April 30, 2014 | 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST | Register

Hosted by The Horinko Group

Overview

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a dual threat chemical as it is still used in varied manufacturing, degreasing and cleaning operations and may be the most pervasive and challenging contaminant associated with soil and groundwater pollution at remediation sites across the country. In late 2011, EPA issued its Final Assessment for TCE in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database, setting a strict inhalation Reference Concentration for Chronic Inhalation Exposure (RfC) of 2 micrograms per cubic meter. Due to the health effect cited, fetal cardiac malformations, and the implications for short-term exposures, the stakes for TCE have been raised. Industry experts maintain that the decision to base the RfC on less than chronic exposures has the potential to trigger expanded TCE concerns in both the workplace and for previously closed remediation projects (from indoor air exposures due to the vapor intrusion (VI) pathway).

This webinar will provide an analysis of the issues and science related to the TCE RfC, along with an update on its current regulatory status. Interim approaches to addressing potential TCE risks in the absence of updated regulations and guidance will also be discussed. Given the large population of workers who could be impacted (with a focus on women of child-bearing ages) and the number of TCE contaminated remediation sites across the country, decisions concerning updated regulations and guidance on this issue are of critical importance to industry from cost, operations, and health and safety standpoints.

Key Take-Aways

• Understanding the basis for the TCE RfC in IRIS, its implications and limitations;
• Update on current regulatory and EPA guidance efforts;
• How to manage potential risks in the current absence of updated regulations and guidance; and,
• Information and analysis on potential impacts and ramifications related to the use of this RfC in an assessment of workplace health and safety and the potential for reopening closed remediation sites due to VI concerns.

Intended Audience

• Risk Assessors/Toxicologists
• Corporate and site EHS managers
• Corporate and site Health and Safety officers
• Real estate property managers/developers
• Brownfields specialists
• Remediation engineers

Our Featured Presenter

• Travis Kline, Senior Toxicologist, AlterEcho
  Travis Kline is AlterEcho’s Senior Toxicologist, with more than 20 years of experience developing site-specific chemical and radionuclide risk assessments and toxicological reviews at federal and state-regulated sites nationwide. Travis is the co-author of the Alternatives Analysis Report for Bisphenol-A (BPA) in Infant Formula Cans and Baby Food Jar Lids for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the first examination by a state agency of the potential hazards of BPA, as well as investigating currently available and emerging BPA alternatives. He is a frequent instructor for EPA and state environmental agencies on risk assessment and toxicology, and his research work has appeared in multiple scientific publications. He was a featured speaker at the 2013 Safer Products Summit, discussing the risks of VOCs in consumer products and VOC alternatives. He is a member of the Society of Toxicology and the Society for Risk Analysis (New England Chapter). He has an MEM in Toxicology from Duke University and a BA in Developmental Biology/Genetics from Colby College.

Host and Moderator

• Marianne Horinko, President, The Horinko Group
  Marianne Horinko is the President of The Horinko Group (THG). Ms. Horinko’s expertise is in watershed-based approaches to cleanup and revitalization, corporate sustainability, and collaborative solutions to environmental progress through unique public-private partnerships. Prior to founding THG, she served as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2001 to 2004, and Acting EPA Administrator in 2003. Following the events of September 11, Ms. Horinko served at EPA assisting in environmental cleanup activities at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Capitol due to anthrax contamination. In 2003, she oversaw EPA’s response to the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster. Ms. Horinko is an alumna of the University of Maryland, College Park (B.S. in Analytical Chemistry) and Georgetown University Law School (J.D.).