RPM 301 is an intermediate- to advanced-level training course that expands on the Remedial Process and RPM 201 courses. The course is offered as part of the ongoing effort to prepare Remedial Project Managers (RPM) for the challenges they will encounter while managing their Superfund sites. RPM 301 provides detailed information on EPA’s smart scoping best practices, strategic sampling approaches, and data management best practices in a set of stand-alone modules, some of which are mandatory and some of which the Region can select. Each module will be one-half day long and will include one or more exercises that provide the participants the opportunity to apply the concepts covered in the module. By completing RPM 301, participants will be better able to:

• Apply smart scoping best practices more effectively
• Recognize and use strategic sampling approaches
• Manage data efficiently and generate data that provide a solid basis for decision-making

RPM 301 is a 2.5 to 3 day in-class training and is recommended for RPMs with at least five years of experience and who are leading the activities at Superfund sites. RPM 301 may also benefit other technical project team members from EPA, the State and Tribe. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES. The Remedial Process and RPM 201 courses are prerequisites for attendees to participate in RPM 301.
 

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 the site assessment process. 

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.

This series is not open to Academia, consultants, contractors or other private entities. 

NOTE: All EPA staff travel required to attend this "In-Person" course is being closely monitored/scrutinized for mandatory EPA 5170-related cost compliance tracking with the Region POC for this course.  Therefore, if you plan to submit a travel authorization to attend, please discuss beforehand with the designated Region POC and/or email ertp-h&s@epa.gov.  Generally, this travel cost monitoring requirement is not applicable to non-U.S. EPA staff or partner agencies & staff when the partner agency is responsible for travel expenses related to their employee travel.

This course provides the basic information needed to meet the annual refresher requirements in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) for workers at hazardous waste sites who have already completed their initial 40-hour or 24-hour HAZWOPER training. Specifically, this course provides the refresher training for workers who perform hazardous waste site operations that are subject to the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 (a) through (p).

After completing this refresher course, participants will be able to:

• Identify methods and procedures for recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazardous substances.
• Identify concepts, principles, and guidelines to properly protect site or response personnel.
• Discuss regulations and action levels to ensure health and safety of the workers.
• Discuss fundamentals needed to develop organizational structure and standard operating procedures.
• Comprehend respiratory program requirements and the selection and use of respiratory protection equipment and chemically protective clothing. Combined these are known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

29 CFR 1910.120 Select Regulation Descriptions:

1910.120(e)(3)(i)  40-Hour course for General Site Worker

General site workers (such as equipment operators, general laborers and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(ii)  24-Hour course for occasional site workers

Workers on site only occasionally for a specific limited task (such as, but not limited to, ground water monitoring, land surveying, or geophysical surveying) and who are unlikely to be exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(iii) 24-Hour course for regular workers on fully characterized sites

Workers regularly on site who work in areas which have been monitored and fully characterized indicating that exposures are under permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits where respirators are not necessary, and the characterization indicates that there are no health hazards or the possibility of an emergency developing, shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

To view the complete regulation, please visit:

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.120

Unless otherwise specified, THIS COURSE, AND OTHER ERTP COURSES, IS NOT OPEN TO CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.
*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

IMPORTANT NOTICES – Applicable to all ERTP courses :

1. ERTP’s receipt of a Trainex course registration is a Registration Request, it is not a Guaranteed Enrollment in the Course. All ERTP training courses require applicant registration thru the Trainex system. Last minute course arrivals without prior ERTP Trainex course registration approval is not permitted. Before ERTP issues final approval to deliver any course and/or any EPA offices incurring expenses for the training event (including but not limited to EPA staff travel TA’s and/or ERTP training contractor expenses incurred), all EPA mandatory pre-approvals must all be met. The pre-approvals include (but are not limited to) the following:
   
   • Training location’s availability;
   • COVID status and/or other COVID Guidelines in effect for the location, as well as staff;
   • Agency limitations, scrutiny, and approvals of ‘Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”)’ for the specific training course(s) scheduled delivery timeframe;
   • Weather (blizzard, hurricane, etc);
   • Contractual number of available course training slots;
   • EPA training location staff having priority registration over all other registrations; and/or
   • Hosting site Training Coordinator approval.
   
   In the event a course is subsequently postponed or canceled, or notification of registration cancellation is received, all EPA travel arrangements (airline/car rental/hotel) should be canceled in a timely manner. Registered students will receive a notification via email if/when a course is postponed and/or cancelled.
    
2. For in-person course deliveries, confirmed course registered participants must abide by all facility physical access requirements for the location (examples: check-in at the security gate, Federal ID, Government PIV/CAC cards, photo id’s, etc.). If applicable for the course or location, restrictions may apply to non-citizens and acceptable identification may be required for facility entry.

NOTE: All EPA staff travel required to attend this "In-Person" course is being closely monitored/scrutinized for mandatory EPA 5170-related cost compliance tracking with the Region POC for this course.  Therefore, if you plan to submit a travel authorization to attend, please discuss beforehand with the designated Region POC and/or email ertp-h&s@epa.gov.  Generally, this travel cost monitoring requirement is not applicable to non-U.S. EPA staff or partner agencies & staff when the partner agency is responsible for travel expenses related to their employee travel.

This course provides the basic information needed to meet the annual refresher requirements in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) for workers at hazardous waste sites who have already completed their initial 40-hour or 24-hour HAZWOPER training. Specifically, this course provides the refresher training for workers who perform hazardous waste site operations that are subject to the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 (a) through (p).

After completing this refresher course, participants will be able to:

• Identify methods and procedures for recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazardous substances.
• Identify concepts, principles, and guidelines to properly protect site or response personnel.
• Discuss regulations and action levels to ensure health and safety of the workers.
• Discuss fundamentals needed to develop organizational structure and standard operating procedures.
• Comprehend respiratory program requirements and the selection and use of respiratory protection equipment and chemically protective clothing. Combined these are known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

29 CFR 1910.120 Select Regulation Descriptions:

1910.120(e)(3)(i)  40-Hour course for General Site Worker

General site workers (such as equipment operators, general laborers and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(ii)  24-Hour course for occasional site workers

Workers on site only occasionally for a specific limited task (such as, but not limited to, ground water monitoring, land surveying, or geophysical surveying) and who are unlikely to be exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(iii) 24-Hour course for regular workers on fully characterized sites

Workers regularly on site who work in areas which have been monitored and fully characterized indicating that exposures are under permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits where respirators are not necessary, and the characterization indicates that there are no health hazards or the possibility of an emergency developing, shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

To view the complete regulation, please visit:

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.120

Unless otherwise specified, THIS COURSE, AND OTHER ERTP COURSES, IS NOT OPEN TO CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.
*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

IMPORTANT NOTICES – Applicable to all ERTP courses :

1. ERTP’s receipt of a Trainex course registration is a Registration Request, it is not a Guaranteed Enrollment in the Course. All ERTP training courses require applicant registration thru the Trainex system. Last minute course arrivals without prior ERTP Trainex course registration approval is not permitted. Before ERTP issues final approval to deliver any course and/or any EPA offices incurring expenses for the training event (including but not limited to EPA staff travel TA’s and/or ERTP training contractor expenses incurred), all EPA mandatory pre-approvals must all be met. The pre-approvals include (but are not limited to) the following:
   
   • Training location’s availability;
   • COVID status and/or other COVID Guidelines in effect for the location, as well as staff;
   • Agency limitations, scrutiny, and approvals of ‘Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”)’ for the specific training course(s) scheduled delivery timeframe;
   • Weather (blizzard, hurricane, etc);
   • Contractual number of available course training slots;
   • EPA training location staff having priority registration over all other registrations; and/or
   • Hosting site Training Coordinator approval.
   
   In the event a course is subsequently postponed or canceled, or notification of registration cancellation is received, all EPA travel arrangements (airline/car rental/hotel) should be canceled in a timely manner. Registered students will receive a notification via email if/when a course is postponed and/or cancelled.
    
2. For in-person course deliveries, confirmed course registered participants must abide by all facility physical access requirements for the location (examples: check-in at the security gate, Federal ID, Government PIV/CAC cards, photo id’s, etc.). If applicable for the course or location, restrictions may apply to non-citizens and acceptable identification may be required for facility entry.

Legal Issues for RPMs and OSCs is a full-day training course designed to instruct RPMs and on entry to private property to implement Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response actions and on efficiently managing site records. Issues to be covered include (1) sources and limitations on entry authority under the U.S. Constitution (due process, takings and free speech), CERCLA and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP); (2) preparing to seek consent to enter from property owners; (3) tools used to document consent; (4) defining what constitutes a record; and (5) tips for managing email. An RPM or OSC’s failure to address the legal issues surrounding entry to private property and to maintain site records may lead to significant adverse consequences for the government and, in certain instances, the RPM or OSC. These consequences may include loss of opportunities for cost recovery, claims against the government, and personal lawsuits against the RPM or OSC. The information presented in this course instructs RPMs or OSCs on the proper procedures for obtaining access under a wide range of circumstances and the importance of keeping site records organized and up-to-date. By taking the course, participants:

• Learn the role of the U.S. Constitution, CERCLA, the NCP, delegation, guidance and site-specific documents in obtaining access to private property to conduct work under CERCLA.
• Understand the process for obtaining and documenting access to private property under a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, when an owner is uncooperative.
• Understand the role of the EPA counsel in assisting the RPM and OSC in efforts to lawfully obtain access to private property.
• Learn the importance of managing site records, including email, to support successful cost recovery actions.

Registration for this training is open to U.S. EPA employees ONLY. 

NOTE: All EPA staff travel required to attend this "In-Person" course is being closely monitored/scrutinized for mandatory EPA 5170-related cost compliance tracking with the Region POC for this course.  Therefore, if you plan to submit a travel authorization to attend, please discuss beforehand with the designated Region POC and/or email ertp-h&s@epa.gov.  Generally, this travel cost monitoring requirement is not applicable to non-U.S. EPA staff or partner agencies & staff when the partner agency is responsible for travel expenses related to their employee travel.

This course provides the basic information needed to meet the annual refresher requirements in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) for workers at hazardous waste sites who have already completed their initial 40-hour or 24-hour HAZWOPER training. Specifically, this course provides the refresher training for workers who perform hazardous waste site operations that are subject to the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.120 (a) through (p).

After completing this refresher course, participants will be able to:

• Identify methods and procedures for recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazardous substances.
• Identify concepts, principles, and guidelines to properly protect site or response personnel.
• Discuss regulations and action levels to ensure health and safety of the workers.
• Discuss fundamentals needed to develop organizational structure and standard operating procedures.
• Comprehend respiratory program requirements and the selection and use of respiratory protection equipment and chemically protective clothing. Combined these are known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

29 CFR 1910.120 Select Regulation Descriptions:

1910.120(e)(3)(i)  40-Hour course for General Site Worker

General site workers (such as equipment operators, general laborers and supervisory personnel) engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards shall receive a minimum of 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(ii)  24-Hour course for occasional site workers

Workers on site only occasionally for a specific limited task (such as, but not limited to, ground water monitoring, land surveying, or geophysical surveying) and who are unlikely to be exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

1910.120(e)(3)(iii) 24-Hour course for regular workers on fully characterized sites

Workers regularly on site who work in areas which have been monitored and fully characterized indicating that exposures are under permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits where respirators are not necessary, and the characterization indicates that there are no health hazards or the possibility of an emergency developing, shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of instruction off the site, and the minimum of one day actual field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor.

To view the complete regulation, please visit:

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.120

Unless otherwise specified, THIS COURSE, AND OTHER ERTP COURSES, IS NOT OPEN TO CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.
*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

IMPORTANT NOTICES – Applicable to all ERTP courses :

1. ERTP’s receipt of a Trainex course registration is a Registration Request, it is not a Guaranteed Enrollment in the Course. All ERTP training courses require applicant registration thru the Trainex system. Last minute course arrivals without prior ERTP Trainex course registration approval is not permitted. Before ERTP issues final approval to deliver any course and/or any EPA offices incurring expenses for the training event (including but not limited to EPA staff travel TA’s and/or ERTP training contractor expenses incurred), all EPA mandatory pre-approvals must all be met. The pre-approvals include (but are not limited to) the following:
   
   • Training location’s availability;
   • COVID status and/or other COVID Guidelines in effect for the location, as well as staff;
   • Agency limitations, scrutiny, and approvals of ‘Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”)’ for the specific training course(s) scheduled delivery timeframe;
   • Weather (blizzard, hurricane, etc);
   • Contractual number of available course training slots;
   • EPA training location staff having priority registration over all other registrations; and/or
   • Hosting site Training Coordinator approval.
   
   In the event a course is subsequently postponed or canceled, or notification of registration cancellation is received, all EPA travel arrangements (airline/car rental/hotel) should be canceled in a timely manner. Registered students will receive a notification via email if/when a course is postponed and/or cancelled.
    
2. For in-person course deliveries, confirmed course registered participants must abide by all facility physical access requirements for the location (examples: check-in at the security gate, Federal ID, Government PIV/CAC cards, photo id’s, etc.). If applicable for the course or location, restrictions may apply to non-citizens and acceptable identification may be required for facility entry.

Knowing and Using the National Contingency Plan is designed to help OSCs understand their authorities under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) during removal actions. The course covers the important authorities and responsibilities of the OSC through (1) a thorough discussion of the response framework established in the NCP and (2) case studies and interactive discussions on special topics. This particular course will also focus on legal duties and responsibilities under the Oil Pollution Act and Stafford Act. Special topics include Access Issues, Interagency Agreements, ARARs, the Administrative Record, POLREPs, and Trustee Consultations. The presentations identify and examine issues often faced by OSCs in the conduct of their everyday work. The course will conclude with an opportunity for OSCs to discuss site-specific issues within the framework of the NCP.

This course is recommended for newer OSCs and for experienced OSCs as a refresher, and is open to EPA staff only.
 

The Groundwater High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) training course focuses on groundwater characterization and discusses (1) the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity on the investigation and cleanup of groundwater and related media, (2) the need for scale-appropriate measurements and adequate data density, and (3) the tools and strategies that are available to overcome the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity. The course addresses the following technical content:

• Defining and explaining the need for and benefits of HRSC
• Understanding the sources and attributes of subsurface heterogeneity and their impact on hydrogeology, contaminant fate and transport, and source and plume relationships
• Defining and using scale-appropriate measurements, adequate data density and collaborative data sets
• Explaining the application of HRSC to the characterization of integrated media, including groundwater, soil, soil vapor, surface water, sediments and bedrock
• Evaluating potentially applicable tools for subsurface investigations of shallow unconsolidated environments, deep unconsolidated environments, fractured and porous media, and the groundwater and surface water interface
• Developing effective HRSC implementation and investigation strategies
• Managing and visualizing HRSC data for decision making
• Applying HRSC to remedy design, implementation and optimization

After taking this course, participants will be armed with information that will allow them to improve their subsurface investigation approaches and develop more realistic and comprehensive conceptual site models (CSM). CSMs developed based on HRSC strategies and tools will decrease site uncertainty, improve the remedy selection process for groundwater remedies, and better enable the evaluation, design, and implementation of targeted in situ and ex situ groundwater remedies.

The Groundwater HRSC course is an advanced 3-day course. The recommended audience includes EPA, federal, state, and tribal technical project managers, practitioners and other stakeholders involved in groundwater investigation and remediation.THE COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.

Please note pre-work is required for this course. Attendees will be required to listen to recordings of a two-part webinar series that will cover introductory materials including an introduction to HRSC and hydrogeology and the impacts of subsurface heterogeneity. Each webinar recording is 2.5 hours long and is presented by the same instructors involved in the classroom portion of the training. Please remember if you plan to attend a classroom version of the course, you must provide documentation that you listened to both recordings. After listening to the recordings and completing the evaluation form, you will receive a certificate of completion. Please email a copy of both certificates to Jodi McCarty, ICF at jodi.mccarty@icf.com prior to the classroom delivery you are registered for.

The recordings of the introductory modules can be found here: Module 1 - https://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/HRSC_021422/ and Module 2 - https://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/HRSC_021722/. Remember this is a two-part series so you must listen to both sessions prior to the classroom delivery. 

If you have any questions regarding the webinars, please feel free to contact Jodi McCarty, ICF at jodi.mccarty@icf.com.
 

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

Introduction to Remedial Action (RA) Management when using EPA Contracts is an intermediate level project management course that provides a comprehensive examination of the technical, contracting, and regulatory requirements that the Superfund Remedial Program and EPA contracting offices must address as they plan for and oversee the execution on remedial action projects at Superfund sites under EPA contracts. This course discusses how planning for and using project management principles during RD/RA planning, RD execution, RA solicitation, and RA implement will help the project team manage change with a focus on controlling scope, schedule, and budget.

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

• Gain an understanding of why RA management requirements have changed for work executed under EPA contracts. This course explains how direct management of remedial design and remedial action project requires the Agency to fundamentally restructuring the way the Superfund program manages these projects.
• Understand that effective RA management starts early in the design phase. Controlling and understanding the scope of the RD and the content of the plans and specifications has a direct impact on how a RA project will be executed and the effort it will take to oversee RA activities.
• Understand that successful RA management requires proactive planning and project management throughout the process. The RPM must assemble an team to support RD and RA implementation. This team can include Superfund and contracting staff and managers, as well external resources, such as EPA Headquarters, other Federal Agencies, States/Tribes, or contractors. The RPM is the leader of this team and must establish a culture of collaboration and teamwork through clear roles and responsibilities and established communication protocols.
• Understand the importance of change management. In Superfund RD and RA projects, changes will occur that impact scope, schedule, and budget. Have a process and tools to identify, track, and manage change. A lack of process or timely identification and management of change in RD and RA can lead to costly and timely issue resolution.
• Apply the knowledge gained 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 and contracting officers preparing for and managing RA projects.

This course is a 3-day course and is designed for EPA project teams (Superfund and contracting staff and managers) who will be initiating an RD/RA project under EPA contracts in the next 12 months or EPA project teams that are in the process of implementing an RD and planning for an RA under EPA contracts. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATES, TRIBES, ACADEMIA, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.

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