U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center, P.O. Box 1198, 919 Kerr Research Drive, Ada, OK 74820

A -- REMEDIATION OF RADIUM FROM CONTAMINATED SOIL SOL ADA-97-1 DUE 053097 POC Stephen Kovash, (405)436-8708 E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Agency contact via e-mail, kovash.stephen@epamail.epa.gov. The Subsurface Protection and Remediation Division (SPRD) of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) of the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA), Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center, in Ada, Oklahoma, is seeking to award a cooperative agreement to a non-profit organization or an interagency agreement with Federal Agencies qualified to conduct research in the management, protection and remediation of soil, ground water and aquifer systems. You are invited to submit a proposal to conduct research to advance the scientific understanding of the behavior of contaminants in soil and ground water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is actively involved, through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), in clean-up programs at radioactively contaminated sites. Generally, the contaminants are the naturally occurring radionuclides of uranium and the thorium decay series. Radium isoften the primary contaminant of concern. The radionuclides are diffusely dispersed in soil, although discrete sources may be found. The standard clean-up mode has been gross excavation of soil and shipment to a remote disposal site. This has led to substantial clean-up costs for these sites ranging from $1 million to $200 million. The objective of this project is to develop through a bench-scale pilot project, an alternative technology to the standard excavation and shipping clean-up method. Specifically to be tested is the use of biological systems and/or chemical processes for the removal and concentration of radium-226 contaminants from soil. Such a biological system or chemical process must be capable of reducing radium-226 contaminant concentrations to criteria set out in the application. Concentrated materials must be capable of being accepted at operating disposal sites. Moreover, this system or process must be shown to be cost effective when compared to direct soil excavation and shipping, and to other alternative methods (e.g., soil sorting, segmented gate). Soils from a set of sites listed on the CERCLA National Priorities List known as the Ottawa Radium Sites located in Ottawa, Illinois, will be made available for use in conducting this research study. Data will be made available through the cooperative research efforts with EPA ORD scientists. The project is anticipated as a two-year project with the total cost of $175,000, pending availability of funds. Statutory authority for EPA funding of this cooperative agreement is authorized in the CERCLA Section 311(a)(1). Interested applicants must be eligible to receive federal assistance under this Act and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 30 -- General Regulation for Assistance Programs and Part 40 -- Research and Demonstration Grants. Only nonprofit research institutions eligible to receive federal assistance under these regulations are authorized to submit applications. Government agencies wishing to enter into an Interagency Agreement are also encouraged to apply. Interested sources must request a solicitation package containing a description of the area of research, evaluation criteria, and other proposal writing instructions in writing before the response date of May 30, 1997. FAX requests may be directed to (405) 436-8597. Telephone requests for the solicitation package or technical information will not be accepted. (0090)

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