The environmental Laboratory Response Network (eLRN) FSEA Meeting October 19, 2007

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 1 What is the eLRN?  A comprehensive all-hazards*/all- environmental media laboratory network to support responders across a spectrum of activities including preparedness, response, remediation, and recovery resulting from acts of terrorism or other emergencies  Genesis: HSPDs 5, 7, 8, 9, 10  ICLN RFA Chart  Focus is TIC, CWA, Rad, limited Bio*

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 Technical Experts eLRN environmental Laboratory Response Network NAHLN National Animal Health Laboratory Network FERN Food Emergency Response Network LRN Laboratory Response Network NPDN National Plant Diagnostic Network

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 3 ICLN Response Matrix *JLC agreed to RFAs identified for each phase of response

4 ICLN Response Matrix continued

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 5 EPA’s Approach to Emergency Response  EPA is not a first responder  OSCs respond under National Response Plan and are tasked through the National Response Center and/or in conjunction with requests from State counterparts  OSCs heavily utilize contract resources and commercial laboratories, but some Regions utilize local EPA laboratory  Operate under ICS structures  Large scale events (INS) establish Field Environmental Unit in Planning Section  Field EU interfaces with HQ EU on issues for public release and additional technical support, if needed, during INS  OSCs request analytical services as needed and expand required capacities and capabilities as event dictates

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 6 Anatomy of a Response

7 EPA Regions State Commercial Utilities NEIC EPA HSL Industrial Chemicals SELECT LRN State Commercial Utilities EPA HSL DOD CDC Biologicals Reference Confirmatory Sentinel SELECT EPA Surety Labs Commercial Utilities EPA HSL DOD Chemical Warfare Agents 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 Laboratory Structure LRN

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 8 How Does the eLRN Work?  Managed through Homeland Security Laboratory Response Center (HSLRC), OEM, OSWER  Designed to address laboratory capability and capacity to meet environmental analytical needs of responders during the initial response through recovery phases of an event  Vision is for a day-to-day support network that can seamlessly support events at any level for covered contaminants from member laboratories of known quality  Includes coordination of all other infrastructure demands of ICLN RFA designations (NHSRC, ORIA, OW, NEIC)  Lab assets obtained through ICS structures or by request through other appropriate channels

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

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 of eLRN with States and other potential member labs

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

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

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 13 eLRN Membership Criteria  Basic elements require: - Quality System (DW Certification, ISO 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

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

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 15 Current Lab Capacities  Toxic Industrial Chemicals - Informal network of 10 EPA Regional Labs, 50 + State Labs, EPA Contract Lab Program (20 labs), potential access to large commercial community Estimated Capacity-8,500 samples/week (OK)  Radiological Agents - Capacity from 2 EPA, 2 State, 16 Commercial, and 9 Federal labs Estimated Capacity-4,700 samples/week (Need 6,500 up)  CWA -Capacity from 4 Federal and 8 Commercial labs BOAs in place to access commercial CWA facilities Interagency Agreement with DOD ECBC Estimated Capacity-1-2,000 samples/week (Need 5,000 up)

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 16 EPA/DOD Surety Program  Received approval for current DOD contractors to expand current CWA authorizations to support EPA’s response and remediation needs, and methods research in collaboration with EPA NHSRC  Second IAG/approval allows EPA use of ultra-dilute CWA standards for research and calibration of instruments to run CWA samples in eLRN labs  EPA IAG with ECBC for logistics for ultra-dilute agent standards prep and transfer

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 17 Building Fixed CWA Capacity  DHS funded three prototype fixed labs during FY 2007 in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic  Initial labs completed gap analysis and infrastructure improvements 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 increase of over 3,000 samples per week  Methods issues remain-also see SAM Document (

18  Originally a high-throughput screening system designed to identify and quantify TICs and CWAs above PEL  Redesign of system, niche, and integration with EPA response needs completed  All 3 units delivered to EPA  PHILIS II under design with performance reviews set for Dec. Portable High-Throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS)

19  Design & Test Modular All Hazard Receipt Unit for Unknowns  Combined Effort of EPA, DHS, DOD and other Agencies, to develop and test prototype designs  Final protocols and procedures ready for testing (http//aphl.org/docs/Draft_AHRF_SOP_Guidance_ pdf)  Two prototypes delivered Fall 06  Both facilities assessed  High identification rates of surrogates All Hazard Receipt Facilities

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 20 Radiological Working Group  NCG sponsored Radiological Working Group  Charged to evaluate current radioanalytical laboratory capability, capacity, and competency to respond to a radiological 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 Rad capabilities during INS  Two pilot projects increase capacity by 600 samples per week

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 21 Water Lab Alliance: Objectives  Provide capability and capacity to analyze routine surveillance and triggered response samples in Drinking Water  Align with existing laboratory networks  Build foundation for an environmental laboratory response capability

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 -CDC’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN) -EPA’s eLRN

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

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 24 Current WLA Support Efforts  Regional Drinking Water Laboratory Response Preparedness Project  Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Partnership  Methods Development/Validation  WLA Implementation: Water Security Contamination Warning System

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 25 CWS Elements Elements can alone, or in combination, serve as a trigger to warrant subsequent action.

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 26 What is your lab’s role?  Fl DEP lab will be an eLRN lab  Local municipal drinking water and waste water labs will be potential participants in WLA/eLRN  FL DOH lab is an LRN lab  Local Health Labs may be LRN affiliated

27 Next Steps  External  Partner with other Agencies to address gaps in environmental analyses  Formally establish the eLRN and expand the national capacity for Chemical, Biological and Radiological analysis in environmental 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 Receipt Facilities/PHILIS/Fixed Labs  Continue HSRC activities

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response 28 Contacts  Schatzi Fitz-James eLRN Team Leader (202)  Allan Antley eLRN Operations Liaison (706)  Patricia Tidwell-Shelton WLA Lead (202)  Oba Vincent SAM Document (513)