About DCHWS
The SAME Philadelphia Post hosted the 8th Design and Construction Issues at Hazardous Waste Sites (DCHWS) Symposium to a sold out crowd of 320 people on April 15-17, 2015 in downtown Philadelphia. The Post resumed this popular and important forum for environmental professionals. The USEPA and USACE had sponsored this event annually for 7 years. Circumstances arose that precluded the continuance of that arrangement. As a result, and in response to widespread interest from government and private sector professionals, the Philadelphia Post undertook the effort to reactivate this event as the primary sponsor, along with co-sponsorship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The applications of engineering and science associated with cleaning up hazardous waste sites continue to evolve rapidly. The Post’s goal was to facilitate an interactive engagement between attendees, 40% of which were from government and 60% from the private sector, related to relevant and topical issues affecting the environmental cleanup field. A total of 10 PDHs were offered for those attending the sessions that spanned the 2 ½ day event. In addition to resounding success of the program, the event was, in many aspects, “green”. The Post hosted a mobile app to eliminate paper waste and recycled name badges for use at other Post events. Survey results continue to be overwhelmingly positive.
What Topics are Presented at DCHWS?
The applications of engineering and science associated with cleaning up hazardous waste sites continue to evolve rapidly. Our goal is to facilitate an interactive engagement between professionals from government and the private sector related to relevant and topical issues affecting our field. We will make every effort to mirror all aspects of past symposiums in terms of format and spirit. In the past, DCHWS has presented on the following:
CSM Evaluation
Management Strategies
Remediation Topics
Project Management
Sediment Controls
Mine Considerations
Managing Stakeholders
Lessons Learned
Who Should Attend DCHWS?
Participant demographics from recent symposiums demonstrate that attendees and speakers are senior engineers and scientists with many years of experience and significant technical sophistication in the area of hazardous waste site remediation.
While our field continues to evolve and many senior engineers and scientists approach retirement, a need for information transfer to younger professionals in the field is critical. Recognizing the pending change in the workforce, we would like to encourage participation and support professional development of less experienced professionals.
When did DCHWS start?
EPA, in conjunction with USACE organized DCHWS and implemented the first 7 symposiums. Because of changes in the US government, DCHWS was not renewed.
In April 2015, SAME Philadelphia Post, in partnership with EPA, rekindled DCHWS to a sell-out crowd of 320 people in Philadelphia, PA. This event would become known as DCHWS East.
In November 2017, DCHWS was expanded to include both a West and East Symposium. The SAME Denver Metro Post, in partnership with EPA, conducted the first DCHWS West Symposium in Denver, CO.
How are we organized?
Design and Construction Issues at Hazardous Waste Sites (DCHWS) is a collaborative effort between the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). SAME Philadelphia Post implements the East Symposium, and SAME Denver Metro Post organizes the West Symposium. US EPA implements the Webinar Series.
