esG | cliMate resilient & sustainable reMediation

“THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IS GOING TO CHANGE MORE IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST 40. THE GREAT STORY OF OUR LIVES IS JUST BEGINNING. WELCOME ABOARD.”

-THE ATLANTIC OCTOBER 5, 2022

Welcome aboard indeed – welcome aboard a paddle board as you learn with the GRA community at the beach in San Diego on February 6-7th, 2023. We will be hosting GRA’s first ever climate and sustainable remediation event – amplifying your learning and vocabulary on all things E- Environment, S – Social, and G-Governance. At GRA – we embrace being a different kind of professional organization. What this means for this event is that we are bringing in the innovators and movers on the regulatory side of climate change topics and creating not just listening space, but networking and discussion space for all attendees grappling with new terminology and an unclear path in daily implementation around these accelerating external drivers. We have invited key speakers in this space from states that are far ahead due to climate vulnerabilities, and educational partners like the Sustainable Remediation Forum to coach you on tools and approaches for incorporating sustainability and resiliency into remediation projects.

This conference will focus in the following areas:

• Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) – What is it, and where does groundwater intersect

• Sustainable Resilient Remediation – Leveraging groundwater site cleanup to incorporate ESG and climate adaptation

• Climate Change Impacts in the Industry – Bracing for changing groundwater levels and new regulations

We are inviting some of the top industry professionals from regulatory agencies, private companies, and the biggest thinkers in the West to share lessons learned, best practices and emerging ideas on the evolving climate regulations.

Session Spotlight: Sea-Level Rise Impacts to Remediation Technical Session

The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Remediation of Near-Shore Properties: New Challenges for an Uncertain Future at the ESG Climate Resilient & Sustainable Remediation Symposium to discuss how sea level rise-induced groundwater rise presents challenges for existing and future remedies at nearshore properties. Dr. Benjamin Hagedorn will present an investigation on the effects of SLR on groundwater quality. Dr. Raghavendra Suribhatla will discuss the range of conceptual models used for near-shore hydraulic effects in the intertidal zone and coastal aquifers. Lucas Goldstein, PE, PG, will describe approaches to conducting soil, soil-vapor, and groundwater remedy vulnerability assessments. Peter Zawislanski, PG, CHg will address SLR-related challenges in remedial planning, SLR-resilient remedial technologies, and managing long-term environmental risks.

Additional Spotlights:

• We are thrilled to welcome the principal author of Washington state’s climate resiliency guidance for contaminated sites, Chance Asher from the Toxics Cleanup Program in the Department of Ecology as our keynote speaker!

• Join in a discussion with EPA’s Region 9 Director of the Superfund and Emergency Management Division, Michael Montgomery, as he shares guidance and interagency coordination around climate resilient remediation. This session will include SWRCB, EPA and DTSC presenting their joint perspective on how to consider sea level and groundwater rise at cleanup sites and when a vulnerability assessment should be performed.

Thank You to Our Cooperating Partners at the Sustainable Remediation Forum and the Chinese-American Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern California.

And a Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Woodard & Curran West Yost Associates Water Replenishment District INTERA Incorporated Roscoe Moss Company Montgomery & Associates Terraphase Engineering Inc. GEI Consultants, Inc. Haley & Aldrich S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc. Rincon Consultants, Inc. Blaine Tech Services Confluence Environmental, Inc.

This conference will take place on the beach at the Kona Kai Resort in San Diego over a day and half. Technical sessions focused on climate change and sustainable resilient remediation along with a round table with various industry experts and a networking happy hour will be held on Day 1. Day 2 will focus on ESG connections. The venue is so epic, we’ve purposely put the conference on a Monday, so you can bring the family for the weekend and enjoy the location.

Register Today!