Course Outlines

These course outlines should provide sufficient detail for you to get a very good idea of course content. When you register for a course, you will receive a much more detailed course syllabus, including times for each session, to help you in your travel planning. Course titles in green indicate courses which are available on an on-site basis only for 2008.

Day 1

• Optimizing Monitoring Well and Screen Placement Through Site Characterization and Conceptual Models
• Establishing Objectives, Data Needs and Uses; Important Geologic, Hydrologic and Geochemical Factors; Site Conceptual Models; Site Characterization Program Design; Selecting Optimum Locations for Monitoring Wells and Well Screens
• Applications of Drilling and Direct-Push Technology for Site Characterization and Monitoring Well Installation
• Advantages and Limitations of Casing Advancement Methods, Fluid Circulation Methods, Auger Methods, and Direct Push Methods for Site Characterization and Well Installation

Day 2

• Monitoring Well Design and Construction: Chemical Interference Sources; Casing and Screen Materials; Types of Screens; Well Screen Slot Sizing; Filter Pack and Annular Seal Installation; Surface Protection; Alternative Completion Types
• Monitoring Well Development: Purposes of Well Development; Methods Used for Well Development - Surging and Pumping/Bailing, Overpumping and Backwashing, Hydraulic Jetting, Air-Lift Pumping; When and How Long to Develop Wells to Ensure Optimum Performance
• Field Session on Well Installation: Site Characterization with Direct-Push Technology; Ground-Water Monitoring Well Installation and Multi-Level Monitoring System Installation with a Direct-Push Rig; Prepacked and Standard Wells; Annular Sealing and Well Completion

Day 3

• The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling
• Factors Affecting the Representative Nature of Ground-Water Samples
• Planning and Executing a Successful Sampling Event
• Objectives and Components of a Sampling and Analysis Plan
• Field Equipment Decontamination Methods
• Field Quality Assurance/Field Quality Control
• Water Level and Product Thickness Measurement
• Ground-Water Purging and Sampling Device Options and Selection Criteria

Day 4

• Commonly Used Purging and Sampling Methodologies
  • Traditional Methods for High-Yield Wells
  • Approaches to Purging Low-Yield Wells
• Ground-Water Sample Filtration
  • Filtration Using ASTM Standard D-6564
• No-Purge Sampling Options
  • Passive Diffusion Bag Samplers
  • The HydraSleeve
  • The Snap Sampler
• Field Sessions: No-Purge Sampling Options; Health & Safety and Housekeeping Aspects of Ground-Water Sampling; Water-Level Measurement; Conventional Well-Volume Purging and Ground-Water Sampling; Field Filtration of Samples

Day 5

• Low-Flow Purging & Sampling (Micropurging) - What It Is, How It Is Done, What Equipment is Required, Economics
• Field Indicator Parameter Measurement
• Procedures for Collecting Samples Following Purging
• Sample Preservation Using ASTM Standard D-6517
• Sample Handling and Shipment
• Documentation of Field Sampling Events
• Field Session: Ground-Water Sample Collection Using Low-Flow Purging and Sampling Techniques; Water Level and Drawdown Measurement; Field Indicator Parameter Measurement; Purging and Sampling with Bladder Pumps and Gear-Drive Electric Submersible Pumps; Sample Collection and Handling Protocols; Field Preservation of Samples

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The Complete Ground-Water Sampling Field Course

Day 1

• The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling
• Factors Affecting the Representative Nature of Ground-Water Samples
• Planning and Executing a Successful Sampling Event
• Objectives and Components of a Sampling and Analysis Plan
• Field Equipment Decontamination Methods
• Field Quality Assurance/Field Quality Control
• Water Level and Product Thickness Measurement
• Ground-Water Purging and Sampling Device Options and Selection Criteria

Day 2

• Commonly Used Purging and Sampling Methodologies
  • Traditional Methods for High-Yield Wells
  • Approaches to Purging Low-Yield Wells
• Ground-Water Sample Filtration
  • Filtration Using ASTM Standard D-6564
• No-Purge Sampling Options
  • Passive Diffusion Bag Samplers
  • The HydraSleeve
  • The Snap Sampler
• Field Sessions: No-Purge Sampling Options; Health & Safety and Housekeeping Aspects of Ground-Water Sampling; Water-Level Measurement; Conventional Well-Volume Purging and Ground-Water Sampling; Field Filtration of Samples

Day 3

• Low-Flow Purging & Sampling (Micropurging) - What It Is, How It Is Done, What Equipment is Required, Economics
• Field Indicator Parameter Measurement
• Procedures for Collecting Samples Following Purging
• Sample Preservation Using ASTM Standard D-6517
• Sample Handling and Shipment
• Documentation of Field Sampling Events
• Field Session: Ground-Water Sample Collection Using Low-Flow Purging and Sampling Techniques; Water Level and Drawdown Measurement; Field Indicator Parameter Measurement; Purging and Sampling with Bladder Pumps and Gear-Drive Electric Submersible Pumps; Sample Collection and Handling Protocols; Field Preservation of Samples

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The Environmental Sampling Field Course

Day 1

• Influence of Site Physical Characteristics and Contaminant Behavior on Creation of Sampling and Analysis Plans
  • Objectives of Environmental Sampling for Site Characterization, Monitoring and Remediation; Importance of Site Physical Characteristics - Soil, Geology, Hydrology; Behavior of Contaminants in Environmental Media - LNAPLs, DNAPLs, Soluble Constituents; Environmental Factors Affecting Contaminant Movement in Soil, Ground Water, Surface Water and Sediment
• Developing a Workable Sampling and Analysis Plan
  • Sampling Plan Components, Sample Types and Sampling Strategies for Environmental Media; Selecting Appropriate Analytical Parameters and Methods; Sample Handling, Shipment and Documentation; Field Equipment Decontamination Practices
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control Protocols for Field Sampling and Analysis Programs

Day 2

• Soil Sampling Strategies, Methods and Equipment
• Direct-Push Sampling Methods and Equipment
• Field Sample Analysis Methods - Applications, Instrumentation and Field QA/QC Requirements
• Field Session: Direct-Push Soil, Soil Gas and Ground-Water Sampling; Conductivity Profiling; Analysis of Hydrocarbons Using an MIP Probe; Sample Analysis Using PIDs and FIDs in Survey Mode; Using Field-Portable Gas Chromatographs; Analyzing Metals in the Field Using XRF; Immunoassay Methods; Field Test Kits; Method 5035A for Soil Sample Collection and Preservation; Mobile Laboratories for Field Sample Analysis

Day 3

• Ground-Water Purging and Sampling Strategies, Methods and Equipment
• Ground-Water Sample Collection, Handling, Filtration, Preservation and Preparation for Shipping
• Field Session: Ground-Water Sampling; Screening Well Headspace for VOCs; Water Level Measurement; Low-Flow Purging and Sampling with Bladder Pumps and Gear-Drive Electric Submersible Pumps; Sampling with Grab Sampling Devices; Flow-Through Cells and Water Quality Instrumentation; Sample Collection, Filtration and Preservation Techniques

Day 4

• Surface Water and Sediment Sampling Strategies, Methods and Equipment
• Waste Sampling Strategies, Methods and Equipment for Drums, Waste Piles, Lagoons, Surface Impoundments, Landfills and Artifacts
• Field Session: Surface Water Quality Instrumentation; Surface Water, Sediment and Waste Sampling Strategies, Methods and Equipment; Vertical Profiling of Surface Water Chemistry; Colorimetric Based Analysis of Surface Water Samples

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The Complete Surface-Water & Sediment Sampling Field Course

Day 1

• Overview of Aquatic Habitats: Dynamic vs. Static Systems; Aging vs Developing vs Anthropogenic Systems
• Understanding the Interrelationships between Surface Water and Sediment Systems
• Objectives of Surface-Water Sampling Programs
• Objectives of Sediment Sampling Programs
• Developing a Workable Sampling and Analysis Plan
  • Sampling Plan Components, Sample Types and Sampling Strategies for Surface Water; Selecting Appropriate Analytical Parameters and Methods; Sample Handling, Shipment and Documentation; Field Equipment Decontamination Practices
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control Protocols for Field Sampling and Analysis Programs
• Strategies for Surface-Water Sampling and Sediment Sampling
  • Where to Take Samples
  • How Many Samples to Take

Day 2

• Determining Flow Rates and Patterns in Surface Water Systems
• Field Sample Analysis Methods - Applications, Instrumentation and Field QA/QC Requirements for In-Situ Parameter Measurement or On-Shore Measurement
• Pretreatment of Samples
• Preparation of Samples for Shipment
• Documentation of Sampling Events
• Field Session: Collection of Surface-Water Samples Using a Variety of Sampling Devices for Grab and Composite Sampling; Field Parameter Measurement for Creation of Vertical Water Column Profiles; On-Shore Wet Chemistry Methods for Sample Analysis; In-Situ Flow Determination; Field Equipment Decontamination Procedures; Collecting Sediment Samples Using Grab and Coring Sampling Devices; Sediment Sample Description for Physical, Chemical and Biological Applications; Flow Measurement in a Surface Water System

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Advanced Environmental Site Characterization Field Methods

Day 1

• Background on Advanced Approaches to Environmental Site Characterization
  • U.S. EPA Guidance -- The Triad Approach
  • ASTM Standards D 6235 and E 1912
  • U.S. DOE Expedited Site Characterization
• Principles of Advanced Environmental Site Characterization (AESC)
  • Managing Uncertainty in Environmental Decision Making
  • The Importance of Thorough Site Characterization in Monitoring and Remediation Program Design
  • Data Quality Objectives
  • Typical Time Lines, Logistics, Personnel Needs and Costs for AESC
  • Systematic Planning
  • Developing and Implementing Flexible Work Plans to Allow In-Field Decision Making
    • Background Information Review
    • Developing and Refining Site Conceptual Models
    • Selecting Optimum Investigative Tools Based on Site Conditions
    • Interpreting Real-Time Data
  • Use of Rapid Subsurface Data and Sample Collection Methods and Their Capabilities and Limitations
    • Rapid Collection of Soil, Soil-Gas and Ground-Water Samples, Soil Conductivity and VOC Data
    • Dynamic Sampling Strategies
    • Use and Interpretation of Real-Time Data
• Applications of Soil Gas Surveys to AESC
  • Theory and Practice of Soil Gas Surveys
  • Applications of Soil Gas Surveys in Various Geologic Settings
  • Collection of Soil Gas Data Using Active and Passive Methods
  • Sampling and Field Sample Analysis Methods
  • Analysis and Interpretation of Soil Gas Data
• Applications of Direct-Push (DP) Technology to AESC
  • DP Platforms and Their Capabilities
  • Types of DP Systems and Tools
  • Subsurface Profiling with DP Systems and Tools
  • Integration of DP and Field Analytical Methods
  • Interpretation and Correlation of DP Data for 3-D Definition of Site Conditions
• Use of Conventional and Innovative Drilling Methods in AESC
  • Requirements of Environmental Drilling Methods
  • Applications of Conventional and Innovative Methods
    • Sonic Drilling
    • Casing Advancement Methods
    • Rotary Methods (Mud/Air/Reverse Circulation)
    • Auger Methods
  • Soil Sampling and Ground-Water Profiling with Drilling Methods
• Vertical Profiling and Multi-Level Monitoring Methods for 3-D AESC
  • Profiling Methods
    • Soil Electrical Conductivity Profiling
    • Hydraulic Conductivity Profiling
    • VOC Profiling Using the MIP
    • LNAPL Profiling Using the LIF Probe
    • CPT-Deployed Video
  • Multi-Level Monitoring Systems
    • The Waterloo Multi-Level System
    • The Continuous Multi-Channel Tubing System
    • The FLUTe System

Day 2

• Rapid Field Analytical Methods and Their Capabilities and Limitations
  • Types and Levels of Field Analysis
  • Field-Portable Instrumentation for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Samples
  • Analytes Detectable Using Field Instrumentation and Levels of Detection
  • Use and Interpretation of Field Analytical Data
• Field Session on AESC Field Methods
  • Soil, Soil-Gas and Ground-Water Sampling Using DP and CPT
  • Soil, Conductivity Measurement and Direct Detection of VOCs
  • Correlation and Interpretation of Direct-Push Data
  • Sonic Drilling and Multi-Level Monitoring System Installation
  • Field Sample Analysis Using PIDs, FIDs, Field-Portable GCs, Immunoassay Kits, Sample Extraction Methods, and X-Ray Fluorescence
  • Correlation and Interpretation of Field Analytical Data
  • Generating and Revising Site Conceptual Models Using Real-Time Data

Characterization of Hydrocarbon and MTBE- Impacted Sites for RBCA and Natural Attenuation

Day 1

• Overview of Factors Affecting Hydrocarbon and MTBE Spill Site Characterization and Remediation
• Applications of Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) and Natural Attenuation to Hydrocarbon and MTBE Spill Sites
• Data Needs for RBCA and Natural Attenuation ; Developing a Useful Database
• The Accelerated Site Assessment Process - Planning and Executing a Cost-Effective Field Investigation
• Application of Soil Gas Surveys and Direct-Push Sampling to Rapid Characterization of Hydrocarbon Spills

Day 2

• Strategies for Soil and Ground-Water Sample Field Analysis for Rapid, Cost-effective Hydrocarbon Spill Assessment and Natural Attenuation Applications
• Laboratory Analysis of Soil and Ground-Water Samples for Hydrocarbon-Related Constituents and MTBE
• Use of Direct-Push Remote Sensing Tools in Characterization for Hydrocarbon and MTBE Spill Sites
• Field Session: Soil, Soil Gas and Ground-Water Sampling, Soil Conductivity Profiling, Penetration Testing, Direct Detection of VOCs, and Well Installation Using Direct-Push Rigs; Field Sample Analysis with Photoionization Detectors, Field-Portable Gas Chromatographs, Immunoassay Methods and Hydrocarbon Field Test Kits; Cone Penetrometer with Downhole Fiber Optics and Laser-Induced Fluorescence

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Ground-Water Monitoring Well Design, Construction and Development

Day 1

• Optimizing Positions and Numbers of Monitoring Wells and Screen Placement Using Thorough Site Characterization
• Environmental Drilling and Direct-Push Methods for Monitoring Well Installation; Applications and Limitations of Hollow-Stem Augers, Mud Rotary, Air Rotary, Downhole Hammer, Dual-Wall Reverse Circulation Rotary, Rotasonic, Cable-Tool and Direct-Push Methods
• Field Session on Site Characterization for Well Installation: Continuous and Discrete Soil Sampling, Discrete Ground-Water Sampling and Conductivity Profiling With a Direct-Push Rig; Field Sample Description; Soil Sampling for VOCs Using EPA Method 5035A

Day 2

• Monitoring Well Design and Construction (ASTM Standard D-5092); Data Needs and Uses; Sources of Chemical Interference; Selection of Casing and Screen Materials; Types and Designs of Well Screens; Well Screen Slot Sizing; Filter Pack Selection and Installation; Annular Seal Selection and Installation; Surface Completions; Alternative Well Completions
• Well Development (ASTM Standard D-5521): Purposes of Well Development, Methods Available (Surging, Overpumping and Backwashing, Hydraulic Jetting, Compressed Air), When and How Long to Develop Wells
• Field Session on Well Installation; Ground-Water Monitoring Well Installation and Multilevel Monitoring System Installation with a Direct-Push Rig; Prepacked and Standard Wells; Annular Sealing and Well Completion

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The Low-Flow Purging and Sampling Field Course

• Well Hydraulics During Purging and Sampling: Effects on the Water Column and Sample Chemistry
• Review of Traditional Well Purging Strategies
• Low-Flow Purging - What It Is, How It Works, Equipment Needs and Uses, Applications and Limitations, Economics
• Procedures for Accurate Field Parameter Measurement
• Practices for Purging and Sediment-Free Sampling in Low-Yield Wells
• Procedures for Collecting Ground-Water Samples Following Micropurging
• Documenting Information Collected and Procedures Implemented During Low-Flow Purging
• Field Session on Low-Flow Purging: Preparing the Well for Purging and Sampling; Continuous Water Level Measurement; Field Measurement of Water Quality Indicator Parameters; Low-Flow Purging with Dedicated and Portable Pumping Devices; Sample Collection and Handling for VOCs, Semivolatiles, Metals and Major Ions

Soil Sampling for Volatile Organic Compounds          

• Review of What A Soil Sample Really Is
• How Volatile Contaminants Behave in Soil Matrices: Phases in Which VOCs Occur; Physical Processes Affecting Occurrence and Movement of Volatiles in Soil; Chemical Processes Affecting Occurrence and Movement of Volatiles in Soil; Biological Processes Affecting Occurrence and Movement of Volatiles in Soil
• Typical Objectives of Soil Sampling Programs
• Elements of Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Soil Sampling: Sampling and Analysis Plan Preparation, Sample Collection Techniques, Proper Selection of Sampling Equipment and Containers, Use of Field Quality Control Samples, Sample Handling Practices, Field Equipment Decontamination
• Effective Strategies for Soil Sample Collection for VOCs: Types of Samples to Collect, Sample Locations, Vertical Profiling, Determining How Many Samples to Collect
• Soil Sample Collection Methods
• Difficulties in Soil Sample Collection for VOCs
• Overview of SW846 Method 5035A: Objectives, Benefits, Soil Sample Collection Techniques, Soil Sample Preservation Techniques
• Practical Limitations of Method 5035A from the Field and Lab Perspectives
• Overview of ASTM Standard D-4547
• Field Session: Soil Sample Collection Procedures for VOCs in Soil; Collecting Representative Soil Samples, Using Method 5035A in the Field, Field Analysis of Methanol-Prepared Samples, Using ASTM Standard D-4547

Fundamentals of Ground Water and Contaminant Movement      

• Nature and Occurrence of Ground Water
  • Ground Water in the Hydrologic Cycle
  • Occurrence of Water in the Subsurface
  • Distinguishing the Vadose Zone from the Saturated Zone
  • Characteristics of Geologic Materials Affecting Occurrence of Ground-Water
  • Climatic and Geographic Influences on Ground-Water Occurrence and Movement
  • Geologic Influences on Ground-Water Occurrence and Movement
  • Hydraulic Principles of Ground-Water Movement, Conditions Under Which Ground Water Occurs
• Occurrence and Movement of Ground-Water Contamination
  • Natural Ground-Water Quality
  • Major Sources of Contamination and Their Characteristics
  • Types and Characteristics of Contaminants (LNAPLs, DNAPLs, Dissolved Phase Contaminants - Metals, Salts, Radionuclides, Organics)
  • Properties of Chemical Constituents That Influence Transport and Fate
  • Hydrodynamics of Contaminant Movement
  • Physical, Chemical and Biological Processes Controlling Contaminant Movement
  • Summary of Contaminant Fate and Transport

The No-Purge Sampling Field Course  

• The Science Behind Ground-Water Sampling
  • Objectives and Purposes of Ground-Water Sampling
  • Data Needs and Data Quality Objectives
  • Formation and Well Hydraulics Between Sampling Events and During Sampling
  • Factors That Affect the Representative Nature of Ground-Water Samples
    • Agitation and Aeration of the Water Column
    • Over-pumping
    • Pressure and Temperature Changes Caused by Sampling Devices
    • Exposure of the Sample to Atmospheric Conditions
  • Sampling Recommendations Based on Ground-Water Research
    • Well-Volume Purging
    • Purging to Stabilization of Indicator Parameters
    • Low-Flow Purging and Sampling
    • Sampling Low-Yield Wells
    • No-Purge/Passive Sampling
• Aquifer and Well Flow Dynamics
  • Introduction to Down-Hole Flow Regimes and Rates
  • Well Construction in Consolidated and Unconsolidated Materials
  • Permeability Contrasts and Aquifer Flow
  • In-Well Flow Experiments and Modeling to Test Horizontal Laminar Flow
  • Vertical Flow in Wells
  • Experimental Flow Tests During Purging
  • Ancedotes on Common Sampling Practices and Their Potential Impact on Sampling Zones
• No-Purge Sampling Options - Passive Diffusion Bag Samplers
  • Introduction to the Passive Diffusion Bag Sampler
  • History of Passive Diffusion Bag Sampling
  • How it Works/Benefits and Limitations
  • Results of Case Studies
  • Deployment Strategies
• No-Purge Sampling Options - HydraSleeve
  • Comparison Between Purging and No-Purge Sampling
  • Introduction to the HydraSleeve
  • How It Works/Applications and Limitations
  • Deployment Options
  • Results of Research Conducted at McClellan AFB, CA in 2005
• No-Purge Sampling Options - Snap Sampler
  • Introduction to the Snap Sampler
  • Physical Features of the Snap Sampler and Applications
  • Equilibrated Grab Sampling
  • Snap Sampler Data Comparisons
• Regulatory Perspective on No-Purge Sampling
• Hands-On Outdoor Demonstration of No-Purge Sampling Devices

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9600 Achenbach Canyon Road
Las Cruces, NM 88011

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