Summary

Description

The Hazardous Substance Research Center/South and Southwest is a competitively awarded, peer-reviewed research consortium led by Louisiana State University with the cooperation of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Rice University, and Texas A&M University to address critical hazardous substance problems, especially as they relate to contaminated sediments. The South & Southwest Center was established in October 1991 under Section 311(d) of CERCLA to conduct research and technology transfer designed to promote risk-based management and control of hazardous substances for the nation and regions 4 and 6 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contaminated sediments and dredged materials of concern contain organics, metals, and conventional pollutants. These environmental contaminants are either suspended in the water column or stored on the bottom of rivers, bayous, lakes, harbors, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, and in ocean waters of the continental shelf. Research theme areas include: Assessing the physical, chemical, and biological processes influencing contaminant availability Evaluating and enhancing biotransformation processes in sediments Improving the science of risk management for contaminated sediments Complex environmental problems that face the nation are not easily addressed by conventional single-investigator, single-institution research efforts. The Center has the ability to assemble teams of researchers that cross departmental and institutional boundaries to better address these problems. Through its training and technology transfer activities, the center disseminates information about research advances to the public and private sectors. Some of these activities include one-day regulatory update conferences, technical briefs, workshops, an annual symposium, and an annual report.