U.S. EPA Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit 2017

Registration for this event is closed. The organizers will be in touch with registrants via email.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 and the Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) are sponsoring the fifth WLA Security Summit, to be held in Sugar Land, Texas on March 15 and 16, 2017.

EPA welcomes representatives of drinking water utilities and laboratories, as well as members of the emergency response, public information officer, and first responder communities, to register for this FREE event. Participants will learn about WLA program elements, practice the WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) for water contamination incident response, and gain hands-on experience with EPA security-related tools and resources that can strengthen preparedness for responding to water contamination incidents.

The meeting will be held from 8:00 am to 5pm on Wednesday, and from 8:30 am to noon on Thursday. A tour of the EPA Region 6 laboratory will be offered after the formal meeting concludes.

Day 1 March 15, 2017

Exhibits........................ Available all day

7:30-12:00.................... Registration Open

8:00-8:45...................... Welcome and Keynote Address

Moderator: Wes McQuiddy, Environmental Services Branch Chief, EPA Region 6

Assistant Regional Administrator James McDonald

8:45-9:45...................... WLA Response Plan Session

George Gardenier, WLA Chemist, USEPA

9:45-10:15.................... Break and Exhibits

10:15-12:00.................. Table Top Exercise Part I: Introduction & Scenario Part I

12:00-1:30.................... Lunch on your own

1:30-3:00...................... Table Top Exercise Part II: Scenario Part II

3:00-3:30...................... Break and Exhibits

3:30-5:00...................... Table Top Exercise Part III: Scenario Part III & Conclusion

Day 2 March 16, 2017

Exhibits........................ Available All Day

8:30-9:00...................... Welcome and Keynote Address

Bill Honker, Water Division Director, EPA Region 6

9:00-9:40...................... ERLN/WLA Overview Session

Latisha Mapp, WLA Team Leader, USEPA

9:40-10:10.................... Break and Exhibits

10:10-10:30.................. Overview of Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

Sarah Wright, Senior Specialist, Environmental Laboratories, APHL

10:30-11:30.................. State Lab Panel Discussion: Recent Activity, Challenges Ahead

Phillip Adams, Chemistry Bureau Chief, Scientific Laboratory Division, New Mexico Department of Health

Chris Armstrong, Director, State Environmental Laboratory Services Division, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Carl Hogberg, Environmental Science Branch Manager, Texas Department of State Health Services

Stephen J. Martin, Director, Louisiana Office of Public Health Laboratory

11:30-12:00.................. Closing Remarks and Open Discussion

Patricia Tidwell-Shelton, Chief of Threats Analysis, Prevention, and Preparedness Branch, USEPA

12:00-1:30.................... Lunch on your own

1:30............................. Meet in hotel lobby for Region 6 Lab tour

2:00-3:30...................... Region 6 Laboratory Tour

Area hotels for overnight accommodations include:

• Sugar Land Marriott Town Square (the meeting site), (281) 275-8400

• Homewood Suites by Hilton, Houston–Stafford, (281) 265-2760

• Courtyard Houston Sugar Land, (281) 491-7700

• Hyatt Place Houston Sugar Land, (281) 491-0300

If you require special accommodations, please contact the WLA at WLA@epa.gov to make arrangements.