Testing Chemical Warfare Agent Response in a Realistic Setting
About this Webinar
Originally presented on August 14, 2024
Chemical warfare agents (CWA), chemicals developed to cause intentional harm or death through their toxic properties, remain a threat to the United States and other countries. EPA is enhancing the nation's ability to respond to and recover from a potential chemical agent incident by developing environmental remediation responses from bench-scale research to response exercises and training. Simulated release scenarios provide responders and researchers an opportunity to understand the effectiveness of sampling methods and decontamination approaches.
The presentation will provide an overview of the Operational Test and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Activities (OTECRA) full-scale field study. Presenters will discuss how findings from previous studies, assets, and responder personnel were brought together in a realistic setting to test operational feasibility. They will review field study components, including sampling, decontamination, data management, and waste management that would be used to remediate an indoor environment following a simulated CWA release. The discussion will provide a sharpened operational perspective through field study insights.
About the Presenter
Lukas Oudejans is a Research Physical Scientist with the EPA Office of Research and Development's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Over the past 15 years, he has gained vast experience in homeland security programs related to research, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for the decontamination of materials contaminated with chemical or biological agents. He was a co-lead of the full-scale Operational Test and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Technologies (OTECRA) field study. Currently, he is leading research efforts to assess decontamination approaches for surfaces contaminated with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Dr. Oudejans holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from Radboud University, Nimegen, The Netherlands.
Shannon Serre is currently with the EPA's Office of Emergency Management working in the CBRN Consequence Management Advisory Team. He is focused on the response and recovery from a chemical, biological, or radiological incident. He has been involved in several field scale projects including: the Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) project, Underground Transport Restoration (UTR) project, Operational Test and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Technologies (OTECRA) and is now involved with the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project. Shannon has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah.
James Justice (JJ) is an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) working in EPA Region 5's Superfund and Emergency Management Division, located in Cleveland, OH. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Environmental Biology from Heidelberg College. Prior to joining the EPA, JJ worked as an Environmental Investigator for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and as a contractor for the EPA. In his 22 years as an OSC, JJ has responded to regional and national emergencies, conducted numerous site assessments and time-critical removals, deployed to special events, and served on regional and national workgroups to improve response readiness. JJ has a particular interest in air monitoring and sampling as well as conducting training for local and state first responders.