Contaminant Monitoring Rule Program

Organization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Reference Code
EPA-OW-OGWDW-2017-01
How to Apply

A complete application consists of:      

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions, send an email to EPArpp@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Application Deadline
10/31/2017 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

A postgraduate internship project is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water in Cincinnati, Ohio. The appointment will be served with the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water in the Technical Support Center (TSC) in Cincinnati, OH.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain experience and educational benefits from this project performed at TSC.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires the U.S. EPA to monitor up to 30 emerging contaminants in drinking water every five years. The U.S. EPA implements this requirement through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). The data assists the U.S. EPA Administrator in determining whether to regulate an emerging contaminant. TSC implements the UCMR program and manages the key components of this complex regulatory effort. Currently, implementation of the fourth UCMR (UCMR 4) takes place from 2017 through 2021. TSC anticipates the development of the fifth UCMR (UCMR 5) will begin in 2018.

The participant will research the quality control (QC) data trends of newly developed analytical methods. This information lets the U.S. EPA evaluate the accuracy and precision of the methods with nationwide drinking water occurrence data from several different laboratories. The participant will also develop problem solving skills through involvement in several areas of the UCMR program and by encountering complex issues that arise during the implementation of an environmental rule. Additional research and project opportunities include:

  • Learning about the SDWA, the UCMR program and the UCMR data system.
  • Researching past UCMR data systems, analyzing the data elements, applying those relationships to the current cycle, and developing a database.
  • Analyzing, reviewing and evaluating environmental monitoring data in a database, including contaminant occurrence and exposure estimates, and responding to technical issues associated with these data.
  • Presenting the information gathered from researching the QC data trends of the analytical methods from the third UCMR (UCMR 3).
  • Learning how to perform on-site laboratory and data audits for newly developed analytical methods, and making data reporting easier.
  • Participating on the UCMR 5 Workgroup, learning about methods development and the regulatory development process.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA.

The appointment is full time for one year and may be renewed upon recommendation of EPA and contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend. The annual stipend will range from $42,261 up to $74,965 depending on level of education. Funding may be made available to reimburse the participant’s travel expenses to present the results of his/her research at scientific conferences. No funding will be made available to cover travel costs for pre-appointment visits, relocation costs, tuition and fees, or participant’s health insurance. The participant must show proof of health and medical insurance. The participant does not become an EPA employee.

The mentor for this project is Brenda Parris (parris.brenda@epa.gov).

Qualifications

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or higher in environmental sciences, computer sciences, engineereing, earth and geosciences, environmental and marine science, life health and medical sciences, analysis, biometrics and biostatistics, or a closely related field within five years of the starting date, or completion of all requirements for the degree should be expected prior to the starting date.

Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
  • Discipline(s):
    • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (16 )
    • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
    • Engineering (27 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (2 )
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