Registration for the AIPG MN Section's Tuesday, January 5, 2021 technical talk is now open online!

Meetings are webcast-only for the next few months.

The cost is $10 for non-members and $5 for members when registering before Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 11:00 AM Central Time. Students may attend free of charge. 

You must register by 11:00 AM Central Time the day of the talk to be sent the login link/information. The meeting link information is also included in your receipt.

As always, non-members and non-geologists are welcome to attend!   

Fees go toward supporting the online meeting platform and the Education Fund. Your contribution to the Education Fund helps support many activities, please see our Giving Back page.

Non-Stick Future: PFAS Remediation and Regulation!

by Mark Keefer, PG, Braun Intertec

Presentation Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) have been widely used since the 1940’s in a variety of industrial applications and consumer products. Their unique chemical structure contributes to their ubiquity, persistence in the environment, and presents challenges in managing risks associated with environmental releases. The EPA has established health advisories for just two of the estimated 4,700 variants of PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and has made an initial determination to eventually set legal limits for PFOA and PFOS for all water utilities across the country, while states have taken the lead by establishing their own regulatory standards. The regulatory framework of PFAS is still in its infancy and the same is true for remedial technologies approaches to PFAS. Due to the unique chemical and physical characteristics of PFAS, the compounds may not respond to traditional remedial strategies, rendering remediation approaches further complicated by state-by-state regulations. This presentation addresses the projected regulatory future of PFAS, effects of current legislation on the regulatory community, environmental concern and liability, and what practical steps can be taken presently to mitigate and manage PFAS risks.

Biography

Mark Keefer is a professional geologist with more than 18 years of experience in the environmental field. He has been a member of AIPG for the majority of his career. Mr. Keefer’s expertise includes large-scale environmental project management; site characterization and corrective action; due diligence; Brownfield redevelopment; voluntary cleanup programs, corrective action programs; and remediation system design, implementation and maintenance. Mr. Keefer has completed some of the largest brownfield redevelopment projects in the State of Minnesota including the Northern Stacks Development at a former Superfund site, as well as performed environmental work at hundreds of other Sites through the United States, including several with PFAS impacts. In addition to his consulting work, Mr. Keefer has co-authored several published technical papers and has presented at various technical seminars.