Past Science Council Seminars

Science Council Seminar Series

As part of educational outreach, the Regional Science Council brings in speakers, usually from outside EPA, to speak to staff on a wide range of scientific topics. Most recently, the focus has been on Climate Change issues.

2012 Presentations

Sustainability: What Does it Mean for EPA?

February 1, 2012

The concept of sustainability has been discussed in national and international policy circles for some time, but only recently has it been a hot topic for EPA. On February 1st the RSC hosted a two- hour session looking at how sustainability fits into EPA's thinking today. We heard the following 4 talks from Region 9 staff. Presentation material and related files are posted below.

Sustainability and the US EPA (PDF) (11 pp, 537K) (John Katz)
Environmental Indicators (PDF) (23 pp, 1.07MB) (Don Hodge)
Looking at Hazardous Waste Cleanup from a Life Cycle Perspective (PDF) (40 pp, 1.02MB) (Karen Scheuermann)
An Early Perspective on Sustainability (PDF) (64 pp, 172K) (David Cooper)

PCBs in Caulk in the San Francisco Bay Area

February 7, 2012

PCBs in caulking have been in the news in other parts of the country. Local scientists and municipalities are also addressing the issue, with a focus on stormwater and TMDL compliance. On February 7th, the RSC hosted three speakers to discuss the San Francisco Estuary Partnership's PCBs in Caulk Project. This project addresses potential impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in caulks and sealants released into stormwater runoff during demolition or remodeling projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. They provided an overview of the issues and addressed findings from the first local study of PCB levels in caulk in Bay Area buildings, a model region-wide program to incorporate PCB controls into municipal demolition permits, and ongoing regulatory issues related to PCBs in caulk. Presentation material is posted below.

PCBs in Caulk Project (PDF) (19 pp, 1.18MB), Athena Honore, San Francisco Estuary Partnership
PCBs in Caulk Project (Estimated Stock in Currently Standing Buildings) (PDF) (39 pp, 799K), Susan Klosterhaus, Ph. D, San Francisco Estuary Institute
PCBs in Caulk Training (PDF) (58 pp, 2.14MB), Athena Honore, San Francisco Estuary Partnership
Kelly Moran, Ph.D, TDC Environmental