Federal Facility RPM, a 3-day training course, is geared toward Federal Facility (FF) Remedial Project Managers (RPM) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to facilitate an understanding of how the FF RPM role, responsibilities and authorities differ from a private or Fund-financed Superfund EPA RPM. By taking this course, participants will:

• Discuss and examine best practices for managing the unique circumstances Federal Facility National Priority List (NPL) sites present.
• Be exposed to the institutional knowledge of experienced FF RPMs and cover the history of the FF program and complexity of legacy DOD and DOE sites.
• Review the statutory and regulatory authorities, executive orders and policy and guidance that are important to Federal Facilities.
• Examine the programmatic organization unique to Federal Facilities and identify the programmatic differences between Federal Facility and private and Fund-financed Superfund sites.
• Discuss in detail the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), including negotiating and implementing the provisions of the FFA.
• Examine and evaluate the unique technical and management issues presented by Federal Facilities.
• Discuss current issues associated with emerging contaminants that may be present at Federal Facilities.
• Obtain valuable materials and references for managing a Federal Facility NPL site.

This course is specifically designed for EPA FF RPMs of all experience levels. Participants with one to two years of experience and who have taken the Fundamentals of Superfund and Remedial Process courses may derive the most benefit. This course may also be taken by other EPA RPMs, DOD/DOE RPMs, EPA RCRA personnel, state personnel who manage Federal Facilities across the nation, tribal RPMs and managers. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO ACADEMIA, CONTRACTORS, CONSULTANTS OR OTHER PRIVATE ENTITIES.

The format of the course includes lecture, facilitated discussion, case study review, situational training with exercises, and use of multiple media. Short tests will be given at the end of each module to assess whether training objectives are met.

*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

Important Notice: Due to the content presented during a CEC course and the restrictions in place for non-citizens to enter federal buildings, international attendees are not permitted to attend CEC courses.
 

OSC 201 is an intermediatelevel training course that expands on the Removal Process course to prepare On-Scene Coordinators (OSC) for the rigors of everyday removal action site activities. The instructional methodology will include a response case study to provide participants an opportunity to apply the skills learned during the course. By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Understand how to apply a Removal Site Strategy Model to a project. The course reviews this effective conceptual tool in managing the factors that influence the cleanup at a removal site.
• Learn project management skills, including organization of a project, forecasting resources and personnel, planning meetings, documenting site activities and tracking schedules and costs. The course prepares OSCs for the daily challenges they will encounter during a removal action and an emergency response.
• Learn to navigate through the daily tasks of the removal process and adapt to changing site circumstances. The course includes a response case study to provide participants an opportunity to apply the skills learned during the course.
• Understand the keys to conducting a removal action that is consistent with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The course takes a hands-on practitioner's approach to removal and emergency response management, based on the perspective of field operations, and focuses on attaining the response action goals.

OSC 201 is a 2-day training course designed for OSCs with one to two years of experience, particularly in the field at removal actions and who may have assisted other OSCs with removal actions or are now preparing to take the lead in conducting a large-scale removal action. More experienced OSCs may find the course useful as a refresher and an opportunity to share success stories and lesson learned with newer OSCs. Other EPA removal program personnel (including Headquarters regional coordinators, enforcement personnel, Removal Managers and Special Team members) are also welcome to attend. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATES, TRIBES, ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR OTHER PRIVATE ENTITIES. The Removal Process course is a prerequisite for EPA employees who would like to attend OSC 201.

*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

Waste Treatment, Transportation and Disposal, a 2.5-day advanced training course, focuses on specific technical and regulatory issues that On-Scene Coordinators (OSC) and Remedial Project Managers (RPM) must address when treating, transporting and disposing of waste. By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Learn a step-by-step approach to the treatment, transportation and disposal of waste. The course discusses oversight of the major steps in procuring cost-effective and efficient treatment, transportation and disposal of waste. The course explores the complex definitions of solid and hazardous waste and provides real-life examples of how to decide whether wastes are RCRA hazardous during a removal action.
• Discover practical recommendations for improving the treatment, transportation and disposal process. The course stresses some obvious and other less obvious aspects helpful in improving the transportation and disposal process.
• Master information about the identification and analysis of waste. Participants will obtain information from experienced professionals about the process of identifying and analyzing special waste types and to arrange for treatment, transportation and disposal of waste.

Waste Treatment, Transportation and Disposal is an advanced-level training course intended for EPA OSCs and other EPA removal program personnel. The course is designed to equip OSCs with the information they need to plan for the treatment, transportation and disposal of wastes generated from removal actions. Other EPA environmental professionals, such as RPMs, site assessment managers, remedial program staff, and Special Team members may also benefit from the course.  THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATES, LOCAL AGENCIES, TRIBES, ACADEMIA, CONTRACTORS, CONSULTANTS OR OTHER PRIVATE ENTITIES.

*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

Best Practices for Site Characterization Throughout the Remediation Process is based on best management practices (BMP) implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), partnership organizations, federal and state partners, and consultants. Participants will learn how to streamline projects in a legal, technically sound, and cost-effective manner. By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Integrate best practices into traditional project activities. This course illustrates how to use more effective sampling plan design, data collection, analysis, and management strategies at various entry points in a typical project time-line. The course highlights emerging quality assurance and quality control methods for evaluating data sufficiency and optimizing project sequencing. Case studies highlight benefits of using best practices at hazardous waste sites.
• Effectively collect and communicate critical project information. The course stresses the use of the systematic planning process to involve key stakeholders and develop the conceptual site model (CSM). The course provides examples of CSMs and describes how they are used as the basis for project and sampling plan design, and as a tool for maintaining stakeholder consensus throughout the project life cycle. Participants will be shown how comprehensive systematic planning extends beyond normal data quality models. The course examines tools for managing the uncertainties associated with sampling, social, economic, and political factors that significantly impact hazardous waste cleanup and reuse projects.
• Design dynamic work strategies. Systematic planning provides the foundation for designing effective dynamic work strategies (DWS). The course describes the components of a DWS, including (1) methods for verifying performance, (2) using collaborative data sets, (3) methods for real-time decision making, (4) managing sample and small-scale variability, (5) designing project and field decision logic, (6) implementing contingencies, and (7) creating streamlined work plans.
• Recognize and overcome the challenges presented while implementing a dynamic work strategy. Controlling a project during a DWS is challenging and involves communication and planning. Participants will learn how to manage and adjust programs in the field while maintaining the project’s integrity. The course describes methods for controlling and directing work during dynamic work efforts, which include using unitized costing, setting project ceilings, and lowering project costs. Participants will examine how more focused characterization efforts can extend project funds and maximize the data collected.
• Use BMPs to support all phases of the environmental cleanup life cycle. In addition to supporting site characterization, site characterization and remediation BMPs can directly support risk assessment, technology selection, remedial design, remedy implementation, long-term operations, and optimization efforts. The course describes specific ways practitioners can apply the BMPs to support these major project phases.

Course Outline

1. Overview of Best Practices for Site Characterization and Remediation
2. Systematic Project Planning
3. Developing Dynamic Work Strategies
4. Implementing a Dynamic Field Investigation
5. Risk Assessment and Real-Time Data
6. Best Practices for Remedy Design and Implementation

Incremental Sampling is a two-day course that focuses on the theory and application of ITRC’s Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM), composite sampling designs, and hybrids of the two. IS hybrid designs are useful to address multiple project goals simultaneously. Since “representativeness” is a key aspect of data quality and ISM/IS data are demonstrably more representative than most discrete data, it will be argued that IS data are indeed “better” than non-IS data. The course will answer questions such as:

• What is the difference between ITRC’s ISM and EPA’s Incremental Sampling (IS) strategies?
• Is there written EPA guidance? What features should an ISM or IS design have?
• Can IS give project risk assessors the data they want, while simultaneously meeting the RPM’s own data needs for characterization or remedial design?
• How are background concentrations determined and comparisons to background handled using IS?
• do we know whether IS “worked” for the project?