Superfund Technical and Analytical Services

This contract represents the continuation of EMS's unbroken support to EPA's Superfund Program since 1990. The contract has an estimated value of $29.4 million over six years if all options are exercised. Under this contract, EMS's team is supporting all of EPA's headquarters and regional offices by researching and evaluating scientific, technological, economic, community outreach, and human and ecological health issues associated with Superfund sites and by providing logistical and administrative support for conferences, recordkeeping, and data management related to the Superfund Program.

To date, EMS has responded to 88 work assignments estimated at 239,749 professional hours, involving numerous consultants and subcontractors. Key projects include continued support to the Superfund Community Involvement (CI) Program, including organizing logistics and managing Agency-wide CI Conferences (in August, EMS arranged EPA's 11th consecutive conference, each of which attracts more than 400 people) with agendas, calls for presenters, registration support, and on-site logistics, exhibits, and graphics. EMS supports the Technical Assistance Grants Program, including facilitating meetings and conference calls, and developing national guidance for Regions and grantees. EMS is updating a CI handbook and toolkit of resources for Regional staff to use with citizens that we first prepared for Superfund 10 years ago. EMS is providing ongoing support to the Institutional Controls (IC) program, which affects all OSWER activities; developing a compendium of information and a web site to support the new Superfund Asbestos Framework; continuing support to the Superfund Risk Assessment Program; supporting the enhancement of the nation's radiation-laboratory capacity by developing guidance, training, and assessments of state, federal, and commercial laboratories; supporting the Abandoned Mine Lands Team, including the preparation of fact sheets, training, and conferences; and supporting dozens of other EPA meetings and conferences around the country. EMS is designing and conducting independent peer reviews of EPA technical documents; supporting Superfund's planning, budgeting, and evaluation activities; and prepared EPA's 2007 and 2008 Superfund Annual Reports and 2011 Superfund Diversity Action Plan. In addition, EMS continues to operate and maintain the Clean-Up Information Technology website (http://www.clu-in.org), including such companion sites as the Training Exchange (http://www.trainex.org), State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners (http://www.drycleancoalition.org/), and many more (see list), and researches emerging and innovative remediation technologies for the Superfund Program. EMS recently produced EPA's "Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites." In October 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency once again awarded EMS the highest possible praise in our formal performance evaluation for our Superfund contract. EMS received "Exceptional" performance evaluations in all five categories of review: Quality of Product or Service, Schedule, Cost Control, Business Relations, and Management of Key Personnel. This evaluation continues the superlative appraisal that EPA gave EMS two years ago for the initial two years of performance under this contract. This assessment continues to demonstrate EMS's deep commitments to quality and customer satisfaction in everything we do.

Brownfields Technical, Analytical, and Administrative Support Services

This contract, awarded in May 2007, is EMS's second consecutive prime contract with EPA's Brownfields Program, and continues a relationship with the program that began in 1994. Major areas of the contract include Technical Research and Analytical Support; Program Evaluation Support, Communications Outreach; Data Analysis, Survey, and Distribution Support; Guidance Support; Training Support; Program Planning; Legislative and Regulatory Analysis and Development; Meeting, Workshop and Conference Support; and Program Implementation Support. The primary emphasis continues to be intensive support for the annual Brownfields grants application process, ongoing support implementing the All Appropriate Inquiries rule through sector training, and land revitalization. EMS continues to support enhanced job-training and cleanup/assessment initiatives as part of the 2009 stimulus law and beyond. EMS assessed the environmental benefits of redeveloping brownfields in the seminal Air and Water Quality Impacts of Brownfields Redevelopment: A Study of Five Communities, and developed the Brownfields Technology Primer on Vapor Intrusion. EMS also developed the 2011 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide and A Guide to Federal Tax Incentives for Brownfields Redevelopment. Several publications also were developed for OSWER's Land Revitalization Program, including eight new factsheets and the Land Revitalization Success Stories 2011 report. EMS is a principal supporter to EPA's new Brownfields Area-wide Planning initiative (including researching and developing a redevelopment and marketing plan for the City of Ogdensburg, NY), targeting economically disadvantaged communities with multiple brownfields. To date, EMS has responded to 51 work assignments involving more than 85,700 hours. EPA awarded EMS the highest possible marks—straight "5s"—in our formal performance evaluation. EMS received "outstanding" performance evaluations in all four categories of review: Quality of Product or Service; Cost Control; Timeliness of Performance; and Business Relations. This assessment demonstrates both EMS's commitments to quality and customer satisfaction as well as our client's recognition of them.