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TechDirect May 1, 2026
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Welcome to TechDirect! If you feel the service is valuable, please share TechDirect with your colleagues. Anyone interested in subscribing may do so on CLU-IN at https://clu-in.org/techdirect. All previous issues of TechDirect are archived there. The TechDirect messages of the past can be searched by keyword or can be viewed as individual issues.
Please feel free to reply to this email or share your comments online with feedback on your utilization of the TechDirect service or recommendations for future editions.
TechDirect's purpose is to identify new technical, policy and guidance resources related to the assessment and remediation of contaminated soil, sediments and groundwater.
Mention of non-EPA documents or presentations 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.
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Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Call for Applications.
The Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) announces a Call for Applications for assessments of technologies to characterize and recover critical minerals from mining and mineral processing waste. The deadline for applications is May 8, 2026. For more information or to submit an application, please visit https://www.emrtai.org/call-for-applications.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Funding Opportunity. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) funding opportunity forecasts have been posted for the Small Business Innovative Research Program (See PA-27-100 and PAR-27-098) for Superfund relevant remediation and detection technologies; and for the P42 Center Grants (See TEMP-30582). In addition, SRP has recently signed onto several unsolicited funding mechanisms to support research in environmental health sciences including the R03 (Small Grant); R21 (Exploratory/Developmental Grant): and R01 (Independent Research Project) grants. Go to grants.gov and search using our ALN, 93.143, for more details. You can also follow the link to this flyer for an overview of the SRP and the funding mechanisms: https://bit.ly/4sBLjn8. For general information about NIEHS, please visit the > new National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) | Grants & Funding webpage. For general questions about the SRP, please reach out to SRP staff: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/centers/srp/about/contact_us.
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Upcoming Live Internet Seminars
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ITRC: Pump & Treat Optimization Training - May 5, 2026, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 UTC). This training aims to summarize existing information and best practices while also developing a systemic and adaptive optimization framework specifically for P&T well-network design and management. The primary audience for this training is environmental project decision-makers, which may include federal, state, tribal, and various local agency employees; contractors to these agencies; and potentially liable parties and their engineers and consultants as well as involved stakeholders. Generally, those involved in designing, building and operating, and optimizing pump & treat systems would benefit. The goal of the training is to provide a roadmap for optimizing a P&T system and refining the remedial strategy or shifting toward another remedial approach. Pump & Treat optimization should be systematic and data-based, and the training and document aim to provide tools and direction to assist in this rigorous process. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
NAVFAC Open Environmental Restoration Resources (OER2): Lessons Learned from In Situ Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Sequestration - May 6, 2026, 3:00PM-4:15PM EDT (19:00-20:15 UTC). This webinar will provide an overview of in situ sequestration approaches for PFAS, including commonly used amendments and application methods. Drawing from case studies, the webinar will highlight key lessons learned from implementing a range of PFAS sequestration strategies. For more information on the OER2, see https://exwc.navfac.navy.mil/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Security/NAVFAC-Environmental-Restoration-and-BRAC/Training/OER2-Webinars/. To register for this event, see https://events.dod.teams.microsoft.us/event/eab5ed3a-80cb-4ac3-9321-69d4ebbf7d06@e3333e00-c877-4b87-b6ad-45e942de1750
ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework Training - May 7, 2026, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 UTC). In 2023, the ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Framework was published to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify, evaluate, and manage CEC's while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity. The framework is meant to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders by providing examples of CEC monitoring programs and guiding the user through the process of identifying CEC key characteristics, how to communicate real and perceived risk from CEC to the public, and how laboratory analytical methods can be used in the identification process. This ITRC CEC training presents this entirely new framework for identification, prioritization, and communication of CEC. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
ITRC: Understanding Vapor Intrusion - Introductory Concepts & Fundamentals - A Two Part Series, Session 2 - May 12, 2026, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 UTC). This is the second of a two-part series. The Vapor Intrusion 101 training series provides an overview of vapor intrusion (VI) and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists). This course introduces participants to the fundamentals of vapor intrusion, the process by which vapor-forming chemicals in contaminated soil or groundwater volatilize and migrate into buildings. The course will discuss sources, pathways, and receptors. It will identify and assess VI risks in various settings (residential, commercial, industrial) and familiarize participants with regulatory frameworks and guidelines (e.g., USEPA, state-specific regulations). The participants will gain working knowledge of how to develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM), design and implement sampling strategies, establish data quality objectives (DQOs), and conduct data and risk evaluations. It will provide an overview of mitigation strategies, including various closure strategies, land use covenants, and institutional controls. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
Federal Facilities Online Academy: Federal Facility Five-Year Review - May 13, 2026, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 UTC). Federal Facility Five-Year Review Webinar is a two-hour webinar course that provides an overview of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) five-year reviews. By taking this course, participants will achieve the following objectives: Understand Five-Year Review purpose and regulatory context; Learn how to prepare and conduct a five-year review; Identify the information and data needed to support a protectiveness statement; Address emerging contaminants and options available to ensure that the federal agencies address these contaminants; Identify the different scenarios when EPA makes an independent finding of the protectiveness of the remedy; and Learn about similarities and differences between federal and private site five-year reviews. For more information and to register, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
NAVFAC Open Environmental Restoration Resources (OER2): Webinar on How High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) Tools Can Improve Conceptual Site Models (CSMs) and Support Remedy Optimization - May 17, 2026, 2:00PM-3:00PM EDT (18:00-19:00 UTC). This webinar will highlight a subset of innovative HRSC tools, including selecting the correct downhole geophysical tools and flowmeters for your investigation, use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and natural source zone depletion (NSZD), and will give insights on when, how, and why teams may want to consider implementing them on a given cleanup site. For more information on the OER2, see https://exwc.navfac.navy.mil/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Security/NAVFAC-Environmental-Restoration-and-BRAC/Training/OER2-Webinars/. To register for this event, see https://events.dod.teams.microsoft.us/event/354907e2-5a36-431f-aa33-1e04eadeb976@e3333e00-c877-4b87-b6ad-45e942de1750.
ITRC: Introduction to Hydrocarbons Training - May 19, 2026, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT (17:00-19:00 UTC). Petroleum is a complex mixture of many compounds. Regulatory and technical guidance documents commonly focus on the hydrocarbon components of that mixture, or perceived risks that they present. However, focusing on a specific area of concern often causes practitioners to overlook other aspects of a release. For example, concerns related to exposure to total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) risks may be overlooked while pursuing concerns related to light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) recovery or petroleum vapor intrusion (PVI). This class is designed to provide a basic overview of hydrocarbon behavior in the subsurface and how to scientifically assess concerns arising from the release of petroleum products into the environment. It will highlight key issues that help identify and manage TPH, LNAPL, and PVI risks together. For more information and to register, see https://www.itrcweb.org or https://www.clu-in.org/live.
FRTR Spring 2026 General Meeting - May 20-21, 2026, 12:00PM-3:00PM EDT (16:00-19:00 UTC). The FRTR 2026 Spring General Meeting, conducted as two web-based virtual sessions, provides an opportunity to share best technical practices and results of recent technical advances in understanding and characterizing contaminant fate and migration across the GSI. The first virtual session explores current scientific understanding of key hydrological and biogeochemical processes affecting contaminant distribution and transport across a GSI. This session also explores available methods and tools for characterizing contaminant migration across a GSI. The second virtual session provides an overview of recent advances in development of innovative technologies for GSI characterization. The session ends with a discussion of needs for further technological development. For more information and to register, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
SRP Progress in Research Summer 2026 Webinar Series: Session I - June 1, 2026, 3:00PM-5:00PM EDT (19:00-21:00 UTC). This is a two-part event, the second session will be in July. This Progress in Research webinar series, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP), showcases research from 6 schools funded by SRP in 2025. These awards were made as part of the P42 grant solicitation RFA-ES-20-014. In the two-part series, awardees will highlight their research projects, accomplishments, and next steps. The newly funded centers, including Oregon State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California, are bringing fresh ideas and approaches to tackle complex problems related to hazardous substances. For more information and to register, see https://www.clu-in.org/live.
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New Documents and Web Resources
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Research Brief 372: New Tool Targets Complex Groundwater Pollutants. Researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) developed a new biocatalyst technology to clean up chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), a large class of persistent groundwater pollutants. The technology stabilizes a pollutant-degrading bacteria inside a porous polymer, enabling the rapid breakdown of several hard-to-treat contaminants. For more information, please visit https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/srp/researchbriefs/view.cfm?Brief_ID=372.
Technology Innovation News Survey Corner. The Technology Innovation News Survey contains market/commercialization information; reports on demonstrations, feasibility studies and research; and other news relevant to the hazardous waste community interested in technology development. Recent issues, complete archives, and subscription information is available at https://clu-in.org/products/tins/. The following resources were included in recent issues:
• Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle Cleaning for AFFF Removal
• Management of Concrete and Asphalt Construction Materials Impacted by PFAS
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2027 National Brownfields Training Conference - Call for Ideas and Save the Date, May 25-28, 2027, Salt Lake City, UT. The Call for Ideas continues through May 31, 2026. Submit your ideas for dynamic educational sessions that explore the latest and greatest tools, methods, trends and case studies in brownfields redevelopment and revitalization. For more information and to submit ideas, see https://gobrownfields.org/.
Call for Abstracts! Abandoned Mine Cleanup Information Exchange, June 16, 2026, San Francisco, CA. This event, co-sponsored by US EPA Region 9 and the Society of American Military Engineers, San Francisco Post, will include structured opportunities for facilitated technical exchange, presentations, posters, and networking focused on key mine cleanup topic areas. To support this exchange of knowledge and experience, EPA Region 9 and SAME are soliciting content for presentations and posters that align with the topic areas such as Geomorphic and Natural Reclamation – Focused Repository Design and Construction, Residential Mine Cleanup Projects and Large Scale Mine Waste Excavation and Consolidation in Remote and Challenging Terrain. Submissions are due by May 19, 2026. For more information and to submit ideas, see https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOo962FBwpg_rI6a1ezs03uY3WabjJt3xFk7gSAmSZyK8Hhw/viewform.
Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment Training, July 6, 2026, National Harbor, MD. As part of the 2026 Health Physics Society Annual Meeting, the US EPA Superfund Radiation Dose Assessment class will be held on Monday July 6, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland. The course is an interactive, full-day advanced program that addresses specific technical and regulatory challenges faced by site managers (e.g., Regional Project Managers, On-scene Coordinators) and technical staff (e.g., risk assessors, health physicists) involved in managing sites within the US Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund remedial program. More information about the class may be found here: https://www.xcdsystem.com/hps/program/Ezv9ZOh/index.cfm?pgid=2899&sid=54463
US EPA and RAIS Screening Level Calculator Training for Chemical and Radionuclide Risk Analysis - Oak Ridge, TN, September 14-17, 2026. This training will primarily provide the participant with operational knowledge of key EPA and RAIS calculators. Additionally, the training and exercises will delve into the ability of the calculators to address site-specific exposures, unique toxicity assessments, and complex risk characterizations. In addition to classroom activities, tours are given of the Spallation Neutron Source facility, the High Flux Isotope Reactor, Frontier (ORNL's exascale supercomputer), and the Historic Graphite Reactor from the Manhattan Project. For more information and to register, please visit https://rais.ornl.gov/fall2026.html.
Call for Abstracts! RemTech Europe 2026, September 14-18, 2026, Ferrara, Italy. RemTech Europe 2026 International Conference and Exhibition on land and water remediation markets and technologies is scheduled for September 14-18, 2026 with in person and virtual participation options. The conference is free to attend. The call for abstracts is open with submissions from private companies due by June 30, 2026. To learn more about the event and submit and abstract, see https://remtechexpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CallForAbstracts_REMTECH-EUROPE_2026_rev1.pdf
NOTE: For TechDirect, we prefer to concentrate mainly on new documents and the Internet live events. However, we do support an area on CLU-IN where announcement of conferences and courses can be regularly posted. We invite sponsors to input information on their events at https://clu-in.org/courses . Likewise, readers may visit this area for news of upcoming events that might be of interest. It allows users to search events by location, topic, time period, etc.
If you have any questions regarding TechDirect, contact Jean Balent at (202) 566-0832 or balent.jean@epa.gov.
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