>>WELCOME TO TRACK 1
FES SYMPOSIUM
JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON IS
Ms. RODRIGUEZ, ALSO AN
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER FROM
NASA'S GORDARD SPACE FLIGHT
CENTER WHERE SHE MANAGED THERE
HASSARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE HAVE EMERGING CHEMICALS
AND THEY WERE SEPARATE BUT HAVE
MERGED.
WE HAVE PRESENTERS TODAY
REPRESENTING THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE, DEPARTMENT ENERGY,
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
IT SHOULD BE A GREAT GOVERNMENT
ON CHEMICALS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT MANAGES AND DO YOU
HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?
>> NO, JUST THANK YOU FOR THE
INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME TO THIS
INTERESTING AND ENJOY THE
PRESENTATION.
OUR NEXT PRESENTER IS ANTONY
WILLIAMS WHO JOINED THE CENTER
FOR COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGY AND
EXPOSURE IN THE OFFICE OF
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT EPA
IN MAY OF 2015.
HE IS A CHEM INFORM PETITION
FOCUSED ON THE DELIVERY OF THE
HAVE'S DATA TO THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY.
HIS INTEREST INCLUDE THE AGO
AGREE SPACE CURATION OF CHEMICAL
DATA, DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS TO
SUPPORT PHYSIO CHEMICAL PROPERTY
PREDICTION ASK SOFTWARE APPROACH
TO SUPPORT NON TARGETED
ANALYSIS.
HE IS OVER TWO DECADES OF
EXPERIENCE IN CHEMO INFORMMATICS
WITH A FOCUS ON INTERNET BASED
PROJECT TO DELIVER FREE ACCESS
TO COMMUNITY BASED CHEMISTRY WEB
SITES AND HE WAS THE FOUNDER OF
CHEM SPIDER WITH OVER 100,000
USERS A DAY AND PRODUCT OWNER
FOR THE EPA COMP TALKS CHEMICAL
FOR SIX YEARS AND LOVE COM TALKS
BY THE WAY SO CHECK THAT OUT IF
YOU HAVEN'T HAD IT YET.
IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THOSE
WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY IT'S
THE TO GO AND TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TALK TO THIS GROUP TODAY.
IF ANY OF YOU HAPPEN TO BE
ATTENDING SOTE SOCIETY OF
TOXICOLOGY IN SAN DIEGO I WILL
BE AT THE BOOTH ALL DAY TOMORROW
GIVING DEMOS OF SOME OF THE
TOOLS I'LL BE SHOWING TODAY.
SO PLEASE, COME ALONG AND VISIT.
THE CHEMICALS DASHBOARD IS ONE
OF OUR PRIMARY TOOLS FOR SHARING
DATA WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THIS
IS WHAT I'LL BE INTRODUCING YOU
TODAY AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR
PROOF OF CONCEPT MODULE THAT'S
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN
PARALLEL WHICH ARE GOING PUBLIC
SHORTLY.
WORE AT 906,000 CHEMICALS TO THE
PUBLIC AND WORKING ON THE NEXT
RELEASE AND IT WILL BE
1.2 MILLION CHEMICALS BY THE
TIME WE RELEASE THE NEXT VERSION
LATER THIS YEAR.
THE CHARGE FOR THE DASHBOARD WAS
TO DEVELOP A FIRST STOP SHOP FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL DATA AND
IT'S NOT THE ONLY POLICE TO COME
BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY RICH
WEB SITES OUT THERE TO GO AND
FIND INFORMATION BUT IT WILL
HELP YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF
AND I WILL MENTION SOME OF OUR
LINKS THAT WE'VE BUILT TO
ASSISTANCE.
AND THE INTENTION WAS TO BUILD A
CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR DATA
AND INSURE WE CAN INTEGRATE
CHEMISTRY EXPOSURE AND ALL IN
ONE EASY TO USE WEBSITE AND IN
ORDER TO USE A PATH TO BOTH
SHARE AND EXISTING DATA SO
EXPERIMENTAL DATA FROM VARIOUS
PLACES ON-LINE DATABASES AND OUR
OWN DATA GENERATED IN-HOUSE AND
PREDICTIVE MODEL BECAUSE YOU
HAVE APPROACH THAT'S CAN BE
TAKEN IN ORDER TO BUILD
PREDICTION AND WE ALSO WANTED
MAKE SURE THIS WAS FULLY
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE, OPEN DATA
SO THAT PEOPLE CAN DOWNLOAD AND
THEY SEE FIT UPDATED REGULARLY
AND CURATED AND WE HAVE A
CURATION TEAMWORKING ON THIS
PROJECT ON ANY GIVEN DAY AND
MAKING EASY ACCESS TO THESE DATA
AVAILABLE NOT ONLY INFORM
OURSELVES INSIDE THE AGENCY BUT
TO THE WORLD AND WHAT WIRE DOING
SIM PROVING THE EFFICIENCY ON A
CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENT.
SO WHILE YOU HAVE A NICE ENTRY
POINT FOR THE SEARCH, WE CAN
GIVE YOU ACCESS TO DATA BIO
ACTIVITY DATA AND I'LL WALK
THROUGH THIS IN DETAIL AND WE
HAVE BUILT IN SEARCHES AND
SIMILARITY SEARCH TO FIND
SIMILAR CHEMICALS AND WE HAVE A
READ ACROSS MODULE.
MANY RISK ASSESSORS USE THAT
APPROACH AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO
ON-LINE TOOLS FOR ACCESSING OVER
30 MILLION ABSTRACTS IN
REAL-TIME TO PULL TOGETHER AND
WE DON'T ALLOW TO YOU DO THAT
FOR ONE AND AND SHOW TO LIST AND
CAST NUMBERS IN NAMES IF YOU
WANTED TO COME TO OUR TUNE AND
HARVEST WHAT DATA WAS AVAILABLE
AND JUST PACE THAT LIST OF CAST
NUMBERS OR NAMES IN THE DATA.
SO LET'S START AT ONE CHEMICAL.
I KNOW WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT
MORE AND I WANT TO SHOW AND TOOL
IS SO IN THIS CASE WHAT WE'VE
GOT AT THE MOMENT IS THE TYPE
AHEAD COACH SO AND A NAME SUCH
AS IT WILL SEARCH THROUGH THE
MILLIONS IDENTIFIERS THAT FOR
THE CHEMICALS TO LOCATE THE
CHEMICAL IN QUESTION AND THE
LARGEST NUMBER OF SIN IS
ANYMORES IS OVER 4200 NAMES AND
WITH YOU IMAGINE WITH 900,000
CHEMICALS HOW MANY NAMES AND
IDENTIFIERS WE HAVE AND THAT'S
THE CHEMICAL AND YOU WOULD
COLLECT THE CHEMICAL OF INTEREST
THAW WANT TO CHOSE AND THEY'LL
TAKE YOU TO THE REST AND YOU CAN
ALSO FIND EVERY CHEMICAL THAT
CONTAINS A PARTICULAR SUB STRAIN
SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A
WORD CHECK THE BOX UNDER THE
SEARCH THERE AND IT WILL FIND
EVERY CHEMICAL FOR YOU.
WHEN YOU FIND THE CHEMICAL OF
INTEREST IN THIS CASE WHAT YOU
SEE IS A REPRESENTATIVE PAGE
WITH ALL THE INFORMATION ON THE
LEFT-HAND SIDE, SHOWING WHAT IS
AVAILABLE.
I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO INTO
EVERY COMPONENT OF THIS, A TRUE
DEMO TAKES TWO HOURS AND THERE'S
SO MUCH INFORMATION WE BUILT IN
BUT VERY QUICKLY WHAT DO WE SEE?
THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE, THIS CAN
BE DOWNLOADED SHOULD YOU USE
TOOLS AND WE DO LINK TO WICK A
BREED AND WWIKIPEDIA AND WE WORKED HARD TO
LINK THE DATA SO WE'VE LINKED IT
UP.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO FIND A
BASIC INTRO 20 THE CHEMICALS AND
WE LINK THE FORMULA TO FIND ALL
CHEMICALS AND AN IS THE ACE AND
THEORY MERGING AND ASSESS AND SO
THIS CAPABILITY IS VERY USEFUL
FOR THE COLLEAGUES AND MASS ET
CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND CLICKING ON THESE INDIVIDUAL
BUTTONS ON THE SIDE WILL TAKE
YOU IN INTO THE DATA SO THIS IS
THE INTRO PAGE.
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND I
REALIZE YOU WON'T SEE THE TEXT
THERE AND I'LL THROW IT IN FOR A
MOMENT AND THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT THE OX SIS TEE OF THE
CHEMICAL AS WELL AS PERSISTENCE
AND BIO A KUM INDICATION SO FOR
THIS CHEMICAL WE KNOW THERE ARE
IRIS VALUES AVAILABLE AND IF YOU
CLICK THIS IT TAKES YOU TO THE
DIRECT AND REGIONAL SCREENING
LIMITS AND WE HAVE DOSES FOR TOX
SIT TEE AND FOR ALL OF THIS
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN A
SUMMARY VIEW TO TELL YOU THAT WE
HAVE CHRONIC TOX DATA AVAILABLE
AND WE HAVE CANCER INFORMATION
AVAILABLE AND ALL OF THESE OUT
LINKS RIGHT HERE GO TO SOURCE
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE
CHEMICAL.
THIS IS THE REVIEW OF THE TOX
SIT TEE DATA AND YOU CAN GO
DATER.
THEY WERE CONCERNED AROUND
PERSISTENCE AND BIO ACCUMULATION
AND VERY HIGH KOWs AND
DEPENDING ON THE REVERENCE AND
SO WE HAVE PHYSICAL CHEMICAL
PROPERTY DATA AVAILABLE AND WE
HAVE EXPERIMENTAL AVERAGE ASKS
WHAT WE DO HAV DON'T HAVE EXPERIMENTAL
DATA IT GIVES YOU THE LIST OF
EXPERIMENTAL VALUES.
THERE ARE EIGHT POINTS LISTED
WITH SOURCE AND PROVIDENCE.
WHERE WE DON'T HAVE DATA WE'LL
GIVE YOU PREDICTIVE DATA GIVES
TOOLS WE HAVE ACCESS TO AND ONE
OF THE TOOLS IS OBJECT RA AND
THIS IS OPEN SOURCE AVAILABLE
AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT AND RUN
IT LOCALLY AND TEST THE TOXICITY
SOFTWARE TOOLS AND WE ALSO
INTEGRATE THINGS LIKE EPI SUITE
AND WHEN YOU SEE DATA LIKE T.
YOU CAN OF COURSE COPY PASTE IT
AND EXPLORE TO THE EXCEL FILES
OR TAB OR SEPARATED FILES.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE TOX SIT
TOXICITY VALUE BASE.
WE HAVE 900,000 THAT HAVE
TOXICITY DATA THAT WE'VE
HARVESTED FROM 30 SOURCES ON
DATA ON-LINE AND WE HAVE 40
SOURCES OF DATA WE'VE PULLED IT
FROM 5,000 JOURNALS HAVE BEEN
CITED AND YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL
VALUES OF COURSE DOWNLOAD THE
DATA AND ANY TABLE CAN BE
EXPORTED THIS WAY AND AND THEY
PULLED OUT AND WHAT WE DO IS WE
HIT THEIR WESTBOUND SERVICES AND
IT'S A DATA INTEGRATION PATH AND
WE HIT THE WESTBOUND SERVICES
POLAR DATA REAL-TIME AND DISPLAY
INSIDE OUR APPLICATIONS AND IT'S
ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF WORKING
WITH THESE SYSTEMS WHERE YOU CAN
PULL THEM TOGETHER SO THIS IS
SHOWING YOU THAT JUST A PART OF
THE GHS CLASSIFICATION FOR
BENZOPYRENE.
WE HAVE BEEN PULLING DATA FROM
SOURCES OF INFORMATION SUCH AS
HOME DEPOT, AND WAL-MART, VERY
MANY PUBLIC SOURCES THAT WE CAN
GET EXPOSURE INFORMATION AND IN
THIS CASE WE'RE ACTUALLY SHOWING
CHEMICAL WEIGHT FRACTIONS FOR
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS OF WHAT WE
HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION COMING
IN AND CURATING AND TO BUILD
THAT ENORMOUS AND IT'S
ACCESSIBLE AND OF COURSE, IT'S A
TABLE OF COURSE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD
IT.
THAT'S A BASIC INTRO TO WHAT IS
POSSIBLE ON ONE OF THE PAHs.
SO YOU FIND AND PFAS?
WHEN YOU SEARCH ON PFAS IT'S TWO
TERMS.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE SOURCE AND
THE ANIN THAT HAS ITS OWN CAST
NUMBER AND IT HAS ITS OWN
INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT
AND THIS IS PFAS THE NEUTRAL AS
SIDE I'M SHOWING YOU THE PFAS
ITSELF.
I CAN CLICK THIS LINK AND FIND
ALL CHEMICALS THAT MATCH THE
FORMULA AND OF THE PFAS AND
THERE MAY BE DOZENS OF THEM IN
FACT WITH CAN SEE HERE ON THE
LEFT-HAND SIDE THE ABILITY TO
DIVE DOWN INTO THE SAME TYPES OF
DATA.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU AND THE
SIMILARITY TOO OTHER CHEMICALS
OF THAT NATURE SO OF COURSE IT
WILL BE DIFFERENT WITH THE ACID
AND YOU START TO PAN OTHER
MOIETIES OF THE SULFONIC ACID
AND WE SEE 127 CHEMICALS BASED
ON SOME CALLED THE TANAMOTO CO
EFFICIENT AND THIS IS A TERM WE
USE FOR LOOKING AT SIMILARITY OF
CHEMICALS AND ALL WOULD YOU DO
IS SCROLL DOWN HERE.
THIS IS ONE VIEW OF THE SIMILAR
CHEMICALS AND IT'S A SET OF
TILES HOWEVER IF YOU SWITCH OVER
HERE TO TOP-RIGHT CORNER IT
TAKES IT BACK INTO A TABLE AND
IT WILL SHOW YOU THE INFORMATION
THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE WHICH YOU
CAN THEN DOWNLOAD OF COURSE INTO
AN EXCEL FILE AND YOU'VE JUST
SEARCHED ON PFAS BY NAME OR BY
CAST NUMBER AND HARVESTED OUT
CHEMICALS AND WE CAN TELL YOU
WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TOX SIT
TEE DATA AVAILABLE AND EXPOSURE
AND MODELS AND ET CETERA AND THE
OTHER THING WE DO WITH A SET OF
CHEMICALS IS SEND THIS ENTIRE
LIST OVER TO THE BACK SEARCH AND
HARVEST EVEN MORE INFORMATION.
AND WE'LL GET TO THAT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE VIEWS THAT IS
GENERALLY VERY POWERFUL AND
SIMILAR COMPOUNDS AND THIS IS
LOOKING SIMILAR BUT THIS IS
RELATED SUBSTANCES NOW AND THIS
IS WHERE PFAS IS A COMPONENT OF
THE EITHER A SALT FORM AND CAN
YOU SEE HERE LITHYUM, AMMONIUM
SO THESE ARE ALL SALT FORMS OF
PFAS IT'S ONE COMPONENT OF A
MULTI-COM POM AN POT ANT SYSTEM AND
THIS IS A TWO-COMPONENT SYSTEM.
THE OTHER THING WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON CAREFULLY IS TO DEAL
WITH COMPLEXITY OF REPRESENTING
CHEMICALS SO DOWN HERE ON THE
RIGHT-HAND SIDE WE HAVE THIS
THING CALLED A MAR KUSH
STRUCTURE.
PFAS IS ONE IN A CLASS OF ACIDS
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A
APPROACHES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY
DEFINED IN THE PAT ANT WORLD AND
FOR REPRESENTING THESE CHEMICALS
SO THIS REPRESENTSTATION IS THEY
CAN END C F-2 GROUPS WHEN WE
DRAW THIS FORM OF THE CHEMICAL,
WE CAN THEN DO THIS PROCESS
CALLED ENUMERATION AND WE
ENUMERATE EVERY FORM OF THE
CHEMICAL UP TO AND HIGH UP TO
100 AND WE MAP IT TO ALL THE
CHEMICALS THAT WE HAVE INSIDE
THE DATABASE.
IT GIVES YOU A APPROACH TO FIND
THE CHEMICALS AND THIS IS
EXAMPLE WE CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE
THE SEARCHED CHEMICAL HERE AND
HERE ARE ALL OF THE CHILDREN AND
IF YOU KROLL YOU FIND EVEN MORE.
WE'VE BEEN TAKING CHEMICALS FOR
YEARS UNDER THE TALKS '21 WORK
THAT'S BEEN GOING ON MULTI
AGENCY THAT THE STUDIES AND TOX
CAST DID OUR OWN EPA WORK AND
THIS IS A GREAT PUBLICATION.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND TOXCAST,
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE BEEN
DOING FOR A DECADE IN AND OUT.
WE'VE BEEN LOOK AT OVER 8,000
CHEMICALS NOW AND AT SOME POINTS
OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUAL POINTS
LOOKING FOR MALL FORMATION OF
THE CELLS, METABOLITE EFFECTS,
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
YOU CAN SEE A SUMMARY THE DATA
RIGHT HERE AND THIS IS FOR IT
AND YOU CAN DIVE DOWN INTO THE
EXACT CONCENTRATION DATA CURVES
THAT WE'VE GENERATED SO YOU ARE
TALKING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DATA
POINTS BEING GENERATED OVER THE
PAST FEW YEARS AND THIS IS A
SUMMARY VIEW OF ALL THE DATA WE
HAVE AND IT'S A TABLE AND YOU
CAN DOWNLOAD IT AND IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN INTERROGATING OUR
BIO ACTIVITY DATA THIS IS THE
BEST WAY WE CAN GIVE YOU TO
ACCESS THOSE DATA IN A SIMPLE
MANNER BUT I DID MENTION, THIS
IS A SUMMARY VIEW YOU CAN'T DIVE
DOWN INTO THE INDIVIDUAL
CONCENTRATION RESPONSE CURVES TO
GO EVEN DEEPER AND SEE HOW WE'VE
MADE SOME OF OUR ACTIVE HIT
CALLS.
THE DATA WAS I HOPE SOME OF YOU
ARE AWARE OF THE SOME OF THE
MODELS COMING OUT THE EPA OVER
MANY YEARS SO THE MODEL FOR
ASTRO GENRE SCEPTER AND THIS IS
THE ONE ON THE TOP RIGHT.
WE HAVE COMPARA AND MANY OF THE
MODELS WE'VE BEEN BUILDING UP
OVER THE YEARS AND TEASE
PREDICTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR
THE THOUSANDS OF CHEMICALS WE'VE
STUDY IN TOXCAST BUT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF CHEMICALS CONTAINED
IN THE DASHBOARD SO WE TAKE
THESE MODELS AND PREDICT WHETHER
OR NOT WE BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE
ASTRO RECEPTORS ACTIVITY AND I
MENTIONED WE HAVE A AN INTEGRATION
TO PUBMED.
IF YOU WANT TO FIND EVERY IRISH
REPORT THAT IS EVER WITHIN BEEN
PUT OUT THERE, WE HAVE THOSE
BUILT DIRECTLY AND ALSO PPRTV.
WE HAVE REPORTS AVAILABLE, WE
LINK THEM DIRECTLY FROM THE
CHEMICAL SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO
HARVEST IT THROUGH GOOGLE, COME
TO THE SYSTEM AND CLICK TO THE
REPORTS OF INTEREST.
WE TAKE AN ADVANTAGE OF THE PUB
MED SYSTEM IS THE INCREDIBLY
CAPABLE WEB SERVICES THEY'VE
BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER AND WE'VE
BUILT AN INTEGRATION THAT
DIRECTLY TO PUBMED THROUGH OUR
APPLICATION AND WE FOCUSED IT ON
OUR PURPOSES AS THE EPA TO TRY
AND FIND INFORMATION OF VALUE SO
FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN COLLECT FROM
THESE TERMS AND IT WILL POPULATE
A QUERY INTO THIS BOX AND YOU
CAN EDIT IT A LITTLE BIT IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO ADJUST IT.
IT TAKES THAT QUERY AND SENDS IT
DIRECTLY TO PUBMED AND PULLS
BACK ARTICLES IN REAL-TIME.
THERE ARE 30 MILLION ABSTRACT
ALREADY AND IT TAKES A COUPLE OF
SECONDS TO DO THAT AND THEY WILL
START DOWNLOADING INTO THE
APPLICATIONS SO THAT YOU CAN
START TO INTEG GAT INTERROGATE THEM.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE BUILT A
VERY INTUITIVE INTERFACE SO THAT
YOU CAN START QUERYING THROUGH
THAT SET OF RESULTS.
IT'S PULLED DOWN 143 ARTICLES
ABOUT -- RIGHT HERE I'VE GOT
THIS SO I TYPED IT IN AND WE'VE
STARTED FILTERING DIRECTLY
THROUGH ALL OF THE ABSTRACT THAT
HAVE BEEN DOWNLOADED INTO THE
BACKGROUND AND IT STARTS TO
BUILD A FREQUENCY COUNT OF THOSE
AND IF YOU FIND AN ARTICLE OF
CENTER WITH A LOT OF MENTIONS OF
ESTROGEN RECEPTORS, THEN THIS IS
DIRECTLY LINKED TO PUBMED SO YOU
CAN LINK OUT DIRECTLY TO THE
PUBMEDDARD CAL AND READ IT.
THERE'S A VERSION OF THIS THAT
RUNS FOR EXCEL SO CAN YOU
DOWNLOAD EXCEL AND POPULATE IT
WITH 100 CHEMICALS AND USE THE
EXCEL VERSION TO HIT PUBMED AND
PULL DATA TO REAL-TIME.
WHAT WE'VE BUILT INTO THE
DASHBOARD SO FAR IS SINGLE
CHEMICAL BUT THE EXCEL WILL GIVE
YOU BATCH CAPABILITIES SO,
PUBMED IS ONE WAY TO SEARCH
INTERNET FOR DATA.
LINKING OUT WITH ZOO
IDENTIFIERS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
HUNDREDS OF NAMES WE MIGHT HAVE
FOR OUR CHEMICALS.
SMILES, THAT'S A CHEMICAL
STRUCTURE REPRESENTATION.
INCHLS IS AN INTERNATIONAL
CHEMICAL IDENTIFIER.
IF WE HAVE A STRUCTURE WE HAVE
AN INCHLS.
WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF THESE
ASSEMBLED ON YOUR BEHALF.
YOU CAN USE THESE TO SEARCH THE
INTERNET VERY QUICKLY.
IT'S NOT YOU GOING TO GOOGLE AND
PASTING, WE HAVE 70 INDIVIDUAL
SITES AND GROWING AND ON A
REGULAR BASIS YOU CAN SIMPLY
COME TO YOUR CHEMICAL OF
INTEREST AND IT COULD BE PFAS
AND ASPIRIN AND WHAT YOU WOULD
DO IS START CLICKING.
THIS TAKES YOU INTO PUBCHEM.
THIS WILL TAKE YOU INTO
CHEMVIEW.
THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO AN
ASSESSMENT FOR THAT CHEMICAL.
MOST OF THESE HYPER LINKS ARE
ACTIVE IF THERE'S INFORMATION
AVAILABLE.
WE'VE LITERALLY THROUGH THE
LINKS PAGE GIVEN YOU ACCESS TO
ALL THIS DATA ACROSS THE
INTERNET WHERE WE'VE PRE MAPPED
THIS INFORMATION FOR YOU TO GIVE
YOU DIRECT SINGLE CLICK, SINGLE
ENTRY POINTS FOR CHEMICALS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, FOR THE, WE'VE
DROPPED FROM 90 WEB SITES
BECAUSE WEB SITES COME AND GO
SADLY BUT HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF
WHEN I GO TO EPA SOCIAL REGISTRY
IT TAKES ME INTO THE CHEM BELL
REPORT WHICH IS OUT OF EUROPEAN
BIO INFORMATICS INSTITUTE AND
THIS IS OECD PORTAL AND YOU ARE
CLICKING AND GOING INTO THESE
SOURCES DIRECTLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON VERY HARD OF LATE, IS
TO BUILDUP LISTS OF CHEMICALS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, CHEMICALS OF
EMERGING CONCERN CEC SCREEN IS
ONE OUR LISTS.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ALL
CHEMICALS FOR HIGH-RISK.
A LIST OF ANTIBIOTICS.
A LIST OF CHEMICALS THAT HAVE
GONE THROUGH TOXCAST, 8,000 PLUS
CHEMICALS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN
FOCUSING ON AS AN AGENCY IS PFAS
SO WE HAVE OUT OF OUR 319 LISTS
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 36 LISTS, I
FILTERED HERE AND YOU CAN SEE
THESE INDIVIDUAL LISTS.
THIS ONE IS 19 CHEMICALS AND
THIS IS THE 537.1 DRINKING WATER
METHOD FOR PFAS.
THIS IS THE LIST OF 430 AND AND
VIALS AND WE HAVE THE INVENTORY
AND WE USED THEM FOR DOING
KINETIC STUDIES AND BIO
ACTIVITIES AND THESE LISTS WILL
BE IN THE FIELD AND IT WASN'T A
SMALL LIST AND WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING HARD AND LIST EXIST AND
MANY OF YOU WILL HAVE HEARD THE
OECD AND MADE AVAILABLE AND IT
WAS CALLED THE THEY NEED AN
EXCEL DOWN SHEET AND WE WORKED
HARD TO MAP AS MANY OF THOSE
CHEMICALS AS POSSIBLE TO
CHEMICAL STRUCTURES AND WE
EXPANDED THEIR LIST AND WE HAVE
EXPANDED THEIR STRUCTURAL AND
THIS AVAILABLE AND IF YOU WANT
TO SLOWED THIS AND ALL YOU CAN
PUSH THIS SEARCH AND AND TO THIS
IS ONLY 4600 CHEMICALS AND SO
SOME OF THESE WILL BE PFAS UBC
AND THAT POLYMER AND THEY STILL
HAVE CAST NUMBERS AND THEY STILL
HAVE OUR SUBSTANCE IDENTIFIERS
HERE SO THESE ARE IN THE LIST
AND WE RETAIN THEM AND?
I WAS HOPING TO ANNOUNCE THIS
WAS AVAILABLE TO YOU.
I FINISHED THE PROVES ON THIS
PAPER ON THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK
AND IT'S ALREADY UP AND
AVAILABLE IT'S JUST THE FINAL
PDF IS NOT RELEASED YET I HOPE
IT WILL BE THERE IN THE NEXT 24
HOURS AND WE WORKED HARD TO GET
IT READY FOR THIS CONFERENCE.
I'LL MENTION BACK SEARCHING FOR
A MOMENT.
SINGLETON SEARCH IS GREAT.
ALL THE INFORMATION YOU CAN FIND
ON ONE CHEMICAL AND WHAT ABOUT
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR
5,000PFAS CHEMICALS IF WHAT
ABOUT IF I WANT THE LIST OF
CHEMICALS WITH CAST NUMBERS AND
NAMES?
CAN I GET PREDICTIVE PROPERTIES?
MAYBE I HAVE MONTHSES AND NORM
YOU LIE FOR A LIST OF CHEMICALS
BEAU I WANT TO HAVE MY TEAM SO
THEY CAN DO STUDIES AND TARGET
ANALYSIS SO HERE IS AN EXAMPLE
WHERE I HAVE PASTE AID LIST OF
OUR SUBSTANCE IDENTIFIERS BUT
YOU COULD PASTE A LIST OF CAST
NUMBERS, CHEMICAL NAMES AND
ENTRY KEYS, THOSE ARE VERY
COMMON IN PUBLIC DATABASES.
AND BASED ON FORM YOU LIE AND
MASSES AND I'VE PASTED THEM IN
HERE AND I STARTED TO HIT
RETRIEVE AND IT WILL PULL BACK
FROM 110 INPUTS IT'S ALREADY
PULLED BACK 45.
THIS TAKES A FEW SECONDS BY THE
WAY.
110 CHEMICALS WILL BE ABOUT TWO
SECONDS.
AND WHEN I SEE BELOW IS THE
TABLE OF INFORMATION THAT I CAN
SEE.
I CAN GO THROUGH THESE CHEMICALS
AND MAKE A DECISION.
I'VE CHOSEN AN EXPORT FORMAT IN
THIS CASE EXCEL AND WE EXPORTED
IN OTHER FORMATS AND I WANT TOED
A THE CAST NUMBERS AND THE
SMILES AND THE FORM YOU LIE,
WHETHER OWNER IT'S BEEN SCREENED
IN TOXCAST.
WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S GHS DATA
AVAILABLE?
AND WHETHER THERE'S AN IRIS OR
THE OR QC NOTES.
WHATEVER I CHECK HERE,
IMMEDIATELY IT'S GOING TO BE
AVAILABILITY IN MY DOWNLOAD
FILE.
IF I TOOK 5,000 CHEMICALS I'M
SELECTING INDIVIDUAL LISTS THAT
I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHETHER
THEY WERE PRESENT IN AND THAT
5,000 CHEMICALS WILL TAKE YOU
ABOUT 20 SECOND TO HARVEST THE
DON'T AND BRING IT TO YOUDATA AND BRING IT TO YOUR DESK
STOP.
THAT'S THE DASHBOARD.
YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
I WANT TO TELL WHAT YOU IS
COMING.
THESE ARE PROOF OF MODULE
EXAMINES WE HOPED TO GET THESE
TO YOU THIS WEEK.
WE HAVE THE CLEARANCE IT'S READY
TO GO UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO
GET A FIRE WALL REGULATION
CHANGED.
IT WILL NOT BE DONE UNTIL
FRIDAY.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CHECK THESE
OUT.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT HERE?
THE DASHBOARD GIVES YOU A VIEW
OF THE DATA FOR HARVESTING BUT
WE'VE BEEN ADDING MORE
CAPABILITY FOR YOU TO PROFILE
THE DATA AND TO GET STRUCTURE
ALERTS AND TO DO BATCH
PREDICTIONS OF YOUR OWN
CHEMICALS AND SEARCH BASED ON
STRUCTURES, SUB STRUCTURES AND
SIMILARITIES AND ANOTHER
CAPABILITY SUCH AS
STANDARDIZATION.
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ME PASTE
NORTH A LIST OF 100 CHEMICALS
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROFILES
AGAINST CERTAIN LEVELS OF
TOXICITY AND THIS LOOKS LIKE A
HEAT MAP ONLY BUT I CAN ACTUALLY
CLICK ON ANY OF THESE
INDIVIDUALS CELLS AND IT WILL
SHOW YOU ALL THE DATA WE HAVE
AVAILABLE REGARDING NIGHT TRIAL
FOR EXAMPLE AND EACH ONE OF
THESE CELLS IS ACTIVE AND YOU
CAN CLICK IT ON IT AND IT OPENS
THE DATA.
CAN YOU EVEN DOWNLOAD IT THEN
INTO AN EXCEL FILE.
IF YOU INPUT ABOUT 100
CHEMICALS, THERE ARE TILES WHEN
YOU GET 8,000 ROWS OF TOXICITY
DATA DOWNLOADED INTO AN EXCEL
FILE.
THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY WE CAN
GIVE YOU TO DO BATCH HARVESTING
AND PROFILING OF THOSE
CHEMICALS.
THIS IS WHERE I'VE BEEN PUT A
LIST OF CHEMICALS BASED ON A SET
OF TEST NUMBERS AND WE GIVE YOU
ALERTS ON ALERTS AND THERE ARE A
SET OF ALERTS WE HAVE BUILT INTO
THIS AND YOU SELECT WHICH ONES
YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AND IT
WILL BUILD YOU A PROFILE AND
DOWNLOAD THE DATA TO THE EXCEL
FILE.
I'VE PUT A LIST OF CHEMICALS
BASED ON CAT NUMBERS I CAN JUST
AS EASILY CLICK PREDICT AND IT'S
USING MODELS AND CERTAIN END
POINTS.
IF HAS TO BE ORGANIC CHEMICALS
IN ORDER TO GET THE DATA.
WHEN YOUR EXPERIMENTAL DATA
AVAILABLE WE GIVE YOU THE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA BACK AND
DOWNLOAD TO EXCEL.
IF YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE AND YOU
WANT TO FIND EVERY CHEMICAL OF
THE OUT 900,000 THAT HAS A
SPECIFIC SUB STRUCTURE AND A C8
CHAIN DRAW IT AND DO A SUB
STRUCTURE SEARCH AND IT WILL
BRING DOWN THAT SET OF CHEMICALS
FOR YOU.
THESE MODULES WILL BE DEPLOYED
TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND THE URL WILL
BE ISSUED IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS
AND THE FIRE WALL REGULATION
WILL NOT ENABLE THIS SITE TO BE
AVAILABLE TO YOU WE HEAR ON
FRIDAY AND IT'S TIMELINE
CONTINUES.
THE DASHBOARD IS TODAY IT'S
ABOUT 900,000 CHEMICALS AND
906,000 AND WE'VE INTEGRATED ALL
OF THESE DATA TYPES TO MAKE IT
AVAILABLE AND TRIED TO MAKE IT
AS CONSUMABLE AS POSSIBLE AND I
SHOWED YOU THE CHEMICAL SEARCH
BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH FOR
PRODUCT USE AND YOU WANT TO FIND
EVERY CHEMICAL IN TOOTHPASTE,
BASED ON TOOTHPASTE, HAIR DYE,
ET CETERA AND IT GIVES YOU A
DIFFERENT PIVOT TO THE DATA.
NOT ONLY SINGLE CHEMICALS BUT
BATCH SEARCH, REAL-TIME PROPERTY
PREDICTIONS AND ALSO ALL OF THE
DATA THAT YOU HARVEST YOU CAN
PULL IT DOWN TO THE DESKTOP FOR
YOU TO USE.
MANY PUBLICATIONS THEY'RE
ALREADY OUT THERE AND DOZENS
THAT HAVE USED THE DASHBOARD AT
THIS POINT AND IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED TO SEE HOW WE
DEVELOPED IT, WHAT IS AVAILABLE
I CAN REFER YOU TO THOSE.
WE HAVE MANY VIDEOS ON-LINE AND
A FULL MANUAL AND WE KEEP ADDING
LISTS AND UPDATING IT.
ALL OF THESE RESOURCES ARE
AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO BROWSE AND
I GIVE THE PRESENTATION BUT I
WORK ON INCREDIBLE TEAM OF
PEOPLE AND WE WORK ON MAKE THE
DASHBOARD RICHER AND BETTER FOR
YOU WITH NEW DATA AND MODELS AND
ET CETERA AND ET CETERA.
I HOPE THIS WAS OF INTEREST TO
YOU AND IF YOU ARE AN SOT AND
YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN SAN DIEGO
VISIT, I'LL BE AT THE BOOTH
TOMORROW.
I APPRECIATE SEEING YOU AND I'M
AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS.
>> WE HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST QUESTION WAS HOW DOES
CONTACTS CREATE LISTS OF SIMILAR
CHEMICALS?
IS THIS A MANUAL CURATION OR IS
THERE AN ALGORISM IT USES TO
FIND THEM.
>> WE ARE USING A TOOLKIT IN THE
BACKGROUND TO AUTOMATICALLY
PERFORM SIMILARITY SEARCHES USES
A TAN OWE MOTO SEARCH INDEX SO
IT TAKES THE FINGERPRINT OF THE
CHEMICAL AND SEARCHES IN REAL
TIME AGAINST THE ENTIRE LIBRARY
OF CHEMICALS.
IN THE DASHBOARD ITSELF WE SET A
THRESHOLD OF POINT 8 SO YOU ONLY
SEE THINGS ABOVE THAT THRESHOLD
BUT THE TOOL YOU CAN FIND IT
SIMILAR BASED ON CHANGING THAT
INDEX YOU CAN MOVE THAT AND IT
WILL GIVE YOU A MUCH BIGGER LIST
SO IT'S NOT A MANUAL CURATION
PROCESS FOR SIMILARITY SEARCH.
FOR RELATED SUBSTANCES, IT IS.
IT'S BOTH AN ALGORISM AND AS
WELL AS MANUAL.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION, WHEN
LOOKING AT CHEMICAL HAZARDS, HOW
IS THE INFORMATION GENERATED ON
SDS TEND TO BE SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT BETWEEN DIFFERENT
CHEMICAL SUPPLIERS.
THE TOXICITY DATA ARE CURATED BY
THE TOXICITY TEAM.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT THE EXPOSURE
DATA, WE ARE HARVESTING FROM
DIFFERENT CHEMICAL SUPPLIERS
LIKE HOME DEEP OPEN AND THINGS
LIKE THIS, SO WHAT WE DO IS WE
USE TOOLS TO EXTRACT TEXT FROM
THOSE INDIVIDUALS SAFETY DATA
SHEETS AND WE ALSO HAVE CURATION
APPROACHES THEN AND EVERY
CHEMICAL THAT IS MAPPED INTO OUR
CURATION SYSTEM THAT SYSTEM IS
CALLED CHEM REG AND CURATOR IS
LOOKING AT THAT INFORMATION AND
THAT IS BUILT UP IN FACTTOTUM
AND WE WILL RELEASE IT TO THE
COMMUNITY AND THE NEXT YEAR OR
SO AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM TO PUSH
BACK.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED THE
QUESTION.
WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ASKING
IF THESE SLIDES ARE AVAILABLE TO
THE AUDIENCE AUDIENCE.
>> I CAN SHARE WOMEN BUT THERE
MAY BE SUPPLIED OTHERWISE CAN I
PUT IN MY E-MAIL ADDRESS AND
SHARE THEM DIRECTLY.
>> I BELIEVE SOME WILL BE MADE
AVAILABLE.
>> MY E-MAIL IS THERE AND THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK.
I HOPE I STAYED ON TIME.
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE
QUESTIONS COMING THROUGH.
>> HOW CAN AND WILL THE DATA
INFO BE USED TO UPDATE THE EPA
CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY CHART?
>> SO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF
GROUPS INSIDE THE AGENCY THAT
ARE USING THE DATA ON A DAILY
BASIS AND IT'S USED ACROSS THE
AGENCY FOR MANY PURPOSES.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHETHER OR NOT
IT'S A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT
WILL MAKE USE OF THE DATA ALL I
KNOW IS WHEN PEOPLE USE IT, THEY
APPROACH US AND ENGAGE WITH US
SOMETIMES AND NOT ALWAYS.
THE DATA IS AVAILABLE FOR
EVERYBODY TO USE.
I CAN'T SAY.
>> WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE?
>> WE'VE GOT TO GET MOVING.
WE'RE INTO LINDA'S BUT THANK YOU
SO MUCH, TONY.
YOU HAVE TONY EASY MAL'S 'S MALE.
GREA'S E-MAIL.LYNN DARK ARE YOU ON?
>> YES, I AM.
>LINDA,ARE YOU ON.
>> I AM.
>> SHE PREVIOUSLY WORKED AS A
CONSULTANT PERFORMING VIRAL SITE
ASSESSMENTS IN WATER AND
WASTEWATER WORK AND WORKED FOR
THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WRITING
TITLE 4 AND TITLE 5 AIR PERMITS
AND LATER HAZARD WASTE PERMITS
AND SHE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL FOR
A PH.D TO FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH AND NOW WORKS IN HUMAN
HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS AND SHE
MAINTAINS CHEMICAL DATABASE MAY
TRICKS AND THE SCROOG SCREENING AND SHE HA S
A SME FOR PFAS AND SHE'S ON
DETAIL TO EPA OFFICE TO WORK ON
ADDING PFAS TO THE APPENDIX 8.
WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
DO YOU HAVE JURY SLIDES READY TO
ROLL?
>> YES.
I'M GOING TO SHARE MY CONTENT
AND SWITCH OVER TO POWERPOINT.
I HAVE TO ALWAYS ADJUST THE
WINDOW.
THANK YOU.
>> IS IT FILLING YOUR SCREEN
NOW?
THE SLIDES PE PERFECT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'LL JUST TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE
RESEARCH I'VE BEEN DOING INTO
THE HISTORICAL USAGE OF PFAS.
JUST A VERY BRIEF TIMELINE.
CARBON TETRA FLUORIDE WAS
PRODUCED IN 1886 IT'S NOT A
PFAS.
DEFINITIONS, RIGHT.
BUT THE FIRST FLURRY OWE POLYMER
WAS PATENTED IN 1934 AND PTFE
WAS DISCOVERED IN 1938 AND PFAS
WERE REALLY STARTED MAKING IN
THE 1940s AND THEN IN THE
50s THEY STARTED TO BECOME A
PART OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS.
SO, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT
OF TIME ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK
EVERYONE KNOWS PFAS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH FIREFIGHTING AND
SPECIFICALLY FILM FORMING FOAM
AND IT STARTED BEING USED AND
THE OWN REAL NOTE IS THE DOD
ENDED THE AFFF IN 2017 SO THAT
POSF CON BE ABOVE THE WAN
TAILLIGHT ADVERTISE LIMIT AND
THE GENERAL CLASS IN AFFFF.
THEY ARE USED IN METAL PLATING
THE MAIN SPECIFIC USE IS THAT
THEY'RE USED AS A WEDDING AGENT
AND FUME SUPPRESS ENTER FOR
MEDAL PLATING SPECIFICALLY FOR
CHROME YUM AND SO IT HELPS METAL
DUST FROM COMING OUT OF THE
BATH.
IT'S BEEN USED FOR THIS
SCIENCEs.
PFOS IS PHASED OUT BUT THEY'RE
NOT MENTIONED WHEN THE EPA
PHASED OUT PFOS.
IT'S REALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
CHROME PLATING BUT IT'S USED
WITH OTHER PLATING TOO AND THE
PFAS CAN BE USED TO TREAT THE
METAL SURFACES ALSO.
SINCE THE '50s, PFAS HAS BEEN
USED EXTENSIVELY WITH TEXTILES
TO GIVE THEM THE ABILITY T REPEL
WATER OIL AND STAINS AND THIS IS
ALL TYPES OF CLOTHING AND OUTER
WARE AND HOUSEHOLD TEXTILES LIKE
CARPETS AND ALSO WITH TECHNICAL
TEXT TILES, BECAUSE OF PFAS'S
UNIQUE PROPERTIES THEY'RE GOOD
FOR PROTECTING TEXT TILES IN
HIGH TEMPERATURES AND CORROSIVE
ENVIRONMENT AND THIS CAN MEAN
TAKING A TEXTILE AND LIKE
APPLYING YOUR NOT SPRAYING BUT
COATINCOATING IT WITH THE PFAS OR TO
MAKE ANOTHER LAYER BUT THE FLOOR
POLYMER CELLS CAN BE WOVEN INTO
TEXT STYLES SO SOME FIREFIGHTING
CLOTHING, THERE'S ACTUALLY LIKE
A LAYER OF FLOOR POLYMER WITHIN
THERE.
THEY'VE BEEN USED IN PLASTICS AS
PROCESSING AIDS, ALSO KNOWN AS
RAW MATERIALS AND SO FOR EXAMPLE
WHEN YOU MAKE FLUR OPOLYMER S
AND I AM EXTINGUISHING NOT THE
NON POLYMER AND THE POLYMER.
YOU USE THE NON POLYMER AS A
PROCESSING AID TO MAKE THE
POLYMER, THE FLOOR POLYMER.
AND THE FLOOR POLYMER HAVE USE
THIS IS CONSUMER AND INDUSTRIAL
PRODUCTS.
THEY'VE BEEN USED TO PROVIDE OIL
AND WATER RESISTANCE TO PAPER
PRODUCTS FOR BOTH FOOD USE AND
NON FOOD USE.
YOU NAME THE TYPE OF PAPER,
THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY IT'S
THE NEWS DID IT.
OFTEN PFAS IS ADDED TO THE PULP,
THE PAPER-MAKING STAGE WHERE YOU
STILL WITHIN THE PULP.
THEY CAN ALSO BE USED LATER ON
TO SPRAY A LAYER LATER ON AFTER
THE PAPER HAS BEEN CREATED, I
GUESS.
THEY HAVE PLENTY OF USES IN
ELECTRONICS AND THEY'VE BEEN
USED AS LUBRICANTS.
THEY'RE AGAIN THE FLOOR POLYMER
TO PROTECT FROM MOISTURE AND
CORROSION FOR EASY PLANE AND
THEY'VE BEEN USED IN BATTERY
ELECTRIC ROW LIGHTS AND FLUID
AND FOR HEAT EXCHANGING THE
PHOTO IN THE UPPER-RIGHT, WITH
THE BLUE LIGHT, THAT IS ACTUALLY
A COMPUTER SERVER IMMERSED IN
LIQUID AND THE LICK I HAD IS A
PFAS AND IT PROVIDES BETTER HEAT
EXCHANGE PROPERTIES THAN THE
AIR.
THEY'RE USED EXTENSIVELY IN THE
SEMI CONDUCTOR INDUSTRY TO
REDUCE SURFACE TENSION WHEN
ETCHING AND AGAIN FOR CLEANING
AND POLISHING THE VARIOUS TYPES
OF ELECTRONICS.
ONE ADDITIONAL USE I FOUND, NOT
EXACTLY ELECTRONICS BUT WHEN
RECYCLING ELECTRONICS TO TRY TO
REMOVE, RECAPTURE THE RARE EARTH
METALS THAT ARE OFTEN USED IN
ELECTRONICS, PFAS HAVE BEEN USED
IN THAT METAL RECYCLING STEP TO
GET THOSE RARE EARTH METALS.
PFAS ARE USED IN PHOTO' AND
LITHE OGRAPHY FOR MANUFACTURING
FILM, PAPER, PLATES.
THEY'RE ADDED TO PHOTO THERMO
GRAPHIC MATERIAL USED FOR
MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY'RE
USED A AS AN ANTI REFLECTIVE
CODING IN THE PHOTO.
LOTS OF LEANING PRODUCTS HAVE
PFAS IN THEM.
MANY INDUSTRIAL CONSUMER
CLEANING PRODUCTS, CARPET
CLEANERS, SHAMPOO, FLOOR POLISH,
THEY POSSIBLY HAVE IT IN THERE.
THEY'RE REALLY USEFUL, IT'S HOSE
HARSH CONDITIONS SO WHEN YOU
HAVE A CLEANER USED FOR A STRONG
ACID OR A BASE.
LIKE FOR CLEANING CONCRETE, PFAS
WORKS WELL ON THOSE.
AND ALSO, THERE'S A COUPLE OF,
ALONG WITH CLEANING DRY CLEANING
TEXT TILES AS PERK HAS BEEN
FACED OUT THEIR REPLACEMENT
SYSTEMS THAT USE PFAS.
PLENTY OF -- I'M JUST GROUPING
THESE AS CODINGS SO YOUR WAXES,
PAINT, INK, VANISHES, THINGS
WHERE YOU CODE A SURFACE AND THE
PFAS IS USED TO REDUCE THE
SURFACE TENSIONS T TO IT ALLOWS
THE CODING TO BE SPREAD EVENLY
AND YOU DON'T GET THE BUBBLING
OR YOU DON'T GET THE -- THERE'S
DIFFERENT TERMS OF, IN OTHER
WORDS, YOU GET THAT NICE LEVEL
CODING OF WHATEVER IT IS YOU ARE
USING, YOUR PAINT OR YOUR INK.
AND THEY'RE ALSO USED ON GLASS,
METAL AND PLASTIC SURFACES SUCH
AN ANTI MIST FILM AND IT
PREVENTS FOGGING AND THERE'S A
PAPER WHERE SOME SCIENTISTS
ANALYZED CONSUMABLE -- CONSUMER
EYE GLASS CLEANERS LIKE THE
SPRAY OR A CLOTHE THAT IS USED
TO PREVENT FOGGING ON EYE GLASS
AND IT HAD PFAS IN IT.
WITH PESTICIDES, PFA HAVE BEEN
USED BOTH AS AN ACTIVE
INGREDIENINGREDIENT AND THERE HAVE BEEN
SEVERAL REGISTERED - CONDITION THE
UNITED STATES THERE'S BEEN
PESTICIDES AND NONE OF THEM ARE
CURRENTLY ACTIVE ACCEPT FOR ONE
EX THAT ONE IS AN IMPORT ISSUE
AND YOU DON'T APPLY IT I CAN'T
REMEMBER THE STATUS BECAUSE IT
MAY HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU ARE
IMPORTING IT BUT SOME HAVE BEEN
USED PREVIOUSLY NOT ANYMORE AS
THE INACTIVE INGREDIENTS THAT'S
NOT THE INGREDIENT THAT IS
KILLING THE PEST, WHATEVER THE
PEST MIGHT BE.
BUT IT HELPS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE IN
THE PHOTO THAT I GOT OFF OF
PURDUE'S WEBSITE, IF YOU HAVE A
LEAF AND YOU APPLY THE PESTICIDE
IT MIGHT JUST BEAT UP ON TOP BUT
IF YOU HAVE THE PFAS IT ALLOWS
IT TO WET THE LEAF SO IT'S USED
AS THE INACTIVE INGREDIENT
GROULPREVIOUSLY.
IT'S BEEN USED IN MEDICINE SINCE
THE 60s, PFCs, PRODUCED AN
EMOTION THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY
BREATH THIS LIQUID IN THEORY.
I MEAN THEY DID IT WITH RODENT
STUDIES AND IF ANYONE HAS SEEN
THE MOVIE "THE ABYSS," THERE'S A
SCENE WHERE HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE
A NAVY SEAL OR SOMETHING,
THERE'S TALKING ABOUT AND YOU GO
DEEP DIVING YOU DON'T BREATH OFF
OF A GAS YOU BREATHE OFF OF THIS
PINK LIQUID.
I DON'T THINK -- I THINK IT'S
SCIENCE FICTION BUT I'M SURE IT
WAS BASED ON THIS WHERE YOU ARE
BREATHING FROM THAT PFC EMULSION
BUT THAT SAME TYPE OF EMULSION
IS A SUBSTITUTE BLOOD LIQUID.
IT'S NOT USED WITHIN THE UNITED
STATES.
IT WAS INITIALLY LOOKED AT FLOOR
SOL WAS THE '70s TO THE '90s
IT WAS A INTRA VASCULAR EMULSION
TO CARRY OXYGEN BUT PFAS ARE
USED IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS
TYPES OF APPLICATIONS AND
THERE'S A COUPLE OF PFAS THAT
ARE IN FACT EITHER CURRENTLY ARE
OR USED TO BE -- I'M NOT SURE
THE PROPER TERM BUT IN OTHER
WORDS THE FDA ALLOWED, IT'S NOT
REGISTERED BUT IN OTHER WORDS
DRUGS THAT COULD BE USED IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND FINALLY PFAS ARE USED IN
PLENTY OF IMPLANTABLE MATERIALS
AND DEVICES THAT ARE USED IN
CONTACT LENSES.
SO, PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS, THIS
IS A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO THE
CODING IN THAT THE CODING
PRODUCTS LIKE PAINTS AND THAT
THE PFAS HELP IS -- THE PFAS
PROVIDE THOSE PROPERTIES SO THAT
THE COSMETICS OR THE SUNSCREEN,
WHATEVER IT IS, CAN BE APPLIED
WELL OVER THE SKIN AND IT ALSO
PROVIDES OIL AND WATER
RESISTANCE.
THERE'S PLENTY OF PATENTS TOO ON
LOTS OF ORAL CARE PRODUCTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THOSE
WERE ACTUALLY USED.
AND OF COURSE, THE FAMOUS DENTAL
FLOSS THAT CAN BE MADE FROM SPUN
FLORY POLYMER.
REFRIDGE RANTS, WE THINK A LOT
OF WHAT GENERALLY PEOPLE WOULD
CALL FLOORING AND BAR CON CAN BE
USED AS REFRIDGER ANTS AND THEY
HAVE THAT FUNCTIONAL AND
SLIGHTLY DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN
THE TWO.
IT STABILIZES THE FOAM.
EXPLOSIVES.
SO SINCE THE '50s, PYROTECHNIC
OXIDIZERS HAVE USED PFAS AND
THEY'RE USED IN INFO RED
TRACKING FLARES AND MTV, NOT
MUSIC TELEVISION BUT MAGNESIUM
TEFLON AND MTV IS USED FOR I FOR
INFRARED FLARES AND TARGET
AUGMENTATION AND THEY'RE USED IN
INCENDIARY DER ARY DOCUMENT
DESTRUCTION AND AGENT DEFEAT AND
WAR HEADS AND ALL THOSE USED
FLUOROPOLYMER AND SO THESE ARE
WAR HEADS THAT REQUIRE
IMPROVEMENT MECHANICAL PROPERTY
AND STA BIT AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
CAN HAVE A FLOORENNATED POLYMER
IN THERE AND THERE'S LEVERAGE TO
THENAR JE ENERGETIC MATERIAL ITSELF
BEING FLOOR INNATED.
OIL AND GAS CAN USE PFA TO
ENHANCE RECOVERY IN OIL AND GAS
WELLS AND IMPROVE SUBTERRANEAN
WETTING AND ALSO FOAM SAY BIG
THING AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS THE PFAAS PROVIDE
THE FOAM, NOT TOO MUCH OR TOO
LITTLE.
THAT'S PART OF THEIR USE IN THE
WELLS.
THEY ALSO CAN BE USED AS A
EVAPORATION INHIB EIGHT OR FOR
GASOLINE AND AIRCRAFT HYDRAULIC
OILS OFTEN PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS
HAVE PFAS IN THEM.
THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS USED
PFAS TO ENHANCE MEDICAL RECOVERY
FROM OIL AND PARTICULARLY COPPER
AND GOLD MINE BUT I HAVE
REFERENCE TO OTHER TYPES OF
METALS WHERE IT CAN BE USED IN
THE METAL RECOVERY AND THE
FLOTATION PROCESS TO SEPARATE
THE MELTAL SALTS FROM SOILS CAN
USE THE PFAS TO HELP WITH THAT.
IT'S USED AS A MISS SUPPRESS
ENTER SIMILAR WITH MEDICAL
PLIGHTING.
SO, IN CONCLUSION, PFAS HAVE
BEEN USED IN A LARGE VARIETY OF
INDUSTRIES AND SOMETIMES IT'S
EASIER TO SAY WHAT THEY HAVEN'T
BEEN USED IN THAN WHAT THEY
MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN BUT YOU MIGHT
BE WRONG BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE
BEEN USED IN.
CONSUMER AND INDUSTRIAL
PRODUCTS.
IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT IN MANY
CASES, THE PFAS IS 1% BY VOLUME
OF WHATEVER IT IS.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MIGHT HAVE
PAINT AND MAYBE JUST 1% BY
VOLUME OF THE PAINT IS PFAS
BECAUSE YOU JUST NEED A LITTLE
TO PROVIDE WHATEVER PROPERTY IT
IS THAT IT'S BEING ADDED FOR.
AND IN A LOT OF APPLICATIONS
IT'S NOT CLEAR WHICH PFA IS IS
BEING USED.
YOU MIGHT TRACK IT DOWN TO OK,
IT'S A FLOOR INNATED GAS AND
THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
SOMETIMES YOU CAN FIND THE
SPECIFIC PFAS THOUGH.
IN ANY EVENT, THIS TYPE OF
INFORMATION IS HOPEFULLY HELPFUL
WHEN INVESTIGATING WHAT TYPES OF
SITES MIGHT HAVE CONTAMINATION.
I WANTED TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES
WHO HAVE HELPED ME WITH THIS.
I FOUND SOURCES WITH A NAME PFAS
IS SENDING IT FOR EXAMPLE TO
TONY WILLIAMS AND OTHERS SAYING
CAN YOU PLEASE PUT THIS IN THE
DASHBOARD, WHATEVER THIS THING
IS.
SO WE CAN GET CAST NUMBERS OR
THE DTXSIB FOR THE WAY OF
IDENTIFYING THE COMPOUND.
I HAVE WRITTEN A PAPER AND IT'S
BEEN ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION
WITH REVISIONS AT A PUBLICATION
AND I AM CURRENTLY TRYING TO
FINALIZE ALL THE DIFFERENT
REVISIONS AND ADDING IN A COUPLE
OF MORE REFERENCES SO THAT I CAN
FINALLY GET THIS PUBLISHED AS I
HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.
>> LINDA, WE HAVE A COUPLE
QUESTIONS HERE.
THE FIRST QUESTION, WHAT USAGE
OF PFAS DO YOU THINK CREATED THE
BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD OR
HEALTH RISK?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DIFFICULT
QUESTION TO ANSWER BECAUSE I
FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME USES,
TYPES OF SITES OUT THERE THAT,
WELL, WE HAVEN'T INVESTIGATED
THAT SITE SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW
MUCH CONTAMINATION IS THERE.
THERE'S NOT A USE, BUT I THINK
LANDFILLS AND WHAT I WOULD TERM
AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER
DUMPS, YOU KNOW, THE NOT REALLY
ANE ENGINEER LANDFILL.
THEY'RE THE SERIOUS PROBLEM FROM
THESE LANDFILLS AND THE DUMPS.
OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT REALLY A
USE BUT IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN ALL
THIS WASTE GOES IN THERE, AND WE
HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKING FOR IT.
AND I THINK FIREFIGHTING FOAM IS
A PROBLEM, NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE
OF THE AMOUNT OF PFAS IF THERE
BUT IT'S ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS
WHERE WHEN IT WAS USED, IN OTHER
WORDS, YOU MIGHT HAVE LIKE FOR
EXAMPLE AN OPEN FIELD WITH A
FIRE AND SO YOU ARE APPLYING
THIS FOAM DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD
AND THEN IT CAN GO INTO THE
SOIL.
WHICH IS A PROBLEM.
AS OPPOSED TO YOU KNOW, OTHER
APPLICATIONS WHERE MAYBE YOU ARE
CATCHING THE WASTEWATER.
SO, I WILL SAY CONVERSELY, ONE
OF THE PROBLEMS I'VE SEEN WITH
SOME OF THESE SITES IS THAT, SO,
FOR EXAMPLE, METAL PLATING.
MAYBE THE WASTEWATER IS BEING
PROPERLY DEALT WITH, EXCEPT FOR
THE FACT YOU DIDN'T KNOW -- YOU
THOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING THE
METALS OUT, YOU DIDN'T ME YOU
NEED TO GET OUT ORGANIC
CHEMICALS OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
IN METAL PLATING, A THE LEAST AT
SOME PLACES, IT'S ACTUALLY THE
AIRY MISSIONS, THE PFAS ARE
GOING OUT THE STACK AND THEN SO
NOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT
STORMWATER AND WHERE THAT WENT.
SO, YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S
EASY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE
DIFFUSES AND TRYING TO TRACK
DOWN THE SOURCE OF WHERE THE
PFAS IS COMING FROM.
>> THANK YOU, LINDA.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, IT
SOUNDS THAT PFAS AND ASBESTOS
HAVE SIMILAR PROPERTIES.
IF ASBESTOS CONTAINED PFAS
LEVELS ABOVE SEV -- WOULD IT BE
CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS WASTE OR
REMAIN A SPECIAL WASTE?
>> GOOD GRIEF.
[LAUGHTER]
NOW THERE'S A QUESTION -- I'D
LIKE TO THINK THE PERSON WHO
ASKED THAT QUESTION NOW YOU HAVE
TO GO DOWN YET ANOTHER RABBIT
HOLE.
I DO NOT KNOW IF PFAS HAD THE
USE OF ASBESTOS BUT I PROMISE I
WILL SEE IF I CAN FIND
INFORMATION ON THAT.
OH, GOSH, LET'S MAKE IT MORE
COMPLICATED.
[LAUGHTER]
I DON'T KNOW AT THIS MOMENT IN
TIME.
I'M SORRY.
I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
>> OK.
THANK YOU.
JAMES, JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN
WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME MORE
QUESTIONS COMING IN.
THE NEXT, LINDA, IS WE NEED MORE
RESEARCH IN 777-450 SAFE MINING.
IS THERE A WAY WITHOUT USING
PFAOS IT SEEMS CLEAR WE CAN DO
IT SAFELY WITHOUT CREATING TOXIC
AND WE NEED RESEARCH THERE.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, IT'S -- SO, I THINK
SOMETHING THAT I HAVE LEARNED
WHEN I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO ALL
OF THIS IS THAT, I DON'T THINK
THAT THE USE OF PFAS IS
NECESSARILY A BAD THING.
IN WHAT I MEAN ABOUT -- LOOK, MY
BACHELORS IS CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING AND I COME AT THINGS
WAY BIAS VIEW.
IF YOU ARE MINING AND THE PFAS
IS THE BEST WAY TO SEPARATE THAT
OR FROM THE SOIL, WHATEVER YOU
ARE TRYING TO DO AND MAYBE BY
USING THE PFAS YOU DON'T HAVE TO
USE CYANIDE, I DON'T KNOW NOW
ABOUT IT.
THE REAL ISSUE WITH PFAS CON
TEMPERATURE NATION ICONTAMINATION, WE DIDN 'T KNOW IT
WAS A PROBLEM BUT IF YOU HAVE AN
APPLICATION WHERE YOU ARE
RECOVERING THE WASTEWATER, YOU
ARE MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NOT
EMISSIONS COMING UP SO LIKE,
WITH MINING, IF SOMEHOW OR
ANOTHER, IF THE PFAS ARE USED
AND ALL THE WASTEWATER IS
RECOVERED AND IT'S TREATED OR
IT'S RECYCLED, SO IN OTHER
WORDS, YOU ARE NOT LETTING THE
PFAS GO OUT INTO THE OPEN WATER,
THEN -- THAT WOULD SEEM LIKE OK,
THEN YOU CAN STILL USE IT BUT
YOU ARE NOT CAUSING
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.
I DON'T THINK THE USE OF IT IS
NECESSARILY A PROBLEM.
I MEAN, I THINK IT REALLY
DEPENDS ON REALIZING IT MIGHT BE
IN THE WASTE STREAM AND FIGURING
OUT WHAT YOU DO WITH THE WASTE
STREAM.
>> THANK YOU.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE HERE.
IS PFAS AND IT PACKAGING?
IF SO, SHOULD WE HAVE CRITERION
IN THE ECO LABELS WE USE AND
SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT TO
INCENTIVIZE THE MANUFACTURER TO
USE PACKAGING WHICH DOESN'T
CONTAIN PFAS?
>> YOU KNOW, SOMEONE HAD ASKED
ME ABOUT ELECTRONICS PACKAGING A
COUPLE MONTHS BACK.
IT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I DON'T
KNOW.
I THINK -- SO THERE'S TWO PARTS
OF IT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL IS
THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE
LABELING ON THE PACKAGING, THE
LABEL ITSELF, IN OTHER WORDS,
THAT INK MIGHT HAVE PFAS.
BUT THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHAT
TYPE OF PACKAGING DO YOU HAVE?
BECAUSE IF IT'S A PLASTIC, IS IT
FLOOR A POLYMER OR NON FLORA
POLYMER?
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT'S USED
BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTIES.
IT WOULD HAVE -- I THINK WE
WOULD HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
TYPE OF PACKAGING IT IS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF
A -- IS IT PAPER?
IS IT PLASTIC?
IS IT CARDBOARD, I DON'T KNOW.
WHATEVER.
>> THANK YOU.
AND THEN WE HAVE A QUESTION HOW
LONG HAS PFAS BEEN USED BY THE
OMN EXPLORATION INDUSTRY?
COULD ANY OF THE BANNED
PESTICIDES WITH PFAS BE USED
ILLEGALLY BY MARIJUANA GROWERS,
AKA CARTELS AND PUBLIC LANDS?
>> WOW, Y'ALL HAVE INTERESTING
QUESTIONS.
WITH THE OIL -- I'M ASSUMING O
AND G MEANS OIL AND GAG AND HOW
LONG HAS IT BEEN USED?
I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY.
BASED ON THE MATERIAL I HAVE, I
WANT TO SAY DECADES.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE SINCE
DEFINITELY SINCE LIKE THE 50s
IT'S BEEN USED IN THOSE
INDUSTRIAL AND SO MAYBE CONTINUE
THE 50s AND NOT TOO LONG AFTER
THAT.
I WOULD SAY DECADES.
WITH REGARDS TO MARIJUANA
GROWERS, I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT
QUESTION BEFORE.
SO, THERE ARE, I THINK THERE ARE
A COUPLE OF -- WELL OK, THERE'S
TWO PARTS OF THAT.
DO YOU MEAN THE ACTIVE
INGREDIENT OR THE INACTIVE
INGREDIENTS AND SO WITH REGARDS
TO ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, I THINK
THERE A COUPLE IN THE WORLD THAT
HAVE PFAS BUT IF YOU TALK ABOUT
THE INACTIVE INGREDIENTS, BEING
USED TO HELP IT GET INTO THE
LEAF, UM -- I THINK IT'S STILL
USED IN SOME FORMULATIONS.
PROBABLY IT SHOULD ALSO BE
NOTED, PART OF THE ISSUE WITH
PESTICIDES AND WHEN SUCH IS HOW
DO YOU DEFINE A PFAS AND THAT IS
OUR PAPER WHICH SHOULD BE COMING
OUT TODAY OR TOMORROW AND THERE
ARE SOME COMPOUNDS THAT WOULD
MEET THE DESK OF A PFAS THAT THE
FLOOR INNATED PREPORTION IS THE
LEAST THING YOU NEED TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT AND SO, WHETHER
OR NOT MARIJUANA GROWERS, SINCE
THE EPA DOES -- SINCE MARIJUANA
IS NOT LEGAL FEDERALLY, I KNOW
THAT THE EPA CONDITION REGISTER
PESTICIDES FOR MARIJUANA, WHICH
IS KIND OF A PROBLEM SO, WHAT
PESTICIDES THEY'RE USING IS IS A
DIFFERENT QUESTION.
>> LINDA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OBVIOUSLY ARE IN THE SIDE THE
HOUSE AND YOUR COUNTERPARTS IN
OCSPP HANDLE THAT STICKY POLICY.
SO, ANYWAY.
WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PUT YOUR
E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE CHAT SO IF
PEOPLE WANTED TO REACH OUT WITH
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, THEY COULD
DO THAT?
THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW,
WE'RE TAKING A BREAK FOR THE
NEXT 15 MINUTES.
SO, WE'LL GET STARTED AT 1:30.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU TO THE
PRESENTERS.
>> I GUESS WE'RE READY TO START.
IT IS 1:30.
WITH THE NEXT SET OF
PRESENTATIONS.
THE FIRST ONE NOW IT WOULD BE
ANALYTICAL APPROACHES BY
ALEXANDER.
SENIOR ADVISOR FOR CHEMICAL
TOXICOLOGIST FOR SAFETY AND IN
SPECTION SERVICE.
IN HIS ROLE HE PROVIDES ADVICE,
STRATEGY AND DIRECTION IN SENIOR
LEADERSHIP ON SCIENTIFIC
APPLICATIONS AND RELATIONS TO
PRELIMINARY DRUGS, PESTICIDE AND
CHEMICAL COMPONENTS IN FOOD.
ALEXANDER HOLDS A DEGREE IN
CHEMISTRY AND INTERNATIONAL STUD
Y.
AN MS DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH AND GEORGE WASHINGTON
SCHOOL OF LAW.
WITH THAT I LEAVE YOU ALEXANDER.
>> THANK YOU, ALEXA.
SO MY NAME IS ALEXANDER DOMESLE.
I'M WITH THE FOOD SAFETY AND IN
SPECTION SERVICE, WHICH IS
PART OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE AND OUR MISSION IS
TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MEAT
POULTRY AND EGG PRODUCTS IN THE
UNITED STATES AND ALSO ENSURE
THEY ARE PROPERLY LABELEDDED AND
PACKAGED.
SO WHILE MANY ARE MORE FAMILIAR
WITH THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION THAT REGULATES
MAJORITY OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY WE
BASICALLY HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION
S AS FDA, BUT FOCUS ONLY
ON MEAT, POULTRY AND EGG
PRODUCTS.
OUR AGENCY OPERATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
WE HAVE OVER 8,000 EMPLOYEES,
MOST OF WHOM ARE FRONT-LINE WORK
ERS, MEANING THEY ARE
INSPECTORS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
VETERINARIANS THAT WORK IN
SLAUGHTER ESTABLISHMENTS AND
PROCESSING ESTABLISHMENTS AND IN
SPECT EITHER ON A CONTINUOUS
OR ON A DAILY BASIS THE OP
ERATIONS IN THOSE PLANTS.
SO THERE IS A TOTAL OF 6500
FEDERALLY REGULATED ESTABLISH
MENTS, AND AS I MENTION
ED DEPENDING ON THE TYPE
OF ESTABLISHMENT THEY EITHER
ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE OR MORE
GOVERNMENT INSPECTORS PRESENT OR
AT LEAST HAVE INSPECTION COME BY
ONCE A DAY WHEN THEY ARE OPERAT
ING.
THE VOLUME THAT FLOWS THROUGH
THESE ESTABLISHMENTS IS, OF
COURSE, VERY LARGE.
LOTS AND LOTS OF ANIMALS ARE
SLAUGHTERED EVERY YEAR INCLUDING
MORE THAN 9 BILLION POULTRY
CARCASSES/ANIMALS AND
166 MILLION HEAD OF LIVESTOCK.
THAT'S JUST AN INTRODUCTION TO
KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT
WE DO AND THE SCALE OF THE
INDUSTRY THAT WE REGULATE.
# SO I WANTED TO SHIFT NOW TO
THE RELEVANT TOPIC OF WHY I WAS
ASKED TO PRESENT DURING THIS
CONFERENCE AND THAT OF COURSE IS
HOW THIS RELATES TO MERGING CHEM
ICALS AND SPECIFICALLY TO
PFAS.
I WON'T HAVE TO GO INTO MUCH DE
TAIL ON PFAS THANKS TO LINDA'S
PRESENTATION THAT PRECEDED MINE,
BUT FOR OUR PURPOSES HERE AT
FSIS AND THE KIND OF LARGER FOOD
SAFETY REGULATORY COMMUNITY
WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT A
NARROWER SLICE OF THIS BIG PFAS
PICTURE ON AGRICULTURE.
THE TWO MAIN HALFWAYS THAT WE'VE
OBSERVED ARE EITHER CONTAMINATED
WATER BEING USED FOR WATERING
CROPS OR ANIMALS AND THIS COULD
OCCUR IN THE PROXIMITY OF
INDUSTRIAL SOURCES OR IN THE
PROXIMITY OF LOCATIONS SUCH AS
AIRPORTS OR AIRPORTS BASES WITH
A HISTORY OF A TRIPLE FUs.
THE OTHER RIGHT, WHICH MAY BE
MORE COMMON, BASED ON MY
ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE IS THE
SPREADING OF BIOSLUDGE ON TO
FIELDS.
SO IN THAT CASE, THIS CAN GO
BACK IN SOME CASES YEARS OR
DECADES BIOSLUDGE FROM WASTE
WATER WAS CONTAMINATED TO
PFAS DUE TO PROCESSING OF THE
WASTEWATER AND THEN BIOSLUDGE IS
SPREAD AS KIND OF A FERTILIZER
ON TO FIELDS AND FROM THERE
ANIMALS EITHER GRAZE DIRECTLY ON
THOSE FIELDS OR FIELD CROPS ARE
DIRECTLY ON THOSE FIELDS.
WE'VE BEEN AT USDA AND FSIS
SPECIFICALLY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN THESE PFAS ISSUES GOING BACK
AS FAR AS 2008, ALTHOUGH REALLY
THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS IT'S
BECOME MUCH BROADER AND MORE
GOVERNMENT-WIDE.
NEXT, I'M GOING TO GIVE AN OUT
LINE OF WHAT OUR SPECIFIC
ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN RELATED TO
PFAS AND THIS IS REALLY, AS I
MENTIONED, FOCUSED OVER THE LAST
THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO IT HAS BEEN A THREE-PRONGED
APPROACHED ESSENTIALLY.
THE FIRST THING DEVELOPING AN
ANALYTICAL METHOD THAT ALLOWS US
TO DETECT PFAS COMPOUNDS IN THE
MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS THAT
WE REGULATE.
ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT WE
DEPLOY THIS METHOD TO OUR
LABORATORIES AND I'LL SAY MORE
ABOUT THE LABORATORIES IN A
MOMENT AND WE NOW USE THAT
METHOD IN TWO MAIN WAYS; THE ONE
IS A NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE
PROGRAM WHERE WE COLLECT MEAT
AND POULTRY SAMPMS AND ADD
SLAUGHTER AND TEST THEM FOR FSIS
AND THE OTHER IS A MORE TARGETED
SUPPORT OF STATES THAT ARE DEAL
ING WITH SPECIFIC PFAS CON
TAMINATION AT AN AFFECTED
LOCATION.
IN ALL OF THIS WE WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNER
S, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM
THE OUTSET, THE FOOD SAFETY
SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS SPLIT
BETWEEN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
AGENCIES AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS
, LIKE PFAS THAT HAS SUCH
BROAD ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES AND
IMPACTS IS GOING TO TOUCH ON THE
REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF MULTIPLE
AGENCIES.
SO GOING TO THE FIRST PIECE,
WHICH WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF
ANALYTICAL METHOD, WHAT I
NEGLECTED TO STATE AT THE START
WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR
FRONT-LINE STAFF IS THAT IT
CONSISTESS OF NOT ONLY FOOD LINE
INSPECTORS AND HEALTH VETERINAR
IANS AND OPERATE IN
FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS IT ALSO
CONSISTS OF BENCH SCIENTISTS
THAT WORK IN ONE OF THREE USDA
FSIS LABORATORIES LOCATED IN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
AND AS A ROUTINE MATTER THESE
LABORATORIES ANALYZE TISSUE
SAMPLES FOR A WIDE RANGE OF
MICROBIALS LIKE SALMONELLA AND
E. COLI, TRADITIONALLY FOCUSED
ON DRUG RESIDUES AND PESTICIDE
BUT INCREASINGLY METALS AND FSIS
ARE PART OF THE TESTING PROGRAM.
SIMILARLY TO THE OVERALL VOLUME
OF ANIMALS THAT ARE PROCESSED
AND SAM SAMPLES THAT ARE COLLECT
ED THE NUMBER OF ANALYSIS
IN THE LANATORIES ARE VERY LARGE
AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS
THERE AT THE BOTTOM THERE, THEY
ARE OUT OF DATE BY A COUPLE YEAR
S, THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T
CHANGED TOO MUCH.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO A TON
OF DETAIL.
THIS IS MORE OF THOSE WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN THE MORE TECHNICAL
ASPECTS OF THE ANALYTICAL METHOD
, I'M NOT AN ANALYTICAL
CHEMISTS BUT IF ANYONE HAS
QUESTIONS ON THIS I CAN
CERTAINLY REFER THOSE TO THE EX
PERTS WITHIN THE AGENCY.
I THINK THE KEY PIECES THAT I
WANT TO GET ACROSS IS THAT WE DO
HAVE THIS METHOD, IT IS VAL
IDATED IN BEEF, BOTH IN BEEF
MUSCLE AS WELL AS PLASMA, SO
THAT'S ALLOWED SOME WORK I'LL
MENTION LATER ON BLOOD SAMPLES
TAKEN FROM LIVE ANIMALS, WHICH
OF COURSE IS CONVENIENT BECAUSE
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE SLAUGHTERING
THE ANIMAL BEFORE A SAMPLE COULD
BE TAKEN.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE CAN DETECT
BEEF, PORK, POULTRY AND FISH
WHICH IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS CAT
FISH WHICH IS ALSO SUBJECT TO
FSIS REGULATION.
THE REGULATION COVERS 16 PFAS
COMPOUNDS.
AS YOU KNOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS
OF PFASS SO WITH THIS METHOD'S
GOAL IS NOT TO SCAN FOR ALL OF
THOSE BUT THE 16 COMPOUNDS THAT
ARE IN THE METHOD ARE SOME OF
THE MOST COMMON ONES THAT I'M
SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF
THAT ARE CONCERNING IN FOOD.
AND THIS IS ALSO NOT ECSTATIC,
WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK AT ADDING
ADDITIONAL COMPOUNDS PARTICULAR
LY IF THEY ARE OF
CONCERN IN MEAT AND POULTRY
PRODUCTS.
THE LAST THING ON THIS SLIDE TO
POINT OUT IS WE CAN QUANTIFY
DOWN PER BILLION.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD AND ADEQUATE
FOR OUR PURPOSE, BUT WITH MANY
OF THESE CHEMICALS TESTING IS
PROGRESSING, RESEARCH IS
PROGRESSING IS EVENTUALLY
SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO
CONSIDER GOING FORWARD.
THESE ARE THE 16 PFAS COMPOUNDS
IN THE METHOD.
I WOULD JUST JUMP PAST THOSE.
THE METHOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON
OUR WEBSITE IF ANYONE IS
INTERESTED AND THIS IS THE
EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED IN THE
LABS.
AND THIS IS THE LINK THAT I
MENTIONED SO IF ANYONE IS
INTERESTED IN SEEING THE DETAILS
ON THE ACTUAL METHOD THAT'S
AVAILABLE PUBLICLY.
SO THE NEXT MAIN AREA THAT I
WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE
NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE SAMPLING.
SO I MENTIONED AT THE START ONCE
WE DEVELOPED THE METHOD WE START
ED USING IT IN A COUPLE
DIFFERENT WAYS, ONE OF WHICH IS
THIS NATIONAL MONITORING PROGRAM
, WHICH IS PART OF A
LARGER ON-GOING EFFORT CALLED
THE NATIONAL RESIDUE PROGRAM.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON
THAT PROGRAM, ALREADY MENTIONED
THAT IT TESTS FOR A WIDE, IT IN
CLUDES MONITORING FOR A WIDE
VARIETY OF PESTICIDE AS WELL AS
VETERINARIAN DRUGS AND IN
CREASING NUMBER OF CONTAM
INANTS AS WELL.
THE PROGRAM IS BUILT, OBVIOUSLY,
ON A BASIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO
ENSURE THAT HARMFUL CHEMICAL
RESIDUEERIZE NOT PRESENT IN MEAT
AND POULTRY PRODUCTS.
IT ALSO SUPPORTS KIND OF COMPLI
ANCE EFFORTS OF EPA AND FD
A WITH REGARDS TO ENSURING
THAT PESTICIDE ARE USED LEGALLY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LABEL AND
VETERINARIAN DRUGS ARE USED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LABEL AND
THE CHECK WE PERFORM TO ENSURE
THAT THERE ARE NO UNLAWFUL
RESIDUES IN THE MEATS SUPPORTS
THOSE EFFORTS.
SO THE, AS I MENTIONED THERE IS
THE SURVEILLANCE PIECE, THERE IS
ALSO THE PIECE OF REGULATORY
FOLLOW-UP, SO SPECIFICALLY WITH
PESTICIDE AND VETERINARIAN DRUGS
THERE ARE LEGAL STANDARDS THERE
AND IF THOSE ARE EXCEEDED THEN
THERE IS REGULATORY FOLLOW-UP OF
BOTH OUR AGENCY AND POTENTIALLY
FDA AND EPA AS APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S THE DISTINCTION TO THE
PFAS AND CONTAMINANTS WE DON'T
OR AT LEAST DON'T YET HAVE
FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR HOW MUCH
PFAS OR SPECIFIC PFAS COMPOUNDS
CAN BE IN FOOD SO THERE IS NO
AUTOMATIC LEVEL AT WHICH ACTION
IS TAKEN, BUT AS I WILL MENTION
IN A MOMENT THAT DOES NOT MEAN
THAT ANY AMOUNT OF PER
PERMISSIBLE.
SO JUST FINISHING UP ON THE
SURVEILLANCE TESTING, THE GOAL
OF THE PFAS TESTING SPECIFICALLY
, AS I JUST MENTION
ED, IS NOT TO TAKE REG
ULATORY ACTION NECESSARILY ON
THESE INDIVIDUAL CARCASSES TEST
ED AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM,
IT IS MORE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE BACKGROUND LEVELS IN MEAT
AND POULTRY ARE, MORE GENERALLY,
AND TO UNDERSTAND TRENDS AND TO
INFORM FUTURE ACTION.
THESE PFAS TEST RESULTS ARE
STILL BEING COLLECTED AND
ANALYZED.
THESE ARE NOT FULLY PUBLISHED
YET BUT WE HAVE BEEN SHARING
SUMMARY RESULTS IN FORM, SUCH AS
THESE WE'RE WORKING ON ACTUALLY
PUBLISHING THE DATA MORE
COMPREHENSIVELY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GENERALLY
WE DON'T DETECT PFAS VERY
FREQUENTLY IN BEEF, PORK AND
CHICKEN IN THE NATIONAL SAMPLE.
IT IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT'S
PARTICULARLY WIDE-SPREAD OR
SYSTEMIC.
NOT ALTOGETHER TOO SURPRISING
SINCE WILD CATFISH LIVE IN RIVER
S AND PFAS IS PRESENT IN
THE WATERWAYS AS EVIDENCE BY
KIND OF FISH CONSUMPTION
ADVISORIES ISSUED BY SEVERAL
STATES.
SO THAT COMPLETES KIND OF THE
SECOND PIECE, WHICH IS THE
NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE, AS I
MENTIONED THAT'S ON-GOING.
SUBJECT TO FUTURE REPORTING ON
THAT.
THE THIRD PIECE IS THE SPECIFIC
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE'VE
PROVIDED TO PRODUCERS IN STATES.
WHEN I SAID ON THE PREVIOUS
SLIDE THERE IS NO WIDE-SPREAD
ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH PFAS IN
BEEF, CHICKEN AND PORK WHAT I
MEAN IS IF YOU SAMPLE EVEN
THOUSANDS OF BEEF CARCASSES
YOU'LL FIND VERY LITTLE PFAS.
WHAT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IS THAT
THERE AREN'T VERY SIGNIFICANT IM
PACTS LOCALIZED TO SPECIFIC
FARMS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY
PFAS AND MAY HAVE VERY HIGH
LEVELS OF PFAS IN THEIR
ENVIRONMENT, IN THEIR ANIMALS
AND OF COURSE MIGHT BE FACING EX
TREME ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IN
BUSINESS IN LIGHT OF THAT.
THE IMPACTS EXIST IN A MORE
LOCALIZED FASHION.
THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES
WHERE WE'VE WORKED WITH STATES
AND PRODUCERS TO OFFER TESTING
RESOURCES.
THERE IS ONE HERE THAT MAY BE
SOME OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH
THAT INVOLVES A LARGE DAIRY IN
THE SOUTH WESTERN UNITED STATES
THAT WAS ADJACENT TO AN AIR
FORCE BASE AND ACTUALLY FOUR TO
FIVE THOUSAND ANIMALS HAVE BEEN
SUPPLIED WITH PFAS CONTAMINATED
WATER.
THIS INITIALLY CAME TO LIGHT DUE
TO MILK TESTING, BUT OF COURSE
DAIRY IS ALSO CALL ANIMALS AND
SLAUGHTER ANIMALS FOR MEAT ON A
REGULAR BASIS SO IT AFFECTED
BOTH FDA AS THE REGULATORY
AUTHORITY FOR MILK AND BEEF AND
OF COURSE THE STATE THAT HAS
GENERAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY
OVER FARMS.
IN THIS CASE WE WERE QUITE
INVOLVED.
A NUMBER OF YEARS INVOLVING A
SAMPING AND TESTING PROTOCOL.
WE DEVELOPED TOGETHER WITH FDA A
SCREENING LEVEL FOR THAT FARM
SPECIFICALLY TO BE ABLE TO
CONTEXT CONTEXTUALIZE THE PFAS
WE WERE GETTING AND DEFINITELY
ALSO PURCHASED SOME ANIMALS AND
MOVED THEM TO DIFFERENT LOCATION
S AND CONTINUED TO STUDY
THEM TO DETERMINE IF PFAS WILL
DEPLETE OVER A
[INDISCERNIBLE]
AMOUNT OF TIME AND BASE ON THAT
RESEARCH WE WORKED WITH THE
STATE AND THE PRODUCER ON A
MITIGATION PROPOSAL FOR THESE
ANIMALS.
THE OUTCOME UNFORTUNATELY WAS
NOT AS EASY AS I MIGHT HAVE
SUGGESTED.
THE RESULTS THAT WE OBSERVED IN
THE RESEARCH ANIMALS THAT SHOWED
DEPLETION OF PFAS OVER ABOUT SIX
MONTHS OR SO WERE NOT REPLICATED
IN THE ANIMALS THAT REMAINED ON
THE FORM EVEN WHEN THEY WERE
SWITCHED TO CLEAN WATER.
WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHY
THAT IS.
WE DID TEST IN MULTIPLE
DIFFERENT TIME POINTS AND DID
NOT SEE A REDUCTION IN PFAS
LEVELS SO IT INDICATES EITHER
THERE WAS STILL PFAS EXPOSURE,
MAY BE THEY WERE NOT GETTING
FULLY CLEAN WATER, MAY BE THERE
WAS MORE PFAS IN THE FOOD/IN THE
FEED THAN WAS THOUGHT.
SO ULTIMATELY THESE ANIMALS WERE
NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO SLAUGHTER;
DID NOT ENTER THE FOOD SUPPLY
AND FOR A LONG TIME DELIBERATION
S ON DISPOSITIONS
HAVE BEEN CONTINUING THERE
IS NOW AN ANEMTY PROGRAM RUN IN
A PART PART OF THE USDA, SO THAT
IS WHERE THAT'S HEADED.
SO THAT WAS JUST KIND OF ONE
EXAMPLE OF THESE STATE TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE INITIATIVES WE'VE
BEEN APART OF.
WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH OTHER
STATES, EACH INTERACTION IS
DIFFERENT BECAUSE EACH SITUATION
IS DIFFERENT.
THERE IS, THIS PARTICULAR
EXAMPLE I MENTIONED THEY WERE
DEALING WITH A SINGLE VERY LARGE
DAIRY, OTHER STATES HAVE MUCH
SMALLER PRODUCERS AND THEY ARE
FOR EXAMPLE GOING AROUND AND
TESTING ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES
AROUND INDUSTRIAL POINT SOURCES
KNOWN TO USE PFAS AND ARE NOW
IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, AFFECTED
FARMS AND MANAGING # THOSE
EXPOSURES.
SO THERE IS A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON
WITH THE STATES.
FOR US OUR TESTING IN THE
LABORATORIES CONTINUES AND WE
ALSO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE
STATES AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH FEDERAL PARTNERS AS WELL
PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST FEW
MONTHS THERE HAS BEEN INCREASED
EFFORTS ON THE FEDERAL AND THE
WHITE HOUSE LEVEL TO COORDINATE
AND WE AT FSIS ARE HAPPY AND
EAGER TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT
OF CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF A
KIND OF A UNIFIED FEDERAL RE
SPONSE WITHIN THE FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE STATES.
WITH THAT WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES
FOR QUESTIONS, WHICH I'M HAPPY
TO ANSWER, BUT AS WITH THE
PREVIOUS PRESENTERS I CAN
PROVIDE MY E-MAIL ADDRESS AND I
CAN ALSO ANSWER QUESTIONS AFTER
THE FACT AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU ALEXANDER.
THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING IN
WHAT IS IN THE FOOD.
WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE QUESTION
HOW INDEPTH DO THE APPLICABLE
AGENCIES CONDUCT HUMAN STUDY
REGARDING PFASS IMPACTS TO HUMAN
S FROM CONSUMPTION.
>> CAN YOU READ THAT ONE MORE
TIME?
I DIDN'T GET THE FIRST PART.
SORRY I SEE IT NOW IN THE CHAT.
# I CAN JUST READ IT.
OKAY SO THAT'S, THERE IS REALLY
MULTIPLE PIECES TO THIS, RIGHT.
THERE IS HOW PFAS COMES INTO THE
ENVIRONMENT, MOVES THROUGH THE
ENVIRONMENT, ENTERS THE FOOD
SYSTEM, THEN THERE IS THAT
MIDDLE PART, WHICH WHERE WE ARE
MOST INVOLVED AND WHAT I WAS
MOSTLY PRESENTING ON IS HOW DO
YOU MANAGE EXPOSURES WITHIN
AGRICULTURE TO CROPS, TO FOOD
PRODUCING ANIMALS AND WHAT KIND
OF CONSUMPTION ARE HUMANS EXPECT
ED TO GET FROM FOOD, RIGHT
AND THEN THE THIRD PART THAT
THIS QUESTION GOES TO IS REALLY
THE HUMAN HEALTH, HUMAN
TOXICOLOGY PART OF IT, WHICH IS
A WHOLE OTHER REALM THAT INVOLVE
S LOTS OF DIFFERENT TOX
LOGICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY
DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND UNIVERSAL
HOW THAT BASICALLY RELATES IS
THAT AGENCIES LIKE EPA OR THE
AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND
DISEASE REGISTRY, WHICH IS PART
OF CDC, THEY WILL DEVELOP VALUES
BASED ON A SUMMARY OF ALL OF THE
TOX LOGICAL DATA AND BASICALLY
SAY THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE SAFE
LEVEL OF A CERTAIN CHEMICAL THAT
PEOPLE CAN BE EXPOSED TO AND
THEN WE WILL USE THOSE LEVELS TO
DETERMINE WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE
AMOUNT IN FOOD FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE IS LOTS, THE SHORT
ANSWER IS THERE IS LOTS OF TOX
LOGICAL STUDY OF PFAS GO ON
BUT SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE WORK
ON AT FSIS AS WE USE THE OUTPUT
OF THAT WORK.
>> THANK YOU.
THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION.
>> WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE SAMPLING
THOSE ARE GOVERNMENT INSPECTORS
COLLECTING THOSE SAMPLES AT
SLAUGHTER AS PART OF THE
NATIONAL RESIDUE PROGRAM.
WITHIN THAT PROGRAM, I DIDN'T GO
INTO IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT
NECESSARILY RELEVANT TO PFAS BUT
IN GENERAL THERE IS THAT RANDOM
SURVEILLANCE SAMPLING WHERE
RANDOM SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED,
WHICH THOSE ARE THE ONES WE TEST
FOR PFAS, ALSO INSPECTOR DIRECT
ED SAMPLING, MOSTLY FOR
VETERINARIAN DRUGS WHERE THEY
CAN SAY THERE IS SOMETHING UN
USUAL ABOUT THIS ANIMAL WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A SAMPLE AND TEST
IT.
SO THAT'S NOT VOLUNTARY, THAT
OCCURS UNDER OUR REGULATIONS.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
SPECIFIC, THE STATE TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT THERE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY REGULATORY
AUTHORITY PRIOR TO THE SLAUGHTER
HOUSE ESSENTIALLY SO WE DON'T
REGULATE FARMS, THAT'S MOSTLY A
STATE FUNCTION SO IN THE
SITUATIONS WHERE WE'VE WORKED
SPECIFICALLY WITH INFECTED FARMS
HAS TYPICALLY BEEN THE STATE
THAT'S APPROACHED US, THEY'VE
ALREADY BECOME AWARE OF IMPACTS
TO THIS FARM AND LOOKING FOR
ASSISTANCE FOR TESTING RESOURCES
SO WE WILL WORK WITH THEM IN
THOSE SIT SITUATIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
I DON'T SEE ANYMORE QUESTIONS
COMING IN.
GENENE IS MONITORING THOSE, SHE
HASN'T POST ANYTHING ELSE.
IF YOU CAN POST YOUR E-MAIL
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IS
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE IN CASE
THEY HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS,
IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
>> YES.
ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING
ME AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE REST
OF THE DAY.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING
GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS ONE
SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL: A
DISCUSSION OF UNIQUE RADON
MITIGATION APPROACHES FOR
NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ON
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS BY RACHEL
CARTER.
RACHEL CARTER IS A CERTIFIED OF
HEALTH ASSISTANT MANAGER AND 35
YEARS IN THE FIELD.
SHE IS A PROJECT MANAGER AND HAS
COMPLETED OVER 30 DIVERSE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS FOR THE
U.S. MILITARY IN THE PAST FIVE
YEARS.
MRS. CARTER'S MOST RECENT PRO
JECTS INCLUDE MANAGING
SEVERAL TECHNICAL SERVICES CON
TRACTS CONDUCTED AT MULTIPLE
INSTALLATIONS ACROSS THE
CONTINENTAL U.S. SO RACHEL, IF
YOU'RE READY, YOU CAN SHARE YOUR
SCREEN.
>> RACHEL: YES, HI, GOOD
AFTERNOON.
>> HELLO AND WELCOME.
IT'S ALL YOURS NOW.
>> RACHEL: ALL RIGHT.
CAN YOU SEE MY SCREEN ALL RIGHT?
>> YES.
RACHEL WE SEE LIKE SOMETHING
BLACK ON YOUR SCREEN AT THE
BOTTOM SO IF YOU CAN PUT THAT
LOWER?
THERE YOU GO.
>> RACHEL: OKAY THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS RACHEL CARTER, A PRO
JECT MANAGER AT ASSISTANT
MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS.
WE ARE A NAVY CONTRACTOR THAT
PERFORMED RADON TESTING OVER THE
PAST COUPLE YEARS AT SEVERAL
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND TODAY
MY TALK ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL
WILL BE A DISCUSSION ON THE
RADON MITIGATION APPROACHES THAT
WERE IMPLEMENTED FOR NON-
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ON
THESE INSTALLATIONS.
RADON IS A NATIONAL OCCURRING
RADIOACTIVE GAS FROM THE BREAK
DOWN OF URANIUM IN THE SOIL
CONTINUING TO BREAKDOWN INTO
DECAY PRODUCTS.
IT CAN NOT BE SEEN OR SMELLED SO
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF IT'S IN
THE BUILDING IS TO TEST FOR IT.
IT DOESN'T REACT WITH OTHER CHEM
ICALS OR COMPOUNDS AND
TYPICALLY ENTERS THE BUILDING
FROM THE SOIL BENEATH.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE LARGE
HOLES OR CRACKS IN YOUR
FOUNDATION OR FLOOR FOR RADON
GAS TO GET IN.
THESE ARE ADAM-SIZED MOLECULES
SO UNLESS YOUR BUILDING IS 100%
AIRTIGHT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR
RADON TO ENTER.
ONCE IT ENTERS INTO THE BUILDING
IT TYPICALLY BIASES AND BECOMES
DILUTED SO YOU'LL TYPICALLY FIND
THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF
RADON IN THE BASEMENT AND GROUND
-LEVEL ROOMS.
RADON CAN ACCUMULATE TO ELEVATED
LEVELS.
THE EPA SETS THE INDOOR RADON
ACTION LEVEL AT 4.0PCI/L LITERS
BUT YOU CAN MITIGATE IT TO AC
CEPTABLE LEVELS.
THE PRIMARY FACTOR INFLUENCING
RADON GAS ENTRY FROM THE SOIL IS
PRESSURE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
SO IT IS EITHER NEGATIVE
PRESSURE INSIDE THE BUILDING
THAT WILL DRAW RADON GAS IN,
THIS INCLUDES THERMAL STACK
EFFECT SO WARM AIR WILL RISE AND
AS IT DOES IT WILL DRIVE THE
COOL RADON GAS FROM THE SOIL IN,
MORE OF A FACTOR IN SMALLER
RESIDENTIAL HOMES VERSUS LARGE
NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WHERE
THE BUILDING HVAC SYMPTOM IS
GOING TO HAVE A MUCH LARGER IM
PACT.
IF THE HVAC SYSTEM ISN'T IN
BALANCE THAT COULD CAUSE A
SECTION OF ROOMS OR BUILDING TO
HAVE NEGATIVE PRESSURE, WHICH
WILL DRAW THE RADON GAS IN.
ALSO EXHAUST SYSTEMS THAT
EXHAUST AIR OUTSIDE OF THE BUILD
ING BUT DON'T BRING FRESH
AIR IN WILL DRAW THAT RADON GAS
FROM THE SOIL.
THERE COULD ALSO BE POSITIVE
PRESSURE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE
BUILDING THAT'S PUSHING RADON
GAS IN, SO THIS COULD BE FROM
STORM WITH HEAVY RAIN AND WIND
THAT POSITIVE PRESSURE IN THE
SOIL WILL PUSH RADON GAS IN.
THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME UNUSUAL
SOURCES OF RADON NOT FROM THE
SOIL GAS SO THIS INCLUDES GROUND
WATER THAT CONTAINS RADON.
RADON IS SOLUBLE IN WATER SO
WELL WATER COULD BE A SOURCE.
ONCE THAT WATER HITS THE AIR THE
RADON WANTS TO COME OUT OF THE
WATER ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
NOW DO NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF
RADON IN THE WATER FOR IT TO
EQUAL THAT ACTION LEVEL 4 PER
AIR SO YOU NEED 20,000 IN THE
WATER SO YOU DO NEED A LOT OF
RADON IN THE WATER FOR IT TO BE
A FACTOR.
RADON CAN ALSO COME FROM CERTAIN
BUILDING MATERIAL MATERIALS SO
CONCRETE, BRICK AND GRANITE
COULD HAVE A LOT OF URANIUM IN
IT AND THAT COULD BE A SOURCE
FOR RADON.
I KNOW OF A BUILDING THAT HAD
CONCRETE WALLS AND THAT CONCRETE
HAD A REALLY HIGH URANIUM SOURCE
AND SO THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF
RADON AND IN THAT INSTANCE
TRADITIONAL RADON MITIGATION
SYSTEM, WHICH USUALLY WORKS ON
THE RADON IN THE SOIL COULD NOT
BE USED AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO
AN ALTERNATIVE RADON MITIGATION
APPROACH.
WHERE IS RADON FOUND?
HERE IS AN EPA ZONE MAP CREATED
BASED ON GEOLOGY AND SURVEY
RESULTS SO THE RED INDICATES
HIGH RADON AREAS AND THOSE ARE
REALLY AREAS THAT ARE RICH IN
GRANITE IN THE SOIL BECAUSE
GRANITE CONTAINS A LOT OF
URANIUM SO THIS COULD BE A
LITTLE MISLEADING BECAUSE
URANIUM IS FOUND IN THE EARTH'S
CRUST AND CAN DEFUSE THROUGH ANY
SOIL TO POTENTIALLY GET INTO A
HOME SO EVEN BUILDINGS AND HOMES
IN THE YELLOW, WHICH ARE LOW OR
THE ORANGE WHICH ARE MODERATE
RADON AREAS WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND
THAT THEY ALSO TEST TOO.
BASICALLY UNLESS YOU LIVE IN A
TREEHOUSE WHERE THERE IS A BUNCH
OF AIR UNDERNEATH OR A HOUSE
BOAT WHERE YOU HAVE WATER UNDER
NEATH YOUR HOME YOU DO HAVE
THE POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATED RADON
AND THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF YOU
HAVE ELEVATED RADON IS TO TEST
FOR IT.
FOR OCCUPATIONAL BUILDINGS ALL
OCCUPIED GROUND CONTACT OF
OFFICES OR ROOMS SHOULD BE TEST
ED, THIS IS BECAUSE A CLUST
OF ROOMS OR OFFICES COULD HAVE
ELEVATED RADON AND YOU WOULDN'T
KNOW IF YOU ONLY SAMPLE A
PORTION OF THE BUILDING.
SHORT-TERM RADON TESTS, WHICH
ARE TWO TO NOINT DAYS -- TWO TO
90 DAYS, WE RECOMMEND CONDUCTED
DURING THE SEASON WHERE THE HVAC
IS RUNNING SO THAT WOULD BE
DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IN
NORTHERN LATITUDES OR DURING THE
SUMMER MONTHS IN SOUTHERN LAT
ITUDES AND LONG-TERM TESTING
ANYTHING OVER 91 DAYS CAN BE
BIAS TOWARDS UNOCCUPIED HOURS IF
THAT BUILDING ISN'T OCCUPIED
24-7 THIS IS BECAUSE PASSIVE
DEVICES TAKE THE AVERAGE RADON
RESULT DURING THE TESTING PERIOD
THAT MEANS THEY ARE OUT THERE AT
NIGHT AND WEEKENDS WHEN WORKERS
MIGHT NOT BE IN THE BUILDING.
AND SYSTEMS PERHAPS THE AIR HAND
LER ISN'T WORKING THAT NIGHT
SO YOU COULD SEE RESULTS THAT
ARE BIAS TOWARDS THOSE UN
OCCUPIED HOURS.
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A FLOOR
PLAN WHERE ALL OF THE OCCUPIED
SPACES WERE TESTED.
THE BOXES SHOW THE LONG-TERM
RADON IN PER LITER.
AND ONE WAS 14 PER LITER SO ONE
ELEVATED SPACE.
SO IF WE JUST DID A SAMPLE OF
THESE ROOMS IT IS LIKELY WE
COULD HAVE MISSED THAT AND WE
DID LOOK AT THIS INDIVIDUAL OSTO
TRY TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THERE WAS A UNIT VENTILATOR IN
THERE AND IN THE PICTURE ON THE
TOP LEFT YOU CAN SEE THE FRESH
AIR INTAKE WAS BLOCKED.
SOMEONE HAD PUT A PIECE OF
INSTALLATION IN THERE AND SO
THAT KEPT FRESH AIR FROM GETTING
IN.
THERE WAS ALSO IN THE PICTURE ON
THE BOTTOM RIGHT YOU COULD SEE
AN ARROW POINTING TO A HOLE
WHERE IT WAS # AIR GAPED TO THE
SOIL SO THE UNIT WAS PULLING
SOIL GAS INTO THE ROOM, WE CALL
THIS MINING FOR RADON.
BY REMOVING THAT INSTALLATION,
MAKING SURE FRESH AIR WAS
GETTING IN AND SEALING THAT HOLE
WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE RADON
LEVELS TO BELOW THE ACTION LEVEL
WHY IS RADON A HEALTH CONCERN?
ACCORDING TO THE CENTER FOR
DISEASE CONTROL RADON-INDUCED
LUNG CANCER IS THE SECOND LEAD
ING CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER IN
THE U.S., HOWEVER IT IS NOT
CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LUNG
TISSUE.
OVER 95% OF THE RADIATION DOSE
COMES FROM THE DOSE THAT RADON
BREAKS DOWN TO BECAUSE RAIDSON A
GAS AND BREAKS DOWN INTO RADON
DECAY PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE SOLID
PARTICLES AND THEY ARE CHARGE IN
VERY STICKY SO THEY WILL ADHERE
TO SUSPENDED PARTICLES IN THE
AIR WHERE YOU CAN BREATHE THEM
IN AND THEY THEMSELVES WILL
BREAK DOWN AND WHEN THEY DO THEY
CAN DAMAGE THE SENSITIVE LUNG
TISSUE.
THIS HEALTH RISK INCREASES WHEN
YOU'RE EXPOSED TO HIGHER LEVEL
LEVELS FOR LONGER PERIODS OF
TIME.
CHRONIC EXPOSURE NOT ACUTE.
LUNG CANCER CAN BE AS LONG AS
FIVE TO FIFTEEN YEARS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN
CHAIN OF RADON DECAY PRODUCTS ON
THE RIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THE
RADON DECAY PRODUCTS, IN BRIGHT
RED.
RADON BREAKS DOWN TO SEVERAL
RADON DECAY PRODUCTS.
POLONYISM 218 AND 214 HAVE VERY
SHORT SPAN, MUCH GREATER
COMPARED TO RADON OR THE OTHER
RADON DECAY PARTICLES.
THEY ALSO EMIT ALPHA RADIATION,
ALPHA PARTICLES, WHICH ON THE
OUTSIDE OF YOUR BODY ARE HARM
LESS, SO YOUR SKIN CAN STOP
AN ALPHA PARTICLE BUT IF TEATS
IF IT'S IN YOUR LUNGS IT CAN GO
STRAIGHT THROUGH YOUR DNA STRAND
AND THE LONGER YOU ARE EXPOSED
YOUR BODY IS NOT ABLE TO REPAIR
AS FAST SO THAT IS WHAT WOULD
LEAD TO LUNG CANCER OVER TIME.
EQUAL LIBRIUM FACTORS, ATTACHING
TO AIRBORNE PARTICLES AND STRONG
LY ADHERE TO THOSE OBJECTS
, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
DETACH.
THE EQUILIBRIUM.
WE CALL IT PLATED OUT AND YOU
CAN SEE ON THE LITTLE BUILDING
SEMATIC ON THE LEFT YOUR RADON
ENTERING INA THE BUILDING WHERE
IT BREAKS DOWN TO REPs.
HALF ARE IN THE AIR WHICH EQUALS
.5 OR 50%.
THE MORE PLATED OUT THE MORE
EQUILIBRIUM FACTOR AND LOWER
EXPOSURE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL
THINGS THAT CAN IMPACT THE
FACTOR.
ONE IS AIR MOVEMENT.
SO THE MORE YOU MOVE AIR AROUND
THE MORE THOSE RDPs ARE GOING
TO ATTACH TO FIXED SURFACES TO
REDUCE EXPOSURE BECAUSE THEY ARE
NOT ABLE IN THE AIR FOR YOU TO
INHALE.
THIS THE SAME FOR MEDIA AIR FILT
ERS THAT WOULD REMOVE SU
SPENDED PARTICLES TO ALSO LOW
ER THE EQUILIBRIUM FACTOR AND
LOWER EXPOSURE.
IF THE AIR IS SUPER DIRTY, IF
THERE IS A LOT OF SUSPENDED DUST
, SMOKE OR AIR POLLUTANTS
THIS WOULD INCREASE THE
EQUILIBRIUM FACTOR AND INCREASE
YOUR EXPOSURE.
SO A QUICK MEASUREMENT TERM RE
VIEW.
RADON DECAY PRODUCTS ARE DERIVED
INTO THE WORKING LEVEL.
THE LIMIT IS .02 WORKING LEVELS.
RDPs CAN BE MEASURED USING RDP
DEVICES, THEY MEASURE THE ACTUAL
RADIATION EXPOSURE BUT THEY DO
REQUIRE THE MEASUREMENT OF
AIRFLOW SO THE MORE REFINED
MEASUREMENTS ARE ALSO MORE COST
LY.
TESTING FOR RAIDSON A CONSUMER
MEASUREMENT THAT USES SIMPLER
DEVICES THAT ARE EASIER TO USE
OR CHEAPER BUT THEY PROVIDE SEAR
IGATE MEASUREMENTS FOR RDPs
.
SO THE EPA ACTION LEVEL OF PICO
CURIES PER LITER.
THERE IS A LITTLE EQUATION ON
THE BOTTOM RIGHT THAT SHOWS HOW
THAT PER LITER ACTION LEVEL WAS
DERIVED.
SO WHEN YOU MEASURE FOR RADON
THAT MEASUREMENT IS ONLY
ACCURATE IF THE ASSUMED
EQUILIBRIUM FACTOR IS THE ACTUAL
FACTOR.
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THERE ARE
MANY THINGS TO IMPACT THE EKE
WILL INRIUM FACTOR.
IN NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS YOU
CAN HAVE A MOVEMENT OF A TON OF
AIR AND A LOT OF TIMES THE
EQUILIBRIUM FACTOR IS MUCH LOWER
THAN THE 50%, WE'VE SEEN IT
AROUND 30% OR EVEN AS LOW AS 10%
SO RADON MITIGATION STRATEGIES,
THE PRIMARY GOAL OF RADON
MITIGATION IS TO REDUCE THE RDP
EXPOSURE, THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY
HEALTH RISK.
YOU CAN DO THIS BY DIRECT RE
DUCTION OF THE RDPs, THIS IN
CLUDES INCREASING THE AIR CIRC
ULATION.
AGAIN IF YOU INCREASE THE AIR
MOVEMENT, LOWERS THE EQUILIBRIUM
EXPOSURE.
IF YOU INCREASE AIR FILTRATION
THERE IS LESS RDP SUSPENDED IN
THE AIR FOR YOU TO INHALE.
OR IF YOU REDUCE RADON GAS IT
SELF YOU REDUCE THE RDPs AS
WELL SO THAT WOULD BE THE SOURCE
METHOD.
AND YOU CAN DO THIS TO INCREASE
FRESH AIR, SO DELUSION.
YOU COULD DECREASE THE NEGATIVE
PRESSURE IN THE BUILDING SO IT
IS NOT DRAWING AS MUCH RADON GAS
IN THE SOIL OR YOU COULD
IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM SUCH AS ACT
IVE SOIL TO PRESSURIZATION,
WHICH I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT ON
THE NEXT SLIDE.
NO MATTER THE MITIGATION
STRATEGY A COMPREHENSIVE MATE
FINANCE PLAN NEEDS TO BE
MAINTAINED AND ALL ROOMS TESTED
SHOULD BE CONDUCTED EVERY TWO
YEARS.
HERE IS A LITTLE FIGURE OF # # A
SD SYSTEM, THE MOST COMMON
RADON MITIGATION TECHNIQUE FOR
RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS.
IT REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE HOLE TO
BE DRILLED INTO THE SLAB WHERE A
PIPE WILL DRAW THE RADON GAS AT
A GREATER PRESSURE THAN THE
BUILDING IS DRAWING ON THE RADON
GAS AND EXHAUST THE RADON GAS UP
AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AWAY
FROM WHERE IT COULD BE INHALED.
IT WORKS VERY WELL FOR HOMES
WITH SIMPLE STRUCTURE, BUT IT
COULD BE A SECURITY CONCERN FOR
CERTAIN AREAS WHERE YOU COULD
DRILL INTO THE BUILDING.
IT COULD BE MORE COSTLY AND
KNOWN TO FAIL FOR NON-
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE MORE
COMPLICATED FOOTPRINTS, YOU'D
NEED TO PUT MANY SYSTEMS IN OR
BECAUSE OF THE ROBUST AC UNITS
IT IS HARD FOR THESE SYSTEMS TO
OVERRIDE THAT PRESSURE BECAUSE
THE NEGATIVE PRESSURE FROM THOSE
SYSTEMS IS PRETTY GREAT.
A COUPLE NOTES ON NON-
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
THEY HAVE COMPLEX AIR HANDLING
SYSTEMS THAT GREATLY EFFECT THE
PRESSURE.
THIS IS MORE THAN TEMPERATURE
AND/OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS IN TERMS OF DRAWING
RADON GAS INTO THE BUILDING.
YOU COULD COMMONLY SEE ONE TO
TWO ROOMS OR JUST A SECTION OF
ROOMS THAT HAVE ELEVATED RADON
BECAUSE THE HVAC IS IMBALANCED
OR SOMEONE COULD BLOCK THE VENT
AND MAKE JUST ONE ROOM NEGATIVE;
HOWEVER, LARGE AIR HANDLING
SYSTEMS CAN MOVE A TON OF AIR
LEADING TO LOWER EQUILIBRIUM
FACTORS, MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT IS
ASSUMED IN THE RADON MEASUREMENT
A COUPLE QUICK NOTES ABOUT
GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY AS WELL.
SO FUNDING IN CONTRACTING CAN BE
A FACTOR AND THEY COULD
DETERMINE THE MITIGATION
STRATEGY AND/OR TIMELINE.
THERE ALSO MAY BE BUILDINGS OR
SPACES WHERE CONVENT CONVENTION
AL, THAT WOULD BE A SC
IF.
INCREASING AIR CIRCULATION WITH
BANDS SUPPLEMENTED WITH FILTERS
CAN INCREASE THE PLATE-OUT TO
REDUCE THE HEALTH RISK EXPOSURE.
YOU COULD ALSO ADD IN FRESH AIR
WHICH WOULD DELETE THE RADON
SOURCE GAS AND THESE METHODS CAN
BE PUT IN PLACE IF CONVENTIONAL
RADON MITIGATION SYSTEMS ARE TO
BE INSTALLED YOU COULD IMPLEMENT
THESE AS AN INTERIM STRATEGY.
SO WE DO HAVE A COUPLE CASE STUD
IES.
WE'RE FINALLY GETTING INTO THE
RADON MITIGATION.
SO RADON TESTING WAS COMPLETING
AT SEVERAL MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS ACROSS THE
CONTINENTAL U.S. AND ALASKA
USING DEVICES AND THE RADON
ASSESSMENT AND PROTOCOLS WERE
FOLLOWED FOR ALL TESTING.
THIS ADHERES CLOSELY TO THE EPA
GUIDANCE.
THE BUILDINGS TESTED RANGE FROM
LARGE COMMERCIAL OR
ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS TO
COMPANY HOUSING, LABORATORIES
AND OTHER UNIQUE FACILITIES.
THE MITIGATION APPROACHES THAT
WERE IMPLEMENTED WERE SPECIFIC
TO EACH BUILDING BASE ON THE
BUILDING DESIGN, FUNCTION,
SECURITY AND POST-TESTING
INVESTIGATION AND DIAGNOSTICS.
SO THE TABLE ON THE BOTTOM, A
BRIEF SUMERARY, 13 INSTALLATIONS
WERE TESTED, 320 BUILDINGS
ACROSS THOSE 13 INSTALLATIONS
THAT INCLUDED MORE THAN 3,000
INDIVIDUAL ROOMS THAT WERE TEST
ED.
15 OF THE 320 BUILDINGS WERE
ELEVATED AND THIS INCLUDES 100
INDIVIDUAL ROOMS AND THAT ONE
BUILDING COULD HAVE HAD ONE ROOM
ELEVATED, OTHERS MAJORITY OF
ROOMS COULD HAVE BEEN ELEVATED,
IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON THE
BUILDING AND THE INSTALLATION.
FOUR BUILDINGS WE PERFORMED RDP
DIAGNOSTICS AND MEASUREMENTS,
AND WELL BELOW THE ACTION LEVEL
OF WORKING LEVEL.
AND THE ECWILL INRIUM FACTORS
WERE MUCH LOWER THAN THE 50% AS
WELL.
THE FIRST CASE STUDY IS REPAIR
AT SEVERAL BARRACKS THAT WERE
ADDED INSTALLATION.
THE RAIL LEVELS IN SEVERAL BUILD
INGS WERE ELEVATED, WHICH
WAS A LITTLE CURIOUS BECAUSE
THERE REALLY WAS NO WHERE ELSE
ON THE INSTALLATION WHERE THERE
WAS ELEVATED RADON SO WE
DEFINITELY WANTED TO INVESTIGATE
TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
IN THE BARRACKS EACH ROOM HAD
ITS OWN UNIT VENTILATOR SO YOU
COULD SEE JUST A COUPLE OUTDOOR
AND INDOOR USE OF THE VENTILATOR
AND IN THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT
A ZOOMED-IN PHOTO OF A MECHAN
ICAL VENT SWITCH THAT
WOULD OPEN AND CLOSE THE VENT TO
ALLOW FRESH AIR IN.
SO THE UNITS WERE ALL PULLED AND
WE NOTICEDDED THE SHIPPING SCREW
WAS NOT REMOVED WHICH PREVENTED
THE OPENING OF THE VENT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS AN
ACCIDENT OR DONE ON PURPOSE AS
PART OF THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM.
IN A LOT OF CASES BUILDINGS WILL
PUT AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
IN TO BLOCK OR REDUCE FRESH AIR
IN ORDER TO SAVE ON ENERGY BUT
THIS IS REALLY IN DIRECT CON
FLECT WITH MANAGING RADON
BECAUSE YOU NEED THE FRESH AIR
IN ORDER TO KEEP THE BUILDING
UNDER POSITIVE PRESSURE AND KEEP
RADON OUT.
SO WE DID REMOVE THE SHIPPING
SCREWS TO ALLOW THAT MECHANICAL
VENT TO OPEN AND CLOSE TO ALLOW
FRESH AIR IN.
IT TOOK TWO PEOPLE ABOUT 30
MINUTES ON EACH UNITO PULL THEM
OUT, REMOVE THOSE SCREWS, CLEAN
OUT INTERIOR, MAKE SURE THAT
VENT WORKED AND DEPLOYED OPENED
AND THEN WE PERFORMED FOLLOW-UP
RADON MEASUREMENTS TO TEST
WHETHER MAKING THOSE REPAIRS AND
ADDING FRESH AIR REDUCED RADON
LEVELS.
AND HERE IS A FLOOR PLAN THAT
SHOWS THE ELEVATED RADON ON PIC
s PER LITER IN RED.
MOST OF THE BUILDING WAS ELEVAT
ED AND ONCE REPAIRS WERE
MADE AND FRESH AIR WAS ADDED TWO
SEQUENTIAL SHORT-TERM TESTS
CONDUCTED THAT WERE VERY LOW.
THIS GRAPH DEMONSTRATES IT EVEN
BETTER SO YOU HAVE RADON PER
LITER ON THE Y AXIS AND THE ROOM
ON THE X AXIS.
THE LONG-TERM RADON IN BLUE AND
THEN THE RADON AFTER THOSE RE
PAIRS WERE MADE IN RED.
SO THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF DI
LUTION BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING
FRESH AIR TO DILUTE THE RADON
BEING BROUGHT IN.
THE LEVELS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY
ALMOST TO THE LOWER LEVELS OF DE
TECTION ONCE THAT FRESH AIR
WAS ADDED.
THE SECOND CASE STUDY WAS
IMPLEMENTED.
THIS FLOOR PLAN AGAIN SHOWS THE
ELEVATED RADON IN RED BOXES AND
THEN THE BLACK RADON IS THE
RADON THAT WAS BELOW THE ACTION
LEVEL AND YOU CAN SEE A CLEAR
DIFFERENCE IN ONE SIDE OF THE
BUILDING COMPARED TO THE OTHER.
IT TURNED OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE
OF THE BUILDING THERE WAS A NEW
HVAC SYSTEM INSTALLED THAT ADDED
FRESH AIR, EVERYTHING WAS LOW.
ON THE LEFT THERE WAS AN OLDER H
VAC UNIT AS WELL AS A BASEMENT
THAT HAD TWO OPEN AIR SUMPS AND
GRABBED SAMPLES OF THOSE SUMPS
SHOWS I THINK THE RADON WAS AS
HIGH AS 180 PER LITER SO THAT
WAS DEFINITELY A SOURCE OF RADON
WHAT WE DID WAS DESIGN A SOURCE
RADON MITIGATION SYSTEM THAT
UTILIZED THOSE EXISTING SUMPS.
SO THERE WAS A MODIFIED SUMP LID
THAT SEALED IT, THAT CONNECTED
TO TWO PVC PIPES THAT WENT TO A
UMCAEN PVC PIPE AND A RADON FAN
ABOVE THE BUILDING THAT EXHAUST
ED RADON OUTSIDE OF THE
BUILDING.
AND THE SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED AND
WE DID SHORT-TERM TESTING AFTER
WARDS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD
SOLVE THE RADON PROBLEM.
YOU CAN SEE AGAIN RADON PER
LITER ON THE Y AXIS AND ROOM ON
THE X AXIS AND THERE WAS A DE
CREASE IN RADON IN ALL OF THE
ROOMS THAT WERE ELEVATED
ESPECIALLY THE BASEMENT WHERE
PRIOR TO THAT SYSTEM BEING IN
STALLED THE RADON WAS ABOUT 10
PER LITER AND AFTER DOWN AROUND
2.
I GUARANTEE WHEN THEY ARE ABLE
TO REPAIR THE HVAC UNIT OR ADD
FRESH AIR OR REPLACE IT YOU
COULD PROBABLY REDUCE THESE
LEVELS EVEN FURTHER.
THE THIRD CASE STUDY ARE RDP
DIAGNOSTICS THAT WERE APPLIED TO
THE SCIF WITH A SUBBASEMENT ROOM
A TON OF SURFACE AREA AND THERE
WAS A LOT OF AIR MOVEMENT TO
KEEP EVERYTHING COOL THAT REALLY
FACILITATED RDP PLAY-OUT.
WE CALCULATEDDED THE EXPOSURE
AND RISK.
WE CONTINUOUSLY MEASURED BOTH
RAID AND RDPs FOR A COUPLE DAY
S AND THEN ADDED FANS AND
FILTERS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD IM
PACT EXPOSURE.
ON THE RIGHT A LITTLE DIGRAM.
THE TOP LEVEL IS ACTUALLY A BASE
MENT AND THEN DOWN THE STAIR
S TO A SUB-BASEM.
THERE WAS AN AC IN THE MAIN ROOM
MOVING A LOT OF AIR.
THERE WAS AN AC AND A UNIT
VENTILATOR IN THE SUB-BASEMENT
AS WELL AND A LITTLE LIGHTNING
BOLTS AND SMILEY FACES SHOWS
WHERE ADDITIONAL FANS AND FILTER
S WERE ADDED.
SO HERE IS A CONTINUOUS GRAPH
SHOWING RADON IN BLUE AND RDPs
IN RED OVER THE STUDY PERIOD.
THE RDP WORKING LEVEL IS ON THE
FIRST Y AXIS AND THE RADON LEVEL
S IS IN THE SECOND Y AXIS.
AND THEN THE GUIDANCE LEVEL OF
BOTH.
YOU CAN SEE DURING THE FIRST
COUPLE DAYS UNDER NORMAL
CONDITIONS BOTH RAID AND RDPs
ARE RELATIVELY LOW THEN ONCE THE
AIR CLEANERS AND FANS ARE TURNED
ON THE RDPs DROP TO BASICALLY
LOWER LEVEL OF DETECTION, WHICH
IS COMPARABLE TO OUTDOOR AIR AND
UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS A STORM
SO IT CUT OFF THE RDPs BUT
INTERESTING BECAUSE WHILE THE
POWER IS OFF YOU CAN SEE THAT
THE RADON DROPS, SO IF THERE IS
NO RADON THERE WOULD BE NO RDPs
EITHER BUT WHAT IT
INDICATES IS THAT UNDER NORMAL,
THE ROOM IS NORMALLY UNDER
NEGATIVE PRESSURE WHEN THE AC
UNIT IS ON AND # AND SO IT IS
DRAWING IN RADON GAS UNDER NORM
AL CONDITIONS AND THEN ONCE
THE POWER CAME BACK ON YOU CAN
SEE THE RADON SPIKEDDED TO
AROUND 10; HOWEVER, THE RDPs
MAINTAINED REALLY LOW BELOW
THEIR ACTION LEVEL.
SO BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE SURFACE
AREA IN THERE AND THE MOVEMENT
OF AIR IT REALLY FACILITATED RDP
PLAY-OUT AND EXPOSURE WAS MUCH
LOWER THAN WHAT THE RADON
MEASUREMENT WAS INDICATING.
SO MAIN TAKE AWAYS.
STANDARD RADON MITIGATION
STRATEGIES MAY NOT WORK FOR
CERTAIN MILITARY SPACES AND COST
PROHIBITED FOR LARGE
OCCUPATIONAL BUILDINGS.
REPAIRS AND COST EFFECTIVE AND
QUICK WAY TO SEE IF THAT AIR
VENTILATION SYSTEM IS A CULPRIT,
JUST REMEMBER IF IT IS AN HVAC
REPAIR MAKE SURE THAT SYSTEM
REMAINS FUNCTIONAL AND KEEP IN
MIND ENERGY-SAVING STRATANYINGS
THAT BLOCK FRESH AIR CAN CAUSE
RADON ISSUES THEMSELVES.
MAKE SURE TO RE-TEST EVERY TWO
YEARS IN BUILDINGS THAT HAVE,
AND ESPECIALLY TO TEST EVERY
OCCUPIED ROOM BECAUSE AS WE'VE
SEEN ONE ROOM OR A SECTION OF
ROOMS CAN BE ELEVATED.
RDP MEASUREMENTS PROVIDE ACTUAL
EXPOSURE INFORMATION SO OUR
EXPERIENCE DEMONSTRATED DUE TO
THESE ROBUST AIR HANDLING SYSTEM
S RADON LEVELS CAN BE OVER
THE ACTION LEVEL AND YOU STILL
HAVE RDP EXPOSURE WITHIN THE
WORKING LEVEL OF .02.
THESE MEASUREMENTS CAN BE USED
TO SHOW LOW EXPOSURE BEFORE LIT
IGATION SYSTEMS ARE INSTALLED
OR AS AN ALTERNATE APPROACHES.
AND FINALLY, EVERY BUILDING IS
UNIQUE AND REQUIRES DIAGNOSTICS
AND INVESTIGATION TO PROVIDE THE
BEST AND MOST COST EFFECTIVE
MITIGATION APPROACH.
IT IS NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL.
AND THAT IS MY PRESENTATION HERE
HERE ARE SOME REFERENCES AND I
THINK WE HAVE MAY BE JUST A
COUPLE MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS, IF
THERE ARE ANY.
>> YES, RACHEL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND YES WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
THEY ARE IN THE CHAT IF YOU WANT
TO READ THEM.
FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE VIDEO I
JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THERE
IS A BUTTON THAT YOU CAN ASK THE
QUESTIONS IN THE LIVE WEB CAST.
WE READ THEM FROM THE CHAT
BECAUSE SOMEBODY IS ALSO PUTTING
THEM THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO READ
THEM AND ANSWER THEM.
>> RACHEL: EPA RECOMMENDED
ACTION LEVEL IS FOUR PER LITER
FOR RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURAL
SCHOOLS ET CETERA, SHOULD OFFICE
BUILDINGS FOLLOW OSHAIDES OSHA.
I BELIEVE THE LEVEL 1 PER LITER
AVERAGED OVER A 40 HOUR WORK
WEEK.
SO FOR THE IONIZING RADON
STANDARD FROM WHAT I KNOW THAT
REFERS MORE TO RADIATION THAT
YOU'RE EXPOSED TO NOT JUST RADON
THAT'S COMING FROM THE SOIL.
SO FOR A LEGAL LIMIT, WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL VERSUS
MAY BE OCCUPATIONAL IT COULD BE
DIFFERENT #, SO OCCUPATIONAL 100
PER LITER AVERAGED OVER A 40
HOUR WORK WEEK.
THAT IS A SUBJECTIVE QUESTION.
THAT WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT
THE REQUIREMENTS WOULD SHOW SO
I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT
THE GUIDANCE LEVEL PER LITER IS
REALLY BASED ON RESIDENTIAL AND
NOT FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES
AND THAT IONIZING RADON STANDARD
IS MORE FOR SOURCES OF RADIATION
, NOT SPECIFICALLY TALK
TALKING RADON.
SO UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T REALLY
ANSWER THAT BUT IT IS SOMETHING
TO CONSIDER WHEN TALKING ABOUT
OCCUPATIONAL SPACES.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS A DoD
REQUIREMENT FOR BUILDING IN
RADON SYSTEMS IN NEW
CONSTRUCTION.
DoD FOR TESTING OF EXISTING?
YES, SO THERE IS A DoD
REQUIREMENT.
WE FOLLOW NAVRAMP WHICH IS THE
NAVY AND PROTOCOLS AND THEY DO,
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AN INITIAL
ASSESSMENT AND DEPENDING ON IF
THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR RADON
MEANING IF ONE SPACE HAD
ELEVATED RADON IT WOULD BE A
RADON POTENTIAL CATEGORY ONE AND
AS AN RPC1 THEY SHOULD IMPLEMENT
RADON RESISTANCE NEW
CONSTRUCTION TO ENSURE THERE
ISN'T ANY ELEVATED RADON IN ANY
NEW CONSTRUCTION.
THAT IS ALSO STATE AND LOCAL
SPECIFIC TOO.
SO MAKE SURE TO SEE IF YOUR
STATE HAS A PROGRAM.
THAT MAY REQUIRE SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
>> WE ARE PAST 2:30 SO I DON'T
KNOW IF YOU NEED ME TO STOP.
>> WE'LL DO ONE MORE AND SWITCH
TO THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU.
>> RACHEL: OKAY.
LET ME DO WHY ARE GOVERNMENT
QUARTERS HOUSING WITH FAMILY
TESTING?
SO THEY ARE.
WE, AS CONTRACTORS, WERE HIRED
TO TEST THE NON-RESIDENTIAL
BUILDINGS BUT THE FAMILY AND
HOUSING WERE TESTED BEFORE.
SO I'M SORRY IF I MADE IT SEEM
LIKE THEY WERE NEVER TESTED, I
JUST PERSONALLY WAS TALKING
ABOUT NON-RESIDENTIAL.
OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I WILL PUT MY E-MAIL UP HERE
SO IF THERE IS ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS YOU CAN SEND THEM TO
ME.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU AND WE'LL LET THE
PARTICIPANTS SOMEHOW TRY TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO SEND THOSE
E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO THEM BUT WE
WILL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
WE HAD A QUESTION THAT WE
WERE NOT ABLE, RACHEL, IF YOU
STILL ARE ON-LINE, IF YOU CAN
ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT WE WERE
NOT ABLE TO ANSWER BEFORE.
MANY OF THE RADON MITIGATION
MEASURES SOME FOR OFFICE
PROTOCOLS.
>> RACHEL: HI.
YES.
SIMILAR TO SUGGESTIONS FOR
OFFICE PROTOCOLS SUCH AS AIR
STIMULATION AND FILTRATION DO
SEE RADON AWARENESS AND
MITIGATION POST-COVID.
A LITTLE BIT OF OPINION BASED
TOO.
YES, SO AIR CIRCULATION AND
FILTRATION ARE DEFINITELY ALTERN
ATIVE METHODS AND THEY
COULD BE USED IN THE INTERIM TOO
ANYMORE YOU USE H VAC REPAIR
THESE TYPE OF METHODS JUST MAKE
SURE THAT THE MAINTENANCE CREW
IS AWARE, BECAUSE YOU NEED TO
MAINTAIN WHATEVER YOU PUT IN
PLACE AS PART OF THAT PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE.
# SO THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT,
AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE TO RETEST
EVERY TWO YEARS SO THERE NEEDS
TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE
MAINTENANCE PLAN NO MATTER WHAT
STRATEGY YOU USE.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION
IS IT TYPICALLY MOST APPROPRIATE
FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY STAFF TO
LEAD RADON MITIGATION EFFORTS?
SO UNFORTUNATELY RADON IS A
LITTLE COMPLICATED TAKE, MULTI-
DEPARTMENT APPROACH KIND
OF.
SO YOU DO HAVE THE OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY COMPONENT OF IT BECAUSE
RADON IS A HEALTH HAZARD, BUT IT
ALSO ANY KIND OF MITIGATION
EFFORT NEEDS TO AGAIN BE PUT IN
PLACE YOU NEED TO WORK WITH THE
UTILITIES OR BUILDING MANAGERS
TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER
MITIGATION STRATEGY IS IMPLEMENT
ED IS MAINTAINING AS
PART OF THAT PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE OR IF IT IS A MORE
TRADITIONAL LIKE AN ACTIVE
SYSTEM LIKE ASD THAT'S PUT IN
PLACE THEN YOU NEED TO IN
CORPORATE THAT INTO ENGINEER
ING AND DESIGN AND GET
IT CONSTRUCTED SO IT IS DEFINITE
LY KIND OF A MULL- MULTI
-DEPARTMENT APPROACH.
BUT FOR THE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
AWARENESS AND TRAINING THAT MAY
BE MORE HEALTH AND SAFETY BUT
DEFINITELY FOR MITIGATION
EFFORTS YOU NEED TO INCORPORATE
MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERED
EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO NEXT
PRESENTATION AND AFTER THIS
PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
A 15 MINUTE BREAK.
JAMES WILL COME BACK AS THE
MODERATOR FOR THE LAST
PRESENTATION OF THIS TRACK.
SO THIS NEXT PRESENTATION IS MAN
AGING SUPPLY CHAIN RISK BY
CAROLE MARS.
A 2020 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR
ADVANCED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FOR POLICY FELLOW.
DURING THIS FELLOWSHIP SHE'S
WORKED IN THE OFFICE OF
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
TRANSPORTATIONITION.
HER WORK FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE
POLL CUREMENT AND DoD SUPPLY
CHAINS.
PRIOR TO HER FELLOWSHIP DR. MARS
WAS THE DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION FOR
SUSTAINABILITY CONSORTIUM.
AND SERVED AS THE TECHNICAL
ADVISOR FOR THE COALITION.
DR. MARS EARNED HER PH.D. AT
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN
SERVICE FOR ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
AND HER BACHELORS OF SCIENCE IN
CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ARIZONA.
WITH THAT I LEAVE YOU WITH
CAROLE MARS.
>> CAROLE: HELLO.
CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> CAROLE: PERFECT.
>> PUT UP YOUR SCREEN JUST TO
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKS FINE.
# OKAY HOW DOES THAT LOOK?
>> I CAN SEE IT.
IF YOU CAN PUT IT ON
PRESENTATION MODE THAT WOULD BE
BETTER SO IT IS BIG FOR THE
PEOPLE TO SEE.
>> CAROLE: OKAY IT'S THERE.
>> PUT IT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
I THINK IF YOU GO IN
PRESENTATION MODE IT MIGHT GET A
LITTLE BIGGER.
>> CAROLE: THAT WAS PRESENTATION
MODE.
I DON'T KNOW DID THAT NOT CHANGE
>> I THINK IT COULD BE A LITTLE
BIGGER, IF NOT THAT WOULD BE
OKAY.
>> CAROLE: ALL RIGHT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY
I HAD TO SWAP COMPUTERS SO THIS
WAS NOT THE ONE THAT IT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE ON.
I CAN TRY THIS.
LET'S TRY IT THIS WAY.
>> THAT'S PERFECT.
>> EXCELLENT.
OKAY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
MY NAME IS DR. CAROLE MARS AND
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING
WITH A CHEMICAL MATERIALS RISK
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE OFFICE
OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY RE
SILIENCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE DURING MY FELLOWSHIP.
SO I'M HERE TO TALK TODAY ABOUT
CHEMICAL AND MATERIAL DISCLOSURE
WHY WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT
THIS AND HOW THE DoD IS
APPROACHING THIS TOPIC THROUGH
TO IMPROVE ITS OWN VISIBILITY
INTO ITS OWN SUPPLY CHAINS TO
KNOW WHERE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS WOULD BE.
SO TO HELP FRAME THE
CONVERSATION STARTING WITH SORT
OF A HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE AND
THIS IS THAT THE YOU ARE A
MANUFACTURER OF A COMPLEX
PRODUCT, SAY A LAPTOP, THIS ONE
HAPPENS TO BE DELL, THEY PROVIDE
VERY NICE HUMEANICS WITHIN THEIR
USERS MANUAL.
SO YOU HEAR THAT THE EPA IS
GOING TO REGULATE A CHEMICAL AND
YOU KNOW OR SUSPECT THAT CHEM
ICAL IS IN YOUR LAPTOP AND
YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
BUT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT
THE PARTS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED
YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE USING
KEY COMPONENTS OF YOUR LAPTOP
AND IF THIS CHEMICAL DOES GO
AWAY YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TO
FIND REPLACEMENTS ABOUT THIS AND
THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO ENGAGE
WITH YOUR SUPPLIERS TO FIND OUT
WHERE THESE MATERIALS ARE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CAN'T
PUT TOGETHER A LAPTOP IF YOU
DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE CHEM
ICALS AND SO THAT'S WHY
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT DIS
CLOSURE IS THAT WHILE THAT
MIGHT SEEM A BIT OVER THE TOP
FOR EXAMPLE BUT THIS ACTUALLY
HAPPENED JUST LAST YEAR WHEN THE
USDA PUT A RESTRICTION ON A CHEM
ICAL PIP 3.1, BOTH A FLAME
RETARDANT AND A PLASTICIZER SO
NOT ONLY IF YOUR PARTS OVERHEAT
WILL THEY NOT BURST INTO FLAME
BUT YOU CAN GET FLEXIBLE CABLING
AND CORDS AND CONNECTORS AS WELL
SO VERY USEFUL, USED IN A LOT OF
PLACES.
THE REGULATION WAS NOT A
SURPRISE.
THE PROCESS WENT BY THE BOOK AND
WAS OPEN FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
THERE WERE PLENTY OF EXEMPTIONS
BECAUSE THIS CHEMICAL IS ALSO
KNOWN AS BEING USED AS A
LUBRICANT AND HYDRAULING FLUID
SO ITS PRESENCE AND EXAMPLETIONS
WERE PUT IN PLACE, THE PROBLEM
WAS NOBLE KNEW THIS WAS USED IN
CABLES AND IT WAS A VENDOR WHO
LET THEIR CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT
HEY THIS CHEMICAL GOES AWAY WE
HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO THROUGH THE ENGAGEMENT
INDUSTRY AND USDA HAD DELAYED
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION
BUT IT IS STILL VERY MUCH OUT
THERE AND NOW BECAUSE THERE WAS
THIS FACILITATED INTO THE SUPPLY
CHAIN THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND
CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF DEVICES
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED IF
THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T FIGURE OUT
HOW TO DO THIS.
NOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE WELL PICK
THROUGH ONE MAY NOT HAVE GRABBED
A LOT OF HEADLINE ATTENTION,
CERTAINLY THE PFAS, AND THIS IS
VERY MUCH OF THE SAME SITUATION.
WE HAVE 5,000 PLUS DIFFERENT
MOLECULES THAT CAN BE CLASPED
UNDER PFAS AND THESE ARE THREAT
ENING TO GO AWAY.
THE EUROPEAN UNION IS SERIOUSLY
LOOKING AT BANNING ALL OF THE,
THE WHOLE COMPOUNDS NOT JUST ONE
OR TWO AS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN
BUT BANNING THEM ALL AND WE
DON'T HAVE A WAY TO EFFECTIVELY
TRACK AND IDENTIFY WHERE THESE
CHEMICALS ARE SO WE CAN'T
IDENTIFY WHAT OUR RISK IS.
NOW AS FAR AS THE REGULATIONS
FOR DEPLETING THESE RISKS HERE
IN THE U.S., THE U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WORKS WITH TOSCA WHICH IS THE
TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL ACT AND
THAT IS WHAT ALLOWS THEM TO REG
ULATE.
ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE THE SAME
FUNCTION IS SERVED BY THE
EUROPEAN CHEMICALS AGENCY AND
THEIR RESTRICTION EVALUATION,
AUTHORIZATION AND RESTRICTION OF
CHEMICALS WHICH IS ECHA REG
ULATIONS, THIS IS ENFORCED IN
2007 AND IS MUCH BROADER IN ITS
SCOPE AND ABILITY TO PERMIT, RE
STRICT AND DIFFERENT CHEMICALS
IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET.
NOW BOTH AGENCIES DO MAINTAIN
LISTS OF THE CHEMICALS AND
MATERIALS THEY ARE CONSIDERING,
NOT JUST THE ONES THEY HAVE
ALREADY REGULATED.
SO IN THIS CASE COMPANIES COULD
IN THEORY LOOK AT HOW THOSE
POTENTIALLY REGULATED CHEMICALS
ARE ALREADY IN THEIR SUPPLY
CHAINS AND DEAL WITH THEM IN A
PROACTIVE FASHION AND THIS WILL
COME BACK LATER IN OUR STORY.
SO I NOTE ALSO HERE THERE IS THE
NAME SCIP DATABASE IN NEW YORK,
THE SUBSTANCE OF CONCERN
PRODUCTS DATABASE THAT REQUIRES
MANDATORY OF REPORTING OF CHEM
ICALS THAT MAY BE DEEMED
HAZARDOUS WITHIN THE EUROPEAN
UNION AND THIS IS ACROSS THE
BOARD AND IT WAS ONLY IMPLEMENT
ED LAST YEAR SO WHETHER
OR NOT THIS TYPE OF BROAD MARKET
DISCLOSURE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO
WORK WE HAVE YET TO SEE BUT THEY
ARE COLLECTING A LOT OF
INFORMATION.
AND THESE REGULATIONS WHILE WE
TEND TO FOCUS MOST ON TOSCA AND
BREACH THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO
U.S. AND EUROPEAN.
COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD ARE
REGULATING THEIR MATERIALS AND
HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND LISTS
OF WHAT THEY ARE REGULATING,
DIFFERENT REASONS, DIFFERENT
TESTING.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF VARIATION
OUT THERE, ALL OF WHICH NEEDS TO
BE TRACKED TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE
OUT WHERE YOUR RISK IS.
SO WHAT IS, DISCLOSURE IN THE
U.S. RIGHT NOW.
IT REALLY COMES BACK TO THE
HAZARD DIAMONDS THAT I'M SURE
EVERYONE HERE IS FAMILIAR WITH
OR SEEN ON THE SIDE OF A TRUCK
AS FAR AS MARKETING GOES.
THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
SAFETY DATA SHEETS ARE THE
PRIMARY DISCLOSURE MECHANISMS
WITHIN THE U.S. MANAGED BY OSHA
AND BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, DEPENDING ON
WHERE THE LOCAL IS GOING BUT THE
SAFETY DATA SHEETS WILL GIVE YOU
INFORMATION ON WHAT THE CHEMICAL
IS, PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, WHY IT
WOULD BE HAZARDOUS, WHAT YOU DO
IN CASE OF EXPOSURE.
ALL VERY, VERY IMPORTANT
INFORMATION FOR A WORKPLACE AND
MAKING SURE THAT YOUR WORKERS
ARE STAYING SAFE AND AWARE OF
THE HAZARDS AROUND THEM BUT MAY
BE NOT ALL THAT USEFUL IF YOU'RE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S IN A
COMPONENT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT
IS GOING TO BE REGULATED.
THE INTERNATIONAL VERSION IS
CALLED THE GLOBAL HARMONIZED
SYSTEM.
SO THESE ARE, THIS IS A SINGLE
FORMAT FOR SAFETY DATA SHEETS
GLOBALLY SO THAT REGARDLESS IF
CHEMICALS ARE BEING IMPORTED OR
EXPORTED PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE
SAME INFORMATION OR SIMILAR
INFORMATION IN THE SAME FORMAT
AND TO BE ABLE TO BE USED AND
TRACK HAZARDS.
NOW THE CHALLENGE IS THESE
MECHANISMS/TOOLS USE ALREADY REG
ULATED CHEMICALS.
SO IF SOMETHING HAZARD BEEN REG
ULATED IT IS NOT GOING TO
SHOW UP ON AN SDS.
AND AN SDS A NOT ADEQUATE FOR A
SUPPLY CHAIN RISK.
WHAT THEN?
THE MOVE IS TO THEN MOVE INTO
DISCLOSURE.
THERE IS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT
MULTIPLE ROUTES.
FEDERAL IT IS NOT THERE.
SOMEONE LIKE LED IT IS A REG
ULATED MATERIAL THIS PRODUCT
DOES NOT HAVE LED IN IT.
CONFIRMATION DECLARATION IS THE
FLIP SIDE OF THAT.
OUR PRODUCT MEETS YOUR SPEC
IFICATION.
IF IT IS A PURE LEVEL OR CAN
ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
CONTAMINATION BELOW YOUR .1% OF
THE FORMULATION A COMPANY COMES
IN AND SAYS YES, OUR PRODUCT
MEETS THAT SO YOU DON'T REALLY
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT BE
SIDES DOES IT MEET THE SPECT
NORTH CAROLINA.
AND THEN THE THIRD TYPE AND THIS
IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING TO NOW IS
THE MATERIAL DECLARATION WHICH
IS WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THE
PRODUCT.
AND THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS
THERE.
AND DEPENDING ON HOW YOU
CONSTRUCT YOUR DISCLOSURE
REQUEST CAN TELL YOU WHAT IS
THERE THAT IS BEYOND JUST REG
ULATED CHEMICALS.
FULL DISCLOSURE IS AN EXTREME
END OF THIS WHERE EVERYTHING IS
LISTED.
EVERY CHEMICAL, EVERY ELEMENT,
ALL OF THE WAY DOWN THROUGH ALL
OF THE PRODUCTS AND ALL OF THE
COMPONENTS, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIAL
AND INK THING PROACTIVELY IS
LIKE THAT WOULD BE GREAT, THEN
YOU HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION
AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FIND
THE CHEMICAL THAT'S BEING REG
ULATED AND PREPARE THE LIST
AND RISK MANAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT THAT
SIMPLE WHEN YOU START WORKING AT
THE SUPPLY CHAINS.
SIMPLE SUPPLY CHAINS WE'VE COME
TO THINK ABOUT AS EXTRACTION
MANUFACTURER ASSEMBLY USE DIS
POSAL.
IT IS A CHAIN, IT IS A LINE, BUT
THEN INTO EACH OF THOSE BOXES
COMPANIES NEED MORE MATERIAL AND
SOME OF THEM MAY SUPPLY ANOTHER
VENDOR WHO SUPPLIES A DIFFERENT
SPOT, BUT YOU CAN SEE EVEN IN A
STRAIGHT LINE THIS CAN GET
CHALLENGING VERY QUICKLY IF
YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS
THE CHEMICAL USED IN ONE OF
THOSE GOLD BOXES.
UNFORTUNATELY REALITY IS NOT
THIS SIMPLE AND THE REAL SUPPLY
CHAIN ARE NOW BEING MAPPED OUT
TO LOOK LIKE THIS IS NETWORKS
RATHER THAN A LINEAR CHAIN.
THIS ONE IS AN ELECTRONICS
COMPANY AND IT STARTS FROM THEIR
PERSPECTIVE AT THE CENTER OF THE
LARM BLACK DOT AND SO ALL OF
SMALL DOTS AND ALL OF THE NET
WORK AROUND THEM IS THEIR
SUPPLY NETWORK.
THE CHALLENGE NOW BECOMES HOW DO
YOU FIND OUT WHAT ALL OF THOSE
COMPANIES ARE USING WHEN YOU MAY
NOT EVEN HAVE A DIRECT
CONNECTION TO THEM, SO YOU'LL
HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR SUPPLIER
'S SUPPLIER TO FIND OUT
IF THOSE CHEMICALS ARE THERE AND
IT IS A VERY COMPLEX SYSTEM BUT
IT ALSO IS VERY, WHEN YOU START
TALKING ABOUT CONFIGURATION IT
TAKES A LOT OF RISK INTO THOSE
COMPANIES.
IF ONE OF THOSE DOTS GET KNOCKED
OUT BECAUSE IT IS USING A CHEM
ICAL THAT IS NOW BANNED IT
IS GOING TO BE CREATING CHAOS IN
THE SYSTEM AND COMPANIES ARE A
CUTELY AWARE OF THIS, EVEN WELL
BEFORE # THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO MANAGING THIS RISK IS IN
THEIR INTEREST FOR HOW THEY ARE
MANAGING THEIR PIECES.
FORMAL MATERIAL WOULD BE IDEAL
BUTTOCK LOOKING AT THIS IT
REALLY ISN'T PRACTICAL BUT REG
ULATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
EXIST AND CONTINUE TO POSE RISK
#.
SUPPLY CHAINS AREN'T GETTING ANY
SIMPLER, SO WHAT DO YOU DO.
THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THIS HAS
BEEN PRESENTED.
ONE OF THE CERTAIN CLASSIC
EXAMPLES NOW IS THE INTER
NATIONAL MATERIAL DATA
SYSTEM, SO THIS IS THE AUTO
MOTIVE INDUSTRY'S ANSWER ON
HOW DO YOU DISCLOSE DATA.
SO THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED LIST
BASED DISCLOSURE.
SO THE INDUSTRIES COME TOGETHER,
MADE A BIG LIST OF ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT MATERIALS THAT ARE
ALREADY REGULATED OR HAVE A HIGH
PROBABILITY OF BEING REGULATED
DED AND GO TO THE
SUPPLIER AND SAYS ARE THESE
MATERIALS IN THE COMPONENTS
YOU'VE PROVIDED US.
THEN TIER 1 GOES YES AND YES ON
THESE TWO THINGS BUT WE'LL HAVE
TO GO ASK OUR SUPPLIERS SO THEY
CAN ASK THEIR SUPPLIERS IS IT
THERE AND THEN PROPAGATE ALL OF
THE WAY BACK TO AN EXTRACTION
POINT, COMMODITY EXTRACTION
POINT.
AND THEN THE INFORMATION IS THEN
FED FORWARD THROUGH SORT OF AN
OPPOSITE MECHANISM WHERE
EVENTUALLY THE INFORMATION IS
ROLLED UP TO THE POINT THAT THE
OAM SHOULD KNOW WHETHER OR NOT A
GIVEN MATERIAL OR CHEMICAL IS IN
THEIR FINAL PRODUCT.
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS
PARTICULAR APPROACH IS THAT IT
WORKS BECAUSE EACH SUPPLIER IS
PUTTING IN THEIR INFORMATION THE
SUPPLIER PROVIDES A COMPONENT TO
ONE THE SUPPLIER ONLY HAS TO PUT
THAT INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM
ONCE AND DIFFERENT OEMs CAN BE
GIVEN ACCESS TO IT SO IT DOES
START TO SIMPLIFY AND ADDRESS
SOME OF THIS REPORTING BURDEN AS
WELL.
IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST AD AD
VANCED AND DEVELOPED SYSTEM
AND IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED WITHIN
THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY SO A LOT
OF MOMENTUM AND EFFORT TO MAKE
SURE THIS HAPPENS.
THERE ARE OTHER APPROACHES.
ONE THAT ACTUALLY DO INCORPORATE
CLOSER TO FULL MATERIAL DIS
CLOSURE ON AN AUTOMOBILE
COULD BE QUITE TRICKY BUT
WAL-MART HAS THEIR SUSTAINABLE
COMMITMENT THAT IS REALLY FOCUS
ED ON THEIR FORMULATED GOOD
S.
SHIPPED GOODS, LAUNDRY
DETERGENTS.
PRODUCTS WHERE THE COMPONENT
LIST IS SOMEWHAT BOUNDED SO THAT
THE COMPANY DOING THE PRODUCING,
THE BRAND OWNERS CAN REPORT ON
WHAT'S GOING INTO THEIR PRODUCT
BUT THE WAY WAL-MART HAS IT SET
UP IS THERE IS ACTUALLY A
THIRD PARTY.
SO THE COMPANY REPORTS THE
INFORMATION TO WAL-MART OR TO
THIS THIRD PARTY THAT THEN LOOKS
AT THE DISCLOSURES AND ROLLS A
REPORT TO WAL-MART ABOUT WHERE
THEIR POTENTIAL EXPOSURES ARE
AND WHAT LEVEL OF COMMITMENTS TO
THIS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY ARE
THEY GETTING FROM THEIR VENDORS.
AND SO THIS SOLVES ANOTHER
PROBLEM THAT YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT
IN DISCLOSURE IS THE
CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS
INFORMATION.
WAL-MART NEVER ACTUALLY SEES THE
FORMULATIONS OF THEIR BRAND
SUPPLIERS OF THEIR SUPPLIERS BUT
THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THE
INFORMATION THEY NEED THROUGH
THIS THIRD PARTY MECHANISM.
IT WORKS WELL BUT DEFINITELY ON
A LIMITED SIZE.
A THIRD APPROACH IS COMING OUT
OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FROM
AN IEC STANDARD, SO THIS IS
ANOTHER RISK-BASEDDED APPROACH
THAT IS REALLY ABLE TO SUPPORT
ALL LEVELS OF MATERIAL AND DIS
CLOSURE DEPENDING ON WHAT A
COMPANY IS LOOKING FOR.
THERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES LIKE
SOMEONE LIKE INTELL WHO WILL
ACTUALLY GO OUT AND ASK FOR A
FULL MATERIAL DISCLOSURE FROM
SPECIFIC VENDOR WHOSE ARE SELL
ING PRODUCT CRITICAL
MATERIALS TO THEM.
SO INTELL WILL DEFINITELY WANT
TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING INTO THEIR
SHIP PRODUCTION LINES SO THEY
CAN ASK FOR THAT VERY SPECIFIC
SET OF INFORMATION RATHER THAN
TRYING TO DESCRIBE THE ENTIRE
CIRCUIT BOARD THAT WOULD BE
GOING ON TO.
SO THERE IS WAYS AND APPROACHES
THAT MORE INFORMATION CAN BE
RECEIVED.
AND SO FOR US AT DoD WHY WOULD
THEY BE INTERESTED.
SO EVERYTHING THAT FLIES, FLOATS
OR DRIVES IS DEPENDENT UPON CHEM
ICALS AT SOME POINT.
IN ITS MANUFACTURER, IN ITS
MAINTENANCE, IN ITS MANAGEMENT,
ALL OF THESE THINGS REQUIRE US
TO UNDERSTAND IF SOMETHING IS
REGULATED THIS COULD IMPACT Do
D MISSION READINESS AND THIS
IS NOT A TRIVIAL APPROACH.
SO THE PROGRAM THAT BASICALLY
EXISTS THE EMERGING CHEMICALS
RISK PROGRAM EXISTS TO MANAGE
THIS RISK.
ONE OF ITS PRIMARY FUNCTIONICIZE
TO MANAGE THIS RISK.
THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER THINGS
TOO.
AND WHAT IT ALLOWS IS TO CREATE
RISK MANAGEMENT OPTIONS SUCH AS
SAYING WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR
MATERIAL DISCLOSURE AND PRESENT
IT TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP TO THE E
MERGING CHEMICAL GOVERNANCE
COUNCIL.
SO DoD WE ARE NOW STARTING
THIS CONVERSATION.
IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE
IT IS CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO GET
A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT CHEMICAL
S AND MATERIALS ARE
COMING IN TO OUR SYSTEM AND
WHERE THE RISK LIES IF SOMETHING
GETS BANNED OR REGULATED.
# IF YOU CAN SAY PFAS HAS HAD A
SILVER LINING IT HAS CERTAINLY
BEEN AN UNDERSCORING NEED TO
BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT CHEMICALS
YOU HAVE NOT JUST DOES IT MEET
PERFORMANCE SPECKS.
SO CONSIDERING THE SIZE AND THE
DEPTH OF DoD WHERE DO YOU
START?
SO WHERE WE'RE STARTING IS
REALLY TWO DIFFERENT PIECES.
A POLICY PIECE AND A DATA
MANAGEMENT PIECE.
WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW AND DO
WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GO
AND IDENTIFY WITHIN OUR SUPPLY
CHAINS AND THEN WHAT POLICIES OR
GUIDANCE WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAKE
THAT HAPPEN.
SO THERE IS VERY MUCH AN IN-
DEPTH INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT AND
POLICY PIECE TO THE QUESTION AS
WELL AS COLLABORATION BOTH WITH
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE GSA AS WELL
AS WITH REGULATORS SUCH AS USCPA
AND OSHA.
THEN EVEN IF YOU GET THE POLICY
PIECE SORTED OUT YOU JUST
BROUGHT IN A BUNCH MORE DATA SO
NOW YOU NEED TO MANAGE THAT DATA
IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEWHERE TO
PUT IT AND NO WAY TO USE IT
DOESN'T DO YOU ANY GOOD TO
COLLECT IT.
SO EXISTING, SO THE OTHER PART
OF THIS THAT IS CLOSELY RELATED
TO THE POLICY PIECES IS DATA
MANAGEMENT.
SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE HAVE
AND WHAT SPECIFICATIONS WE NEED,
CAN WE MODIFY SYSTEMS THAT
ALREADY EXIST OR ARE WE GOING TO
HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH TO
START SOMEWHERE ELSE.
NOBODY KNOWS BUT THESE ARE THE
CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE AND ALSO RESOURCES AND
BUDGET TO ACTUALLY MAKE THIS
HAPPEN.
SO THIS IS A LONG-TERM EFFORT
THAT WE ARE GETTING OFF THE
GROUND AND WHILE WE MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO PREVENT OR AVOID ANOTHER
SITUATION LIKE PFAS AT LEAST
WE'LL BE BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL
WITH THOSE ISSUES AS THEY COME
COME UP AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HAS
BEEN AT THIS FOR A DECADE PLUS
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT
LEAST IN THAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME.
THANK YOU AND I AM GLAD TO TAKE
ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION, CAROLE.
AND YES WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM
THE PRESENTATION SO FAR.
THERE ARE MANY MATERIALS THAT
ARE USED IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS,
MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENTS.
FOR SUPPLY CHAIN IT SEEMS WE
NEED TO REVIEW THE PROCESS IN
THE TRAINEES.
AND WE REQUIRE FOR MATERIALS
USED IN THE SMALL AMOUNTS?
>> CAROLE: SO AS FAR AS SMALL
AMOUNTS, AS FAR AS WHAT WE ARE
DOING AT DoD I THINK THAT'S AN
OPEN QUESTION.
WHAT LIMIT LEVELS WE WOULD BE
LOOK AT OR WHAT THRESHOLDS.
I THINK IT WILL PROBABLY ALSO
DEPEND ON WHETHER OR NOT IT IS
BEING REGULATED AND IF A
MATERIAL IS REGULATED AND IT
EFFECTS THE MISSION READINESS
EVEN IN SMALL QUANTITIES I WOULD
SUSPECT IT IS GOING TO NEED TO
BE REVIEWED.
NOW, LIKE I SAID, THIS PROCESS
IS JUST GETTING UNDERWAY.
IT IS GOING TO BE QUITE A WHILE
BEFORE WE REALLY LOOK AT THE DE
TAILS OF WHAT DoD IS GOING
TO BE ASKING FOR.
BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IS JUST
GETTING THIS CONVERSATION GOING.
>> THANK YOU.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS
BUT I DO WANT TO REMIND THE
ATTENDEES ON THE VIDEOCAST THAT
CHAT AVAILABILITY UNFORTUNATELY
IS ONLY FOR US, THE PRESENTERS
AND THE MONITORS OF THE
QUESTIONS, YOU CAN SUBMIT VIA
E-MAIL.
SO THERE WAS AN E-MAIL THAT WAS
SENT TO YOU WHERE YOU CAN SEND
IN YOUR QUESTIONS SO THAT WOULD
BE THE PLACE TO DO IT.
SO NEXT I HAVE A QUESTION
ACTUALLY JUST CAME UP.
SO HOW DO YOU SEE THIS WORKING?
WOULD YOU BE PUTTING THE
REQUIREMENT FOR CHEMICAL OP
ERATIONAL DATA IN MAJOR
CONTRACTS.
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE POTENTIAL
ROUTES THAT WILL BE UNDER
CONVERSATION.
NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE YET.
WE'RE REALLY JUST GETTING ALL OF
THE RELEVANT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
THERE MAY BE WAYS FOR US TO LEV
ERAGE WHAT ALREADY EXISTS
POLICY-WISE OR WHAT'S ALREADY IN
CONTRACTS.
THERE IS ALREADY CONTRACT
LANGUAGE, THAT ALL NEEDS TO BE
EVALUATED AND WE'LL NEED TO
FIGURE THAT OUT BEFORE GOING IN
AND STARTING TO LOOK AT WHETHER
WE WOULD NEED TO CHANGE OR
CHANGE SOMETHING BROADER AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL.
>> OKAY IN ADDITIONING TO THAT I
GUESS WOULD DoD MANAGE THE
DATABASE ON CHEMICALS IN ALL
PRODUCTS/PURCHASES.
>> I REALIZE THIS IS GETTING TO
BE A VERY REDIDN'T ANSWER BUT
THAT IS WE DON'T KNOW YET.
I THINK THAT'S THE IDEAL.
I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND A
LOT MORE ABOUT THE SYSTEM THAT
WE ALREADY HAVE BEFORE WE CAN
JUMP TO WHERE OR HOW THAT ONE
CENTRALIZED DATABASE WOULD BE
BUT I THINK AT LEAST AS WE'VE
BEEN SORT OF ENVISIONING HOW
THIS WILL GO I THINK THAT IS
CERTAINLY AN INSTATE THAT WOULD
BE WELCOME WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
>> ONE MORE QUESTION.
HOW IS DoD CURRENTLY MANAGING
THEIR CHEMICAL DATA?
>> WELL, EACH OF THE SERVICES
MANAGE THEIR INFORMATION BASE ON
THEIR PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.
THE DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
ALSO HAS THEIR OWN PROCESSES AND
SOTES DATABASES THAT MANAGE
THINGS LIKE THE SDSs AND DoD
SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT GETS
BROUGHT IN ABOUT PRECIOUS METALS
OR CHEMICALS, THESE TYPES OF
THINGS.
A LOT OF IT IS REALLY RELATED TO
HUMAN HEALTH SO THERE IS ALSO
DATABASES IN OUR HEALTH
INFORMATION UNDER PERSONAL AND
READINESS THAT HAS INFORMATION
AS WELL.
SO A LOT OF THIS IS BEING
BROUGHT IN BECAUSE OF THE RISK
TO WORKERS IN THE WORKPLACE.
IT IS KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE
RIGHT NOW IS THE SHORT ANSWER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CAROLE AND
THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING FOR
THIS YEAR'S SYMPOSIUM.
REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION.
IT WAS GREAT.
MICHAEL BRUCKNER YOU HAVE
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME AFTER
YOUR PRESENTATION IF YOU DON'T
MIND ANSWERING THAT SO IT CAN BE
HERE.
>> MICHAEL: SURE.
>> DID YOU SEE IT?
>> MICHAEL: I THINK SO.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT
THIS TOOL WILL BE REQUIRED?
>> NO, IT IS ABOUT WE USE SDS
FOR CHEMICALS FOR POTENTIAL USE,
DOES THIS MEAN WE NEED TO USE
THE TOOLS.
>> IC MOOAL: IT IS AN EASY
ANSWER.
THE ANSWER IS NO YOU DO NOT NEED
TO USE THE TOOL.
THE INTENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE
MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES TOOL IS
TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL RE
SOURCE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT
INITIATIVES FROM ACROSS THE
DEPARTMENT FOR A VARIETY OF USER
S SO THIS IS AN OPTIONAL RE
SOURCE THAT IS NOT REQUIRED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH MICHAELISM
MICHAEL.
WITH THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A
13 MINUTE BREAK AND JAMES WILL
BE BACK AS YOUR MODERATOR FOR
THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING
>> WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE
SUSAN BURTON JOINING US FOR A
PRESENTATION ON EPAs PFAS
EFFORT.
DR. BURTON IS THE PFAS LEAD FOR
EPAs LEAD WHERE SHE
COORDINATES PFAS AND ON THE
COUNCIL ON PFAS WHICH PUT
TOGETHER THE PFAS ROADMAP.
IN ADDITION TO HER PFAS ROADMAP
RESPONSIBILITIES DR. BURTSON THE
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT ADVISOR ON
POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT WHERE SHE
PROVIDES LEADERSHIP FOR THE
GROUP ON RESEARCH, PLANNING AND
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT ISSUES IN
THIS POSITION DR. BURDEN SERVED
WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE
ADVISORY POLICY ENGAGEMENT AND
WORK WOULD A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS
TO WORK WITH ORD SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH AND EXPERTISE INTO THE
EPA REGULATIONS, GUIDANCE AND
POLICIES.
DR. BURDEN IS ALSO A MAJOR
RESEARCHER ON OIL AND GAS RE
SOURCES.
DR. BURDEN STARTED HER CAREER AT
EPA IN 2010 AS A PRESIDENTIAL
MANAGEMENT FELLOW, PMF RECEIVING
A PH.D. FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN IN MADISON.
SUSAN TAKE IT AWAY.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
MY NAME IS SUSAN BURDEN WITH EPA
s OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT AND I'M HAPPY TO BE
HERE TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF
THE EPA'S PFAS STRATEGIC ROADMAP
AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE ACTIONS
WE HAVE UNDERWAY ACROSS THE
AGENCY TO ADDRESS PFAS.
I'LL DIVE INTO THE CONTENT OF
THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
THE FIRST PART OF THAT CONTENT
IS EPA'S APPROACH TO TACKLING
PFAS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLES AND GOAL AS
WE MOVE FORWARD TO ADDRESS PFAS
AND SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE
ACTIONS THAT ARE UNDERWAY ACROSS
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
AGENCY.
AND THEN I'LL WRAP UP WITH NEXT
STEP ON ENGAGEMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION AND WE SHOULD
HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR
QUESTIONS AT THE END.
THE EPA COUNCIL OF PFAS WAS
ESTABLISH IN APRIL OF 2021 AT
THE DIRECTION OF MICHAEL REGGEN
TO DEVELOP A BOLD, STRATEGIC,
WHOLE-OF-EPA APPROACH FROM THE
IMPACTS OF PFAS.
THE COUNCIL IS MADE UP OF SENIOR
TECHNICAL AND POLICY FOLKS FROM
ACROSS THE AGENCY INCLUDING EPA
PROGRAM OFFICES AS WELL AS OUR
REGIONAL OFFICES: IT IS CHAIRED
BY THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR
FOR WATER, MRS. FOX AND REGIONAL
ADMINISTRATOR.
I AM ONE OF TWO REPRESENTATIVES
ON THE COUNCIL SO I'VE BEEN
INVOLVED IN BOTH THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP AS WELL
AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT
WORK TO DATE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE COUNCIL
DID WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TO
THINK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC ROAD
MAP WAS TO THINK ABOUT THE
PRINCIPLES AND GOALS WE HAVE
WITHIN EPA FOR ADDRESSING PFAS.
SO I WANT TO START WITH THE
PRINCIPLES FIRST.
WE REALLY TOOK THIS FROM THE
POSITION OF TRYING TO THINK
ABOUT PFAS MORE HOLISTICLY AND
THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED TO THE
AGENCY.
WE HAVE FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR
ADDRESSING PFAS.
THE POINT OF MANUFACTURER
THROUGH THE POINT OF USE AND
POTENTIAL RELEASES TO THE
ENVIRONMENT ALL OF THE WAY
THROUGH THE DESTRUCTION OF PFAS
AND PFAS CONTAINING MATERIALS.
THE SECOND PRINCIPLE IS TO
REALLY GET-UPSTREAM OF THE
PROBLEM.
PFAS IS A PERSISTENT CHEMICAL
AND ALSO A MAN-MADE CHEMICAL.
SO FROM THOSE PERSPECTIVES IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO
WHAT WE CAN TO FOCUS OUR
ATTENTION ON PREVENTING PFAS
FROM ENTERING THE ENVIRONMENT IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE IS TO HOLD
POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE SO WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE HOLDING
POLLUTERS AND OTHER RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTIONS
AND FOR PFAS REMEDIATION EFFORT.
THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE IS ENSURING
SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING.
EPA IS REALLY COMMITTED TO
MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE BASED
ON THE BEST SCIENTIFIC
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE
AVAILABLE TO US.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO INVEST IN
RESEARCH TO FILL THE GAPS THAT
WE HAVE IN OUR CURRENT
UNDERSTANDING OF PFAS SO THAT WE
CAN HAVE THAT SOLID SCIENTIFIC
FOUNDATION FOR INFORMING THE
DECISIONS THAT THE AGENCY HAS TO
MAKE.
AND THEN OUR FIFTH PRINCIPLE IS
PRIORITIZING THE PROTECTION OF
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES SO
WHEN EPA IS TAKING ACTION TO
ADDRESS PFAS WE'RE DOING SO TO
ENSURE DISADVANTAGES COMMUNITIES
HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO
SOLUTIONS.
SO THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE KIND
OF OVERALL I THINK HELP TO
DEMONSTRATE HOW WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS PFAS.
SO WE HAVE THREE GOALS THE THREE
Rs, RESEARCH, RESTRICT AND RE
MEDIATE.
SO RESEARCH OF COURSE IS ABOUT
INVESTING IN RESEARCH,
DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION TO IN
CREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING IN
PFAS EXPOSURES AND EFFECTS BOTH
HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL
EFFECTS.
AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTANDING OUR
INCREASING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
HOW WE CAN ADDRESS PFAS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT OR PREVENT PFAS FROM
ENTERING THE ENVIRONMENT.
RESTRICTING IS ABOUT PURSUING A
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO
PROACTIVELY PREVENT PFAS FROM
ENTERING AIR, LAND AND WATER AT
LEVELS THAT CAN ADVERSELY EFFECT
HUMAN HEALTH IN THE ENVIRONMENT
AND THEN THAT FINAL R IS RE
MEDIATE AND THAT AGAIN IS
ABOUT BROADENNING AND ACCEL
ERATING CLEANUP OF EXISTING
PFAS CONTAMINATION.
SO WITH THAT BACKDROP IN MIND I
WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PIVOT TO
TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS
THAT ARE UNDERWAY ACROSS EPA.
SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A
SERIES OF SLIDES THAT'S GOING TO
HAVE A LOT OF ACTIONS ON THEM
AND I WANT TO JUST KIND OF TAKE
A MINUTE AND POINT OUT THAT ALL
OF THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE
STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK IN DEPTH
ABOUT EACH OF THE ACTIONS I'M
ONLY GOING TO PICK A COUPLE ON
EACH SLIDE TO TALK IN A LITTLE
MORE DETAIL ABOUT OUR TOUR OF
THE AGENCY'S OFFICE IS GOING TO
START WITH OFFICE OF CHEMICAL
SAFETY AND POLLUTION AND
PREVENTION.
MOST OF THIC AS ARE UNDER THE
TOXIC SUBSTANCE OR TSCA.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FIRST
AND LAST BULLETS ON THIS SLIDE.
THE FIRST IS THE NATIONAL PFAS
TESTING STRATEGY.
SO THIS STRATEGY WAS RELEASED IN
OCTOBER WITH THE STRATEGIC ROAD
MAP AND IT IS REALLY AN
APPROACH THAT EPA'S OFFICE OF
CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION
PREVENTION IS USING TO HELP
PRIORITIZE PFAS FOR TOXICITY
TESTING THAT THEY CAN COMPEL
MANUFACTURERS TO DO UNDER TSCA.
AND SO THE INTERESTING THING
ABOUT THIS STRATEGY IS IT DOES A
COUPLE THINGS.
IF YOU GO TO THE LINK THAT YOU
SEE ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF
YOU YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE
STRATEGY BUT IT KIND OF WALKS
YOU THROUGH A COUPLE DIFFERENT
THINGS.
SO ON THE FIRST PART OF IT TALKS
ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PFAS
CATEGORIES SO AS PART OF THIS
STRATEGY WHAT EPA DID WAS TAKE
THE LARGER CLASS OF PFAS, WHICH
CAN HAVE THOUSANDS OF CHEMICAL
STRUCTURES IN IT AND BROKE IT
DOWN INTO SMALLER GROUPS OF PFAS
ORE PFAS CATEGORIES WHERE YOU
HAVE SIMILAR CHEM CHEMICAL
STRUCTURES WITHIN THOSE
CATEGORIES.
AND THEN IN A SEPARATE EFFORT WE
HAVE BEEN AND YOU'VE HEARD THIS
I THINK EARLIER HERE TODAY WE
HAVE HAD EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO
CURATE EXISTING INFORMATION ON
PFAS.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF DATA CURE
ATION EFFORTS ON PFAS
TOXICITY AND DATA SO WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT
WE'VE CURATED, COMPARE IT TO THE
PFAS CATEGORIES THAT HAVE BEEN
CREATED AND WE CAN LOOK AND SEE
WHERE WE HAVE ACTUAL TOXICITY
DATA FOR PFAS.
SO WHICH CATEGORIES DO WE HAVE
MORE TOXICITY DATA IN, VERSUS
WHICH ONES DO WE HAVE LESS AND
THAT WAY WE CAN TARGET THOSE
PFAS CATEGORIES FOR WHICH WE
HAVE LESS DATA AND WE CAN USE
OUR TSCA AUTHORITIES TO HELP GEN
ERATE THAT DATA.
THE OTHER INTERESTING THING
ABOUT THE TESTING STRATEGY IS IT
DOES OUTLINE A TIERED TESTING
APPROACH SO THAT YOU CAN DO
CERTAIN TESTING BEFORE YOU WOULD
DO OTHER TESTING.
SO YOU CAN USE THE RESULTS OF
THAT INITIAL TESTING TO HELP
DETERMINE WHAT ADDITIONAL
TOXICITY TESTING MIGHT BE THE
MOST APPROPRIATE TO HAVE HAPPEN.
SO THE FINAL BULLET ON THIS
SLIDE IS THE SECOND ACTION,
FINALIZING A NEW REPORTING RULE
UNDER TSCA SECTION EIGHT.
BACK IN JUNE OF 2021EPA PROPOSED
A RULE THAT WOULD REQUIRE REPORT
ING ON PFAS USES,
PRODUCTION VOLUMES, DISPOSAL
APPROACHES, EXPOSURES AND
HAZARDS FOR PFASES THAT HAVE
BEEN MANUFACTURERRED IN ANY YEAR
SINCE JANUARY 1 OF 2011.
THAT PROPOSAL WENT OUT FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE UBPLIC COMMENT PERIOD HAS
CLOSED.
EPA IS IN THE PROCESS OF CON
VENING A REVIEW PANEL, WHICH
WILL ALSO HELP US DEVELOP WHAT
THAT FINAL RULE LOOBS LIKE SO
WE'LL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BOTH THE
REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS AS WELL AS
THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AS WE
CONTINUE TO FINALIZE THAT
SECTION EIGHT REPORTING RULE.
THE OFFICE OF WATER OF COURSE
HAS A LOT OF ACTIONS UNDERWAY.
THERE IS ACTIVITY BOTH RELATED
TO THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT
AS WELL AS THE CLEAN WATER ACT
SO I'LL TALK ABOUT A COUPLE
ACTIONS FOR EACH OF THOSE
DIFFERENT STATUTE.
THE FIRST ACTION IS THE FIRST ON
THE SCREEN THAT IS TO UNDER TAKE
NATIONWIDE MONITORING FOR DRINK
ING WATER.
SO AT THE END OF LAST CALENDAR
YEAR EPA ISSUED THE FINAL UNREG
ULATED CON CONTAMINANT UNIT
NUMBER FIVE AND THAT RULES
REQUIRES MONITORING FOR 29
DIFFERENT PFASES IN PUBLIC WATER
SYSTEMS.
EPA IS USING THIS CALENDAR YEAR
TO WORK WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO
GET EVERYONE PREPARED TO DO THE
MONITORING SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN
2023, SO NEXT YEAR. THE SECOND
IS DRINKING WATER REGULATION.
WE MADE A POSITIVE DETERMINATION
UNDER THE SAFE DRINKING WATER
ACT TO REGULATE PFAS, PROBABLY A
YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO NOW AND
THAT HAS INITIATED THE PROCESS
TO DEVELOP THE PRIMARY DRINKING
WATER REGULATION FOR THOSE TWO
PFASES.
EPA HAS FOUR SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT DOCUMENTS UNDER REVIEW
WITH OUR SCIENCE ADVISORY REVIEW
TWO ARE HEALTH DOCUMENTS FOR PFO
A AND PFOS.
SO WE'LL RECEIVE PEER REVIEW
COMMENTS FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD
USED TO REVISE THOSE SCIENTIFIC
SUPPORT DOCUMENTS.
WE ARE PLANNING TO ISSUE A PRO
POSED RULE BY THE END OF THIS
CALENDAR YEAR FOR PFOA AND PFOS.
I'M GOING TO SWITCH TO TALK
ABOUT THE ACTIVITY UNDER THE
CLEAN WATER ACT.
SO THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT IS I THINK THE ROUGHLY
FIFTH BULLET DOWN ON RESTRICTING
PFAS DISCHARGES FROM INDUSTRIAL
SOURCES.
SO REMEMBER EPA IS WORKING TO
TRY AND REDUCE PFAS FROM GETTING
IF TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE ACTIONS THAT
CAN HELP US DO THAT.
SO WE HAVE AUTHORITIES THROUGH
OUR AFFLUENT LIMITATIONS
GUIDELINES PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS
US TO PUT RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT
DISCHARGES FROM DIFFERENT
INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES LOOK LIKE.
SO WE HAVE TARGETED TWO
INDUSTRIAL SOURCE CATEGORIES FOR
SOME INITIAL ACTIVITY.
THE FIRST SOURCE CATEGORY IS THE
ORGANIC CHEMICALS, PLASTICS AND
SYNTHETICS FIBERS CATEGORY,
WHICH IF YOU HEARD LINDA GAINS'
PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS MORN
ING SHE GAVE A REALLY NICE
OVERVIEW OF THE USES OF PFAS.
WHICH REALLY HELPS CONNECT WHY
THOSE DIFFERENT KIND OF WHY
THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ALL
WOULD BE PART OF THIS FIRST
ACTION.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE THAT WE
HAVE IS METAL FINISHING, WHICH
WE'VE TALK ABOUT THE CHROMIUM
PLATING, SO THE METAL FINISHING
CATEGORY IS THE SECOND ACTION OR
THE SECOND INDUSTRIAL SOURCE
CATEGORY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT
UNDER THE A FLUENT LIMITATIONS
GUIDELINE PROGRAM.
THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO HIGH
LIGHT IS THE IMPROVEMENT OF
ANALYTICAL METHODS.
SO EPA HAS BEEN WORKING OVER
SEVERAL YEARS TO DEVELOP VAL
IDATED METHODS FOR MEASURING
PFAS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE MANY METHODS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE BEEN WORK
ING TO EXPAND KIND OF THE
METHODS WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR
DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
ONE WAY IN WHICH WE'VE DONE THAT
IS TO RELEASE RIGHT NOW WHAT'S
THE DRAFT METHOD 1633 THAT WAS
RELEASED LAST YEAR.
IT COVERS ROUGHLY I THINK ABOUT
40 DIFFERENT PFAS AND ALSO SOILS
AND SEDIMENTS AND AS WELL AS
FISH TISSUE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR COLLEAGUE
S CURRENTLY AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO DO A
MULTI-LABORATORY VALIDATION STUD
Y OF THAT AND WE EXPECT TO
HAVE THAT STUDY DONE BY THE END
OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
THEN WE HAVE THE OFFICE OF LAND
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE
OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION HERE
ON THIS SLIDE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES
WITHIN THE OFFICE OF LAND AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SOME ACTIVITY UNDER CERCLA AND
SOME UNDER RCRA.
MOST FOLKS HERE ARE PROBABLY
WITH THE EFFORTS TO DESIGNATION
AS HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES UNDER CE
RCLA WITH THE OFFICE OF
MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET FOR THE
INTERAGENCY REVIEW UNDER
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12866.
ONCE THAT REVIEW IS CONCLUDED I
WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THE
PUBLICATION OF THAT PROPOSED
RULE IN THE FEDERAL REGISTRAR.
THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO HIGH
LIGHT IS THE INTERIM
GUIDANCE ON DESTRUCTION AND DIS
POSAL OF PFAS AND PFAS
CONTAINING MATERIALS, WHICH IS
THAT THIRD BULLET DOWN.
SO BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020 EPA
ISSUED LET'S SAY FIRST ADDITION
OF THE INTERIM GUIDANCE, THAT
WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE FY20
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
ACT WHICH DIRECTED EPA TO
DEVELOP INTERIM GUIDANCE ON THE
DESTRUCTION AND DISPOSAL OF PFAS
AND THEN MDAA ALSO REQUIRES US
TO UPDATE THAT INTERIM GUIDANCE
AT LEAST EVERY THREE YEARS.
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF YOU
KNOW PLANNING FOR THAT NEXT UP
DATE OF THE GUIDANCE, PLANNING
FOR THAT TO BE DONE BY THE END
OF 2023.
AND THEN WITHIN THE OFFICE OF
AIR AND RADIATION THEY'VE BEEN
WORKING TO BUILD THE TECHNICAL
FOUNDATION TO ADDRESS PFAS AND
AIR ADMISSIONS.
SO THIS INCLUDES DEVELOPING
METHODS FOR MEASURING PFAS.
IN ORD WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH
TARGETED METHODS AS WELL AS NON-
TARGETED METHODS FOR PFAS
AIR EMISSIONS.
WE ALSO REALIZED IT IS IMPORTANT
TO CHARACTERIZE SOURCES OF AIR E
MISSIONS, PFAS AIR EMISSIONS
AND THEN ALSO IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT CONTROL
TECHNOLOGIES AND HOW EFFECTIVE
THOSE TECHNOLOGIES ARE AT
CONTROLLING PFAS AIR EMISSIONS.
WITHIN OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE THREE KEY
ACTIONS UNDER THE STRATEGIC ROAD
MAP.
THE FIRST OF COURSE IS TO
DEVELOP AND VALIDATE METHODS FOR
DETECTING AND ERGS AMING PFAS IN
THE ENVIRONMENT.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE
EFFORTS UNDERWAY THERE.
PERHAPS THE ONE APPROACH THAT I
HAVEN'T MENTIONED YET IS WE ARE
EXPLORING AND WORKING TO DEVELOP
METHODS FOR I'M GOING TO SAY
TOTAL PFAS SO WE HAVE A DRAFT AB
SORBABLE WORKING WITH THE
OFFICE OF WATER TO EXPLORE
WHETHER OR NOT THAT METHOD IS
READY FOR SOME KIND OF
LABORATORY VALIDATION STUDY.
THE SECOND KEY ACTION THAT WE
HAVE GOING ON IN THE OFFICE OF
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IS TO
ADVANCE THE SCIENCE TO ASSESS
HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL
RISK FROM PFAS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF RESEARCH IN
THIS EFFORT.
THERE IS A FEW BULLETS ON THE
SCREEN HERE ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
EFFORTS.
PROBABLY THE ONE THAT I GET ASK
ED ABOUT THE MOST IS ARE THE
IRIS ASSESSMENTS.
SO UNDER ORD'S IRIS PROGRAM
WE'RE DEVELOPING IRIS ASSESS
MENTS FOR FIVE DIFFERENT
PFASES.
WE RELEASED ONE OF THE DRAFT
ASSESSMENTS LAST YEAR FOR PFBA,
SINCE THAT POINT PFBA HAS UNDER
GONE A PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD AND REVIEW AND ADDRESS
THOSE COMMENTS AND DEVELOP THE
FIVE FINAL ASSESSMENTS THIS YEAR
THE OTHER ARE IN DEVELOPMENT AND
WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE DRAFTS OF
ALL FOUR OF THOSE ASSESSMENTS
RELEASED THIS YEAR FOR PUBLIC
AMOUNT CA.
WE HAVE ALREADY RELEASED THE
DRAFT ASSESSMENT FOR PFASA
CURRENTLY OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
NOW.
THAT FINAL ACTION FOR US IS TO
EVALUATE AND DEVELOP TECHNOLOG
IES FOR REDUCING PFAS
IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO IN MANY WAYS SOME OF ORDs
EFFORTS ARE FOCUSOND COLLECTING
AND GENERATING DATA THAT CAN BE
USED TO INFORM THE NEXT VERSION
OF THE DESTRUCTION AND DISPOSAL
GUIDANCE AND THEN ALSO
SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS AFTER THAT.
WE ALSO ARE TRYING TO TAKE SOME
OF THE CONCEPTS FROM PFAS
CATEGORIES AND REALLY HELP PFAS
CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED
AND ARE BEING USED TO KIND OF
PRIORITIZE DECISIONS ABOUT
TOXICITY TESTING AND INK THING
ABOUT HOW WE CAN APPLY THOSE
KINDS OF CATEGORIES TO OTHER
DECISION CONTEXT.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT CAN WE
DEVELOP PFAS CATEGORIES BY
DIFFERENT REMOVAL TECHNOLOGIES,
WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO
UNDERSTAND WHICH PFAS ARE MOST
LIKELY REMOVED BY WHICH TECH
NOLOGIES AND THEN CAN ALSO
HELP US UNDERSTAND IF WE HAVE
GAPS.
ARE THERE PFAS WHERES WE DON'T
THINK THESE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY
ERIZE GOOD ENOUGH TO
REMOVE THOSE PFAS FROM A
PARTICULAR WASTESTREAM.
IF WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE GAPS
THAT CAN HELP US TARGET RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN
THAT AREA.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL ACTIONS
ACROSS THE AGENCY THAT ARE WHAT
WE CALL CROS-PROGRAM ACTIONS,
WHICH CLEARLY HAVE TO DO WITH
THE ENGAGEMENT OF DIFFERENT
PROGRAM OFFICES ACROSS EPA.
HERE WE ARE WORKING TO ENGAGE
DIRECTLY WITH AFFECTED
COMMUNITIES AND EVERY EPA REGION
SO THAT WE CAN HEAR HOW PFAS CON
TAMINATION HAS AFFECTED
PEOPLE'S LIVES AND THEIR
LIVELIHOODS.
WE'RE ALSO USING OUR ENFORCEMENT
TOOLS TO BETTER IDENTIFYQUAL
ADDRESS PFAS RELEASES AT
DIFFERENT FACILITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AS APPROPRIATE.
THEN, WE'RE USING PUBLIC, WE'RE
WORKING TO ACCELBRATE PUBLIC
HEALTH PROTECTIONS BY
IDENTIFYING PFAS CATEGORIES.
SO I'VE ALREADY TALK ABOUT THE
CONCEPT OF PFAS CATEGORIES BUT
WHAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO
DO AT THE BIG-PICTURE LEVEL IS
TO MOVE FROM A CHEMICAL BY CHEM
ICAL APPROACH TO EVALUATING
AND ADDRESSING PFAS, MOVING FROM
THAT CHEMICAL BY CHEMICAL
APPROACH TO GROUPS OF PFAS OR
ADDRESSING GROUPS OF PFAS AT A
TIME.
THAT IS WHY THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PFAS CATEGORYICIZE SUCH A
PRIORITY WITHIN THE AGENCY.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO ESTABLISH
A PFAS VOLUNTARY STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM.
THAT WOULD CHALLENGE INDUSTRY TO
GO ABOVE AND BEYOND EXISTING REG
ULATIONS TO REDUCE OVERALL
RELEASE OF PFAS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT.
WE CONTINUE, AS ALWAYS, TO
EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE
RISKS OF PFAS SO MAKING SURE
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT PFAS ARE,
HOW THEY ARE USED AND WHAT THE
POTENTIAL HUMAN HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT ARE.
AND THEN FINELY WE'VE COMMITTED
TO ISSUING AN ANNUAL PUBLIC
REPORT ON THE PROGRESS TOWARDS
THE COMMITMENTS WE'VE MADE IN
THIS STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
AND QUICKLY, FOR THE NEXT STEPS,
EPA IS COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENT,
EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE ENGAGE
MENT WITH ALL OF OUR
STAKEHOLDERS AS WE CONTINUE TO
IMPLEMENT THE ACTIONS IN THE
STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
WE HAVE A NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
EFFORT THAT'S UNDERWAY.
ONCE THE ROADMAP WAS RELEASED WE
HAD NATIONAL WEB NARS IN OCTOBER
AND NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR TO PRE
SENT THE ROADMAP TO A VARIETY
OF GROUPS.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING STAKEHOLDER
LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE WE'VE
BEEN BREAKING DIFFERENT GROUPS
ON THE CONTENT OF THE ROADMAP.
WE'VE BEEN HEARING FEEDBACK FROM
THOSE GROUPS ON THE CONTENT AND
WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AGAIN, WE HAVE A FOCUS IMPACTED
COMMUNITY SO WE'LL BE GOING OUT
TO EPA'S REGIONS AND MEETING
WITH AFFECTED COMMUNITIES WITHIN
THOSE REGIONS.
# SO WE KNOW THAT THE ACTIVITIES
IN THE ROAD MAP AREN'T GOING TO
SOLVE OUR ISSUES OVERNIGHT BUT
WE ARE WORKING TO ACCELERATE OUR
ABILITY TO ADDRESS PFAS AND WE
WANT TO DO THAT BY HARNESSING
THE COLLECTED RESOURCES AND
AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE FEDERAL,
TRIBAL, STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT SO WE CAN MAKE
APPRECIATABLE GAINS ON ADDRESS
ING PFAS.
SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO STOP
NOW AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME IN.
>> JAMES: THANKS A LOT.
THERE IS A QUESTION POSTED IN
THE CHAT.
>> THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS.
CAN YOU SEE THEM DR. BURDEN.
HOW IS DISPOSAL OF THE AFFF USED
BY FIRE DEPARTMENTS TRACKED?
AFFF IS RELEASED ON ALL TYPES OF
LOCATIONS AND FIRES.
IS THE ECO FRIENDLY SAFER WHEN
IT CONTAINS PFAS?
SO DISPOSAL OF AFFF USED BY FIRE
DEPARTMENTS TRACKED.
I AM NOT SURE HOW THAT IS TRACK
ED.
I WOULD IMAGINE IF THAT IS BEING
TRACKED IT WOULD BE TRACKED MORE
AT THE LOCAL OR STATE LEVEL.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PROGRAMS
WITHIN EPA THAT ARE TRACKING THE
DISPOSAL OF AFFF.
ECO FRIENDLY AFFF SAFER?
I GUESS IT IS ALL IN YOUR
DEFINITION ON WHAT YOU CONSIDER
SAFER TO BE.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME STUDIES
UNDERWAY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT BOTH THE HUMAN HEALTH AND
EKE LOGICAL EFFECTS MIGHT BE FOR
PFAS ALTERNATIVE AFFFs.
I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME
WORK BY THE NATIONAL TOXICOLOGY
PROGRAM.
I KNOW THAT DoD PROGRAM HAS
FUNDED STUDIES ON EKE ECOLOGICAL
EFFECTS.
I THINK THERE IS STILL A LOT OF
SCIENCE BEING DONE WITHIN THAT
REALM.
ALL RIGHT NEXT QUESTION.
HAS EPA PUBLISHED ANY UPDATES ON
THE DETECTION LIMIT OF PFOS OR P
FOA FROM WASTEWATER AND THE
STATE LANDFILLS?
OKAY SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
AT THE POINT, AT THIS POINT EPA
'S OFFICE OF WATER IS CONDUCT
ING A RISK ASSESSMENT OF
PFOA AND PFOS IN BIOSOLIDS SO
WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND
REALLY DEVELOP WHAT THAT RISK
LEVEL WOULD BE AND THEN DEPEND
ING ON WHAT THAT RISK
ASSESSMENT MEANS AND SAYS WOULD
DETERMINE WHAT ACTIONS WE WOULD
TAKE MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT IS STILL ON-GOING WORK.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING IN
REFERENCE TO PFAS FOUND/NOT
FOUND IN COMMUNITIES?
DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHERE
YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT WE OFTEN HEAR FROM
COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE HAVE
BEEN KNOWN RELEASES OF PFAS TO
THE ENVIRONMENT, GENERALLY
THROUGH THINGS LIKE FIRE FIGHT
ING TRAINING SITES OR
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND THAT
THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE
IS CONCERN IN THE SURROUNDING
COMMUNITY ABOUT DRINKING WATER
CONTAMINATION ALSO GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINATION, ABOUT POTENTIAL
AGRICULTURE CONTAMINATION AND WE
HAVE HEARD AT LEAST I HAVE HEARD
A LOT OF FRUSTRATION FROM THOSE
COMMUNITIES ABOUT SLOWNESS OF
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN MANY
CASES TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS
OR TO TAKE ACTION TO REMEDIATE
THOSE SITES.
THAT IS LARGELY WHAT I'VE BEEN
HEARING.
>> THERE IS ONE MORE QUESTION
AND I'M ABOUT TO PASTE IT IN THE
CHAT, BUT WOULD THE PREFERRED
METHOD OF PFAS CONTAMINATED SOIL
BY IN CONSIDERATION?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION AND
IT IS ONE WITHOUT AN EASY ANSWER
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA ON
INCINERATION ON PFAS.
IN THEORY YOU CAN INCINERATE
PFAS IN THAT YOU CAN HEAT IT UP
HIGH ENOUGH AND FOR LONG ENOUGH
THAT YOU WOULD BREAK THOSE
CARBON FLORRIC BONDS.
THE CONCERN HAS BEEN EVEN IF YOU
BREAK THOSE BONDS THERE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR OTHER PFAS TO KIND
OF REFORM DURING THE IN
CINERATION PROCESS.
SO REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
IF YOU REALLY COMPLETELY DESTROY
ED PFAS THROUGH IN
CINERATION PROCESS AND YOU'RE
NOT CREATING SOME OTHER KIND OF
EMISSION THAT YOU WOULD THEN
HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
>> JAMES: SUSAN THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR ALL OF THIS REALLY TIME
LY INFORMATION ON ALL OF EPA
'S ACTIVITIES IN 30 MINUTES.
THAT WAS -- .
>> IT IS A WORLD-WIND TOUR.
>> JAMES: HOLD ON TO YOUR SEAT
WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> JAMES: THANK YOU.
ROB SEIFERT, ARE YOU ON, SIR.
>> ROB: I SURE AM.
>> JAMES: GREAT.
SO MR. ROB SEIFERT IS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE SAUCE OF SUB
SERVICE CLOSURE AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
SIDE NOTE HE IS ALSO MY BOSS.
HE HAS SERVED IN THE EM PROGRAM
FOR 29 YEARS STARTING IN 1993.
MR. SEIFERT HAS HELD A NUMBER OF
TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT
POSITIONS AS BOTH A CONTRACTOR.
MR. SEIFERT JOINS THE DOE
HEADQUARTERS TEAM IN 2014 AS THE
DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF REGULATORY
COMPLIANCE WITH A DEGREE IN
CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY FROM
MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY.
WELCOME.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR POWERPOINT HAND
Y?
>> ROB: YES, I SURE DO.
WE READY TO SHARE THE SCREEN.
AND I THINK I'M THE LAST SPEAKER
OF THE DAY.
, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> JAMES: YOU ARE.
>> ROB: SO I STAND IN THE WAY OF
EVERYBODY AND HAPPY HOUR.
LET'S SEE HERE.
I'M NOT FINDING IT.
HANG ON JUST A QUICK SECOND.
FOR SOME REASON MY SYSTEM HAS
DECIDED NOT TO COOPERATE.
HANG ON.
WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
IT WORKED IN PRACTICE.
HERE WE GO.
GREAT.
CAN YOU SEE IT.
>> JAMES: YEP.
>> ROB: OUTSTANDING.
OKAY.
WELL THANK YOU FOR THE
INVITATION TO SPEAK TODAY.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS AN INCREDIBLY
TIMELY FOR ME TO FOLLOW SUSAN'S
PRESENTATION THE WORK THAT WE
ARE DOING AS ARE ALL OF THE VAR
IOUS AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS
ARE REALLY TRYING TO COLLABORATE
TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS
ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING REGARD
ING PFAS.
WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT ONE
OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES REALLY IS
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND
FORMING THOSE IN TWO STUDY
QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT IS
MORE THAN JUST WHAT WE'RE SEEING
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE
BOARD WE'RE ALL IN SOME RESPECTS
RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK TO TRY
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AD
VANCING THE SCIENCE,
UNDERSTANDING THE TOXICOLOGICAL
EFFECTS AND ESTABLISHING THE
RIGHT CLEANUP VALUES AND LEVELS
AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS
REMEDIATION AND DISPOSAL TECH
NOLOGIES TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUES.
I WILL HAVE TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN
PROBABLY THE MOST COLLABORATIVE
PROJECT I'VE EVER WORK ON.
AS A MATTER OF FACT I JUST GOT
OUT OF A MEETING A LITTLE BIT A
GO WHERE, GOSH, I GUESS MAYBE
13 OR 14 DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND
DEPARTMENTS WERE REPRESENTED ON
A TASKFORCE YOU KNOW CHARGED
WOULD TRYING TO IDENTIFY CLEANUP
AND DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVES FOR A
NATIONAL POLICY PERSPECTIVE OF
WHICH EPA IS A MAJOR PART OF.
AND YOU KNOW ALONG THOSE LINES
YOU KNOW IT IS NOT ONLY JUST AN
INNERAGENCY COLLABORATION EFFORT
THIS HAS BEEN ONE WHERE WE'VE
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO
OUR STATE REGULATORY PARTNERS AS
WELL AS THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS
, LOCAL COMMUNITY
LEADERS AND TRAVEL GOVERNMENTS.
THE INTEREST IS UBIQUITOUS.
NOW FIND BOOKS EVERYWHERE ACROSS
THE NATION WHO ARE HEARING
THINGS AND WANTING TO KNOW AND
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT BEEN ONE OF
POINTING FINGERS AND TRYING TO
ASSESS ANY KIND OF BLAME FOR
ANYTHING IT REALLY HAS BEEN A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO TRY TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE FACING.
AND HOW TO SOLVE IT.
ACROSS THE BOARD WE'RE ALL
TAKING IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A
SENSE OF URGENCY IN TRYING TO
GET OUR ARMS AROUND WHAT WE'RE
FACED WITH, WHAT OUR INVENTORIES
ARE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE
ENVIRONMENT AND HOW THAT MIGHT
BE IMPACTING OUR WORKFORCE AND
CERTAINLY THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES
THAT ARE AROUND OUR VARIOUS
SITES.
SO ALONG THOSE LINES THE DAOF
ENERGY HAS EMBARKED ON AN EFFORT
TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY
WHAT'S IN PLAY TO GET A SENSE
AND HANDLE ON WHAT OUR CURRENT
INVENTORIES ARE AS WELL AS TO
TRY TO ESTABLISH SOME EARLY
POLICIES TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE BEING PROTECTIVE OF
HUMAN HEALTH ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THIS SLIDE A
COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT
WE'VE DONE TO THIS POINT, ONE IS
TO RELEASE A PFAS POLICY MEMO
FROM THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S
OFFICE.
I'LL GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT
IN A MOMENT.
ANOTHER IS TO DEVELOP A PFAS
ROADMAP AND THIS IS BASED UPON
THE EPA ROADMAP.
IT IS TEMPLATED AFTER THAT, THE
INTENT IS TO ESTABLISH SOME NEAR
-TERM ACTIONS THE DEPARTMENT
CAN TAKE TO TRY TO YOU KNOW,
AGAIN TO BETTER ASSESS AND FORM
ULATE THE RIGHT STEPS TO
ADDRESS THE PFAS ISSUES.
THEN THE LAST THING THAT THE,
THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY SA
PFAS SURVEY, A PRELIMINARY
SURVEY THAT WE EMBARKED ON IN
THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
INIC LOOIC AT ALL OF OUR SITES
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
THAT HAVE PFAS EQUITIES JUST TO
GET A PRELIMINARY SENSE OF
EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF OPERATIONAL
USES WE'VE HAD AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY.
SO LOOKING AT THE DEPUTY
SECRETARY'S MEMO, THERE WERE
REALLY FOUR KEY COMPONENTS TO
THIS, THE FIRST MAIN COMPONENT
OR THE FIRST MAIN POINT WAS TO
DISCONTINUE USE OF ALL AFFF OR
THE PFAS CONTAINING FIRE FIGHT
ING FOAMS, YOU KNOW, AT THE
DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THE DIS
CONTINUED USE IN TRAINING
PURPOSES.
WE DO HAVE ACTIVE FIRE STATIONS
ON A NUMBER OF OUR SITES AND
WHERE WE HAVE AFFF CAPACITIES IN
THOSE FIRE DEPARTMENTS WE STILL
HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THOSE IN
THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, BUT IN
TERMS OF TRAINING OR ANY OTHER
PURPOSES THE DEPUTY SECRETARY
HAS ISSUED A POLICY THAT ALL OF
THOSE OTHER USEERIZE TO BE DIS
CONTINUED IMMEDIATELY AND
THIS MEMO WAS WRITTEN AS YOU'LL
SEE OR RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER OF
2021.
ALONG WITH THE DISCONTINUATION
OF USE ANY DISCHARGE FROM AN
EMERGENCY THAT WE WOULD REALIZE
WE WOULD NEED TO BE CONTAPED AND
COLLECTED TO THE MAXIMUM AND
CERTAINLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND
EXACTLY THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE
RELEASED THERE AND THE OTHER
PART IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL FIRE
PROTECTION PERSONNEL ARE
APPROPRIATELY EQUIP WOULD THE
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
GEARED TOWARDS THE AFFF.
THE SECOND MAIN POINT IN THE
DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEMO IS FOCUS
ED ON STORAGE AND DISPOSAL.
WE ISSUED A MORATORIUM ON DIS
POSAL OF AFFF.
NOW EACH PROGRAM OFFICE HAS THE
AUTHORITY TO EVALUATE ON A
CASE-BY-CASE BASIS DISPOSAL.
SO ANY SITE THAT HAS PFAS
CONTAINING MATERIALS THAT ARE
SCHEDULED FOR DISPOSAL CAN BE
DISPOSE OF ONCE THEY GO THROUGH
THE APPROPRIATE APPROVAL METHODS
AND THE THIRD THING THAT THE
DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEMO ADDRESS
ES IS REPORTING AND THIS
KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE FIRST
ONE AS WELL FOR ANY RELEASE OF
PFAS CONTAINING MATERIALS OR
WASTE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE
TO REPORT THROUGH OUR OFFICIAL
CURRENT REPORTING SYSTEM, WHICH
HAS STATE, LOCAL HEADQUARTER
POINTS OF CONTACT THAT ARE TO BE
MAINTAINED, ANY RELEASE IS TO BE
CONTAINED, COLLECTED AND ALL OF
THAT INFORMATION IS TO BE REPORT
ED UP THROUGH THAT SYSTEM.
AND THEN THE LAST MAIN COMPONENT
OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEMO
WAS THE FORMATION OF A PFAS
COORDINATING COMMITTEE WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY MADE UP
OF SENIOR LEADERS WITHIN THE VAR
IOUS PROGRAM OFFICES AND THIS
IS TO ESTABLISH THE GUIDE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEMO TO
EVALUATE WHAT ADDITIONAL
POLICIES MIGHT NEED TO BE PUT
INTO EFFECT TO ENSURE THE
APPROPRIATE PROTECTION OF HUMAN
HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
NOW WITH THE PFAS COORDINATING
COMMITTEE OR THE PCC WE HAVE A
PRIMARY MISSION TO TRACK
PROGRESS IN MEETING THE
REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED IN THE
POLICY TO IDENTIFY NECESSARY
CHANGES TO DEPARTMENTAL ORDERS,
DIRECTIVES OR REGULATIONS TO A
CHIEVE POLICY OBJECTIVES AND
INITIATIVE COORDINATION WITHIN
OUR DIRECTOR REVIEW BOARD TO
IMPLEMENT NECESSARY CHANGES.
ALL OF THAT TO SAY THIS
COORDINATING COMMITTEE REALLY
COORDINATES ACROSS ALL OF THE
VARIOUS OFFICES YOU KNOW WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, IT IS
TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ASK
ING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
IT IS MAKING SURE THAT THE
POLICIES THAT ARE IN EFFECT ARE
BEING EFFECTIVE.
THAT IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES
THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO
DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTIVES THIS
BODY WOULD INITIATE THOSE ACTION
S AND ENSURE THAT ALL OF
THOSE CHANGES ARE CONSISTENT AND
APPROPRIATE WITH ALL OF THE VAR
IOUS RULES AND REGULATIONS.
THE PCC HAS FOUR DIFFERENT TASK
TEAMS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FOCUSES
THE FIRST ONE IS AN OPERATIONAL
TASK TEAM.
THAT TASK TEAM IS CHARTED WITH
ADDRESSING ANY PFAS RELATED
QUESTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT,
IT IS ALSO TO DEVELOP RESPONSES
AS OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE
DOCUMENTS ARE PUBLISHED.
THE HISTORIC USE TEAM IS TASKED
WITH LOOKING AT DEVELOPING A
GUIDE FOR COMPREHENSIVE SITE
EVALUATIONS AND RISK ASSESSMENTS
UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU KNOW
THERE IS SOME DOCUMENTATION ON
HISTORICAL USES BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WE ARE
BEING THOROUGH IN UNDERSTANDING
WHAT AND WHERE AND WHEN PFAS
MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED INTO
THE VARIOUS OPERATIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE NATIONAL LAB
HIGH VALUE TASK TEAM AND THIS
TASK TEAM IS CHALLENGE WOULD TRY
ING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE
FULL FORCE OF THE NATIONAL
LABORATORY NETWORK BROUGHT TO
BARE TO BE ABLE TO RESEARCH THE
VARIOUS OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES
WITHIN THE PFAS PROGRAM.
AND THEN THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
IS EXACTLY THAT, IT IS A
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, IT IS
MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE
CONSISTENT MASSAGING ACROSS THE
DEPARTMENT, THAT WE ARE
DEVELOPING THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL
TOOLS, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
OPPORTUNITIES TO LISTEN AND TO
ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES,
STAKEHOLDERS AND TRIBES AND REG
ULATORS, TO ENSURE THAT WE DO
HAVE A FULLY TRANSPARENT AND
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO THE VERY
BEST THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE FOUR COM
PONENTS THERE OF THE PCC IS
TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN
THE LABS TO CLARIFY RESOURCES TO
SERVE AS A MANAGEMENT LEVEL
COUNTERPART TO OUR WORKING GROUP
AND TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND
INTERPRETATIONS ON ASPECTS OF
THE POLICY.
NEXT, WE HAVE OUR PFAS ROADMAP
AND AGAIN THIS IS MODELED AFTER
THE EPA ROADMAP RELEASED IN 2020
, I BELIEVE, AND OUR ROADMAP
IS FOUNDATIONALLY BASED ON FOUR
PILLARS.
IT IS BASED ON UNDERSTANDING THE
USAGES AT THE SITES, IT IS FOCUS
ED ON MANAGING AND PROTECT
ING OUR EMPLOYEES, THE
PUBLIC AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT IS FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING
SOLUTIONS AND COMMUNICATING AND
COLLABORATING.
THE PILLARS ARE SERVING AS OUR
FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING
TO DO.
THE REALLY THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF
IT YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE PILLARS
LEAD TO GOALS, THAT LEAD TO
OBJECTIVES, THAT LEAD TO ACTIONS
THE CRUX OF ALL OF THIS IS HOW
DO WE GET TO THOSE ACTIONS,
IDENTIFYING WHAT THOSE STEPS ARE
, MAKING SURE THEY ARE
INTENTIONAL, THAT THEY ARE BASED
ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE
SITES, IT IS ENSURING THAT WE
HAVE THE RIGHTPANSIONS
IDENTIFIED -- RIGHT ACTIONS
IDENTIFIED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKS AT
WHAT POLICIES WE NEED TO PUSH
FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, PART OF
THAT IS LOOKING AT WHAT RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES THAT
WE NEED TO TAKE, IT IS WHERE AND
HOW WE CAN ENGAGE WITH PRIVATE
INDUSTRY, WITH OUR CONTRACTING
PARTNERS, WITH OTHER FEDERAL
AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE BUILDING OFF THE GOOD WORK
THAT OTHERS HAVE DONE AS WELL AS
BRICKING TO BARE OUR OWN
EXPERTISE AND EFFORTS.
THE NEXT PART OF WHAT WE'RE WORK
ING ON IS THIS PFAS SURVEY.
AND AGAIN IT REALLY KIND OF CAME
DOWN TO ASKING THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE DIDN'T
KNOW.
WE NEEDED TO TRY TO GET OUR
HANDS AROUND WHERE PFAS WAS USED
WITHIN OUR OPERATIONS LOOKING
ALT EXISTING DATA THAT HAD BEEN
COLLECTED THROUGH SAMPLING
UP-TO-DATE.
SO WE ENGAGED ALL OF THE OFFICES
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
TO CONDUCT PRELIMINARY ASSESS
MENT OF EXACTLY WHAT THAT
IS.
WHAT INVENTORIES, WHAT USAGES,
WHAT EXISTING DATA DO WE HAVE.
THE SURVEY OBJECTIVE FOCUSED ON
HISTORICAL USAGE, POTENTIAL
SOURCES AND INVENTORIES, WE WANT
ED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IM
PACTS TO DRINKING WATER WE
MIGHT HAVE.
WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT REG
ULATORY OR OTHER STAKEHOLDER
INQUIRIES WE RECEIVED TO DATE,
WHAT DETECTIONS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT WE'VE HAD.
WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHO WAS
DOING ANY ROUTINE MONITORING FOR
PFAS AND ANY POTENTIAL OR KNOWN
OFFSITE MIGRATION.
SO THE AGAIN THE SURVEY FOCUSED
ON TRYING TO ANSWER AND FILL
DATA GAPS AROUND THOSE MAIN
QUESTIONS.
THE PFAS COORDINATING COMMITTEE
RIGHT NOW IS PREPARING A
DEPARTMENT-WIDE REPORT TO
SUMMARIZE ALL OF THE INFORMATION
FROM THOSE EFFORTS.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN GETTING
THAT REPORT, GETTING THAT REPORT
OUT.
WE ARE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO
THAT WORKING WITH THE WHITE
HOUSE TO TRY TO COORDINATE
RELEASE OF SURVEY REPORT AND
ROADMAP ALONG THE SAME LINE,
ALONG THE SAME TIMELINE AS WELL
AS MAKING SURE THAT WE SET UP
THE RIGHT COMMUNICATIONS AVENUES
TO BE ABLE TO ROLL ALL OF THOSE
OUT AND SPEAK TO YOU KNOW THE
RESULTS FROM THOSE WITH ALL OF
OUR INTERESTED PARTIES.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BETTER
IDEA OF KIND OF THE THINGS THAT
WE WERE LOOKING AT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE,
WHICH IS THE OFFICE THAT I WORK
IN, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF
KIND OF WHAT WE DID.
WE HAVE 16 SITES IN OUR PROGRAM
FOUR OF THOSE SITES ARE SHARED
WITH OTHER PROGRAM OFFICES LIKE
THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND SO
FOUR OF THOSE SITES WERE BEING
ADDRESSED BY A DIFFERENT PROGRAM
OFFICE.
SO OUR SURVEY FOCUSED ON THE 12
SITES WHERE WE HAD, WHERE WE
WERE THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OFFICE.
THE SURVEYOR RESULTS INFORMED
THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAD DETECTED
PFAS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA,
PARTICULARLY IN GROUND WATER AT
SOME OF OUR SITES.
WE HAVE A MIXED BAG OF FIRE
DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE YOU KNOW
THE AFFF IN THE FIRE FIGHTING
FOAMS.
WE HAVE NO INDICATION THAT THERE
IS ANY PFAS IN DRINKING WATER AT
THIS TIME BASED ON THE
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT.
WE DO KNOW THERE IS A NUMBER OF
DATA GAPS THAT EXIST AS WELL,
AGAIN THIS IS A PRELIMINARY
ASSESSMENT SO PART OF BUILDING
INTO THE FUTURE AND WHAT WE'LL
SEE IN THE ROADMAP IS THAT YOU
KNOW THOSE DATA GAPS SEEM TO BE
FILLED AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE BEING INTENTIONAL
ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT AND
CERTAINLY WE'LL FOLLOWING FOLLOW
THE APPROPRIATE PROCESSES LAID
OUT IN OTHER REGULATORY FRAME
WORKS, PARTNERING AT THE
SITES WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES
AND THE REGULATORS AND THE TRIBE
S AND OTHERS AS WE NORMALLY
DO.
AGAIN, PART OF WHAT WE'LL SEE
OUT OF THIS INITIAL SURVEY THAT
COMES OUT WILL BE THAT THERE ARE
QUESTIONS, MORE QUESTIONS THAT
NEED TO BE ANSWERED AND THE ROAD
MAP WILL HELP TO BRIDGE THAT
GAP AS TO HOW THOSE DATA GAPS
WILL BE BUILT.
AND THEN KIND OF LEADING INTO
THIS, TO MY LAST SLIDE, THE NEXT
STEPS.
THE FIRST THING IS FOR US TO
ISSUE THE ROADMAP AND
PRELIMINARY PFAS ASSESSMENT
REPORT.
BEYOND THAT IS MOVING RIGHT INTO
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROAD
MAP, UNDERSTANDING,
GATHERING AND MAKING SURE WE CAN
FILL THOSE DATA GAPS.
MANAGING AND PROTECTING, TAKING
THE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE PROTECTING OUR WORKFORCE.
THE PUBLIC, THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
LEVERAGINGING THE RESOURCE NOT
ONLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY BUT WITHIN THE INTER
AGENCY, WITHIN THE FEDERAL
AGENCY, WITH OUR STATES,
INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS ET CETERA.
AND THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
ARE COMMUNICATING AND
COLLABORATING BROADLY WITH ALL
OF OUR VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, AND
THIS IS NOT JUST INFORMING OF
WHAT WE KNOW, THAT'S APART OF IT
BUT THE BIGGER PART IS INIGE GA
ING IN THE DIALOGUE AND WE
NEED THAT TO BE TWO WAYS SO THAT
WE'RE BOTH SHARING AND RECEIVING
INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH AND
THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN A WINNING
FORMULA FOR US COMING UP TO THIS
POINT AND CERTAINLY WHAT I SEE
HERE TODAY TRYING TO GET OUR ARM
S AROUND HOW WE'RE GOING TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES MOVING FOR
WARD.
AND WITH THAT I THINK JAMES THAT
IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
>> JAMES: THANKS A LOT, ROB.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY QUESTIONS
COME UP YET.
WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE MORE
MINUTES BEFORE THE END OF THIS
TRACK IF YOU WANT TO HANG ON AND
SEE IF ANY COME THROUGH WITHIN
THE NEXT MINUTE.
>> ROB: SURE.
HAPPY TO.
>> WHILE WE'RE WAITING THERE WAS
ONE MORE QUESTION FOR DR. BURDEN
IF YOU'RE STILL ON.
>> I'M HERE.
>> OKAY GREAT.
ONE MORE QUESTION THAT CAME
THROUGH WHILE I'M CHECKING THE
OTHERS.
HOW ARE STUDIES CONSIDERING
METHOD DETECTION LIMITS AND
CAPABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY TO MEET
POTENTIAL ACTION LIMITS?
>> SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND
I THINK IT IS IN SOME WAYS A
CHICKEN AND AN EGG THING.
SO FOR MOST CASES WE DON'T HAVE
ACTION LIMITS OR SOME KIND OF,
YOU KNOW, TRIGGER LEVELS, IF YOU
WANT TO CALL THEM THAT FOR MANY
PFAS.
IN THOSE CASES WE ARE TRYING TO
USE THE DETECTION LIMITS THAT WE
HAVE FOR THE METHODS, WE ARE
TRYING TO GO AS LOW AS WE CAN.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT
DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES REALLY
WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED AT LOOKING AT
, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE METHODS
THAT WE HAVE HOW EFFECTIVE ARE
THESE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES AT
REMOVING PFAS OR DESTROYING PFAS
AND SO I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS
ON THE SCENARIO, YOU KNOW, AS
ACTION LIMITS ARE DEVELOPED AND
COME INTO PLAY THAT WILL LIKELY
CAUSE US TO RE-LOOK AT SOME OF
THESE METHODS TO SEE, YOU KNOW,
ARE THE DETECTION LIMITS THAT
ARE AVAILABLE CURRENTLY LOW
ENOUGH.
DO THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE
ACTION LIMITS AND IF THEY DON'T
THEN DO WE THINK WE CAN BE IN A
POSITION TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
THERE MIGHT JUST BE SOME IN
STANCES WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY
AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IS JUST
NOT GOOD ENOUGH AT THIS POINT IN
TIME SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO,
IT IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT
OF A GIVE-AND-TAKE SITUATION.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER.
ROB I'M NOT SEEING ANY QUESTIONS
COME THROUGH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
>> THANK YOU.
NO PROBLEM.
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE
THING, IT KIND OF TIES SUSAN AND
ROB'S PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER,
WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, THE
MERGING CONTAMINANTS AND MAYBE
THIS IS GOING TO CLOSE
EVERYTHING OUT FOR THE TRACK
THAT THERE IS JUST SO MUCH MORE
TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH THAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE THAT IT SEEMS
LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A SLOW
BUT METHODICAL PROCESS AND WHAT
ROB WAS GETTING AT WITH DOE
WE'RE COMMITTED TO THE
TRANSPARENCY OF THAT METHODICAL
PROCESS AS THESE NEW TECH
NOLOGIES BECOME AVAILABLE.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE
ENGAGING OUR LABS, WHY DoD HAS
SORT OF SDCP, SO KIND OF AN ALL-
HANDS-ON DECK WORKING
TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW
, REALLY PUSH FOR THOSE
TOWARDS THOSE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE
SCIENCES SO THAT WE CAN BE
PROTECTIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN
THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> THANK YOU.
ONE QUESTION CAME THROUGH WHILE
YOU WERE SPEAKING AND I'VE PUT
THAT IN THE CHAT.
IT WAS WHAT WAS THE IMPOTENCE
THAT INFLUENCES DOE TO INFLUENCE
THEIR OWN ROADMAP.
>> GREAT QUESTION.
SO THE ISSUING THE MEMO WAS WELL
WE SAW THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER
OF ISSUES WITH NOT ONLY WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BUT
REALLY WITHIN SOME OF THE OTHER
AGENCIES THAT RELATED TO HOW
PFAS WAS BEING ADDRESSED.
THERE WAS AN NDAA THAT WENT OUT
A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT HAD
REQUIREMENTS FOR DOD TO DO,
ALMOST VERBATIM EXACTLY WHAT IS
IN OUR MEMO AND WE FELT LIKE
THAT WAS A VERY REASONABLE FIRST
STEP FOR US TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE WERE TAKING SOME ACTION
GIVING OURSELVES YOU KNOW A
LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM TO
BE ABLE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS AND
ASSESS WHAT OUR INVENTORIES LOOK
ED LIKE.
AND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THINGS
FORWARD.
WITH REGARD TO THE ROADMAP OF
COURSE AGAIN EPA ISSUED THEIR
ROADMAP SOME TIME AGO AND THEN
UPDATED IT.
CEQ CAME OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR
AND ASKED ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS
AND AGENCIES WITH PFAS EQUITIES
TO DEVELOP A ROADMAP BASED ON
THE MODEL OF THE EPA ONE.
>> IF THERE ARE NOT ANYMORE
QUESTIONS WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL
PRESENTATION # SLOT AND SO WE'LL
CALL IT A LITTLE EARLIER TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE PRE
SENTERS AND ALL OF OUR E-MAIL
TRACKING SUPPORT, COREY, LAURIE
AND GENENE, THANKS FOR STICKING
WITH US ALL AFTERNOON TO SUPPORT
US THERE AND TO ALEXA THANK YOU
FOR HELPING TO MODERATE.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN KEEP THIS TRACK
GOING FOR THE NEXT FEDERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL SYMPOSIUM IN 2023
BECAUSE THINGS WILL COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT, ALL OF THE SAME, IT
IS GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITING.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR STICK
ING WITH US, PARTICIPATING
AND WE'LL SIGN OFF.
>> THANK YOU EVERYONE.