A research opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Technical Support Coordination Division (TSCD) located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The purpose of this research is to provide contaminated site project managers a basic understanding of ecosystem services (ES) and provide guidelines for consideration of ES at cleanup sites, including to improve ES for potential site reuse. An important component of this research involves a retrospective analysis of two selected cleanup sites where remediation/restoration actions have occurred. Here the effort will focus on: 1) developing and presenting a retrospective analysis of Ecosystem Services (ES) and the remedial Best Management Practices (BMPs) employed; 2) drawing conclusions about the changes in ES (as a result of remediation), and the potential for improving ES for site reuse; and 3) describing the lessons learned from this exercise as it applies to providing generalizable guidelines for consideration of ES at contaminated sites.
The research participant will collaborate with the mentor and other scientists, including regional scientists knowledgeable about the cleanup sites, to assemble necessary data and analyze it in terms of ES produced. Secondary data will need to be retrieved from a variety of sources for the periods prior to and after remediation to document the changes in ES as a result of remediation. The research participant will utilize the EPA Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS) tool to classify the appropriate ES, and a number of established tools to analyze them. Through literature research and conversations with experts, the use of BMPs for improving ES for site reuse will also be explored.
Apply here