Message #37: March 2000

Since February 1, TechDirect gained 255 new subscribers for a total of 8136. Welcome to everyone just joining the TechDirect community. This marks the beginning of our fourth year offering TechDirect. We started this effort with around 1200 people who were initially targeted and have grown dramatically through self subscription. Soon I hope to surpass the DOW Jones.

Note: During late February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took its home page and email service off line for several days to address security concerns. During that time no one at EPA was receiving email from any outside source. Some home page functions have since been brought back on line as has email. If you encountered problems contacting anyone via email at EPA recently, we suggest you try again now.

Mention of non-EPA documents does not constitute a U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an acknowledgment that they exist and may be relevant to the TechDirect audience.

Technical Assistance

Brownfields Technology Support Center. The U.S. EPA has established the Brownfields Technology Support Center to provide expertise and information necessary to help Brownfields decision-makers determine whether innovative options are available and feasible for their sites. The Center works through EPA's Office of Research and Development National laboratories. Support available includes document reviews, technology scoping for site assessment and remediation technologies, technology descriptions, review of literature and electronic resources, and demonstration support. Support may be accessed through the web site at http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/ or call (877) 838-7220.

Sensor Technology Information Exchange. This web site, hosted by the Waste Policy Institute, is intended to improve communication among sensor developers, vendors, and users inside and outside of the environmental arena. It serves as a forum for exchanging information on sensor technologi es and needs. Although this site is designed as a tool to assist the environmental field with hazardous waste cleanup, it includes information from divergent but related technical fields - medical monitoring instruments, aerospace, electronic, transportation, telecommunications, and natural resource development remote sensing - because sensors from one field may be applied in another field. For more information, see http://www.sentix.org/ .

Publications and CD ROMs

Innovative Remediation and Site Characterization Technology Resources (EPA 542-C-99-001). This compact disc was produced by the U.S. EPA Technology Innovation Office and updates the one issued in September 1998. It assembles in one place, most of the publications and databases produced by TIO over the last few years. The CD ROM can be ordered at (800) 490-9198 or (513) 489-8190 or fax to (513) 489-8695.

Cosolvent Flushing: Pilot Test Report Former Sage's Drycleaning Facility. This report summarizes the results of the Cosolvent Flushing Pilot Test conducted at the former Sages Dry Cleaner Facility located in Jacksonville, Florida . The purpose of the pilot test was to evaluate the potential effectiveness and feasibility of utilizing this technology at this and other Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Dry Cleaner Site Program facilities [December 1998, 58 pages]. View or download at http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm . No hard copies available at this time.

Research and Application of Permeable Reactive Barriers. This document was published by the U.S. Department of Energy Grand Junction Office and is an attempt to compile worldwide research efforts and applications in the field of permeable reactive barriers (PRB). The listing will evolve as input is received. Research projects are organized by the type of contamination treated (organics or inorganics) and by the type of reaction process (sorption, precipitation, substitution, or degradation), and then by the specific material [April 1998, 56 pages]. View or download at http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm . No hard copies available.

Natural Attenuation of MTBE in the Subsurface under Methanogenic Conditions (EPA 600-R-00-006). This report was produced by the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory. It is intended to answer the following questions: Can MTBE be biodegraded under methanogenic conditions in ground water that was contaminated by a fuel spill? Will biodegradation produce concentrations of MTBE that are less than regulatory standards? Is the rate of degradation in the laboratory adequate to explain the distribution of MTBE in the ground water at the field site? What is the relationship between the degradation of MTBE and degradation of the BTEX compounds? What is the rate of natural attenuation of the source area [January 2000, 59 pages]? View or download at http://clu-in.org/techpubs.htm . For hard copies, contact Kay Cooper at (580) 436-8651 or fax (580) 436-8503.

Centerpoint. This periodic newsletter is produced by the Hazardous Substance Research Centers and contains information on research conducted by its principal researchers. This issue focuses on research being done on contaminated sediments. View at http://www.hsrc.org/hsrc/html/pub.html .

Management of Contaminated Sediments - Research Supporting a Risk-Based Approach - web presentation. The Southeast Hazardous Research Center posted this slide presentation on its home page. It is presented by Dr. Danny Reible of Louisiana State University and Director of the South/Southwest HSRC. See http://maven.gtri.gatech.edu/ws/title.html .

OnSite InSights. This periodic newsletter is produced by the Northeast Hazardous Substance Research Center. It features news on training and us of innovative field analytical technologies. This issue features articles on the legal admissibility of data from field or site based technologies and information on future course offerings [December 1999, 6 pages]. View or download at http://www.hsrc.org/hsrc/html/pub.html . For hard copy, contact Andrea Kinney at (508) 358-3532.

Symposia and Conferences

Call for Papers!! Environmental Restoration Technology End User Conference, Augusta, Ga, June 6-8. The U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River is sponsoring this conference to share DOE/DOD/EPA cleanup successes and technical innovations, promote deployment of innovative technologies, and facilitate integration and teamwork between DOE, DOD, EPA, and State Regulatory Agencies. Presentations are being sought on topics that support the ER TEC 2000 theme, Environmental Restoration Technologies for the New Millennium, and objectives. Interested contributors are requested to submit abstracts of 100 words or less by March 17, 2000 by e-mail (angela.savoy@srs.gov), by mail (WSRC, Attn: Angela Savoy, 730-2B, 3051, Aiken, SC 29808) or fax (803) 952-8294. For more information see http://www.srs.gov/general/srs-home.html .

Phytoremediation: State of the Science Conference, Boston, MA, May 1-2. This conference is sponsored by the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development. This conference will present the state of the science and engineering advances in phytoremediation. Site managers and regulators need to have comprehensive and reliable information available on how to evaluate proposals containing phytoremediation. This conference is designed to assist professionals in the regulatory community who oversee the design, implementation and monitoring of sites that involve phytoremediation. If you need further assistance, please contact ERG's Registration Office at 781-674-7374 or confmail@erg.com .