Through the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Cooperation Working Group, regulators from 26 states are collaborating with representatives from federal agencies, industry, and stakeholder groups to raise the comfort level of environmental decision makers about using new technologies. By pooling their experience and knowledge in permitting innovative technologies and by publishing and distributing their work products, ITRC is making it easier for state regulatory agencies to approve new technologies. ITRC writes protocols ITRC identifies technologies for which verified cost and performance data show the technologies are more effective and efficient than baseline technologies. For these technologies, ITRC may review existing protocols (standardized criteria for demonstrating and verifying technologies) or develop through consensus its own protocols. ITRC accomplishes its vision of streamlining the deployment of environmental technologies by writing and encouraging all states to accept standardized processes and requirements for the verification and permitting of technologies. By collaboratively writing protocols that are then accepted throughout the country, ITRC is reducing the time and cost regulating agencies must spend in reviewing and permitting new technologies. Other ITRC products ITRC conducts literature searches, surveys, and case studies to document current use of environmental technologies--operating histories, demonstrated successes, defined application protocols, and process limitations. ITRC summarizes its findings on the current status of a technology, its regulatory acceptance, and the issues and trends affecting its acceptance to help its members and others evaluate the appropriateness of using a technology at a site. ITRC's process In producing its protocols and other documents, ITRC builds on the collective knowledge and experience of group members. The ITRC process is getting state regulators and others to work together, to share knowledge and experience in permitting new technologies, and producing documents that reflect the consensus views of the group. The process employs feedback/revision loops to allow opportunities for all members to fully participate in shaping products. The last step in the process is distributing the protocols or documents and actively promoting their use among ITRC members and others. ITRC makes its work plans and products accessible by placing them on the Internet through the U.S. Department of Energy's Global Network for Environmental Technologies (see http://www.gnet.org/). ITRC also seeks assurance states are using or plan to use its protocols. The ITRC policy team is currently working to define levels of acceptance and use from the diverse perspectives of state regulatory agencies. Benefits of ITRC's products and process An improved regulatory climate for innovative technologies benefits the environmental technology market as a whole. Participating state regulators increase their knowledge and confidence in a technology to the point they may become technology advocates. By using a consistent set of protocols for designing and implementing verification of technologies, states can cut the time and expense required to demonstrate and approve technologies. Having state regulatory agencies on the side of innovative environmental technologies benefits technology developers and vendors, who need to avoid the time and expense of meeting conflicting permitting requirements in each state where they want their technologies to be approved. Getting down to business in Albuquerque On January 22 and 23, members of the ITRC met in Albuquerque. During full membership sessions, ITRC Managing Directors Jim Allen (California Department of Toxic Substances Control) and Nancy Worst (Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission) introduced speakers from federal and regional agencies, who emphasized opportunities for ITRC to partner with EPA's Remediation Technologies Development Forum, Consortium for Site Characterization Technologies, and Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation programs; American Society for Testing and Materials; and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Rapid Commercialization Initiative. During breakout sessions, eight ITRC teams discussed their FY97 work plans. During the year, the teams will work on their protocols and other documents with the goal of having them ready for the next ITRC meeting scheduled in early June in Crystal City, Virginia. At the next meeting, ITRC will set its priorities for FY98. The teams and their primary focus areas: The Policy Team is investigating state use of performance-based systems and voluntary cleanups. The team will report to ITRC members on states' experiences in using less restrictive regulatory approaches. The Communication Team is emphasizing external and internal communication, final product distribution, presentation development, linking and networking with other groups with related missions, and electronic communication. Its prioritized products will include a Web site, newsletter, brochure, presentations, and press advisories. The Accelerated Site Characterization Team is busy on three fronts. One subgroup is considering forming a relationship with ASTM to afford state regulators opportunities to review ASTM's Draft Provisional Guide for Expedited Site Characterization of Vadose Zone and Ground Water Contamination. The partnership will increase the usefulness of the guide to state regulatory personnel and will also allow ITRC to provide direction for future ASTM guidance documents. The second subgroup is evaluating two volatile organic compound sensors for their deployment on the Site Characterization and Analysis Penetrometer System. The Hydrosparge VOC Sensing System and the Thermal Desorption Sampler are being compared to more traditional site-sampling methods at McClellan Air Force Base in California under the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. Other members of the Accelerated Site Characterization Team are working with EPA's Consortium for Site Characterization Technology to coordinate ITRC involvement in the consortium's verification of site characterization technologies. The In situ Bioremediation Team also has three main focus areas during FY97. The plume-a-thon subgroup will use data from approximately 100 chlorinated solvent plumes to produce a draft statistical study with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The study will verify the effectiveness of natural attenuation on chlorinated hydrocarbons in ground water. Another subgroup is working with the Remediation Technologies Development Forum to solicit ITRC feedback on RTDF's guidance document Natural Attenuation in the Reduction of Chlorinated Solvents in Subsurface Environments. The closure criteria subgroup will produce a report describing states' closure criteria when using soil vapor extraction, bioventing, and natural attenuation at petroleum hydrocarbon sites. The Low Temperature Thermal Desorption Team is one of the oldest ITRC groups. During FY96, the LTTD team produced a protocol for the testing and verification of LTTD for the treatment of nonhazardous soils. The consensus document, available at http://www.westgov.org/wga/publicat/lttdweb.html has been accepted for use by 13 states. The team is now finalizing its second protocol in cooperation with DOE's mixed waste focus area. The protocol is for the testing and verification of LTTD for the treatment of low-level mixed waste contaminated with mercury and/or chlorinated compounds. The Metals in Soil Team plans to prepare a model for permitting a fixed facility for soil washing; examine phytoremediation, electrokinetics, and in situ stabilization to produce a summary report on the technologies' regulatory issues, pros/cons, and existing cost/performance data; and report on the existing research, status of state acceptance, and develop a protocol for bioavailability of metals. The Permeable Treatment Barriers Team worked with EPA's RTDF to provide feedback on Design Protocol for Permeable Barriers to Remediate Chlorinated Solvents. The team is participating with RTDF on a demonstration at Dover, Delaware of emplacement techniques comparing different iron media. The demonstration is scheduled for summer 1997. The team is developing a generic protocol applicable to all permeable barrier wall prototypes. The Plasma Team will use the National Technical Work Group Roadmap process for designing permit formats. Its report will include state comments on the mixed waste focus area's draft test plan guidance, guidance on siting criteria, waste feed characterization, final waste and secondary waste classification, states' permitting requirements, summary of stakeholder concerns, and appendix of plasma vendors.