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EPA’s Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan Briefing for Region II and Rutgers Meeting December 11,

EPA’s Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan Briefing for Region II and Rutgers Meeting December 11, 2002. Briefing Outline. Water Security activities currently underway Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan (Action Plan)

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EPA’s Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan Briefing for Region II and Rutgers Meeting December 11,

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  1. EPA’s Water Security Research and Technical Support Action PlanBriefing for Region II and Rutgers MeetingDecember 11, 2002

  2. Briefing Outline • Water Security activities currently underway • Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan (Action Plan) • Covers both drinking water and wastewater • Focus of this briefing is on drinking water since more activity in this area to date • Drivers for research under the Action Plan • Schedule for Action Plan development and implementation

  3. Sources of Potential Attacks • Biological, chemical or radiological contamination of water supplies • Chemical contamination of wastewater treatment systems • Disruption of supply of pressurized water • Physical destruction or damage • Cyber attack on computerized operations • Interruption of interdependent activities such as transportation or electricity

  4. EPA’s Water Protection Task Force • Developed a State-of-Knowledge (SoK) report for the Office of Homeland Security (drinking water only) • Describes the state of knowledge on threats of intentional contamination from biological, chemical and radiological agents • Prepared in partnership with other Federal organizations • Information supports utility vulnerability assessments and emergency response • Recommendations for research included in the Action Plan • List of research needs identified by WPTF attached

  5. EPA’s Water Protection Task ForceResearch Needs • Assessment, Characterization and Detection • Prevention and Protection • Response and Mitigation

  6. Financial Support at the EPA Level • OW has provided ORD with FY 2002 funds to: • Verify detection and treatment (including point-of-use and point-of-entry) technologies • Develop concentration techniques for biological contaminants • Analyze flow of contaminants in distribution systems • Establish a Center to test and evaluate emerging drinking water technologies • Provide graphical and editorial support for Action Plan preparation

  7. Technical Support at the EPA Level • OW and ORD are: • Refining the list of drinking water priority agents • Developing a database of priority agent characteristics • Drafting a Sampling and Analysis Protocol for “unknown contaminants” • Exploring the creation of a laboratory response network • Expanding ETV capabilities for sensor verification

  8. Technical Support at the Federal Level • Working with OSTP on water infrastructure research needs • Engaging with other Federal Organizations through MOUs and IAGs • Coordinating with NRC for a Peer Review of the Action Plan • Approaching the investigative and intelligence agencies (FBI and CIA)

  9. Action Plan Background • Driven by the EPA’s Strategic Plan for Homeland Security and the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 • Builds on research needs identified by EPA’s Water Protection Task Force • Provides for sequential and parallel activities around five themes to achieve water security goals • Supports Office of Water and Regional Offices needs related to water security • Guides reallocation of resources and any requests for new resources

  10. Strategic Plan for Homeland Security • Detection of Contaminants • Containment of Contaminants • Decontamination of Contaminated Drinking Water • Scientific and Technical Support • Risk Communication

  11. Bioterrorism Act of 2002 • Contaminant Prevention, Detection, and Response (Section 1434) • monitoring and detection devices • early alert and warning systems • educational and awareness programs • contaminant flow prevention • mitigation and treatment techniques • short and long term biomedical research

  12. Bioterrorism Act of 2002 (con’t) • Supply Disruption Prevention, Detection, and Response (Section 1435) • destruction of pipes and conveyances • destruction of drinking water treatment systems, including the distribution system • creation of intentional cross connections • protection of the drinking water treatment system • disruption of data acquisition and cyber systems • provision of alternative water sources

  13. Action Plan Themes • Infrastructure protection (including cyber) • Contamination • Contaminant identification • Monitoring and detection • Containment and treatment • Decontamination and disposal • Technical support • Risk information and technology transfer

  14. Water Security Research Planning • Current Efforts • This is a collaboration effort between the WPTF (OW) and the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) (ORD). • An outline for the Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan has been developed. • A meeting between various Federal agencies, EPA offices and some utility representatives took place in Cincinnati on November 20 -21, 2002.

  15. Water Security Research Planning (con’t) • The main goals of the meeting were to assess the completeness of the outline, seek input from participants, and identify partnerships that will support the research effort. • Next Steps • Straw Research Action Plan -- January 2003 • Stakeholder meeting February 2003 • Implement high priority research while finalizing the Research Plan • Some high priority projects have already been started with FY02 funds.

  16. Attachment Research Needs Identified by Water Protection Task Force

  17. EPA’s Water Protection Task ForceResearch Needs • Assessment, Characterization and Detection: • Identify priority agents* and surrogates • Develop and improve screening and laboratory methods * • Expand ETV to validate sensors and/or biomonitoring technologies * • Perform a more complete and rigorous assessment of the range of threats * Work underway with OW Support

  18. EPA’s Water Protection Task ForceResearch Needs (con’t) • Prevention and Protection: • Develop low cost strategies for “hardening” systems • Characterize drinking water and wastewater treatment processes for agent removal • Evaluate disinfection efficacy for biological inactivation • Identify relevant security practices from the military, foreign governments, power and nuclear industries • Characterize the byproducts that result from contaminant reactions with disinfectants and other treatment chemicals

  19. EPA’s Water Protection Task ForceResearch Needs (con’t) • Response and Mitigation: • Develop and validate field portable monitoring technologies • Establish an environmental laboratory response network * • Develop a health surveillance / environmental monitoring network • Evaluate drinking water point-of-use and point-of-entry technologies * • Develop procedures for decontaminating and disposing of contaminated water * Work underway with OW Support

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