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The environmental Laboratory

Response Network (eLRN)

FSEA Meeting

October 19, 2007

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 1

What is the eLRN?

A comprehensive all-hazards*/all-environmental media laboratory network tosupport responders across a spectrum ofactivities including preparedness, response,remediation, and recovery resulting from acts ofterrorism or other emergencies

Genesis: HSPDs 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

ICLN RFA Chart Focus is TIC, CWA, Rad, limited Bio*

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 2

ICLN Organizational Structure

Network Coordinating

Group (NCG)DHS Chair

Joint Leadership Council (JLC)(Assistant Secretary Level)

DHS Chair

Exec Sec

DHS

TE

TechnicalExperts

eLRNenvironmental

Laboratory

Response

Network

NAHLNNational Animal

Health

Laboratory

Network

FERNFood

Emergency

Response

Network

LRNLaboratory

Response

Network

NPDNNationalPlant Diagnostic

Network

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 3

ICLN Response Matrix

Monitoring/s

ur

eillance

Incident

Response

Remediatio

n

Forensics

Monitoring/s

ur

eillance

Incident

Response

Remediatio

n

Forensics

Human Clinical HHS HHS HHS FBI Human Clinical HHS HHS HHS FBI

Environmental EPA EPA EPA FBI Environmental HHS HHS EPA FBI

FoodUSDA/

HHS

USDA/

HHS

USDA/

HHSFBI Food

USDA/

HHS

HHS/

USDA

USDA/

HHSFBI

Animal USDA USDA USDA FBI Animal USDA USDA USDA FBI

Plant USDA USDA USDA FBI Plant USDA USDA USDA FBI

Drinking Water EPA EPA EPA FBI Drinking Water EPA EPA EPA FBI

Lab Support to Phase of Response Lab Support to Phase of Response

BiologicalChemical

*JLC agreed to RFAs identified for each phase of response

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4

ICLN Response Matrix continued

Monitoring/sur

eillance

Incident

Response

Remediation

Forensics

Human Clinical HHS HHS HHS FBI

Environmental EPADOE/

EPAEPA FBI

FoodUSDA/

HHS

USDA/

HHS

USDA/

HHSFBI

Animal USDA USDA USDA FBI

Plant USDA USDA USDA FBI

Water EPA EPA EPA FBI

Lab Support to Phase of Response

Radiological

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 5

EPAs Approach to Emergency

Response EPA is not a first responder

OSCs respond under National Response Plan and are taskedthrough the National Response Center and/or in conjunctionwith requests from State counterparts

OSCs heavily utilize contract resources and commerciallaboratories, but some Regions utilize local EPA laboratory

Operate under ICS structures

Large scale events (INS) establish Field Environmental Unit inPlanning Section

Field EU interfaces with HQ EU on issues for public releaseand additional technical support, if needed, during INS

OSCs request analytical services as needed and expandrequired capacities and capabilities as event dictates

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 6

Anatomy of a Response

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7

EPA

Regions

State

Commercial

Utilities

NEIC

EPA

HSL

Industrial

Chemicals

SELECT

LRN

State

Commercial

Utilities

EPA

HSL

DOD

CDC

Biologicals

SELECT

EPA

Surety Labs

Commercial

Utilities

EPA

HSL

DOD

Chemical

WarfareAgents

Radiologicals

State

EPA

HazMats

CSTs

DOE

EPA

HSL

OPEN

SECURE

Gold standard reference lab,methods, research, etc.

Confirm/quantify

suspected detection

Routine

monitoring

ORIA

Commercial

OPPTS

ORIA

State

Commercia

l

Commercial

Laboratory Structure

LRN

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 8

How Does the eLRN Work?

Managed through Homeland Security Laboratory ResponseCenter (HSLRC), OEM, OSWER

Designed to address laboratory capability and capacity tomeet environmental analytical needs of responders during theinitial response through recovery phases of an event

Vision is for a day-to-day support network that can seamlesslysupport events at any level for covered contaminants frommember laboratories of known quality

Includes coordination of all other infrastructure demands ofICLN RFA designations (NHSRC, ORIA, OW, NEIC)

Lab assets obtained through ICS structures or by requestthrough other appropriate channels

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 9

Overview

The eLRN has made good progress in several areas

- Homeland Security Laboratory Response Center

- eLRN has 2007 funding

- Membership criteria set for eLRN labs

- Chemical Warfare Surety program established

- Fixed Chemical Warfare lab capability enhanced

- PHILIS Units delivered to EPA

- All Hazard Receipt Facilities under evaluation

- Established RAD component

- Partnership with WLA on Drinking Water

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 10

Status of HSLRC

Formal organization proceeding within the Office of

Emergency Management (OEM)

Small HQ Team

- Schatzi Fitz-James, Team Leader

- Terry Smith, Technical Liaison

- Allan Antley, Operations Liaison

- Another position coming

Will continue to rely on partnerships with ORD/NHSRC,Programs, and Regions for project staffing and roll out ofeLRN with States and other potential member labs

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11

eLRN/OEM

07 Omnibus Bill provides funding at $9.5 M

$ for PHILIS/Fixed CWA/Rad program and infrastructure

$ for logistics to roll out eLRN

eLRN/ORIA $1M for 2 increased capacity labs (w/$1m from OEM)=$2M total

Quality audits of existing Rad labs

Training program

eLRN/WLA

Regional Lab Response Plan program

Integration of eLRN/WLA operations

FY 07 Budget Initiatives

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 12

eLRN Roll Out

Membership criteria and checklist finalized

Outreach efforts ongoing with APHL and ACIL

Have established an EDD for initial reporting

Working on operational guidance

Roll out in Phases

Phase 1-EPA labs

Phase 2-State/Federal Labs

Phase 3-Commercial sector/Local labs

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 13

eLRN Membership Criteria

Basic elements require:

- Quality System (DW Certification, ISO 17025 or NELAP

equivalent)

- Agreement to use eLRN methods

- Reporting requirements (EDD)

- Data and information security

- Participate in proficiency testing program

- Submit to audits

- Meet lab specific health and safety requirements- Participate in Laboratory Compendium

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 14

Laboratory Compendium

National compilation of laboratory assets

Includes States, Federal, Commercial labs, Other?

Designed to allow users to quickly assess locations,

capabilities, and capacities of member labs

Relies on member labs to update information

Under redesign for improvements

Comment period closed August 17 for latest round

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 16

EPA/DOD Surety Program

Received approval for current DOD contractors to expandcurrent CWA authorizations to support EPAs response andremediation needs, and methods research in collaborationwith EPA NHSRC

Second IAG/approval allows EPA use of ultra-dilute CWAstandards for research and calibration of instruments to runCWA samples in eLRN labs

EPA IAG with ECBC for logistics for ultra-dilute agentstandards prep and transfer

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 17

Building Fixed CWA Capacity

DHS funded three prototype fixed labs during FY 2007 inthe Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

Initial labs completed gap analysis and infrastructureimprovements and can now receive agent

Second round under review for Southeast, Southwest,West, and Northwest with DHS/EPA funding during 2008

Review team completed visits for second round

Will bring to a total of 6-7 fixed CWA labs with an increaseof over 3,000 samples per week

Methods issues remain-also see SAM Document

(http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/reportSAM030107.pdf)

P bl Hi h Th h I d

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Originally a high-throughput screening system designed to

identify and quantify TICs and CWAs above PEL

Redesign of system, niche, and integration with EPAresponse needs completed

All 3 units delivered to EPA

PHILIS II under design with performance reviews set for Dec.

Portable High-Throughput IntegratedLaboratory Identification System (PHILIS)

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Design & Test Modular All Hazard Receipt Unit for

Unknowns

Combined Effort of EPA, DHS, DOD and other Agencies, todevelop and test prototype designs

Final protocols and procedures ready for testing

(http//aphl.org/docs/Draft_AHRF_SOP_Guidance_092506.pdf)

Two prototypesdelivered Fall 06

Both facilities assessed

High identificationrates of surrogates

All Hazard Receipt Facilities

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 20

Radiological Working Group

NCG sponsored Radiological Working Group

Charged to evaluate current radioanalytical laboratorycapability, capacity, and competency to respond to aradiological dispersion device (RDD)

Participants include DHS, EPA, CDC, DOE, FDA,DOD, and

NIST

Co-Chaired by EPA and CDC

Follows ICLN RFA responsibilities

Focus on pilot projects similar to CWA to increase Radcapabilities during INS

Two pilot projects increase capacity by 600 samples perweek

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 21

Water Lab Alliance: Objectives

Provide capability and capacity to analyze routinesurveillance and triggered response samples in DrinkingWater

Align with existing laboratory networks

Build foundation for an environmental laboratoryresponse capability

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 22

WLA: Approach

Integration of:

Drinking Water Laboratories

Wastewater Laboratories

Commercial Laboratories

Public Health and Environmental Laboratories

-CDCs Laboratory Response Network (LRN)

-EPAs eLRN

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 23

Implementation Activities

Start-Up Phase Identify priority contaminants of concern

Identify methods and method gaps for priority contaminants

Develop pilot systems

Establish the WLA framework

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 24

Current WLA Support Efforts

Regional Drinking Water Laboratory ResponsePreparedness Project

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)Partnership

Methods Development/Validation

WLA Implementation: Water Security ContaminationWarning System

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 25

CWS Elements

Water Quality

Monitoring:Online monitoring

Sampling and analysis

Contamination

Warning

System

Consumer

Complaint

Surveillance

Public Health

Surveillance:911 calls / EMS data

ED visits

OTC medication sales

Enhanced Security

Monitoring:Video

Alarms

Intelligence

Elements can alone, or in combination, serve as a

trigger to warrant subsequent action.

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 26

What is your labs role?

Fl DEP lab will be an eLRN lab

Local municipal drinking water and waste water labs willbe potential participants in WLA/eLRN

FL DOH lab is an LRN lab

Local Health Labs may be LRN affiliated

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27

Next Steps

External

Partner with other Agencies to address gaps in environmentalanalyses

Formally establish the eLRN and expand the national capacityfor Chemical, Biological and Radiological analysis inenvironmental samples

Participate with ICLN Networks, /MOUs, IAGs

Outreach to States, other stakeholders

Internal

Continue formation of HSLRC

Roll out eLRN

Continue work on Water Lab Alliance

Continue projects: All Hazard ReceiptFacilities/PHILIS/Fixed Labs

Continue HSRC activities

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Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 28

Contacts

Schatzi Fitz-James eLRN Team Leader

fitz-james.schatzi@epa.gov (202) 564-2521

Allan Antley eLRN Operations Liaisonantley.allan@epa.gov (706) 355-8506

Patricia Tidwell-Shelton WLA Leadtidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.gov (202) 564-6319

Oba Vincent SAM Documentvincent.oba@epa.gov (513) 569-7456

mailto:fitz-james.schatzi@epa.govmailto:antley.allan@epa.govmailto:tidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.govmailto:vincent.oba@epa.govmailto:vincent.oba@epa.govmailto:tidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.govmailto:tidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.govmailto:tidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.govmailto:antley.allan@epa.govmailto:fitz-james.schatzi@epa.govmailto:fitz-james.schatzi@epa.govmailto:fitz-james.schatzi@epa.gov