Bits and Bytes - The Legacy of Hazardous Waste Management in Silicon Valley

Superfund is EPA's program to identify, investigate and clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the United States. In the Silicon Valley alone there are 25 Superfund sites (www.epa.gov/region9/superfund), each with a long history of soil and groundwater contamination and ongoing remedial activity.

At our February café, Alana Lee and Katherine Baylor will provide an overview of the Superfund and other hazardous waste programs at EPA Region 9. From there, they will review the challenges faced with cleaning up the legacy groundwater contamination sites in Silicon Valley that resulted from the release of chlorinated solvents into the subsurface during the early days of the high-tech industry. They will also discuss an emerging exposure pathway of concern: the migration of volatile chemicals from contaminated groundwater and soil into the indoor air environment. Alana and Kathy will cover some of their experiences and research efforts on vapor intrusion assessment at sites in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Speakers: Alana Lee, Project Manager EPA Superfund Division
Katherine Baylor, EPA Hydrogeologist