Environmental Clean Up and Recovery

1. Environmental Clean Up and Recovery Doug Ferguson 913-551-7221 EPA On-Scene Coordinator 5th Annual Biopreparedness Symposia Series Norfolk 2007

2. EPA’s Goal • Protect Human Health • Protect the Environment

3. I X II VIII V III VII IX IV VI Alaska Oceania Caribbean EPA Regions

4. EPA Organizational Chart

6. Authority CERCLA - Hazardous Substances, Pollutants, or Contaminants Includes, but not limited to…substances that may cause death, disease, cancer, abnormalities…….. Release includes threat of or abandonment Authority to spend $250k Superfund Division Resources • 22 On-Scene Coordinators • 24-Hour Spill Line (913.281.0991) • Cache of equipment • Reachback capability to other 9 regions and national assests

7. Removal Actions Omaha Lead 3-D Investments, Alda

8. Emergency Responses Tire Fire, Nebraska City Abandoned Drums, Omaha

9. National Issues Columbia Shuttle Recovery Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Capitol Hill Anthrax

10. Background • Capitol Hill Anthrax response was unique in terms of size, complexity, and nature of contamination • Marked the first large scale bioterrorism incident in the Nation • First time EPA faced biological weapon contamination • Experience and available assessment and decontamination technologies were seriously limited

11. Challenge • Sampling • Sampling efficiency • Detection limits • Unlike extensive EPA chemical sampling and analysis experience • Little was known about the efficiency of media collection for bacillus anthracis(Ba)spores • Personnel accustomed to detection limits: not directly translatable to biological assessment • Outcome: • Sampled virtually every horizontal surface in every room • Affected clean-up levels

13. Gel Set-up Dry Filter Unit Set-up Wipe Sampling

14. Swab Sampling HEPA Sampling

15. Challenge • Decontamination:Personnel Decon • No recognized/registered decon-agent and procedure available decon • lack of knowledge forced probable excessive PPE SOP • developed, w/close FIFRA cooperation effective agent and procedure for decon lines • Outcome:decon-agent serviceable: however, decon-agent and procedure problematic to implement

17. Challenge • Decontamination: Facility Decon • Surface Application, for secondary and lower depositional areas • Decon agent and SOP for decon of an operational civilian structure non-existent • Developed, w/close FIFRA cooperation, effective agent and application procedure for surface application • Evaluated several different agents • Liquid ClO2 –“Envirofoam” –Bleach mixture • Outcome: Success.Application simple on hard surfaces, but requires disposal of “fuzzy” surface items. • Some decon-agents problematic • Some lower depositional areas so lightly contaminated the act of sampling decontaminates

18. Negative Pressure Set-up

20. Steam line

23. Fumigation Process Sabre Tech Services

24. Challenge • Clearance: How Clean is Safe? • No safe level of Bacillus anthracis certain • Uncertain level of confidence regarding assessment techniques • collection efficiency • detection levels • analytical uncertainties • Clean-Up level set at “zero detectable, viable Ba spores”

25. Level A Trained and equipped Equipment National Equipment Tracking System Specialized CBR equipment Special Teams Coordination and Cross Training Emergency Response Teams Regional EPA National Homeland Security Research Center National Decontamination Team (NDT) • Training • WMD Decontamination Course • OSC Readiness - specialized Bio and Rad courses in 2006 • Avian/Pandemic Flu Train-the-Trainer Course • Responses, Predeployments and Exercises • Hurricane Katrina • New York City Anthrax- April 2006 • Region 5 Ohio Polymer incident • Superbowl XL • Exercises in Regions 1, 6, 9, 10

26. National Decontamination Team Summary • Team of 19 full-time employees • Established two years ago • Attempting to bridge gap between research and end users • Ensuring decon technologies can be implemented and able to achieve desired clean up goals • Actively involved in Interagency coordination on decon issues • Providing training and exercises on decon technologies and methods

27. Overview of National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/index.htm

28. Public Health Surveillance Systems (RODS, ESSENCE, Biosense)

29. Disposal of Contaminated Materials • Studies of thermal destruction of contaminant agents • Safe landfilling of decon waste assessments • Investigation of migration of bioagents from landfills • Web-based disposal decision support tool • Technical resource manual for the protection of decon personnel • Disposal workshops

30. EPA’s Role During an Ag Event • Animal infectious disease—USDA has jurisdiction • Assist with carcass disposal • Assist with decontamination efforts • Negotiate the use of decontamination agents

31. EPA Cleanup and Recovery Overview • Easy access (913.281.0991) • Perceived responsibility is cleanup • Identification capability

32. QUESTIONS? • Doug Ferguson 913-551-7221 • Ferguson.doug@epa.gov • 24 Hr Emergency Line 913-281-0991 http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/index.htm