Clean-up and Remediation following a Biological Response

1
Clean-up and Remediation following a Biological
Response

• Anthony T. Zimmer, PhD, PE, CIH
• National Decontamination Team
• Environmental Protection Agency

2
National Decontamination Team(NDT) Mission and
Resources
Organizational Structure
OSWER
OEM
NDT
3
Background

• Identified void in decontamination needs
• World Trade Center
• Anthrax responses
• First government special team dedicated to WMD
  decon activities within EPA

4
National Decontamination TeamResources

• Current Staff
• Technical Program Support Contractor
  Support
• ASPECT (2) Env. Prot. Specialist (1) On-Site
  Key Personnel (5)
• Analytical Chemist (1) Management Analyst (1)
• Biochemist (1)
• Health Physicists (2) SEE Employees Detailee
  
• HVAC Engineers (2) Secretary (1) DOT (1)
• Industrial Hygienist (1) Warehouse Techs (2)
• Medical Officer (1)
• Toxicologists (2)
• PENDING Staffing Transportation Disposal
  Expert, Microbiologist
• Potential FUTURE Staffing Water Specialist

5
National Decontamination Team Locations
Washington, DC
Cincinnati, Oh- co-located with NHSRC Erlanger,
KY- co-located with ERT
Kansas City- ASPECT Support Staff
RTP, NC Co-located with NHSRC
Dallas- ASPECT airplane
6
National Decontamination Team Decon
Partnerships and Coordination
Other Federal Agencies
Special Teams NDT ERT RERT NCERT
OSCs Field Response/ Preparedness
Research NHSRC LANL LLNL Sandia DTRA
Private Industry
7
Methods of EPA Involvement in
Clean-up/Remediation
Superfund or Oil Pollution Act Authority
EPA OSC
Local
State
National Declaration
EPA Activation
FEMA
ESF-10
EPA OSC
Special Purpose Mission
Agency
EPA OSC
8
National Decontamination TeamDecon Program
Development - External

• Ground Transportation Systems Decon
• NYC working with NYC's Port Authority, Mass
  Transit Authority, and Long Island Railroad to
  prepare for consequence management and decon
  operations for WMD events
• DC Participating in DC WMATA system technical
  working group meetings (NDT Chair of TWG)
• Air Transportation Systems Decon
• Partnering with DHS, HHS, LLNL, and state and
  local government, to assist with critical
  national/international airports for bio/chem/rad
  decontamination operations
• working closely with FAA and DoD on aircraft
  cabin decontamination system

9
National Decontamination TeamDecon
Program Development - External

• BIOWATCH
• Under DHS leadership, NPPD and NDT are
  participating in the development of a national
  Biowatch response strategy, including large area
  sampling plans
• CDC Partnership
• Facilitating CDC's Coordinating Center for
  Infectious Diseases, including their National
  Quarantine Program, and Traveler's Health Branch,
  into the biological agent decontamination and
  remediation planning process
• Working with CDC's Health Quality Promotions
  Branch, interagency environmental microbiology
  group, NHSRC, and OPPTS, to identify pathogens as
  well as existing hospital infection control
  measures, and currently available registered
  products for application to the decontamination
  of biological agents
• Other Agencies
• Actively exchanging information on mutually
  useful decontamination-related research, as well
  as the development of technologies and approaches
  to effect decontamination
• Exchanging information on assets and capabilities
  for decontamination
• Develop decontamination plans for DOS facilities
  (IAG)

10
National Decontamination TeamDecon
Program Development- Internal

• Decon Portfolio - development of web based,
  one-stop system for information on
  decontamination of WMD agents
• Decon Vendor and Technology Market Survey
• Decon Technology Liaison - Observe and
  participate in testing and field implementation
  of decon technologies and provide feedback to
  research community
• Concept of Operations (CONOPS) - development of
  operational approach for large scale INS events
• Decontamination and Analytic and Technical
  Support (DATS) Contract- Awarded, January 2007
• Risk-Based Surface Cleanup Goals
• Decon Data Gaps Analysis- NPPD, NDT, and OHS are
  coordinating an Agency wide project to identify
  gaps and priorities
• TRIO (Taskforce on Research to Inform and
  Optimize WMD Response)- forum for OSCs, Special
  Teams, and NHSRC to discuss gaps between research
  and field application

11
National Decontamination Team Response
Readiness

• Training
• WMD Decontamination Course
• OSC Readiness - specialized Bio and Rad courses
  in 2006
• Avian/Pandemic Flu Train-the-Trainer Course
• Responses, Predeployments and Exercises
• Hurricane Katrina
• New York City Anthrax- April 2006
• Region 5 Ohio Polymer incident
• Superbowl XL
• Exercises in Regions 1, 6, 9, 10

• Level A
• Trained and equipped
• Equipment
• National Equipment Tracking System
• Specialized CBR equipment
• Special Teams Coordination and Cross Training
• Emergency Response Teams
• Regional EPA
• National Homeland Security Research Center

12
NDT Equipment

• National Buy List,
• Level A entry equipment
• Chemical monitors for VOC/SVOCs
• Radiation response monitors
• Biological sampling equipment
• Other Equipment
• P-Trak Ultrafine Particle Counter
• Velocicalc Plus Portable Air Velocity Meter
• Wide-Range Particle Spectrometer

13
ASPECT(Airborne Spectral Photometric
Environmental Collection Technology)
Base Map
Aerial Image
IR Plume Image
Chemical ID Information
A single pass of the aircraft produces a data set
that permits mapping, aerial photography,
Infrared imaging, and chemical identification.
These products can be generated in under 3
minutes and provide valuable situation data to
the Incident Commander.
14
How will the NDT fit in the response?

• 24/7 availability
• Will assist the EPA On-Scene Coordinator
• Will operate under the National Incident
  Management System within ICS
• Will be available to participate in drills and
  exercises

15
Bio-response
16
Bio-response

• Cleanup/recovery will very much depend upon the
  nature of the biological agent
• Bio-toxins similar to chemical response
• Biological organisms highly depends upon its
  persistence stability
• Additional complexity is the issue of how clean
  is clean and background levels

17
Bio-response to Anthrax

• A persistent biological organism (bacterial
  spore-former)
• Bioweapon example 2001 Anthrax letters
• 18 confirmed cases
• 5 deaths

18
Bio-response to Anthrax

• Decontamination methods include
• Burn or bury animal carcasses
• Treat soil with 5 lye, quicklime, or bleach
  (sodium hypochlorite)
• HEPA vacuuming (source reduction)
• Liquid antimicrobials (non-porous surfaces)
• Fumigation (chlorine dioxide, vaporous hydrogen
  peroxide)

19
Bio-response to Smallpox

• A non-persistent biological organism (virus)
• Inactive 2 days after an aerosol release 2
  weeks on surfaces
• Known repositories
• U.S.A Russia

20
Bio-response to Smallpox

• Decontamination methods include
• 0.5 hypochlorite on surfaces for at least 10
  minutes
• Heat (31-33 C) and humidity (80) for at least 6
  hours

21
Bio-response to Ricin

• Bio-toxin naturally found within the castor bean
• Produced from the enrichment of the seed-pulp
  (Ricin 5 by weight of the pulp)
• Found as grey to white powder depending upon the
  purity
• Persistence depends upon its purity
• Bioweapon
• Recent cases involving
• Capital Hill White House

22
Bio-response to Ricin

• Decontamination methods include
• 0.5 hypochlorite on surfaces
• Heat (200 C) and humidity (80) for at least 24
  hours

23
National Decontamination Team
Summary

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