Project Summary (2000-2006)

Over the past decade considerable advances have been made in the ability to detect hazardous materials in all media, to apply appropriate remediation strategies to Superfund sites, and to assess exposures to agents that may cause disease. As important as remediation is to reducing potential exposures, it is equally important to incorporate strategies to reduce the potential for future Superfund sites into the development of new technologies, processes and products: to reduce the generation, utilization, release and disposal of toxic substances. It is critical to develop professionals and scholars who can assess the impact of various environmental and regulatory policies on the long-term prospects for prevention, and who can incorporate advances in science and engineering in both legislation and regulation for environmental and human health protection. Specifically, the core is increasing the numbers of individuals who not ony can determine the causative factors of disease (physical, chemical or biological agents), but who also can establish a framework for prevention and control, and can assess the impact of various strategies in terms of economic impact, environmental equity, and policy through an integrated interdisciplinary program of training. Core personnel link individual trainees to program projects to consider how the advances in science and technology innovations can be integrated into policies to improve prevention. In addition, trainees and investigators are linked to entities such as EPA Region IX to improve transfer of knowledge (moving from the bench into applications) and communication with practitioners.