PFAS Technical Program
Learn from experts about the latest research and solutions on all aspects of PFAS
Three full days of technical sessions offer the latest information on all aspects of PFAS, plus networking time in the exhibit hall, the reception, lunches and more.
Final Program available! View the sessions, speakers, presentations, and more.
Keynote Speakers
Elizabeth S. Biser, Secretary, NC Department of Environmental Quality
Governor Roy Cooper named Elizabeth S. Biser as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in June 2021. She is the first woman confirmed to serve as DEQ Secretary. Secretary Biser oversees the state agency whose mission is to protect North Carolina’s environment and natural resources. The organization has offices from the mountains to the coast and administers regulatory and public assistance programs aimed at protecting the quality of North Carolina’s air, water and land, its coastal fisheries, and the public’s health. Secretary Biser has experience representing public, private and non-profit organizations on a wide variety of issues. She previously served as Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs when the agency was known as the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and most recently served as the President of Biser Strategies LLC and the Senior Policy Advisor of the Recycling Partnership. Previously, she was the Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs of the Recycling Partnership, and Government Relations & Policy Advisor of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sushma Masemore, Assistant Secretary for Environment, NC Department of Environmental Quality
Sushma Masemore was named Assistant Secretary for Environment in May of 2021. She guides DEQ’s regulatory divisions through the complex issues facing North Carolina and brings more than 30 years of public and private sector experience to the role. Masemore oversees the development and implementation of major policy initiatives for programs such as: permitting of discharges to surface waters; issuance of air emissions permits; grant programs for wastewater and drinking water projects; remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, permitting of coastal development; and regulation of animal operations, mining operations, and energy development projects. As the State Energy Director, Masemore led statewide initiatives related to energy and climate change, including the development of the NC Clean Energy Plan and Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan. Masemore joined DEQ as a permit engineer and has managed teams of engineers and scientists through program design, standards development, and implementation phases. Her private sector experience includes building partnerships with technology developers, industry representatives, and government officials to collaborate on environmental solutions that made good business sense while protecting public health. Masemore earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Maryland Baltimore County, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina.
Abigail Hendershott, Executive Director, Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART)
Abigail (Abby) Hendershott, a 30-year veteran of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), is the Executive Director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team. MPART is a multi-agency task force charged with investigating PFAS contamination, overseeing clean-up and other response activities aimed at protecting Michigan’s drinking water. Ms. Hendershott has focused on PFAS response activities since 2017 and led the team responsible for Michigan’s largest PFAS contamination response to-date, the investigation into the former Wolverine Worldwide tannery in Rockford. In that role, her team was responsible for a $113 million legal settlement establishing clean-up plans and municipal water connections for thousands of residents in northern Kent County. She supervised the Remediation and Redevelopment Division’s Grand Rapids district office and has more than 25 years of project management experience for complex environmental remediation projects.
Matthew Klasen, PFAS Council Manager, US EPA
Matt Klasen serves as the Manager of EPA’s Council on PFAS, a cross-agency group of EPA policy and technical leaders created by EPA Administrator Michael Regan to develop and implement the Agency’s PFAS strategy. Matt joined the PFAS Council in October 2021 after serving for five years in EPA’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations as the Congressional lead for EPA’s drinking water, water finance, and PFAS activities. Matt began his EPA career as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2007, and has served in EPA’s Office of Environmental Information, Office of Water, Office of the Administrator, and Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, as well as in EPA Region 9 (San Francisco), at the Council on Environmental Quality, and at the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS). In his federal career, Matt has worked on diverse issues including environmental indicators, the U.S.-Mexico border environment, energy and climate measures, mountaintop removal mining, Clean Water Act jurisdiction, and Clean Water Act Section 404. During his EPA career, Matt has been recognized with EPA gold, silver, and bronze medals for exceptional, superior, and commendable service as part of cross-agency teams. Matt has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.
Monday, November 7 – EPA Facilities Tour - Pre-registration was required by the advance deadline of October 12. Registration is now CLOSED for the tour. No walk-ons will be permitted.
12:00 pm - 2:00 pmThis visit to the EPA facilities in RTP will provide tours and demonstrations of several of the PFAS research laboratories, test facilities, and PFAS research platforms. Stops on the tour include:
- High resolution mass spectrometry laboratories for non-targeted PFAS analysis
- Pilot-scale incineration test facilities
- Demonstration of the Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (CIMS) real-time PFAS measurement system
- Demonstration of GeoPFAS interactive geographic information system (GIS)
- Demonstration of CMAQ and AERMOD atmospheric modeling
Experts will present research and solutions on all aspects of PFAS, including:
- Sources and Uses
- Health Effects
- Measurement Methods
- Water
- Soils and Biosolids
- Landfills and Leachate
- Air
- Disposal of PFAS Treatment and Treatment Wastes
- State Perspectives: Lessons Learned from Source Investigations
- Research Activities
- Global Perspectives
- Treatment and Destruction Methods
- Alternatives and Transitions from AFFF Foams
