EPA Fellowship Determining Impacts of Releases on Drinking Water Supplies from Aboveground Storage Tanks
EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Land Remediation and Technology Division (LRTD) located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Research Project: In the US, large volumes of oil and chemical substances are stored in aboveground storage tanks (ASTs). ASTs are the most vulnerable component of industrial facilities in storm events and are responsible for the largest oil and chemical spills during storms which are occurring more frequently with climate change. Further, as with several aspects of an aging industrial infrastructure, many ASTs have not been designed to withstand increasing climate-related challenges over long periods of time. Importantly, as ASTs are located disproportionately near environmental justice communities, there may be undue significant threats to these populations.
The research participant will collaborate on research in support of water quality impacts from Clean Water Act hazardous substances. This research will support the Agency and federal partners as well as states, territories, tribes and local partners to assist in inspection, compliance and emergency response. Lastly, it will provide critical information to adapt to climate change and the impact on facilities and releases and the potential effects on environmental justice communities.
Learning Objectives: The research participant will collaborate with scientific staff in ORD in training opportunities related to the evaluation of contaminant releases and impacts on water supplies. Under the guidance of a mentor, research activities may include:
- 1. Learning innovative approaches in assessing water quality impacts from ASTs
- 2. Participating in a team of scientists in developing the geospatial context of contaminant sources and potential impacts on water supplies
- 3. Assessing impacts of climate change on contaminant transport and water quality impacts including flooding and drought
- 4. Contributing to developing presentations and technical manuscripts.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Fran Kremer (kremer.fran@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 14, 2022. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed up to three or four additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.
EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5 year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred skills:
- Use of surface and ground water modeling to understand contaminant fate and transport predictions to assist in risk-based decision-making.
- Models will be used to support decisions on time of travel for contaminant release to water intakes, both surface water and ground water, and to assess ground water/surface water flux to assist in determining actions to control contamination of drinking water supplies.
- Research will be integrated with ongoing work on ground water vulnerability and machine learning.