Successful Air & Vapor Data Collection: Best Practices

Date and Time: Friday, April 9, 2021, 9 AM - 1 PM
Location: GoToWebinar

Presenters: 

• Carl H. Gruszczak, Jr., CT DEEP
• Todd McAlary, Geosyntec Consultants
• Catherine Regan, ERM
• Andy Rezendes, Alpha Analytical, Inc.
• Will Elcoate, Alpha Analytical, Inc.
• Craig Cox, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc.
• Laurie Chilcote, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc.

Continuing Education Credits:

This is the first time this course is being offered by EPOC. The course has been previously offered in MA by the LSPA as CTLEP-511W. The CT State Board of Examiners of Environmental Professionals (LEP Board) has approved this course/webinar for 4.0 hours of continuing education credits (CTLEP-511W-REV).

Fees: 

• EPOC Members: $150
• Non-members: $250 (consider joining EPOC at this time to receive the member rate for this program)
• Gov't Employee/Students: $75

Course Description:

The course will discuss current CT DEEP regulations and guidance and includes considerations for appropriate site investigation, laboratory methods and data evaluation, and field sampling techniques and field quality control to meet CT DEEP requirements for assessment of the vapor intrusion pathway. There will also be a hands-on demonstration of the Vapor Pin field instrumentation and best practices for field sampling.

Course Agenda:

CT DEEP Soil Vapor Sampling - Investigation/RSR Compliance, Carl H. Gruszczak, Jr., CT DEEP

• CT DEEP expectations when collecting representative soil vapor samples (concurrence with ITRC VI Guidance)
• RSR applicability (specifically how soil vapor is an alternative demonstration of compliance for and how indoor air could be used for an exemption from the groundwater volatilization criteria)
• Using soil vapor sampling to select sub-slab soil sampling locations (possible pitfalls)

Site Investigation and Field Sampling, Catherine Regan, ERM

• Basics for performing a Vapor Intrusion Investigation.
• Development of a Conceptual Site Model. Multiple lines of evidence.
• Pre-Project planning. What to look for when setting up to sample. Types of samples.
• Building surveys.
• Project data quality objectives (DQOs).

Analytical Method Selection, Sampling Media Best Practices, Media Setup and Field Operations, Andy Rezendes and Will Elcoate, Alpha Analytical, Inc.

• Laboratory analytical method selection.
• Overview of laboratory requirements to report data to meet CT regulatory requirements and reporting limits.
• Regulatory criteria. Importance of documentation.
• Sampling methods and use of media. Hands on setup and use of TO-15 media canisters. Role of field meters in investigation.
• Best practices to address common field issues.
• Video demonstrations.

Vapor Probe Selection, Sub-slab Sampling Applications, Pre-sampling and Field Integrity Checks, and Video Demonstrations, Craig Cox and Laurie Chilcote, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc.

• Types of vapor probes and their uses, temporary, permanent and abandonment.
• Sampling probe installation. Sample point selection Do's & Don'ts.
• Application of the Vapor Pin® sampling device for sub-slab sampling. Incorporation of Vapor Pin® sampling device into shut-in check and leak check for pre-sampling integrity checks and field sample integrity checks.
• Demonstration of Shut-in check and Helium leak check.
• Show videos.

New Tools for Vapor Intrusion Investigation and Mitigation, Todd McAlary, Geosyntec Consultants

• Best practices and innovations in investigating the vapor intrusion pathway.
• What research and science are telling us are key factors in the investigation and closure of vapor intrusion sites.

Vapor Intrusion Case Studies, Catherine Regan, ERM, and Todd McAlary, Geosyntec Consultants

• Case studies of sites that cover some key principles in vapor intrusion site investigation and closure.

Question & Answers, All presenters

Speaker Bios:

Carl H. Gruszczak, Jr., Environmental Analyst, Remediation Division, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Mr. Gruszczak has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection since 2008, overseeing investigation and remediation projects in northwestern Connecticut. Mr. Gruszczak also serves as the Remediation Division’s vapor intrusion expert. He has been involved with writing the 95% UCL guidance, working with a workgroup on background guidance, and serving as the ITRC State Point of Contact for Connecticut. Additionally, he was a key contributor to the Wave 2 RSR revisions. Prior to his employment at DEEP, he was employed as an environmental consultant. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY with a B.S. in Physics with a minor in Geology and attended two years of graduate school at RPI enrolled in the Geophysics program.

Todd McAlary, Practice Leader for Vapor Intrusion, Geosyntec Consultants, Toronto, ON, Canada

Todd McAlary specializes in assessing and mitigating the migration of volatile organic compound (VOC) vapor from the sub-surface environment into buildings and in the assessment of human health risks associated with inhalation exposure. As Geosyntec's VI practice leader, he guides company-wide training, protocol development, marketing, and recruiting related to these services. He also provides technical consultation to clients in support of litigation involving several VI challenges and is a technical specialist in regulatory negotiations involving groundwater contamination and VI issues where his expertise and communication skills have been critical to stakeholder understanding of the complex nature of the topics.

Catherine E. Regan, Partner, ERM, Boston, MA

Ms. Regan has over 18 years of experience as a subject matter expert for the assessment and management of residential, commercial and industrial vapor intrusion (VI) investigations. Ms. Regan is the lead for ERM’s VI group responsible for facilitating collaboration and disseminating technology updates across ERM globally, conducting internal and external client workshops and providing VI expertise across ERM’s portfolio of projects. Ms. Regan was a section co-leader for creating petroleum VI guidance for the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) and participated as a trainer for ITRC’s classroom training offerings. Currently she serves as a section co-leader for ITRC’s next VI guidance on vapor mitigation technologies.

Andy Rezendes, Air Programs Laboratory Manager, Alpha Analytical, Mansfield, MA

Mr. Rezendes has over 25 years’ experience in environmental analytical chemistry, over 10 years of which are specific to air analysis. He was formerly the manager of ENSR’s Air Toxics Lab and is currently the product line manager for air testing services at Alpha Analytical located in Massachusetts, where he started their air testing operation in 2002. While at Alpha, he has conducted research in sulfide and mercaptan analysis, background VOCs related to vapor intrusion investigations, and comparative study involving the measurement of naphthalene in ambient air. He has a BS in Chemistry from UMASS-Amherst and master’s level coursework in Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University.

Will Elcoate, National Air Product Manager, Alpha Analytical, Inc., Mansfield MA

Mr. Elcoate is National Air Product Manager with Alpha Analytical and has over 30 years of experience in the environmental laboratory industry including laboratory operations and project management. Mr. Elcoate received a BSc. Chemistry from Bath University, Avon UK. Mr. Elcoate has worked as a Chemist in the copper mines of Zambia and in the Industrial water treatment industry as a product development and technology scientist. Mr. Elcoate has focused for the past 15 years on vapor intrusion and indoor and ambient air testing. Mr. Elcoate is a subject matter expert concerning the air testing industry, regulations, and technical guidance. Mr. Elcoate has presented at technical conferences nationwide on a range of subjects including vapor intrusion, landfill gas, air analytical methods and sample collection techniques.

Craig Cox, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc., Plain City, OH

Craig Cox is a principal and co-founder of Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc. Mr. Cox has over 30 years of experience managing large environmental projects implemented under CERCLA and state voluntary action programs. Mr. Cox invented the Vapor Pin® sampling device and has developed a variety of software products including Data Inspector, an internet-enabled environmental database application. Mr. Cox holds degrees in geology and mineralogy from the Ohio State University and hydrogeology from the Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Cox is a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) with AIPG and is a Certified Professional (CP) under the Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program. Mr. Cox serves on the board of the Association of Vapor Intrusion Professionals (AVIP).

Laurie Chilcote, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc., Plain City, OH

Laurie Chilcote serves as Director of Sales & Marketing for Cox-Colvin & Associates, and is Vice President of Vapor Pin Enterprises, Inc. and Vapor Pin do Brasil. In her role as Managing Director and Vice President of Vapor Pin Enterprises, Ms. Chilcote provides managerial and technical oversight on all US and international marketing and sales for the Vapor Pin® sampling device, manages the firms US and international Patents and Trademarks, and establishes and oversees the firm’s network of international distributors. Ms. Chilcote serves on the board of the Association of Vapor Intrusion Professionals.