Grantee Research Project Results

2002 Progress Report: Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center Training and Technology Transfer Program

EPA Grant Number: R829515C005
Subproject: this is subproject number 005 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R829515
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Comprehensive, optimaL, and Effective Abatement of Nutrients
Center Director: Arabi, Mazdak
Title: Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center Training and Technology Transfer Program
Investigators: Woods, Sandra L.
Current Investigators: Wildeman, Thomas
Institution: Colorado School of Mines , Colorado State University
Current Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2003
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management

Objective:

The Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) Program was created in 1994 to provide technical assistance to communities impacted by hazardous wastes. This program is invaluable to communities that are facing hazardous substance management issues. These hazardous substances may threaten their health or environment, and by using the educational resources of the participating universities, citizens can gain a better understanding of the problem, allowing them to make informed decisions and to participate more fully in activities that affect their communities. This technical assistance is provided to communities free-of-charge, and is based on the following principles:

• A partnership between any community and the TOSC is "two-way." The TOSC will contribute valuable, independent, and necessary information, and expertise to assist the community in addressing hazardous waste problems. The community will contribute knowledge, expertise, and time.
• A TOSC/community partnership reflects a commitment to fostering and sustaining a relationship for the time period required for meeting the needs of the community.
• A TOSC/community partnership is an opportunity for the TOSC to learn ways to continuously improve its technical assistance outreach.
• TOSC/community partnerships are characterized by the principles of trust, neutrality, and flexibility.

Montana Tech, of the University of Montana and a member of the Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRCs), has been associated with the TOSC Program since 1994. Montana Tech will continually add communities using the established site selection process pending available resources. In this endeavor, the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC will meet the following TOSC Program objectives: (1) create technical assistance materials tailored to the identified needs of a community; (2) inform community members about existing technical assistance materials, such as publications, videos, and Web sites; (3) provide technical information to help community members become active participants in cleanup and environmental development activities; (4) provide independent and credible technical assistance to communities affected by hazardous substance problems; (5) review and interpret technical documents and other materials for affected communities; and (6) sponsor workshops, short courses, and other learning experiences to explain basic science and environmental policy related to hazardous substances.

Progress Summary:

The principles of the TOSC Program indicate several "best practices" will be applied.

Principle 1. A partnership between a community and TOSC is "two-way." The TOSC will contribute valuable, independent, and necessary information and expertise to assist the community in addressing hazardous waste problems. The community will contribute knowledge, expertise, and time.

• · Because communities require assistance with understanding issues involving a variety of contaminants, the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC will assemble an interdisciplinary group of faculty and staff to work with communities as necessary. The group of faculty and staff will vary with community needs.
• · In addition to identifying appropriate faculty and TOSC staff, it is important to include and consult with individuals who have a wide variety of opinions and to involve stakeholders from the community and from local, state, and federal agencies.

Principle 2. A TOSC/community partnership reflects a commitment to fostering and sustaining a relationship for the time period required for meeting the needs of the community.

• An important initial step in creating this partnership is to work with the community to jointly develop a needs assessment. This needs assessment will be conducted for those projects that emerged from the site selection process as established by the TOSC Program.
• The Community and TOSC Program will develop an initial agreement that establishes community needs and describes outcomes. This agreement will indicate a continued commitment by the TOSC Program.

Principle 3. A TOSC/community partnership is an opportunity for the TOSC to learn ways to continuously improve its technical assistance outreach.

• Community evaluation of the project will be ongoing. (The initial agreement will identify mechanisms for formal evaluation twice per year and at important milestones). The agreement also will include procedures and contact information, in the event that the community is not satisfied with the assistance that they are receiving.

Principle 4. TOSC/community partnerships are characterized by the principles of trust, neutrality, and flexibility.

• This principle indicates best practices, such as being inclusive of all stakeholders and working with communities to jointly develop needs assessments, initial agreements, and mechanisms for continuing evaluation by communities.

There are many activities that can be conducted to assist communities, including:

• Conducting technical presentations and seminars
• Performing technical document reviews
• Providing literature related to treatment technologies
• Conducting workshops related to risk
• Providing assistance with redevelopment projects (such as field demonstrations)
• Participating in public meetings
• Assisting the community group develop its capacity to monitor sites, such as determining access to monitoring data
• Providing information about health and environmental risk of applicable contaminants

The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC provides assistance through the: (1) development of print-based materials (creation of handbooks or compilation and review of literature); (2) face-to-face meetings, seminars, and workshops; and (3) use of technologies such as the Internet, including the development of Web sites, Internet-based instruction, or electronic newsletters. Each of these methods is used as appropriate to help communities better understand technical issues and make informed choices.

The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC provides assistance related to scientific and engineering issues, policy, and human and ecological health on an as-needed basis. The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC also provides assistance to communities that must deal with all types of contaminated sites. In addition, the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC provides information and assistance to other HSRCs that may be dealing with issues concerning mining wastes and acid mine drainage upon request by the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC.

Status of TOSC Sites

Pueblo, Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC TOSC Program has been active at this site since August 2002. We have spent time in the community, meeting with the various stakeholders and evaluating the technical issues associated with this site, and currently we are developing fact sheets.

The Pueblo Community is concerned about air quality, site cleanup, and CO, NOx, PM10, SO2, VOCs, Pb.

The TOSC Program has created a mail list (Pueblo-Gov) to open and maintain the lines of communication among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Hazardous Waste Program and Environmental Justice Program), the Colorado State Government (Air Quality Planning and Standards and Pueblo County Government), and the Rocky Mountain Regional HSRC. The TOSC Program also has made contact with the following community stakeholders:

• Margaret Barber-Citizens for Clean Air Pueblo
• Jennifer Beasley-The American Lung Association
• John Garcia and Charlie Skidmore-United Transportation Union
• Ray Mohr-Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Public Involvement
• Ross Vincent-Sierra Club (Better Pueblo Group)
• Larry Howe-Kerr-Diocese of Pueblo (Better Pueblo Group)
• Joe Ellis-Salt Creek Community
• Mark Huffington-Rocky Mountain Steel Mill
• Sam Geonetta-Fire Captain (Station 4-Bessemer/Pueblo)
• Sister Nancy Giarratano and Glen Gomez-Bessemer Elementary
• Hermelinda Vigal-Historic Southside Catholic Community
• Ron Petkosek-Zoelsmanns Bakery and Deli (Bessemer)
• Claudia-Latino Chamber of Commerce (Pueblo)
• Carla Houghton-Mauro Farms (Mesa/Vineland)
• Various members of in Salt Creek Community.

Ten to15 Fact Sheets also are being prepared, including:

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action
• State Consent Decree
• EPA Consent Decree (once finalized)
• Title V Air Permits-C, F, and I Steel (aka Oregon Steel) currently has five Title V permits
• How to read the air monitoring data on the Web
• Community Health Survey.

We plan to maintain communication with all of the stakeholders by distributing fact sheets, continuing to evaluate the technical issues, and providing information transfer.

Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Montana. The TOSC Program has been in contact with Joan Mitchell of Rocky Boy's Environmental Programs. We have no pending requests for assistance from the TOSC Program at this time.

Rocky Boy Indian Reservation has a history of water quality, Superfund cleanup, underground storage tank (UST), redevelopment, illegal dumping, and pollution prevention issues.

The TOSC Program has assisted Rocky Boy Environmental Program with courses covering groundwater, USTs, and groundwater monitoring.

The TOSC will provide educational outreach as needed in the form of courses and workshops.

Blackhills Army Depot, South Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working on this site for many years and expects to be working there another 10 years, given budget cuts and the slowing of the cleanup. The community has not been very active during the last 2 years. There are a number of environmental cleanup issues at this site.

The Black Hills Army Depot was used for manufacturing, storing, and destroying weaponry. The areas of concern include chromium-contaminated soil, groundwater issues, and contaminant transfer.

We have spoken with Jill Solberg and Linda Wagner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Joanne Lineburg of the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. We also have spoken with Blase Leven and Michael Lambert of Kansas State University, and we have spoken with Jeff Mashburn of the EPA. We have been in the process of obtaining background information, including the history of the site.

Future Activities:

Future activities revolve primarily around communicating with family members. Currently, we are waiting for a meeting with the project officers to determine future cleanup plans and schedules.

Supplemental Keywords:

acid mine drainage, mine waste, risk assessment, technology transfer, training, outreach, industry sectors, contaminated sediments, ecological risk assessment, ecology and ecosystems, environmental engineering, geology, hazardous waste, mining, remediation, selenium, acid mine drainage, acid mine runoff, aquatic ecosystems, arsenic, contaminant transport, contaminated marine sediment, contaminated waste sites, field monitoring, heavy metals, metal contamination, mining, mining impacted watershed, mining wastes, natural organic matter, NOM, redox, remediation technologies, runoff, sediment transport, stream ecosystems, suspended sediment, technical outreach, technology transfer, training and outreach., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Industry Sectors, Waste, Water, Hazardous, Remediation, Ecological Risk Assessment, Contaminated Sediments, Hazardous Waste, Geology, Mining - NAIC 21, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Engineering, contaminant transport, stream ecosystems, heavy metals, mining, acid mine drainage, mining impacted watershed, treatment, suspended sediment, metal contamination, natural organic matter, mining wastes, risk assessment, redox, Selenium, contaminated marine sediment, remediation technologies, acid mine runoff, training and outreach, arsenic, sediment transport, groundwater, field monitoring, technical outreach, aquatic ecosystems, contaminated waste sites, runoff

Relevant Websites:

http://www.toscprogram.org/tosc-overview.html Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Final

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R829515    Center for Comprehensive, optimaL, and Effective Abatement of Nutrients

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R829515C001 Redox Transformations, Complexation and Soil/Sediment Interactions of Inorganic Forms of As and Se in Aquatic Environments: Effects of Natural Organic Matter
R829515C002 Fate and Transport of Metals and Sediment in Surface Water
R829515C003 Metal Removal Capabilities of Passive Bioreactor Systems: Effects of Organic Matter and Microbial Population Dynamics
R829515C004 Evaluating Recovery of Stream Ecosystems from Mining Pollution: Integrating Biochemical, Population, Community and Ecosystem Indicators
R829515C005 Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center Training and Technology Transfer Program
R829515C006 Technical Outreach Services for Communities and Technical Assistance to Brownfields
R829515C007 Evaluation of Hydrologic Models for Alternative Covers at Mine Waste Sites
R829515C008 Microbial Reduction of Uranium in Mine Leachate by Fermentative and Iron-Reducing Bacteria
R829515C009 Development and Characterization of Microbial Inocula for High-Performance Passive Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage
R829515C010 Reactive Transport Modeling of Metal Removal From Anaerobic Biozones
R829515C011 Assessment of Electrokinetic Injection of Amendments for Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage
R829515C012 Metal Toxicity Thresholds for Important Reclamation Plant Species of the Rocky Mountains
R829515C013 An Improved Method for Establishing Water Quality Criteria for Mining Impacted Streams