As a regulator, site owner, or remediation contractor you must stay current with the application of emerging environmental technologies. The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Cooperation (ITRC) Work Group is a national coalition, led by State regulators dedicated to cutting approval time, reducing compliance costs, and regulatory acceptance of better environmental solutions. ITRC includes federal agency, stakeholder and industry partners. Working within technical teams focused on particular categories of environmental technologies, ITRC creates guidance and trainings that improve the collective confidence of the environmental community in the application of new technologies and promotes more uniform understanding of how these technologies are applied. Participation in ITRC promotes increased technical knowledge among states; encourages increase use of better solutions; and builds capacity among diverse members of the environmental communities about the practical application and regulatory approval of emerging technologies.

Phytotechnologies use plants to contain, stabilize, sequester, assimilate, reduce, detoxify, degrade, metabolize and/or mineralize contaminants in soil, ground water, surface water, or sediments. Phytotechnologies can be applied in-situ or ex-situ and can address organic compounds such as petroleum hydrocarbons, gas condensates, crude oil, chlorinated compounds, pesticides and explosive compounds plus inorganics including high salinity, heavy metals, metalloids and radioactive materials. Due to low relative costs and the inherently aesthetic nature of planted sites, phytotechnologies have become an attractive alternative to conventional clean-up technologies.

This course provides scientific, engineering and regulatory information designed to help regulators and practitioners uniformly conduct site remediation using phytotechnologies in a variety of applications. The curriculum includes the advantages and limitations plus the uncertainties science is still researching. It also provides exposure and input into known regulatory issues practitioners and regulators alike have encountered. The curriculum includes an introduction to the science, case studies, hands-on group exercises, and an open discussion of the regulatory environment regarding application of phytotechnologies.