Creating Value through the Food Safety Modernization Act

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Obama in January, 2011. FSMA establishes requirements for pro-actively preventing food contamination along the entire food value chain. Given the effort and burden required for its proper implementation, SAIC has developed a risk-based process for leveraging the requirement of FSMA to create value through lowering the cost of risk, creating branding opportunities and maintaining shareholder value.

Methamphetamine Lab Contamination: A Different Look at the Impact of the Meth Epidemic

The impact of the methamphetamine epidemic is far reaching. Twenty-years ago the only concern with methamphetamine was the crime associated with the drug, i.e. burglary, sexual-assault, child abuse, etc. Over the past decade more attention has been given to the “hidden” impact of methamphetamine – the residual contamination caused by indoor manufacturing and/or smoking of methamphetamine. Smoked methamphetamine and meth labs alike generate airborne methamphetamine. The pyrolytic characteristic of methamphetamine when heated causes the drug to become an aerosol when smoked.

In manufacturing, methamphetamine becomes an aerosol during the final
“gassing” phase. Both instances the residue attaches itself to any and all
indoor surfaces, as well as, infiltrates a building’s furnace and/or HVAC
system causing both safety and health concerns to innocent children and adults alike. This presentation will identify the signs of methamphetamine manufacturing; discuss the health hazards associated with exposure to methamphetamine residue; outline West Virginia’s remediation regulations; review the latest manufacturing method; and define the steps to a decontaminated structure.

Community Engagement and Health Impact Assessments

Why, to what extent and how should the community be involved in environmental health impact assessments? This lecture focuses on what it means to have meaningful community participation, the benefits from community participation and the possible means by which these benefits are conveyed. The lecture will use several theories on community engagement to explore the range of possible tools for participation and propose a formula and specific methods for short and long term projects.

Environmental Health or Economic Development?: The Case of a Federal Facility in Appalachian Ohio

The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) is the site of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) former gaseous diffusion plant at Piketon, Ohio in the heart of Appalachian Ohio. From the 1950s through the 1970s, PORTS was one of three facilities in the country that enriched uranium for use in nuclear weapons and nuclear energy production. Uranium enrichment ceased in 2001, and DOE began the process of decontamination and decommissioning the facility. As part of this process, DOE is required to obtain community input on the future of the site and researchers at Ohio University were funded to develop and implement a widespread community outreach program to gather public opinion.

Focus groups, interviews, and a telephone survey were the primary methods of data collection used to enhance understanding of community perceptions related to the plant. Community visioning teams used public opinion data and detailed environmental data to create 9 possible future use scenarios for DOE’s consideration. Results of the public outreach work suggest that there is a range of beliefs and opinions related to the history and future of the site.

However, the common theme that emerged is the importance of using the facility to create jobs for the region, which posts the highest unemployment rates in the state. The scenarios that were selected indicate that the community may be willing to consider activities on the site that might contribute to environmental degradation if there is a promise to improve the economic conditions of the region.

Methamphetamine Contamination Closes West Virginia School

This presentation illustrates an unprecedented event regarding the environmental surface contamination that resulted from an incident involving two individuals whom allegedly smoked methamphetamine inside of a school building in West Virginia, and consequently resulted in the school building being closed while remediation was completed.  The school building is a career and technical school, along with a community college.  The career and technical school enrolls both adolescent and adult students.  West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources was notified per statute WV Code 64CSR92, “The Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Rule, by the West Virginia State Police regarding the above mentioned incident.  Boone County Schools, owner of school building, hired a licensed Clandestine Drug Lab Remediation Contractor to perform an assessment of the building, which included, numerous wipe samples to detect methamphetamine residue.  The State Decontamination Level is 0.1 microgram per 100 centimeters squared (1 milligram per foot squared) of surface area sampled. 

The results indicated that various classrooms and offices, along with the HVAC within the school building were contaminated with residual methamphetamine.  This meant that the school would need to be decontaminated per West Virginia regulations prior to occupancy of students, as well as, staff.  The school system hired a licensed Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Contractor to perform full remediation on the entire school building.  Final wipe samples were taken and the results indicated that the building met state regulations and could be reoccupied.