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NRMRL MONTHLY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2005
Stephen G. Schmelling, Division Director
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Savage Well Superfund Site, Region 1: In a continuing technical
assistance effort at the Savage Well Superfund Site in Milford,
NH, Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac)
provided RPM Dick Goehlert with technical review comments in
his memo to individuals involved with the site's in-situ chemical
oxidation project. The August 10 response addressed a number of
issues including the written description of monitoring locations,
need for additional wells, directing the oxidant into targeted zones,
and the use of a bromide tracer for providing transport information.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
On August 24, Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz
(Dynamac) provided RPM Dick Goehlert with comments on a
memorandum he wrote to individuals involved in the OK Tool
Subsite of the Savage Well Superfund Site in Milford, NH. The
comments focused on the injection of permanganate. Questions
discussed included other sites with KMnO4 applications and the
possibility of clogging caused by MnO2(s). If permeability
reduction is due to the accumulation of MnO2(s) or other inorganic
precipitated species (Fe), suggestions were offered for permeability
remediation through dissolution of the mineral. It was
recommended that tests be conducted to assess the source of the
permeability reduction and remedy to the problem.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Guayanilla, PR, Region 2: On August 25, Ann Keeley
(GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided RPM Luis
Negron with technical review comments on a report entitled
"Natural Attenuation Evaluation - PPG Discontinued Operations
Site" in Guayanilla, PR. The report presented a significantly more
complete evaluation of natural attenuation processes than presented
in a previous report and, in general, addresses most previous
concerns about the inadequacy of the natural attenuation analysis.
Uncertainties remained concerning fate and transport mechanisms
in the lower layers of the aquifer and the effectiveness of natural
attenuation in reducing ground-water contamination at these
locations. It was suggested that additional data be obtained in the
deeper zones to address remaining uncertainties in the extent of
contamination and attenuation processes. Other comments
concerned dissolved phase contamination, concentration trends,
abiotic degradation, and a modeling effort for vinyl chloride
transport to the bay.
(A. Keeley(GWERD)580-436-8890)
Southern Wood Piedmont Company RCRA Facility, Region 4:On August 8, Steven Acree and Eva Davis (GWERD), and Bruce
Pivetz and Milovan Beljin (Dynamac) provided RPM Ken Feely
with a technical review of remediation and monitoring systems at
the Southern Wood Piedmont Company RCRA facility in
Spartanburg, SC. The review focused on an evaluation of the
effectiveness of ground-water corrective actions, recommendations
to increase the effectiveness of current systems, techniques to
enhance DNAPL recovery, and an evaluation of the current
monitoring program. It was suggested that the current source
removal efforts will be sufficient to reduce contaminant levels in
ground water within a reasonable time frame. In addition, the
monitoring program does not appear to be designed to provide
information necessary to readily evaluate performance with respect
to specific remedial objectives.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
ASARCO-East Helena Superfund Site, Region 8: During July
11-22, Rick Wilkin, Steve Acree, Randall Ross, Tony Lee, and
Brad Scroggins (GWERD), and Pat Clark (NRMRL-Cinn.)
installed ground-water monitoring wells and sampled existing
monitoring wells in the vicinity of the new pilot-scale permeable
reactive barrier (PRB) at the Asarco-East Helena Superfund Site in
Helena, MT. In addition, a ground-water velocity probe was
installed to monitor natural flow within the PRB and any changes
in velocity through time. The project, designed to evaluate zero-
valent iron PRB technology for in-situ treatment of arsenic, is a
joint effort of EPA Region 8, Asarco, and GWERD.
(R. Wilkin(GWERD)580-436-8874)
Ogden Rail Yard Site, Region 8: On August 5, Steven Acree
(GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz and Daniel Pope (Dynamac) provided
RPM Gwen Hooten with a review of tables and figures describing
the proposed monitoring well network for two contaminated
ground-water plumes at the Ogden Rail Yard Site in Ogden, UT.
The proposed number and location of wells appear appropriate for
the northern plume, however, monitoring for the southern plume
appears uncertain due to a property transfer. It was noted that the
parameters for monitoring are not apparent and it was
recommended that they be clearly stated. It was also suggested that
sampling at areas of ground-water discharge be considered during
the development of the monitoring program.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609) In a continuing technical assistance effort at the Montrose and Del Amo Superfund Sites in Torrance, CA, Steven Acree (GWERD) and Mingyu Wang and Noman Ahsanuzzaman (Shaw Env.) provided RPM Jeff Dhont with comments on the response to a GWERD review of a "Draft Initial Calibration and Data Gap Analysis Report." The August 5 comments stated that the responses are acceptable and suggested that the clarifications discussed be noted in a final report. (S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
Huling, Scott G. and Patrick K. Jones (GWERD) and Wendell P.
Ela and Robert G. Arnold (Univ. of AZ). "Fenton-Driven
Chemical Regeneration of MTBE-Spent GAC." (2005) Water
Research 39:2145-2153.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
NRMRL-Ada-04306
www.sciencedirect.com
Silva, R.G. (Oak Ridge Inst. for Sci. and Edu.) and E.E. Jorgensen,
S.M. Holub, and M.E. Gonsoulin (GWERD). "Relationships
Between Culturable Soil Microbial Populations and Gross
Nitrogen Transformation Processes in a Clay Loam Soil Across
Ecosystems." (2005) Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 71:259-
270.
(E. Jorgensen(GWERD)580-436-8545)
NRMRL-Ada-04323
www.springerlink.com
Sanders, J.A., M.K. Lee, A. Uddin, and S. Mohammad (Auburn
Univ.), Richard T. Wilkin (GWERD), Mostafa Fayek (Oak Ridge
Natl. Lab.), and Nic E. Korte (Grand Junction, CO). "Natural
Arsenic Contamination of Holocene Alluvial Aquifers by Linked
Tectonic, Weathering, and Microbial Processes."(2005)
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G3), v. 6, no. 4, p. 1-7.
NRMRL-Ada-05159
(R. Wilkin(GWERD)580-436-8874)
http://www.agu.org/
Wilson, John T., Philip M. Kaiser, and Cherri Adair (GWERD).
"Monitored Natural Attenuation of MTBE as a Risk Management
Option at Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites." (2005) EPA
Report. EPA/600/R-04/179. National Risk Management Research
Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio.
(J. Wilson(GWERD)580-436-8534)
NRMRL-Ada-04149
Su, Chunming and Ralph D. Ludwig (GWERD). "Treatment of
Hexavalent Chromium in a Chromite Ore Processing Waste Using
a Mixed Reductant Solution of Ferrous Sulfate and Sodium
Dithionite." (2005) Environmental Science & Technology, V. 39,
N.16, 6208-6216.
NRMRL-Ada-04158
(C. Su(GWERD)580-436-8638)
http://pubs.acs.org/journals/esthag/index.html#
ONGOING RESEARCH
Site Visit to L&D Landfill. John Wilson (GWERD) accompanied Fran Kremer and David Carson (NRMRL-Cinn.) to conduct a site visit to the L&D Landfill in Mount Holly, NJ, on August 17. John Wilson reviewed the proposed remedial action to determine whether hydraulic containment would be maintained during the injection of pumped ground water and leachate back into a closed cell at the landfill.
MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
Paul Mayer and Tim Canfield (GWERD) attended the joint meeting of the Ecological Society of America and the International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL) held in Montreal, Canada August 8-12. Paul Mayer chaired a Special Session entitled "Linking the Practice of Restoration with the Science of Stream Ecology." During the session he made an oral presentation, co-authored by E. Doheny, entitled "Pre-Restoration Geomorphic and Sediment Conditions of Minebank Run, Baltimore County, Maryland." Tim Canfield made an oral presentation entitled "Constructed Wetlands in Support of Riparian Restoration: Water Quality Benefits and Habitat Restoration in Delaware Agricultural Areas."
John Wilson and Ann Keeley (GWERD) participated in a Department of Defense workshop in Charlottesville, VA, August 9-10, on Molecular Biological Tools to evaluate active remediation and natural attenuation of hazardous wastes in ground water
John Wilson (GWERD) made a platform presentation August 19 at the NGWA Conference on Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Environment, held in Costa Mesa, CA. The presentation was entitled "Using Stable Carbon Isotopes to Estimate the Rate of Natural Biodegradation of MTBE at Field Scale.
On August 24, John Wilson (GWERD) presented a briefing entitled "Expected Biotic and Abiotic Transformations in Biowalls" for the Project Management Review on Biowall Technology, conducted by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence at Brooks AFB, San Antonio.
SPECIAL EMPHASIS PROGRAM NEWS
To celebrate Women's Equality Day August 26, the GWERD Special Emphasis Program hosted Senator Susan Paddack. Prior to introducing Senator Paddack, Stephen Schmelling briefly described Women's Equality Day and how it is now commemorated for the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Senator Paddack discussed a broad range of political issues and touched on bills that she has passed during her short term as Senator.