Stephenson in 2019.
The Unit Diving Officer (also the program Training Director) led the 2019 diver training at the ORD-
GED lab again this past May, including leading the divemaster course. It is expected the class will be
conducted again in 2020.
The Unit Diving Officer and two deputies attended AAUS in 2018 to learn a great deal from interacting
with Diving Safety Officers (DSOs) at universities as well as government institutions, and teach tethered
SCUBA ($650 plus travel). The UDO and 2 deputies plan to attend the 2019 fall conference at the
beginning of October and provide a variety of safety classes including tethered scuba and contaminated
water diving.
2. List any training needed.
In 2020, the usual refreshers for first aid, CPR/AED and 8-hour health and safety are required annually
(or biannually) for some first aid courses.
For CPR/AED/First Aid, a customized training is planned for the team for 2019 by in-house
instructor Schulze, saving cost and travel in December. Also, the whole unit participated in HAZWOPER
refreshers due to the polluted water nature of the majority of R10 diving support in 2019. The entire unit
will attend again in 2020.
R10 will be renewing 2-day wilderness first aid in October 2020 with NOLS.
R10 will seek to continue its presence at AAUS conferences to benefit the dive community with EPA
dive program knowledge, as well as learn from others in matters of both scientific method and safety.
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For additional details on RIO Dive Training, see:
https://www.epa.gov/diving/diver-training
For additional details on RIO Dive Publications, see:
https://www.epa.gov/diving/diving-publications
DIVE EQUIPMENT
RIO's budget in 2019 included a service budget of approximately $7,200 (same as 2018) and
$13,200 for supplies (same as 2018). This year, capital equipment purchases were used for the
purchase of 2.75 diver suits (Schulze, Leefers, a portion of Stephenson's backup suit).
In service:
1. 2 suits per diver that has completed dive training (current or pending manufacture) for
continuity of dive operations
2. 1 surface supplied diving control box, 3-300 foot umbilicals; 70 cubic feet (cf) Faber
steel emergency gas supply (EGS) bottles in service, 2-50 cf EGS bottles (tagged out), 2 EGS
regulators/manifold blocks
3. Tethered /free swimming SCUBA contaminated water diving regulators (4 sets) plus 4-
200 foot (2 of which are at the lab) tethers, 4 300 foot tethers (SEA-DOC), 3 complete surface
tending MK7 units
4. 5 still camera rigs (one assigned to Anne Christopher at OOO) - 3 SeaLife (2 on order), 2
Canon still cameras (Solas assigned to each Canon)
5. 2 Verizon hotspots (one assigned to Schulze, one checkout)
6. 4 GoPro assemblies with two assigned Sola lights.
7. 4 Solas with full face mask mounts; 3 Solas set up for wrist attachment
8. 6 in service AGAs, 8 new in inventory/spares.
9. 2 BCDs per diver (for contaminated water diving and off duty proficiency diving
flexibility).
10. One non-polluted water regulator per diver (12)
11. 4 SI7k suits (shared with ERT); 1 SI7k helmet (ERT) for upcoming training dive
12. 2 complete first aid/AED/02 kits with 2 MTV valves per kit (one in Seattle, one at the
Manchester Lab); 2 E tanks aboard Monitor, 2 spare D tanks at DOC
13. 2 backboards assigned to Monitor and Wooldive, one in dive ops for non-EPA vessel
trips
14. 2 DRS 100B OTS diver recall units, one located in DOC; one Manchester Lab
15. 4 nitrox analyzers (1 in DOC, 1 in the dive van, 1 on Monitor, 1 at the Lab)
16. 40 steel 120 nitrox tanks; 2 AL 80 in service for testing (1) and rescue tank for a trapped
diver (2); 6 AL 80s tagged out
17. 2 reserve air supply systems for NOAA training
18. 1 carbon monoxide detector for air quality testing at remote locations
19. 2-13 CF, 2-19 CF, 4-30 CF EGS bottles
Page 76 of 79
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REVIEW OF DIVING PERSONNEL
Name Certification Level
1. Sean Sheldrake Regional Diving Officer. Divemaster. Training Director
2.
Chad Schulze
Divemaster. UDO Alternate
3.
Lisa Macchio
Divemaster*
4.
Rob Rau
Divemaster. UDO Alternate
5.
Kristin Leefers
Divemaster. UDO Alternate
6. Adam Baron Scientific Diver**
7. Anne Christopher Scientific Diver (Portland. OR based)
8. Brent Richmond Scientific Diver (Lab/Kitsap Peninsula based)
9. Ian Ainoa Scientific Diver
10. Annie Whitlev Scientific Diver
11. Rachel Stephenson Scientific Diver (Spending imminent Macchio
retirement)
**A11 divers in the dive unit are qualified to undertake light commercial dives, as needed, to achieve
EPA's mission.
RIO's operations with collateral duty divers are very dependent on a sufficient number of personnel to
maintain a regional dive unit capable of meeting the highest priority program needs. 10-12 divers are
an ideal size for the nominal workload asked of the dive unit over the past decade, on average.
For more information:
https://www.epa.gov/scientific-diving
https://archive.epa.gov/regionlO/diving/web/litml/
Page 77 of 79
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TIME SPENT ON THE NATIONAL DIVE PROGRAM
ACTIVITY (identify and describe)
TIME (hours)
Leading EPA Diver Training Course (1). including providing the lead instructor the divemaster class
(lesson prep: 30. class time 40) 70
Outreach on behalf of EPA dive program (Facebook. "It's all about Science'" blogs. design of new
One EPA dive program web page. Flickr). 75
Performing Action Items
(Meeting Minutes/review and comment on DSM revisions, equipment recall notices)
50
2019-2020 include updates to the manual to include commercial diving
Technical assistance to other units. Regions, other state & federal agencies
30
Other activities:
-Preparation for and dive team meetings
20
-All team members that participated in various public
20
outreach, education events, including two Earth Day
events for 350+ children.
-Preparation for training events
30
-Development of polluted water protocols & SOPs. sampling techniques
25
~~~~
1,220 likes
31 visits
> Q Status Photo I Video 0 Offer, Event +
What have you been up to?
Promote Your Page
Reach up to 1,800,000 people near
Washington
5 Scheduled Posts
| Next post schedule) for Monday. September29 at 3 00pm View posts.
I U.S. EPA Scientific Diving Program (EPA Divers) shared a link v
' Washington Department of Ecology
Posted by Sean Sheldrake I 'l 5 hours ago *
about > Estuaries! Besides diving science, there is a lot you can do to help them out!
Figure: Screen shot of the EPA Divers Facebook page
Page 78 of 79
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Figure: 2016 rollout of the new national dive program page, maintained bv RIO
COST OF TRAVEL FOR NATIONAL PROGRAM COST
List bv trip: $2000 (for trip in FY 16)
IX for GED/ DSB & Dive training
AAUS course/dive program representation $5500
Page 79 of 79
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