Homeland Security Research

Research Highlights

Workshops on Site Decon, Cleanup, and Associated Issues

Since 2005, EPA has held several workshops on decontamination research and associated issues for sites contaminated with chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) materials.

EPA organized the workshops to provide a forum for researchers and stakeholders to exchange information, share research results and experience, and foster collaboration in order to reduce costs and expedite the processes of decontamination.

Participants from United States government agencies, international organizations and governments, laboratories, universities, and decontamination technology companies met to summarize issues and discuss research needs they believe to be of greatest importance.

Of continuing importance is:

• the critical need for communication and collaboration between decontamination personnel and researchers
• research on sampling method validation, restoration time reduction, real-time sampling technology development, and decontaminant-surface interactions
• the ongoing need to address logistical, political, and public perception issues associated with conducting a restoration

View reports from the workshops.

Note: The reports contain main points of presentations and summarize discussions among the workshop panelists. They do not contain verbatim transcripts of all issues discussed.