Former UA SBRP Student Provides Critical Technical Support and Response for Hurricane Katrina Clean Up

Krista McKim, a former University of Arizona Superfund Basic Research Program (UA SBRP) student is working 12 hours a day in effort to clean up New Orleans. Currently an employee of Weston Solutions Inc., an environmental and redevelopment firm, Krista operates under a Superfund Technical and Response Team (START) contract. She works in the planning division to support the EPA’s mission to conduct emergency response actions and environmental assessments. Ultimately, her efforts help the EPA assess and remove the hazards within the local communities. In efforts to clean up all the hazardous debris, Krista has been part of the following activities:

• Removal of Household Hazardous Waste and other hazardous debris such as orphaned drums and cylinders.
• Sampling and assessment activities currently focusing on sediment deposited by the flood.
• Schools assessment and removal of hazardous debris.
• Supporting the response to the Murphy Oil Spill.
• Data collection and development of information technology systems to enhance clean-up and reconnaissance efforts

The metal structure that used to be inside the levee wall.		Sandbags used for temporary levee.

As a UA SBRP graduate student, Krista was part of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering group where she worked on a remediation strategy for carbon tetrachloride involving destruction by photolysis. We send our best wishes to Krista in New Orleans. We are all extremely proud of her work there and her ongoing commitment to environmental remediation.