The environmental Laboratory Response Network (eLRN)

FSEA Meeting October 19, 2007

What is the eLRN?

A comprehensive all-hazards*/allenvironmental 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

ICLN Organizational Structure

Joint Leadership Council (JLC) (Assistant Secretary Level) DHS Chair

TE
Technical Experts

Network Coordinating Group (NCG) DHS Chair

Exec Sec
DHS

LRN
Laboratory Response Network

NAHLN
National Animal Health Laboratory Network

FERN

eLRN
environmental Laboratory Response Network

NPDN National
Plant Diagnostic Network

Food Emergency Response Network

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response

ICLN Response Matrix

Monitoring/surv eillance Monitoring/surv eillance

Chemical Lab Support to Phase of Response

Remediation Incident Response Forensics

Biological Lab Support to Phase of Response

Remediation Incident Response Forensics

Human Clinical

HHS

HHS

HHS

FBI

Human Clinical

HHS

HHS

HHS

FBI

Environmental

EPA USDA/ HHS

EPA USDA/ HHS

EPA USDA/ HHS

FBI

Environmental

HHS USDA/ HHS

HHS HHS/ USDA

EPA USDA/ HHS

FBI

Food

FBI

Food

FBI

Animal

USDA

USDA

USDA

FBI

Animal

USDA

USDA

USDA

FBI

Plant Drinking Water

USDA EPA

USDA EPA

USDA EPA

FBI FBI

Plant Drinking Water

USDA EPA

USDA EPA

USDA EPA

FBI FBI

*JLC agreed to RFAs identified forSupport of Emergency Response Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in each phase of response

ICLN Response Matrix continued

Monitoring/surv eillance
Radiological Lab Support to Phase of Response

Remediation

Incident Response

Human Clinical

HHS

HHS

HHS

FBI

Environmental

EPA USDA/ HHS

DOE/ EPA USDA/ HHS

EPA USDA/ HHS

FBI

Food

FBI

Animal

USDA

USDA

USDA

FBI

Plant

USDA

USDA

USDA

FBI

Water

EPA

EPA

EPA

FBI
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Forensics

EPAs 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
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Anatomy of a Response

Building Environmental Laboratory Capability in Support of Emergency Response

Laboratory Structure
Gold standard reference lab, methods, research, etc.
NEIC DOE OPPTS ORIA EPA EPA HSL HSL DOD

CDC DOD

EPA HSL
SELECT LRN

EPA HSL
SELECT

SECURE

EPA Regions Commercial State Commercial

State Commercial

State EPA ORIA

EPA State Commercia l Surety Labs

Confirm/quantify suspected detection

OPEN

Commercial LRN Utilities

Utilities

HazMats CSTs

Commercial Utilities

Routine monitoring

Biologicals

Industrial Chemicals

Radiologicals

Chemical Warfare Agents

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

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
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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

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FY 07 Budget Initiatives
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

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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
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eLRN Membership Criteria

Basic elements require:

- Quality System (DW Certification, ISO 17025 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

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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

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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)
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EPA/DOD Surety Program

Received approval for current DOD contractors to expand current CWA authorizations to support EPAs 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

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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 (http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/reportSAM030107.pdf)

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Portable High-Throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS)

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.

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All Hazard Receipt Facilities

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_092506.pdf)

Two prototypes delivered Fall 06

Both facilities assessed High identification rates of surrogates

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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
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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

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WLA: Approach
Integration of:
Drinking Water Laboratories

Wastewater Laboratories
Commercial Laboratories Public Health and Environmental Laboratories -CDCs Laboratory Response Network (LRN) -EPAs eLRN

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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

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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

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CWS Elements
Elements can alone, or in combination, serve as a trigger to warrant subsequent action.
Water Quality Monitoring:
Online monitoring Sampling and analysis

Consumer Complaint Surveillance

Contamination Warning System

Public Health Surveillance:

911 calls / EMS data ED visits OTC medication sales

Enhanced Security Monitoring:

Video Alarms Intelligence

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What is your labs 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

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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
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Contacts

Schatzi Fitz-James fitz-james.schatzi@epa.gov Allan Antley antley.allan@epa.gov

eLRN Team Leader (202) 564-2521

eLRN Operations Liaison (706) 355-8506

Patricia Tidwell-Shelton tidwell-shelton.patricia@epa.gov

Oba Vincent vincent.oba@epa.gov

WLA Lead (202) 564-6319

SAM Document (513) 569-7456

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