Javier Santillan, Ph.D. AFCEE/TDV - Restoration Branch

Dr. Javier M. Santillan has worked for the Air Force for over 15 years, as a chemist, hydrogeologist, environmental engineer, and a general engineer. He is currently the Air Force Subject Matter Expert for Environmental Restoration and the manager of the Optimization Program and the Applied Chemical Sensor Program. He has a B.S. in chemistry and an M.S. in Agricultural Chemistry, both from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., and a Ph.D. in soils and irrigation from Utah State University, Logan, Utah. He is an instructor for online courses offered by the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council.

Presentation Description
Environmental Restoration Program Optimization at Complex Sites: Collaboration with ITRC
For over a decade, the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment has been conducting optimization exercises to maximize the efficiency of the remediation systems all through the Air Force complex. AFCEE developed the remediation process optimization (RPO) in collaboration with the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC)’s RPO team, which paved way to the development of the Performance-Based Management process and the current more comprehensive Environmental Restoration Program - Optimization (ERP-O). In order to understand the complexities at geologically and technically challenging sites that require a systematic approach for remedy selection, implementation and completion, the ERP-O process provides a systematic step-wise approach that helps develop conceptual site models, exit strategies, monitoring and system optimization strategies, mechanisms to evaluate the overall sustainability of the remediation process, uncertainty evaluation in the decision making process, etc.

Spending enormous resources on a remedial program does not always guarantee effective cleanup. This is especially true at complex sites. Even more important, a system in place may give a false sense of human health and environmental protection if it is not performing as required and if it poses more risk to the environment in the process of remediating soil or groundwater. ERP-O emphasizes a holistic approach for remediation in terms of overall risks, estimating, for example, the risk to human health during the installation and implementation of remediation.

ITRC RPO team members participated on several RPO and ERP-O review visits at Air Force sites and provided technical expertise in framing a systematic approach for solving complex site problems. Some example cases will be presented.
 
Also, proper implementation of ERP-O process depends on constant communication with regulators. The partnership with ITRC over the years has resulted in successful education and training efforts on several ITRC innovative technology topics. AFCEE supported and participated on ITRC projects such as RPO, PBEM, RRM, MIS, PRB, PDBS, and GSR.