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NRMRL MONTHLY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2003
Stephen G. Schmelling, Division Director
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Peterson/Puritan Superfund Site, Region I: On July 24, 2003,
Ralph Ludwig (GWERD) provided Regional Hydrologist Dick
Willey and RPM David Newton with review comments on a
document titled "Evaluation of Technical Impracticability of
Groundwater Restoration for Arsenic" prepared for the
Peterson/Puritan Superfund Site in Cumberland, RI. The report
presented a "weight-of-evidence" argument that arsenic
remediation to previously agreed criteria is not practical. The
detailed comments addressed a number of issues needing
additional support including: arsenic correlations with ferrous iron
and oxygen, for example; injection of oxygenated water; obtaining
soil/sediment samples outside the limits of the site to demonstrate
that arsenic is naturally occurring; and phosphate and sulfate
competition with arsenic for adsorption sites. Also discussed was
the construction of a permeable reactive barrier at the site.
(R. Ludwig(GWERD)580-436-8603)
W.R. Grace Superfund Site, Region I: On July 31, 2003, David
Jewett (GWERD) and Mingyu Wang, Abu Noman, and Rob Earle
(Shaw Environmental, Inc.) provided RPM Derrick Golden with
comments on a response to an earlier review of a ground-water
flow model for the W.R. Grace Superfund Site in Acton, MA.
Among the issues discussed were grid spacing size, model
calibration, the use of literature values for hydraulic conductivity in
lieu of site specific data, vertical hydraulic conductivity, recharge,
and boundary conditions.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
Savage Municipal Well Superfund Site, Region I: On August 1,
2003, Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac)
provided RPM Dick Goehlert with a review of the "Draft Work
Plan and QAPP for In Situ Chemical Oxidation Testing at the OK
Tool Source Area, Savage Municipal Well Superfund Site,
Milford, New Hampshire." The review was conducted to
determine if concerns and recommendations expressed in previous
review comments had been addressed. Since it appeared that the
proposed KMnO4 loading was insufficient, calculations leading to
the proper oxidant dose were provided. Other issues discussed
included oxidant delivery methods, water levels and gradients, and
analytical sampling and analysis.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Ohio River Park Superfund Site, Region III: On July 14, 2003,
John Wilson (GWERD) provided RPM Romuald Roman with
comments on a draft monitoring plan for the Ohio River Park
Superfund site on Neville Island in the Ohio River at Pittsburgh,
PA. Among the areas discussed were the location of the screen in
a new well with respect to the location of residual hydrocarbons,
attenuation parameters including methane and sulfate,
interpretation of rates of attenuation, and sampling methods and
frequency in terms of minimizing data variability.
(J. Wilson(GWERD)580-436-8534)
MacDill Air Force Base, Region IV: On August 1, 2003, David
Jewett (GWERD) provided RPM Patricia Goldberg with
comments on a response to an earlier review of a ground-water
flow modeling effort at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL.
General and specific comments were addressed on a variety of
issues including sources of data, water-level measurements,
boundary conditions, recharge, hydraulic heads and conductivities,
model calibration, and suggested editorial changes.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
Chem-Dyne Superfund Site, Region V: On August 20, 2003,
David Jewett (GWERD) and Mingyu Wang and Abu Noman
Ahsanuzzaman (Shaw Environmental, Inc.) provided RPM Lolita
Hill with comments concerning a ground-water flow model for the
Chem-Dyne Superfund Site in Hamilton, OH. Inconsistencies
were noted in a number of areas including ground-water gradients
and hydraulic conductivity, and the results of model calibration
activities were questioned. It was suggested that a mathematical
expression for calculating relative sensitivity be provided with a
more detailed description to better understand the results of the
analysis.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
Asarco-East Helena Superfund Site, Region VIII: During
August 10-15, 2003, Steven Acree, and Randall Ross and
Chunming Su (GWERD) visited the Asarco-East Helena
Superfund Site in East Helena, MT, to complete site
characterization activities prior to the design of a pilot-scale
permeable reactive barrier (PRB). In addition to sampling existing
monitoring wells, pneumatic slug tests were performed to estimate
hydraulic conductivity of geologic materials in the vicinity of the
proposed PRB. The project is designed to evaluate PRB
technology for in-situ treatment of arsenic.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Cooper Drum Company Site, Region IX: On July 28, 2003,
Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided
RPM Eric Yunder with review comments on four separate
documents concerning the Cooper Drum Company Site in
Southgate, CA. Several suggestions and recommendations were
given for developing a pilot-scale treatability test for DCE and VC
dechlorination. The possibility of using an oxygen release
compound (ORC) followed by a hydrogen release compound
(HRC) was discussed based on its success at another site.
Depending on the site geochemistry, however, oxygenating
anaerobic ground water could result in the precipitation of iron and
manganese resulting in a decrease in aquifer permeability.
Detailed comments were provided in a number of other areas
including HRC injection, pilot test monitoring and natural
attenuation screening, soil oxidant demand, and the need for
additional bench-scale testing.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Montrose Superfund Site, Region IX: In a continuing technical
assistance effort at the Montrose Superfund Site in Torrance, CA,
Steven Acree (GWERD) and Mingyu Wang, Noman
Ahsanuzzaman, and Rob Earle (Shaw Environmental, Inc.)
provided RPM Jeff Dhont with a review of a preliminary ground-
water modeling report. The July 30, 2003, response focused on the
conclusions presented and how they are supported, and the model
used in the simulations. Discussed in detail were model
refinements and re-calibration, plume volume reduction using the
refined model, parameters not included in the sensitivity analysis,
and variability in hydraulic conductivity values.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Cyprus Tohono Mine Site, Region IX: On August 1, 2003,
Randall Ross (GWERD) and Robert Dover (Dynamac) provided
Region 9 representatives Mike Gill, Carol Weinstein, and Carolyn
Douglas with technical review comments on a preliminary
assessment/site inspection report for the Cyprus Tohono Mine Site
in Casa Grande, AZ. In addition to pointing out the need for recent
water level data, other issues included the limited ground-water
data presented in the report, risk due to uranium in ground water,
sulfate/uranium correlations, and recommendations for additional
studies.
(R. Ross(GWERD)580-436-8611)
Del Amo Superfund Site, Region IX: In a continuing technical
assistance effort at the Del Amo Superfund Site in Torrance, CA,
Steven Acree (GWERD), Kelly Hurt and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac)
provided RPM Dante Rodriguez with review comments on a
Program Summary Report. The August 22, 2003, comments
addressed the uncertainty of projections concerning the
effectiveness of aggressive contaminant removal technologies at
the site due to the high degree of geologic heterogeneity. Also
discussed were the benefits associated with partial NAPL removal
with respect to contaminant flux from the source area and
downgradient contaminant concentrations.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Concurrent Technologies Corp.: On August 21, 2003, Scott
Huling and Eva Davis (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac)
provided Dawn Kaback with technical review comments on a
document titled "A Decision-Making Framework for Cleanup of
Sites Impacted with Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPL)."
The document was prepared to provide a guide to practicable and
reasonable approaches for long-term management of LNAPL
petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface for large, complex sites.
It appeared to adequately present a framework for addressing
LNAPL sites. Its strength is in compiling and summarizing the
steps necessary to manage LNAPL sites rather than the specific
technical aspects of characterization and remediation.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Wilson, John T. (GWERD). "Aerobic In Situ Bioremediation." In
MTBE Remediation Handbook, Amherst Scientific Publishers, MA.
(J. Wilson(GWERD)580-436-8534) NRMRL-Ada-02121
http://www.aehs.com/publications/catalog/remediation.htm
An, Youn-Joo (ORISE) and Donald H. Kampbell (GWERD).
"Total, Dissolved, and Bioavailable Metals at Lake Texoma
Marinas." Environmental Pollution 122 (2003).
NRMRL-Ada-02213 (D. Kampbell(GWERD)580-436-8564)
http://www.elsevier.com/inca/publications/store/4/0/5/8/5/6/
Jorgensen, Eric E. (GWERD). "Small Mammals: Consequences of
Stochastic Data Variation for Modeling Indicators of Habitat
Suitability for a Well-Studied Resource." Ecological Indicators 1
(2002).
(E. Jorgensen(GWERD)580-436-8545) NRMRL-Ada-03232
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/1470160X
Kommineni, S. (Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.), W.P. Ela and R.G. Arnold
(U. AZ), S.G. Huling (GWERD), and B.J. Hester and E.A.
Betterton (U. AZ). "NDMA Treatment by Sequential GAC
Adsorption and Fenton-Driven Destruction." Environmental
Engineering Science. Vol. 20, No. 4, July/August 2003.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610) NRMRL-Ada-02308
http://www.liebertpub.com/EES/default1.asp
Wilkin, Richard T. and Robert W. Puls (GWERD) and Guy W.
Sewell (ECU). "Long-Term Performance of Permeable Reactive
Barriers using Zero-Valent Iron: Geochemical and Microbiological
Effects." Ground Water, 41(4): 493-503. 2003.
NRMRL-Ada-03104 (R. Wilkin(GWERD)580-436-8874)
http://www.ngwa.org/publication/gw/toc03.htm#4
Su, Chunming and R.W. Puls (GWERD). "In Situ Remediation of
Arsenic in Simulated Groundwater using Zerovalent Iron:
Laboratory Column Tests on Combined Effects of Phosphate and
Silicate." Environmental Science and Technology, 37(11): 2582-
2587. 2003.
NRMRL-Ada-03111 (C. Su(GWERD)580-436-8638)
http://pubs3.acs.org/acs/journals/toc.page?incoden=esthag
Identification of Processes that Control Natural Attenuation at
CAH Solvent Spill Sites. Drs. Don Kampbell and Xiaoxia Lu
(GWERD) are co-investigators on this research project. They
recently completed a ground water sampling trip at a TCE plume
site at Vandenberg AFB, California. The objective of the study is
to determine what site processes/site characteristics control the
complete degradation of TCE to vinyl chloride, while at other sites
the degradation stops at cis-DCE, and at some sites degradation of
TCE does not occur. Emphasis will be on determing dissolved
hydrogen and Dehalococcoides present in the plumes. Six TCE
plume site locations were selected on Air Force bases for the study.
Five of the six locations have been sampled. The project ends in
April 2004.
(D. Kampbell(GWERD)580-436-8564)
GWERD is hosting the annual ORD QA Community Meeting,
October 21-23, 2003. ORD QA Managers and the Directors of
QA will meet to discuss the status of QA in ORD and ways to
address new QA challenges. Contact Steve Vandegrift,
GWERD's Quality Assurance Manager, for more information.
(S. Vandegrift(GWERD)580-436-8684)
Ann Keeley (GWERD) attended the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology which was held August 10-14, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the SIM meeting, Ann presented a poster entitled "Performance Monitoring of Enhanced In-Situ Bioremediation of MTBE in Ground Water."
GWERD staff Robert Ford and Steve Schmelling made presentations at the RCRA 2003 National Meeting, "Putting Resource Conservation into RCRA" August 12-15, in Washington, DC. Robert Ford's presentation was titled "Arsenic Source Identification at the Ground Water-Surface Water Interaction Zone at a Contaminated Site." Steve Schmelling's presentation was titled "Evaluation of Vadose Zone and Source Modules for Multi-media, Multi-pathway, and Multi-receptor Risk Assessment Using Large-Soil-Column Experimental Data."
Paul Mayer (GWERD) participated in the "Stream Restoration Workshop," August 14-15, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sponsored by the National Academy of Science and the National Research Council. He delivered a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Goals and Current Research of EPA's Stream Restoration Research Program."
Steve Hutchins, Elise Striz, and Joe Williams (GWERD) met with EPA Region 6 (WQ-SG) and Natural Resources Conservation (NRCS) personnel in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 19-20. NRCS had formed a Water Quality Task Team in response to a request initiated by Nancy Dorsey (EPA Region 6) for more information and/or research with respect to the NRCS process for developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) for CAFOs. Under the new CAFO rule, CNMPs will be developed for all CAFOs, and EPA Region 6 has expressed concerns that the plans may not be sufficiently protective of ground water impacted by land application. GWERD personnel presented their research on a site-specific example of ground water contamination by nitrate through land application practices at an Oklahoma swine CAFO, and NRCS presented the basics of their CNMP process and the differences between the states in this region. The group collectively agreed that nitrate contamination of ground water could be a problem if CNMPs were not properly developed and properly implemented, and that some additional guidelines may be necessary for private contractors charged with developing CNMPs based on NRCS guidance. The meeting concluded with several initiatives, including proposing to formalize an interagency Land Application Water Quality Task Team (LAWQTT) consisting of GWERD, EPA Region 6, NRCS, and Agricultural Research Station personnel, preparation of appropriate research proposals to evaluate the efficacy of current practices, and preparation of an issue paper highlighting the importance and vulnerability of ground water issues in relation to CNMPs for land application. A number of future issues and processes were discussed and will be addressed by LAWQTT as well.
GWERD personnel made a number of presentations August 26- 27 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a meeting hosted by the U.S. EPA National Center for Environmental Research. The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate communication and collaboration between ORD and the Hazardous Substances Research Centers that support the Superfund Program. The following presentations were made by GWERD staff:
Benefits of DNAPL Source Reduction
Lynn Wood, EPA/ORD/NRMRLThermal Remediation in Fractured Rock; Loring AFB
Eva Davis, EPA/ORD/NRMRLMonitored Natural Attenuation; Mechanisms for Chlorinated Solvents
John Wilson, EPA/ORD/NRMRLDeveloping a Framework for Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water
Robert Ford, EPA/ORD/NRMRLReactive Barrier Strategies for Metals in Ground Water
Rick Wilkin, EPA/ORD/NRMRLVapor Intrusion
Dominic DiGiulio, Michelle Simon, EPA/ORD/NRMRL;
Jim Weaver EPA/ORD/NERLDeveloping Options for Hydraulic Control and Source Treatment of Superfund Landfills
Fran Kremer, John Wilson, EPA/ORD/NRMRL
Greg Susanke, OSP/ORD, met with GWERD personnel August 28 in Ada to be briefed on GWERD's research program involving CAFOs. Elise Striz and Steve Hutchins (GWERD) presented their research work on the Canton site study, as well as the recent proposed formation of a collaborative workgroup consisting of EPA, ARCS, and ARS personnel to evaluate CAFO land application practices and potential impacts on ground water. Yolanda Olivas (GWERD) presented her work on determining antibiotic resistance profiles among fecal coliform isolates in the Turkey Creek watershed. Also in attendance were Joe Williams (GWERD/ESPB Branch Chief) and Steve Schmelling (GWERD Division Director). Discussions centered on ongoing research, new proposals, incorporation into multiyear plans, and programmatic issues.
MISCELLANEOUSHershel Chronister (GWERD) performed management reviews of both NRMRL's Sustainable Technology Division and Technology Transfer Support Division, August 18, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cindy Paul (GWERD) reviewed a draft Guidance Document for the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) titled: "Technical and Regulatory Guidance for Using Polyethylene Diffusion Bag Samplers to Monitor Volatile Organic Compounds in Groundwater." The document establishes common ground among regulators, scientists and users of passive diffusion bag (PDB) technology. Its purpose is to provide guidelines to state and federal regulators, environmental consultants and others on the proper use of PDBs for sampling, and provide cost comparisons between other sampling techniques.
On July 23, Cindy Paul and John Wilson reviewed a draft document titled: "Well Purging Study: A Comparative Study of No Purging Versus Conventional Purging with Bailers of Groundwater Monitoring Wells at Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Sites" conducted by the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Programs of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, EPA Region 4 - Underground Storage Tank Program, BP Corporation North American Inc., Chevron Shell for Dr. David Arial. They found that based on the evaluation of the data provided, there are differences between purged and non-purged data. The bailer results in mixing in the water column causing misleading and nonrepresentative data. This cost-cutting process would not provide representative data for appropriate decisions.
A Multi-Scale Program to Assess Change in the Acid-Base Chemistry of Streams in the Mountains of Virginia. Dr. Paul Mayer (GWERD) provided a review of this research plan prepared by the National Park Service in collaboration with scientists with EPA's Aquatic Monitoring and Bioassessment Branch of NHEERL.
TRAININGGarmon Smith (GWERD) attended the U.S. EPA Safety, Health and Environmental Management Program Annual Conference, August 25-27, in New York City. The first two days, devoted to the Senior Management Development Series on Environmental Management Systems (EMS), involved national experts in both the public and private sectors, who presented their perspective on the development, use and value of environmental management systems. SHEMP training and technical support were provided to the Agency's Safety, Health and Environmental Management Program (SHEMP) Managers and associated staff.
COMMUNITY OUTREACHOn July 24, Dave Walters (GWERD) assisted in providing a tour for students and faculty who visited the Division and the EPA field site at Gaar Corner. The students are participating in a program administered through the Defense Ammunition Center in McAlester and Eastern Oklahoma State College which is designed to encourage them to complete their degrees and find employment within the State.
Mary Gonsoulin (GWERD) gave a presentation on "Examples of Research Performed at the Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Research Division (GWERD)" at the Diamond "K" Kiwanis Club of Ada, Ada Public Library, July 22, 2003.