The Superfund Essentials webinar series presents essential information for environmental staff with little Superfund experience. The webinar introduces the Superfund program and gives an overview of the statutory and regulatory requirements. The removal and remedial process modules describe the assessment and response process followed by OSCs and RPMs as they address their sites. The webinar closes out by explaining the community involvement program and its role in Superfund and a discussion on enforcement and liability. 

Objectives: After taking the webinar series, the participants will be able to (1) explain the provisions and requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), (2) follow the assessment and response process for conducting removal and remedial actions, (3) describe the community involvement program and their part in cleanup actions, and (4) explain the importance of several special topics to the Superfund program.

Remedial Process is a beginner-level training course that provides a comprehensive examination of the technical and regulatory issues that Remedial Project Managers (RPM) must address as they oversee remedial response efforts at Superfund sites.

By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Learn the process to implement remedial response activities at Superfund sites and methods to conduct such activities effectively. The course discusses strategies for site characterization, oversight and enforcement, applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARAR), contracts and resources, Superfund decision documents, remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) and community involvement.
• Understand and identify the various regulatory and administrative aspects of the Superfund program. The course examines a number of contracting issues, identifies resources that support contracting efforts, and reviews requirements for operation and maintenance activities, site close-out, five-year reviews and remedy optimization.
• Develop an awareness of the role of community involvement in the remedial process. The course discusses the principles of community involvement, the role of community involvement plans and various methods of dealing with problems related to community involvement, including conflict management and effective negotiation.
• Apply the knowledge RPMs gain during the course. Participants take part in several activities that give them the opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to realistic situations that reflect the real-life experiences of RPMs working in the Superfund program.

The Remedial Process course is a 4.5-day course and is designed for RPMs and other environmental professionals who have one to three years of experience in the Superfund program and who are responsible for or need to know about remedial response activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES. The Fundamentals of Superfund course is a prerequisite for EPA employees who would like to attend the Remedial Process course. Please note, non-EPA registrants may be asked to cancel their registration if the course reaches capacity, as priority to attend this course is given to EPA Superfund RPMs.

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

Preliminary Assessment and Site Inspection (PA/SI) provides an introduction to the Superfund site assessment process and describes the preliminary assessment and site inspection phases of this process. By taking the course, participants will be better able to:

• Explain when, where, why and how site assessments are performed under the authorities of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The course provides an overview of key provisions of CERCLA and the response process established by the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The purpose, scope and requirements for performing a remedial preliminary assessment (PA) and remedial site inspection (SI) at sites regulated by CERCLA are explained as well as recognizing if threats exist that could warrant a removal action.
• Prepare for, conduct and report the results of a remedial PA. The course identifies and explains procedures for performing a remedial PA, including determining whether a PA is appropriate, planning for and conducting the remedial PA, preparing a preliminary Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score for the site, using checklists and documenting results so that a decision can be made about the site.
• Determine the need for, conduct and report the results of a remedial SI. The course identifies the step-by-step activities for conducting a remedial SI, including discussion of health and safety considerations for field activities, establishing data quality objectives and developing sampling strategies to obtain data for HRS scoring, validating data and preparing a final report to document the decision-making process.
• Identify and use guidance, software and other tools to successfully meet the requirements for conducting a remedial PA and SI. The course will identify guidance and policies issued by the EPA applicable to conducting a remedial PA and SI, explain the basic structure and scoring factors of the HRS and introduce site investigators on how to use EPA's Quickscore.

PA/SI is a 3-day training course designed for personnel who are required to compile, draft and review PA, SI and HRS documentation records and packages submitted for sites proposed for the National Priorities List (NPL). This course is open to EPA, federal, state, and tribal personnel who support site investigation programs. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.

It is recommended that you take the Hazard Ranking System training course prior to the Preliminary Assessment and Site Inspection training course.