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NRMRL MONTHLY REPORT FOR JUNE 2003
Stephen G. Schmelling, Division Director
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Resolve Superfund Site, Region I: On June 3, 2003, Scott
Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided RPM
Joseph Lemay with comments and recommendations concerning
proposed bioaugmentation procedures at the Resolve Superfund
Site in North Dartmouth, MA. The plan is to inoculate bio-
filter/phytobed pilot trenches with microbial cultures. It was
suggested that bioaugmentation could be easily converted to a full-
scale system if the results of the pilot-scale study indicate that it is
warranted. It was also pointed out that bioaugmentation will
complicate data interpretation since no quantitative information
will be collected to determine the influence of bioaugmentation.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Dover Municipal Landfill Site, Region I: In a continuing
technical assistance effort at the Dover Municipal Landfill Site in
Dover, NH, Randall Ross and Ann Azadpour-Keeley (GWERD)
and Milovan Beljin (Dynamac Consultant) provided RPM Darryl
Luce with review comments on a "Draft Revised Groundwater
Focused Feasibility Study." In the June 13, 2003, response, it was
pointed out that the document is comprehensive and represents a
significant improvement over previous materials; however,
additional effort may be required to demonstrate that monitored
natural attenuation (MNA) will be protective of human health and
the environment. Detailed comments and suggestions were offered
with respect to ground-water modeling, monitoring, and MNA. On
June 16, 2003, Dominic DiGiulio and Robert Ford (GWERD)
provided RPM Darryl Luce with comments on a "Draft Focused
Feasibility Study" for the Dover Municipal Landfill Superfund Site
in Dover, NH. Overall, it was believed that the use of a sparge
trench to treat ground water contaminated with volatile organic
compounds and arsenic has merit. Detailed comments were given
with respect to ferrous iron oxidation-precipitation concomitant
with arsenic sorption/co-precipitation as well as the stripping
capacity of the aerobic treatment trench.
(R. Ross(GWERD)580-436-8611)
(D. DiGiulio(GWERD)580-436-8605)
(R. Ford(GWERD)580-436-8872)
Savage Municipal Well Superfund Site, Region I: On June 20,
2003, Scott Huling (GWERD), Bruce Pivetz and Mark Paddack
(Dynamac), and Rob Earle and Abu Ahsanuzzaman (ManTech)
provided RPM Dick Goehlert with comments on a in-situ chemical
oxidation testing work plan at the Savage Municipal Well
Superfund Site in Milford, NH. In general, in-situ KMnO4
oxidation of chlorinated compounds in ground water appears to be
a viable candidate for remediation. The existing monitoring well
network will facilitate a good performance evaluation and the work
plan presents useful information and a good conceptual
understanding of the proposed activities. Comments and
recommendations were provided to identify a few ambiguous areas
that require clarification. The results of a modeling exercise was
provided which simulated the injection and subsequent migration
of a tracer under two pumping scenarios.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
D'Imperio Property Superfund Site, Region II: On June 18,
2003, Dominic DiGiulio (GWERD) provided RPM Michael Zeolla
with technical review comments on a work plan for a vapor
extraction system at the D'Imperio Property Superfund Site in
Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, NJ. The response discussed
limitations of the radius of influence based design and suggested an
alternative approach based on the attainment of a minimum pore-
gas velocity. Also discussed were gas permeability testing, vapor
probes to monitor the vacuum and conduct flow interruption
testing, and respiration testing.
(D. DiGiulio(GWERD)580-436-8605)
MacDill Air Force Base, Region IV: On May 28, 2003, David
Jewett (GWERD) provided RPM Patricia Goldberg with a review
of a ground-water flow modeling report for MacDill Air Force
Base in Tampa, FL. Several concerns were expressed including
the lack of supporting evidence related to model development, use
of the ground-water flow and solute transport modeling effort to
support monitored attenuation as a remedial strategy rather than
comparing various treatment technologies, and the need to
establish long-term trends and seasonal variability with respect to
water levels. Specific comments were offered in a number of areas
including the site's conceptual model, grid discretization and
layering, model calibration, and vertical and horizontal hydraulic
conductivities.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
Sauget Superfund Site, Region V: On May 30, 2003, Steven
Acree (GWERD) and James Mercer (GeoTrans, Inc.) provided
RPM Nabil Fayoumi with responses to comments dated April 18,
2003, concerning the work plan for a DNAPL characterization and
remediation study for the Sauget Superfund Site in Sauget, IL. In
general, it appears that the work plan has been revised to address
the previous comments. Two minor issues discussed were the need
to include free product recovery as one of the remedial alternatives,
and the inclusion of DNAPL mobilization and migration in a
discussion of the results of work plan tasks.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Lowry Air Force Base Superfund Site, Region VIII: On June
11, 2003, Scott Huling (GWERD and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac)
provided RPM Judith McCulley with comments concerning a draft
off-site treatability study work plan for the Lowry Air Force Base
Superfund Site in Denver, CO. The comments focused on a
proposed in-situ chemical oxidation pilot study. In addition to
general comments, extensive recommendations were provided
related to contaminant hydrology, KMnO4 oxidation, field
application plan for potassium permanganate injection, baseline
and phase I performance monitoring, radius of influence, well
installation, and sampling and analysis.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Cooper Drum Company Site, Region IX: On June 13, 2003,
Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided
RPM Eric Yunker with a review of "Report of Findings,
Evaluation of KMnO4 for the Removal of COCs from
Groundwater" and "Final Report Treatability Study for TCE with
High Sulfate Levels using HRC and HRC with Slow-Release Iron
Compound" prepared for the Cooper Drum Company Site in
Southgate, CA. In addition to general technical comments, other
areas of discussion included sample handling and preparation,
KMnO4 ground-water and soil demand, and the concentrations of
COCs.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Montrose and Del Amo Superfund Sites, Region IX: On June
17 Steven Acree (GWERD) and Mingyu Wang and Ke Liu
(ManTech) participated in meetings in Santa Ana, CA, to discuss
refinements of ground-water flow and contaminant transport
models developed during the remedy selection phase of projects at
the Montrose and Del Amo Superfund Sites in Los Angeles, CA.
Modifications to model construction and calibration are being
considered to increase the reliability for use during the remedial
design. Also attending the meetings were representatives from
EPA Region 9, California Environmental Protection Agency,
Montrose Corporation, Shell Oil Company, and consultants.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
A training session was presented by Jim Cummings (EPA, TIO)
and Scott Huling (GWERD) at the National Remedial Project
Managers Association National Conference in Colorado Springs,
CO, May 19-23, 2003. The title of the four-hour training session
was "In-Situ Fenton and Permanganate Oxidation: Policy, Critical
Analysis, and Case Studies." Meeting participants included EPA
Remedial Project Managers from the Regional offices.
(J. Jones(GWERD)580-436-8593)
Wilkin, Richard T. (GWERD), Dirk Wallschläger (Trent Univ.),
and Robert G. Ford (GWERD). "Speciation of Arsenic in Sulfidic
Waters." Geochemical Transactions, v. 4, n.1. 2003.
NRMRL-Ada-03121(R. Wilkin(GWERD)580-436-8874)
http://www.rsc.org/is/journals/current/geochem/geopub.htm
Movement and Longevity of Viruses in the Subsurface,
EPA/540/S-03/500, http://www.epa.gov/ada/pubs/issue.html
The transport and survival of viral particles in the subsurface is an
important public health issue. About half of the drinking water
supplies in this country are taken from underground sources, and
about half of the waterborne diseases are attributed to
contaminated ground water with viruses being the principal
pathogens. This issue paper discusses conditions affecting the
transport and survival of viruses in the subsurface, identifies their
sources and indicators of viral contamination, outlines the effects
of hydrogeologic settings on their movement, and presents the
current state of transport modeling along with an example of a
screening model. The transport, as well as survival, of pathogens
in the subsurface depends strongly on the type of virus and its
retention on soil and aquifer materials. The most important factors
affecting virus transport are soil water content, temperature,
sorption and desorption, pH, salt content, type of virus, and
hydraulic stresses.
(A. Keeley(GWERD)580-436-8890)
Advancing Solid Phase Characterization Efforts in Support of
Arsenic Fate and Transport Research: Robert Ford and Rick
Wilkin (GWERD) traveled to the Advanced Photon Source (APS)
at Argonne National Laboratory (operated by the Department of
Energy), Argonne, Illinois, during June 18-20, to collect x-ray
absorption spectroscopic data to aid in identification of arsenic
chemical speciation in reference minerals and contaminated
sediments. The data collected using this non-destructive technique
provides critical information needed to assess the chemistry
controlling arsenic partitioning to contaminated sediments
collected from the Industri-Plex Superfund Site. This trip was
made possible, in part, through the generous contribution by Kirk
Scheckel (LRPCD/Cincinnati) of access time to the APS beamline
operated by the Pacific Northwest Consortium - Collaborative
Access Team.
(R. Ford(GWERD)580-436-8872)
Great Basin Ecosystem Management Project: During June
2003, researchers from the U.S. EPA/ORD/NRMRL and the
USDA Forest Service conducted field activities associated with
the Great Basin Ecosystem Management (GBEM) projects. This
investigation is part of a 3-year study funded by NRMRL's
Ecosystem Restoration Program. Participating from the NRMRL
were Pat Clark (TTSD) and Frank Beck and David Jewett
(GWERD). The majority of field activities focused on the
Kingston Meadow Site near Austin, Nevada. The Kingston Site is
believed to be typical of upland meadows located along riparian
corridors in the Great Basin of central Nevada. These ecosystems
represent a small amount of the total land area in the Great Basin
region, but contain a large percentage of the region's biodiversity.
Many of these meadows are being lost due to intense stream
incision. The Kingston Meadow site has been undergoing rapid
stream incision over the past few years and is slated for restoration
by the Forest Service. From this research, the U.S. EPA/USDA
team hopes to gain a better understanding of why these sensitive
meadow ecosystems occur along the riparian corridors and what
restoration activities can be used to maintain them and reduce their
rapid rate of loss. NRMRL researchers are responsible for the
hydrologic component of the study and worked to obtain
continuous cores, install monitoring wells and piezometers, and
collect water level and stream discharge data during the field
activities. USDA Forest Service researchers and their
collaborators focused on obtaining important geomorphic and
ecological data. A summer field tour of the GBEM projects with
USDA Forest Service scientists and management, USDA partners and collaborators,
local and regional resource managers,
and local environmental planners was held June 24-25, in the
Toiyabe Range near Austin, Nevada. The field tour highlighted
ongoing research activities relative to the GBEM projects for
maintaining and restoring watershed and riparian ecosystem
integrity and the central Nevada joint fire sciences program
projects. Joe Williams (Chief, GWERD/Ecosystem and
Subsurface Protection Branch) participated in the tour, along with
David Jewett (GWERD/Applied Research and Technical Support
Branch) who presented his findings on the hydrology of the Big
Creek and Corral sites. David Jewett also provided an overview on
the investigations being conducted at the Kingston Canyon wet
meadow site. Participants toured the Kingston site and had an
opportunity to see GWERD's new Hydrotraxx/Geoprobe rig in
operation. The USDA restricts the use of motorized equipment in
certain areas of the GBEM but has authorized use of the
Hydrotraxx/Geoprobe in conducting field work as a part of this
study due to its minimal impact on the environment.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
GWERD hosted a meeting on Monitored Natural Attenuation for Inorganics in Dallas, Texas, on May 21. Those attending included EPA staff from GWERD, the Regions and Program Offices, as well as several outside experts on the fate and transport of inorganic contaminants in ground water. The objective of the meeting was to continue progress toward production of a framework for MNA for Inorganics Guidance. This document will be used by EPA Regions and Programs (OSWER, OAR) to assess MNA for metals and other inorganic contaminants in ground water. A first draft of the document is now slated for this fall.
GWERD staff traveled to Orlando, Florida, June 2-6, to participate in the 7th International Symposium of the Battelle Conference on In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation. Stephen Hutchins (GWERD) presented a paper entitled "Analysis of Swine Lagoons and Ground Water for Environmental Estrogens." Two papers were presented by John Wilson (GWERD), one entitled "Effect of BTEX and Ethanol on Anaerobic Biotransformation of MTBE," co-authored with Cherri Adair (GWERD) and Ravi Kolhatkar (Group Environmental Management Co.), and a second paper entitled "Measurement of Bioavailable Iron at Two Hazardous Waste Sites," co-authored with Carmen Lebron (NFESC, Port Hueneme, California) and Patrick Evans (CDM, Bellevue, Washington). In addition to the presentations, John Wilson (GWERD) served as one of the instructors for a short-course on "Techniques to Extract Rate Constants from Field Data to Evaluate Natural Attenuation" which was taught in conjunction with the Battelle Conference.
The following presentations were made by GWERD staffattending the 2003 NGWA Conference on MTBE, Assessment, Remediation and Public Policy, held June 4-6, in Baltimore, Maryland.
"Comparison of the Extent of Treatment of MTBE and Benzene by Active Remedial Technology at UST Sites in Kansas," Greg Hattan (Kansas Dept. Health & Environment), Barbara Wilson (Dynamac Corporation), and John T. Wilson (GWERD).
"Kinetics of Ethanol Biodegradation Under Methanogenic Conditions in Gasoline Spills," Cherri Adair (GWERD), Ravi Kolhatkar (Environmental Technology Group), and John T. Wilson (GWERD).
"Predicting Diving Plume Behavior," Steven Acree and John T. Wilson (GWERD), and Gilberto Alvarez (EPA Region V).
"Compound-Specific Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Analysis - Field Evidence of MTBE Bioremediation," T. Kuder (U. Oklahoma), R. Kolhatkar (Environmental Technology Group), J. Wilson (GWERD), K. O'Reilly, (Chevron Texaco Research and Technology), and J. Allen (U. Oklahoma).
The monthly GWERD Seminar Series for scientific and technical staff, held June 9, featured a presentation by Eric Jorgensenentitled "Ecosystem Restoration Prioritization to Achieve Emergent Benefits."
Steve Schmelling (GWERD) attended the conference, "Legacies and Leadership: A Model for Future Leaders," in Dulles, Virginia, June 18-19, 2003.
Bart Faulkner (GWERD) gave an oral presentation of his paper "Confronting the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem for Inference on Nitrate in Regional Shallow Ground Water" at the American Society of Civil Engineers Symposium, Probabilistic Methods in Groundwater Modeling, June 22-26, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This symposium was part of the 2003 EWRI-ASCE World Water & Environmental Resources Congress.
The Agency's research and development achievements are best communicated to the public through high-quality, EPA published documents. Randy Bacon, EPA Printing Officer in Washington, D.C., made a site visit to GWERD on June 25. He met with GWERD's local Printing Control Officer and other staff involved in coordinating technical information documents produced by and through the Division. A presentation to the scientific and technical staff, followed by a question-and-answer period, covered various facets of government printing. Topics discussed included JCP regulations, pending changes to GPO printing requirements, and other issues related to commercial printing, journal publishing, approvals for color/page charges and purchase of reprints.
TRAININGBecky Butler and Mary S. McNeil (GWERD) attended a 4-day Federal Appropriations Law training course in Oklahoma City, June 3-6. They also attended a course on the Federal Budget Process in Oklahoma City, June 23-24. In addition, Mary McNeilattended the Federal Mediation and Facilitation course in Oklahoma City, June 16.
On June 3, 2003, Steve Vandegrift, Quality Assurance Manager for GWERD, conducted a training seminar entitled, "Basic Documentation in Quality Assurance" at the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma.
To aid the RSKERC First Responder Team, David Jewett conducted training to update those individuals who serve as receptionist/switchboard operators (or relief operators) in the main lobby of GWERD. The "front desk team" is key to the success of the AED program and handling of other medical emergencies which might occur. This training update involved reviewing the steps that are critical in the notification process for the First Responders, making the medical alert announcement over the PA system and directing the First Responders to the exact location of the emergency, and in calling for EMT service at 911. David stressed the importance of receiving and noting precise information, and emphasized speaking slowly and clearly when announcing the emergency, adding that the message should be repeated a second or third time, as needed. GWERD staff were complimented on the manner in which the most recent incident was handled.
Elise Striz (GWERD) attended the yearly EEO Counselor refresher training course in Cincinnati on June 10th. The course was sponsored by the U.S. EPA Office of Civil Rights and EEO counselors from Cincinnati and Ada divisions were present. Topics included identifying the bases and issues for discrimination complaints, performing the informal complaint inquiry, writing informal complaint reports and the process of mediation for informal complaints.
COMMUNITY OUTREACHJohn T. Wilson (GWERD) devoted five days' annual leave in June to teach portions of the Environmental Science Merit Badge to Boy Scouts at BSA Camp Simpson near Bromide, Oklahoma. The Environmental Science Merit Badge is required for the rank of Eagle Scout. The class taught by Wilson covered experiments that illustrate techniques to clean up oil spills, the effect of acid rain on plants, the effect of oil spills on soil, the biodegradability of plastics in landfills, and the use of transects to survey plant communities. He also reviewed and illustrated the process of doing an environmental impact assessment for an engineering project.
On June 19, Garmon Smith (GWERD) gave a presentation on recycling to approximately 20 high school students participating in the Chickasaw Nation Summer Youth Program.
Public tours have resumed at GWERD now that construction on the new heat/air transfer system has nearly reached completion. Linda Jackson, Tour Coordinator, hosted three groups in June: 12 Coalgate High School summer students and their teachers, 20 East Central University math teachers, and 30 local high school students along with four career counselors from the "Gear Up" program based at East Central University.
PERSONNELGWERD has a new Director! The Assistant Administrator for ORD, Paul Gilman, announced that Stephen G. Schmelling has been selected as the Director of NRMRL's Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division. Congratulations to Steve, who after having served in an acting capacity, will now continue to guide the program at GWERD as Director!
The June issue of "News from the Assistant Administrator" includes the news that Dom DiGiulio was one of three ORD employees who were recognized by OSWER with a Bronze Medal for their contributions to developing and preparing the Draft Indoor Air Vapor Intrusion Guidance Document. It is always a special honor to have the work of our Division recognized by other parts of the Agency. Such an award is a measure of the impact our research has on national policies to protect human health and the environment. Congratulations to Dom on this accomplishment!
GWERD welcomes Mustafa Bob, an NRC associate who received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Ohio State University. He will be working on the impact of treatment technology on DNAPL source zone remediation in collaboration with Lynn Wood.
Welcome also to Jennifer Rowsey who will be training with Lynn Wood as a part of the Environmental Research Apprenticeship Program (ERAP). Jennifer is an East Central University freshman biology/pre-med major with a chemistry minor.