Remediation Standard Regulations - Course 1: General Provisions and Soil

Note: This is the second offering of this class (previously offered in 2022). EPOC's RSR/EUR training course is split into two separate 8-hour courses (16 hours total CECs) which each have separate CT LEP continuing education credit course numbers that were first issued for the 2022 course offerings. If you wish to attend both courses, you must register for each one separately. This is registration page for Course 1. For Course 2, see this page.
Also, EPOC is providing this program at a reduced cost to our membership to encourage your attendance at this important training opportunity.

Time and Location:

This program will be held as a live webinar in two sessions on March 22 and March 23, 2023, and runs from 10 AM - 3:00 PM for each session. There is an allotted one-hour lunch time at midpoint for each course date. This extra time may be available for Q&A period. You must attend both sessions to receive CT LEP continuing education credits. Please join the webinars by 9:45 AM to be ready for prompt start at 10 AM.

Continuing Education Credits (CECs):

The CT State Board of Examiners of Environmental Professionals (LEP Board) has approved this course for 8.0 hours of continuing education credits (CTLEP-556W). Although the RSR course has been previously offered by EPOC, this course offering will include discussion of amendments to the RSRs as effective on February 16, 2021.
This course can be claimed for CT LEP Continuing Education Credits even if you have taken previous versions of the seminar except if you took the 2022 courses, which have the same course numbers.

Course Description:

EPOC, in cooperation with the CT DEEP, invites you to two webinar focused courses on the current Remediation Standard Regulations (RSRs). Connecticut's Remediation Standard Regulations apply to actions taken to remediate polluted soil or a ground-water plume at or emanating from a release area pursuant to Chapter 445 or 446k of the General Statutes including, but not limited to, any such action required to be taken or verified by a Licensed Environmental Professional (LEP).

Course 1 will be separated into two sessions focusing on 22a-133k-1 (general provisions) and 22a-133k-2 (soil). The first day will be devoted to those aspects of the RSR that are related to general RSR provisions, general soil criteria concepts, direct exposure criteria (DEC), and additional polluting substances (APS). The second day will include those sections of the RSR that apply to pollutant mobility criteria (PMC), soil variances [engineered controls (ECs), widespread polluted fill (WSPF), and nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPL)], and reuse of polluted soil.

This course (and Course 2) will be of significant use to any practitioner who must use the RSRs in the course of their professional activities to evaluate the environmental condition of properties throughout Connecticut. They have also been designed for those individuals who are planning to take the upcoming exam for LEPs.

This seminar has been significantly revised from previous years to reflect changes to the RSRs that were adopted in February 2021. Significant changes to the RSRs include: 1) new and updated definitions; 2) changes to public participation; 3) including the concept of EURs (environmental land use restrictions and notices of activity and use limitation); 4) changes to financial assurance; 5) updating the general requirements for analytical data; 6) changes to inaccessible soil with PCBs; 7) new conditional exemption for pesticides; 8) new LEP-calculated PMC; 9) new LEP-certification for WSPF variance; 10) expansion of Commissioner approved WSPF variance; 11) new LEP-certification for DEC-only ECs; 12) changes to Commissioner approved ECs; 13) new public roadways variance; 14) changes to NAPL; 15) changes to the reuse of polluted soil; 16) new reuse rules for polluted soil containing pesticides; 17) changes to alternative SWPC calculations; 18) new aquifer dilution provision for SWPC; 19) changes to VolC; 20) changes to exemption for vapor mitigation; 21) new LEP-calculated alternative GWPC; 22) changes to TI variance; 23) changes to groundwater compliance monitoring; 24) addition of upgradient groundwater plume provision; and 25) addition of APS for SWPC and VolC. Approximately 60% of the course material has been revised to reflect these changes to the RSRs.

Agenda: Course 1: General Provisions and Soil

Day 1 - March 22, 2023, 10 AM - 3 PM

• Opening Remarks
• General RSR Provisions
• General Soil Criteria Concepts
• Direct Exposure Criteria
• Additional Polluting Substances

Day 2  - March 23, 2023, 10 AM - 3 PM

• Pollutant Mobility Criteria
• Soil Variances
• Soil Compliance (including 95% UCL)
• NAPL
• Reuse of Polluted Soil

Presenter Biographies:

Kevin Neary

Mr. Neary has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) since 2004. Mr. Neary was recently shifted to be the Supervisor for the Southwest District. Besides his supervisory role, he was a key contributor to the Wave 2 RSR revisions. These revisions significantly increased the available remedial compliance options. Mr. Neary is also the lead reviewer within the Remediation Division of new groundwater diversion applications for potential hydrologic impacts. Mr. Neary is the Remediation’s primary data manager and maintains the Division’s case management system. Mr. Neary graduated from the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 2002 with a B.S. in Geology. He received an M.S. in Geosciences/Hydrogeology from the URI in 2004.

Carl Gruszczak

Mr. Gruszczak has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of DEEP since 2008, overseeing investigation and remediation projects in northwestern Connecticut and has recently been promoted to the Supervisor of the Northwest District. Prior to his employment at DEEP, he was employed as an environmental consultant. Besides his supervisory role, Mr. Gruszczak serves as the Remediation Division’s vapor intrusion expert. He has also been involved with writing the 95% UCL guidance, working with a workgroup on background guidance, and serving as the ITRC State Point of Contact. Additionally, he was a key contributor to the Wave 2 RSR revisions. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1993 with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Geology. He attended two years of graduate school at RPI, enrolled in the Geophysics program.

Craig Bobrowiecki

Mr. Bobrowiecki has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of DEEP since 2010. Mr. Bobrowiecki oversees the investigation and remediation of sites in the south central area of the state and serves as the hazard notification lead and stewardship permit lead for that district. Mr. Bobrowiecki is the lead staff for additional polluting substances/alternative criteria requests made to DEEP and is a subject matter expert on Engineered Control Variances. Mr. Bobrowiecki graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Environmental Geography and a minor in Geology.

Amanda Limacher

Ms. Limacher has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of DEEP since 2008. Prior to that time, she was employed as an environmental consultant. Ms. Limacher oversees the investigation and remediation of sites in the southwest portion of the state and is a point person for Environmental Use Restrictions. Ms. Limacher graduated from Champlain College in 1999 with an A.S. in Accounting and UCONN in 2005 with a B.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resources and a minor in Geography.

Jade Barber

Ms. Barber has been an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection since 2014. Prior to that time, she was an Environmental Analyst with the UST Clean Up Program since 2002. Ms. Barber oversees the investigation and remediation of sites in the north central area of the state and serves as the PFAS lead and stewardship permit lead for that district Ms. Barber is a point person for Environmental Use Restrictions (EURs), and was a key contributor to the EUR Regulation revisions. Ms. Barber graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2000 with a B.S. in Environmental Earth Science and a minor in Hydrogeology.