FedCenter - Symposium 2023 Topics

Category	Description/ExamplesTopics
Emerging Chemicals / Management of Toxic Substances - PFAS, Lead-based Paint, Mold, Asbestos	Contributions may focus on any facet of PFAS investigation, characterization, remedial options and destruction and disposal technologies, including sampling, analysis, screening, risk assessment, and cleanup goals. It can address PFAS in any environmental media including surface water, groundwater, drinking water, biosolids, soils, sediment and air, etc., and/or, contributions may focus on non-federally-regulated substances and specific regulated substances affecting buildings and housing units in our facilities. Abstracts can include, but not be limited to, case studies, evaluations and remedial actions, regulations, inspections, reporting, testing, and restrictions on certain potentially hazardous chemicals. Some of the examples of toxic substance categories are: - Mold in buildings - Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Federal Facilities - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) - storage or disposal of waste PCBs and PCB items (e.g., articles, containers, equipment), including the proper management of PCBs through prescribed or approved handling, marking, and storage and disposal methods; and clean-up of PCB spills - Lead-based Paint Program abatement, inspection, compliance, monitoring, disposal, lead exposure reduction, risk assessment - Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards - Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act (AHERA) - Safe Drinking Water Act - Copper and Lead Rule - Indoor Radon Abatement Act - Hazardous substances in IT products -- a human health and environmental risk
Energy and Water Efficiency and our Mission	Contributions may focus on the development and financing of sustainable energy sources and water efficiency; new technologies for energy production; implications of clean energy and water access for health and wellbeing.
Environmental Compliance and Mission	Contributions may focus on Executive Orders, new environmental requirements from EPA and the states (e.g., State implementation of new Federal regulations, Air requirements, Hazardous waste, USTs, Stormwater, Oil spills). Overview of the best environmental compliance systems in the region.
Environmental Justice and our Mission	This track provides an opportunity for federal representatives involved in environmental justice to learn about and discuss technical, legal, and related policy issues relevant to environmental justice, including Federal Agency efforts to support the Biden-Harris Administration's environmental justice initiatives. Contributions may focus, but no limited to: - Environmental Justice History - Environmental Justice and Equity Basics - Incorporating Environmental Justice in our Programs - Federal, State, Local and Tribal Agency Activities - Screening and Other Tools/Presentations
Environmental Planning and our Mission	Contributions may delve into the latest initiatives and methods in protecting and conserving our land, water, and air resources and how we can contribute while supporting agency missions; management activities that prioritize native wildlife and plant communities or control invasive species; considerations to preserve our historic properties, including preservation efforts and challenges, and implementation of the NEPA review process in accordance with existing and proposed regulations. Example topics may include (but are not limited to): - The Chesapeake Bay - Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) programs - Stream restoration - Community & local government outreach & engagement - Forest & wildlife management - Wildfire management - Historic property - Water pretreatment & discharge issues - Landscape maintenance - Environmental reviews of federal activities
Management Systems - ISO 14001(Environmental), ISO 50001 (Energy), ISO 22000 (Risk Assessment), ISO 46001 (Water)	Contributions may focus on Management Systems (e.g., environmental, energy) implementation process; interaction between Environmental Justice and Management Systems; review of a Management System process; specific Management System elements, crossover between different Management Systems, Significant Aspects connected to the mission; best practices.
Mission/Environment - Success Stories	Contributions should highlight and explain to our audience how your agency has managed to be highly successful at meeting their environmental obligations, to include how they achieved environmental compliance within the latest challenging environment, how they were able to work with their partners to overcome impediments to achieving your agency's goals, how your agency managed to meet its environmental justice commitments, etc.
Resiliency and our Mission	Discussion on the Federal Government Resiliency efforts and priorities in determining critical mission, resources allocation, environmental justice nexus and ongoing policy decisions. Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges affecting our planet. This challenge has a great impact on the mission of many Federal agencies. Climate resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate. The committee is seeking individual presenter or full panel submissions with a focus on: Federal Agencies Resiliency in the Environment of Climate Change - Present strategies, lessons learned, new agency policies, case studies on existing projects, as well as effort undertaken to respond to current E.O.s, mission needs, climate action - Resiliency Planning - actions taken to overcome current problems associated to climate change, to be ready or improve our facilities to support our agency mission - How to measure effective Resiliency Mitigation - Resiliency impact on Energy - Where does resilience fit in your agency Climate Action Plan - Talking to SES's on Resiliency Projects Costs and Benefits - Environmental Justice impacts from Resiliency Projects - Science and Engineering - to support decisions, preparedness, response, recovery, or mitigation related to climate change - What do you believe is the greatest challenge in implementing disaster resiliency, and how does your work help overcome it?
Sustainability to Support our Mission	The Biden-Harris Administration has stated that addressing the climate crisis and revitalizing the Federal Government's sustainability efforts are top priorities. An "all of government" approach will be necessary in meeting this Administration's ambitious climate goals - from shifting to run on 100% carbon pollution-free electricity no later than 2035, to driving zero-emission vehicles for Federal, State, local, and Tribal government fleets. Sessions within the sustainability track are intended to highlight key federal sustainability tools and programs, and foster collaboration and information sharing across the Federal government. Topics of interest include: - Environmental justice - Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure - Renewable energy - Sustainable acquisition - Pollution prevention - Greenhouse gas inventory and/or reporting - Embodied carbon - Green buildings - Sustainability financing