Vapor Intrusion - ASTM E2600 Overview - a PDH Online Course for Architects, Engineers and Surveyors

Vapor Intrusion - ASTM E2600 Overview

Course Outline

Vapor intrusion is an indoor air quality condition that occurs when evaporating chemicals migrate from polluted soil and groundwater in the form of hazardous vapors into overlying buildings. In March 2008, ASTM released Standard E2600, “Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions”. The new standard addresses vapor intrusion (VI) arising from contaminated soil and groundwater specifically as it can impact real estate transactions. It provides guidance on the VI assessment process, from screening to mitigation and provides a process where engineers have the opportunity to assess vapor intrusion risks and protect clients from unwarranted environmental liability in real estate and other business transactions. This three hour course will prepare engineers with an overview of ASTM’s vapor intrusion standard to be familiar with environmental liabilities stemming from vapor intrusion, ASTM’s screening process, as well as, evaluation and mitigation technologies.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Be familiar with ASTM vapor intrusion screening process;
Be familiar with the different tiers of screening within the process;
Have a better understanding of the environmental liabilities associated with vapor intrusion;
Be introduced to mechanisms and scenarios that could result in a vapor intrusion issue;
Be familiar with the terms “vapor intrusion condition” and “potential vapor intrusion condition”;
Be familiar with the terms “pre-emptive mitigation” and “mitigation”;
Be familiar with typical “Chemicals of Concern” associated with vapor intrusion contamination;
Understand the vapor intrusion screening process fits in ASTM’s Phase I Environmental Site Assessment process;
Understand how vapor intrusion can affect a real estate transaction; and
Understand how State requirements fit into vapor intrusion screening process.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for environmental engineers, consulting engineers, engineering geologists and EHS professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

This course will help attendees assist clients involved with real estate transactions with knowledge of vapor intrusion and give attendees the ability to identify and qualify this business environmental risk.

Course Introduction

To assist clients in evaluating vapor intrusion conditions during real estate transactions, licensed professional engineers must be aware of the ASTM Vapor Intrusion screening processes. In addition, if “potential vapor intrusion condition” or vapor intrusion conditions” are discovered, consulting engineers need to be aware of intrusive and non-intrusive evaluation methods available, as well as, commonly employed mitigation techniques to define, determine the extent and remediate the vapor intrusion contamination. Furthermore, consulting engineers must understand how vapor intrusion can affect real estate transactions by devaluing property value, adding environmental liabilities, and potentially limiting cash flow. This course is intended to assist engineers, engineering geologists, and other EHS professionals in understanding ASTM’s Vapor Intrusion Screening process.

Course Content

This course provides an overview of ASTM’s Vapor Intrusion screening process that consulting engineers may need to perform as part of a real estate transaction. You will be directed to the following document to study:

"Upcoming ASTM Standard for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion" by Anthony Buonicore, PE, BCEE, QEP, Chairman of the ASTM Vapor Intrusion Task Group. (6 Pages, pdf file format)
“Vapor Intrusion: Understanding the New Standard”, EDR Webinar, March 2008 (44 Pages, pdf file format)

These technical documents have be provided by permission and courtesy of Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (http://www.edrnet.com) and may be downloaded or printed free of charge.

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Course Summary

Vapor intrusion is an indoor air quality condition that occurs when evaporating chemicals migrate from polluted soil and groundwater in the form of hazardous vapors into overlying buildings. In March 2008, ASTM released Standard E2600, “Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions”. The new standard provides an opportunity for engineers to assist and protect clients by addressing vapor intrusion as it can impact real estate transactions. Through this online course, licensed professionals, engineering geologists and EHS professionals can learn key definitions, such as Potential Vapor Intrusion Condition; ASTM’s four tiers to screen vapor intrusion; and how ASTM’s Vapor Intrusion standard relates to State vapor intrusion policies and ASTM’s Phase I Environmental Site Assessment process.

Related Links

For additional information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

ASTM Standards, http://www.astm.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/DATABASE.CART/REDLINE_PAGES/E2600.htm?L+mystore+wibo6370

EPA – Vapor Intrusion, http://www.epa.gov/correctiveaction/eis/vapor.htm

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.