-------
FIGURE A-17: CURRENT OZDNE MONITORING SITES
AND 19B1 EXCURSION DAYS
Livingston County
Number Represents Total
Excursion Days at Honitorinq
Site
-------
13
0.35
\
FIGURE A-13:
OZONE TREND FOR DETROIT AREA (NACCH8, OAKLAND. AND WAYNE COUNTIES
AND ADJACENT CANADIAN MONITORS)
(Worst Case for Second High Values)
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Canadian Anbient
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1975
1976
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-------
16
Analysis 3: Milwaukee Ozone
The Milwaukee ozone problem area is shown in Figure A-21. The base area
is composed of four counties with Kensoha and Racine Counties in southern
Wisconsin being included for emissions data only. The exposed population
in these four counties totals to approximately one million people. The
air quality data for Kenosha and Racine Counties are included with the
Chicago Ozone analysis. Major ozone precursor sources and their final
compliance status are shown in Figure A-22. Note the heavy concentration
of sources within the City of Milwaukee. In fact, 57% of the 56 sources
in the six county area are located in the City. Only 11% of these sources
are considered not in final compliance; however, 41 sources (73%) have
no known compliance status. Monitor location and the number of days in
1981 in which exceedances at each monitor were noted are depicted in
Figure A-23. In 1982 there were a total of 10 site-days of violations in
the Milwaukee ozone problem area (5 days in Milwaukee, 1 day in Ozaukee,
1 day in Washington and 3 days in Waukesha Counties). Again, these data
for Kenosha and Racine Counties were included in the Chicago Area Ozone
analysis. Figure A-24 shows that while there has been an almost continuous
decrease in ambient ozone levels, the most recent values are still substantially
above the standard. The precursor source contributions, depicted in
Figure A-25, shows that stationary sources comprise an increasing portion
of the total emissions. Attainment is expected in mid 1986, as is shown
in Figure A-26. This is well before the 1987 deadline.
Ambient ozone levels are improving. However, the proximity of Chicago
and NW Indiana can affect the air quality in the Milwaukee area.
-------
17
Wisconsin
Illinois
Figure A-21: Milwaukee Problem Area for Ozone
..
Kane County] Cook County
DuPage
County
Illinois
Lake
County^
Indiana
State Boundarifi
Problem Area for
Emission and
Monitoring Data
Extended Problem Are
for Emission Data
Only
Porter
-------
18
Figure A-22-' Milwaukee Area Major Hydrocarbon Sources
Washington County
Waukesha County
O
• Source not in Final Compliance
9 Source Compliance Status
Unknown
O Source in Compliance
miles
$
e
&
Ozaukee County
Milwaukee
County
Lake Michigan
Kenosha County
-------
Figure A-23: 1981 Excursion Cays for Milwaukee Czone
Washington County
O
Haukesha County
j) Number Indicates Number of
Excursion Days
Ifi miles
N
Ozaukee County
Milwaukee
County
Kenosha County
Lake Michigan
-------
n.is;
FIGURE A-2A:
D7.0NE TREND FOR HILWAWEE
(Worst Case for Second Hfqh Values)
0.30
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1391
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23
Analysis 4: Chicago Region TSP (NE Illinois and NW Indiana)
The Chicago participate problem area is sectioned into two parts, as is
shown in Figure A-27: one section includes the steel area around Southern
Cook County, Illinois and Northwest Lake County, Indiana and the other
section includes Burns Harbor in Porter County, Indiana. The Burns Harbor
section has only recently been designated as a primary nonattainment area.
Figure A-28 shows that the population exposed has decreased in the Illinois
portion of the problem areas but has stayed relatively constant in Lake
County, Indiana. The major sources and the compliance status of these
sources are shown in Figure A-29. Though the Illinois portion has a
higher percentage of sources not in final compliance (73%) than Indiana
(41%), Indiana has the two largest sources of the area: U.S. Steel and
Inland Steel. Figure A-30 indicates the monitor location and the viola-
tion status of each monitor. The heaviest concentration of violating
monitors occur in the East Chicago and Gary area of the problem area,
near the large steel facilities in the Chicago area. The violating
monitors in Burns Harbor are all on site at the Bethlehem Steel facility.
As is shown in Figure A-31, the average geometric mean of particulates in
the problem areas has stayed relatively constant and above the primary
annual standard. Also, note that while the maximum geometric mean is
decreasing the minimum mean is rising, suggesting that air quality may
be deteriorating in the cleaner areas. The isopleths displayed in Figure
A-32 and A-33 show that the area exceeding the primary standards has
decreased primarily in the northwestern portion of the problem area.
However, there has been little decrease in the overall extent of the
area exceeding the primary standard. In fact, there still remain four
areas of particulate levels over 100 ug/m^. These areas are located
around steel and agricultural centers. Figure A-34 shows that area
sources account for about 69% of the particulate emissions, mainly through
reentrainment of dust from transportation sources. However, over 75% of
the point source emissions are attributable to industrial processes
which generally contain the very fine inhalable particles that can enter
the lungs and cause respiratory problems.
The only solid evidence showing an improvement in the Chicago area parti-
culate problem is the decrease in the number of people exposed. Other
evidence which also demonstrates improvement include the decrease in the
size of the area exceeding 100 ug/m^. However, there remain several areas
with harmfully high ambient levels. These areas seem to be associated
with the steel industrial areas, a significant source of unhealthy inhalable
particulates.
-------
24
FIGUPE A-27- CHICABO/NW INDIANA TOTAL SUSPENDED OARTIHJLATE
PROBLEM APEAS
-------
25
YEAR
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Chicago Problem Area-Major Sources
Sources not in Final Compliance
1. Carey Grain
2. U.S. Steel-South Works
3. Lakeside Slag
4. Valley Mold and Iron
5. Calumet Incinerator
6. Marblehead Lime
7. Republic Steel
8. Interlake Coke Plant
9. Interlake
10. Continental Grain-Elevator B
11. Alburn-Earth II
12. Ingersoll Products
13. Continental Grain-Elevator C
14. Indiana Grain Coop
15. Ford Motor
16. Bird and Son
17. Interlake
18. American Brick
19. Wyman-Gordon
20. Vulcan Mold and Iron
21. Material Service Corp.
22. Marblehead Lime
23. Com. 'Ed.-Stateline
24. NIPSCO-Mitchell
25. Jones and Laugh!in
26. Inland Steel
27. Lehigh Portland
28. U.S. Steel
29. Bethlehem Steel
Sources in Compliance
1. Kirk Asphalt Corp
2. General Refractory
3. H B Reed
4. Harbison Walker Ref.
5. U.S. Reduction
6. Blaw-Knox Foundry
7. Hammond Lead
8. Amoco Refinery
9. Lever Brothers
10. Bliss and Laughlin
11. Atlantic Richfield
12. Louisville Cement
13. Heckett Engineering
14. Mississippi Lime
15. Cargil1, Inc.
16. Cinders, Inc.
17. Illinois Slag and Ballast
18. Boise Cascade
-------
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INDIANA Lake County
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29
TSP AMBIENT CONCENTRATION (ug/tc3)
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33
Analysis 5: Detroit TSP
Figure A-35 delineates the TSP nonattainment area in the Detroit indus-
trial area. Figure A-36 demonstrates that the total number of persons
exposed to TSP levels exceeding the annual U.S. primary standard sharply
decreased in the early 1970's, and more slowly in the latter years. The
adjacent Canadian population is also experiencing less exposure. Figure
A-37 depicts the major complying and noncomplying sources that are
located in the areas where the remaining violating monitors are sited.
As is shown by Figure A-38, the monitors that register violations of the
annual primary standard are located in an 18 square-mile area extending
from Dearborn to the Detroit River at River Rouge and from River Rouge
to southern Detroit. No monitors in the area exceeded the alert level.
Two monitors in the City of Windsor, Ontario also showed violations of
the U.S. standard. Figure A-39 (which reflects all monitors operating
in the target area in any given year) shows that the annual geometric
means have shown a general decrease in value. However, the annual mean
dropped below the primary standard only in 1980 and 1981 when economic
decline has caused reduced industrial activity. But, the magnitude of
the impact of reduced industrial activity on air quality has not been
quantified. Isopleths of TSP concentrations in Figure A-40 show that
the eastern three-quarters of the primary nonattainment area as well as
Southern Macomb County were above the primary standards in 1972. In the
River Rouge-Southern Detroit area, TSP levels reached concentrations
above 150 ug/m3. Isopleths in Figure A-41 show a sharp improvement in
the air quality in 1981 with a third of the primary non-attainment area
below the secondary standard and only a small portion of the area above
the primary standard. Yet, the TSP levels in the River Rouge-Southern
Detroit area are still at 100 ug/m^ and above. Figure A-42 identifies
major categories contributing to the TSP problem. It is important to
note that while industrial point sources contribute only 24 percent of
the total TSP, they are most dangerous to health because industrial
sources contain most of the very fine inhalable particles. Figure
A-43 demonstrates TSP loadings for various wind directions at the 1981
violating monitoring sites (U.S. side only). Notice that at each site
the heaviest loadings occur in the directions of major noncomplying
sources.
In summary, a large improvement in TSP air quality has been made in the
Detroit nonattainment area; however, there remains a persistent pocket
of high-level TSP in the Southern Detroit metropolitan area where 400,000
Americans and Canadians are exposed to unhealthful levels of TSP.
-------
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Detroit Problem Area-Major Sources
Sources not in Final Compliance
1. Detroit Sewage Treatment Plant
2. GMC Cadillac Motor Plant
3. Great Lakes Steel-Zug Island
4. Great Lakes Steel-Ecorse
5. International Salt
6. Rouge Steel
7. Central Wayne County Sanitary Authority
8. Ford Motor
9. Detroit Coke Co.
Sources in Compliance
1. Industrial Smelting
2. Champion Spark Co.
3. Chrysler-Jefferson Assembly
4. IMC Foundry
5. Chrysler Corp.-Eldon Axle Plant
6. Chrysler-Lynch Road
7. Chrysler-Winfield
8. Bellevue Process
9. Chrysler-Hamtramck Plant
10. Celeanese Coating
11. Ford Motor
12. Central Iron Foundry
13. National Gypsum
14. Metro Metal Process
15. Detroit Housing Community
16. Asphalt Products
17. Asphalt Products
18. Mercier Corp.
19. Asphalt Products
20. GMC-Fisher Body Plant
21. Asphalt Products
22. Ajax Materials
23. Marblehead Lime
24. Delray Steel Casting
25. BASF Wyandotte-North Works
26. Chem-Met Services
27. BASF Wyandotte
28. BASF Wyandotte-South Works
29. Consolidated Lumber
30. Ajax Material
-------
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Analysis 6: Cleveland TSP
The Cleveland TSP particulate problem area is located in the Cities of
Cleveland, Bratenahl, Newburgh Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, and Brooklyn
Heights (see Figure A-44). A smaller, more severe area has been located
along the Cuyahoga River Valley, passing through Central Cleveland.
This area approximates the heavy industrial area of Cleveland. The
number of persons exposed to the excessive particulate levels in the
whole area are shown in Figure A-45. There has been a sharp drop in the
total exposure with the 1981 population exposed being about 25% of the
1972 population exposed. Figure A-46 shows the major sources and their
compliance status. Note that many of these sources and almost all of
the noncomplying sources are in the Cuyahoga River Valley. The annual
primary standard violation status of monitors in the area are shown in
Figure A-47. Note that most violating monitors are located in a belt
extending from Cuyahoga Heights in the South to Lake Erie in the North,
approximately the same area as the sites of the steel industries. Figure
A-48 states that while the annual geometric mean has shown a steady
decline since 1972, it is still well over the primary standard. By
comparing Figure A-49 to Figure A-50, the massive decrease in the size
of the area with TSP levels over the annual primary standard is obvious.
However, Figure A-50 depicts two areas of very high levels of over 100
ug/m3. These two spots are located around steel industry sources. About
50% of the total TSP emissions, as seen in Figure A-51, are due to re-
entrainment of dust from transportation sources. The main source of
point source emissions is fuel combustion.
While Cleveland has experienced a tremendous improvement in particulate
air quality, much of the City of Cleveland and nearby communities still
experience harmful ambient levels. These levels are significant since
their likely sources, steel processing and fuel combustion, emit large
amounts of the unhealthy inhalable particulates and
-------
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Ambient TSP Concentration
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50
CLEVELAND PARTICULATE PROBLEM AREA-MAJOR SOURCES
Sources not in Final Compliance
1. ALCOA
2. Boyas Excavating
3. Cleveland Trindidad Paving
4. Ford Motor Stamping Plant
5. Ford Motor Casting Plant
6. Ferro Corp
7. Jones and Laugh!in
8. Medical Center
9. Republic St^el
10. Republic Steel
11. Republic Steel
12. Wabash Alloy
Sources in Compliance
1. Metal Blast (Shut Down)
2. Cleveland Municipal Light and Power (Shut Down)
3. Cleveland Electric Illuminating-Hamilton
4. Independent Towel (Changes to Gas)
5. Great Lakes
6. Bassachis Corp.
7. Cleveland Builders
8. Division Pumping Station (Changes to Electric)
9. Forest City Foundary (Shut Down)
10. City of Cleveland Asphalt Plant (Shut Down)
11. Horvitz Co.
12. Reilly Tar and Chemical
13. W. E. Plechaty
14. Ferro Engineering
15. S. E. A. Polishing and Buffing
16. Apex International Alloy
17. Bradley Metal
18. Shell Sands
19. Cuyahoga Smelting
20. Harshaw Chemical
21. Cuyahoga Lime
22. Atlas Foundry (Shut Down)
23. Crucible Steel Casting (Shut Down)
24. Forest City Foundry
25. Cleveland Electric Illuminating - Lake Shore
26. Cleveland Electric Illuminating - Canal Road
27. Cereal Food Processor
-------
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54
REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
ATTACHMENT B
LAND
PESTICIDES
Environmental Contamination Due to Pesticide Drift and Overspray
A significant number of environmental incidents have occurred in Region V through
the careless application of pesticides. Both private and commercial applicators
have been involved. Most incidents are attributable to commercial aerial appli-
cators. Crops, lakes, rivers and streams have been contaminated. Resulting
damage has been illegal residues on crops, significant damage to beekeepers,
contaminated ground and drinking water, fish kills and the destruction of mon-
target vegetation.
State regulatory officials in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota have analyzed
their enforcement programs and consider drift and overspray as their primary
priority. Wisconsin and Indiana officials also consider drift and overspray as
major issues. In fact, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection officals have amended the State's pesticide statute to strengthen the
drift and overspray provisions.
The state regulatory officials, as well as the pesticide training specialists,
are endeavoring to make pesticide users more aware of the inherent dangers of
drift by emphasizing equipment calibration. Training sessions devoted exclu-
sively to calibration are conducted for both aerial and ground applicators.
It is anticipated that increased emphasis will be placed on this in the future.
The extent of environmental contamination, because of drift, is measured pri-
marily through the number of incidents that occur rather than through a con-
tinuous environmental monitoring program. Environmental monitoring must be
emphasized to insure that pesticide residues are not building up in the
environment and especially the rivers, lakes, streams, ground water, and
sediment.
-------
WMD/PS/ATT B-2 . 55 <
Environmental Contamination Due to Improper Handling, Storage and Runoff
Three of five states (Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota) have experienced a
significant number of pesticide incidents relating to handling, storage and
runoff. These incidents usually result in major, but localized health and/or
environmental problems. For example, improper handling of containers while
loading trucks,or railroad box cars results in broken and leaking containers,
improper disposal, inhalation of toxic vapors, excessive chemical residues on
the handler, leaving containers in areas that are accessable to livestock
and small children.
Pesticide inspectors have found numerous violative products remaining in stor-
age and in the channels of trade. Also, suspended and cancelled pesticides,
(for example, DOT, arsenic, 2,4,5-T) in leaking containers and broken bags
are improperly stored in old, decaying farm buildings. Heavy rains have
washed the chemical into rivers, lakes and streams and in some instances
contaminated drinking water supplies.
The vast majority of fanners in Region V incorporate granular pesticides into
the soil for insect control as crops are planted. Spray applications are
also applied at this same time to control weeds. Heavy rainfall following
application causes runoff of both the soil and the pesticide adhering to
soil particles. Strong winds may also contribute to this problem. The most,
significant and evident problem resulting from runoff is fish kill. The
least apparent problem is a build up of illegal pesticide residues in crops
and non-target vegetation where the eroding soil/residues accumulate. Vegeta-
tion may be consumed by dairy cattle, fish and wildlife, resulting in illegal
residues. Accumulation of pesticides as a result of runoff can be toxic to
pheasants and other wildlife. Bee colonies suffer because of runoff problems.
Highly intensive agriculture, continuous annual cropping, minor crop rotation
and a minimum of soil conservation through idle acres, contribute to this
problem.
State pesticide, natural resources and soil conservation officials are at odds
as to how this problem should be corrected. Most feel stricter use regulations
are warranted.
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56
WMD/PS/ATT B-3
Aldicarb Use and Contamination of Groundwater in the Central Sands
Region of Wisconsin *
Aldicarb is the active ingredient found in Temik 15G and Temik 10G, systemic
carbamate pesticides manufactured and marketed by the Union Carbide
Agricultural Products Company, Inc. In 1980, 1981, and 1982 aldicarb was
confirmed to be present in groundwater samples collected in Adams, Langlade,
Marathon, Portage, Barron, Waypaca and Waushara counties. In some samples,
the amount of aldicarb detected exceeded 10 parts per billion (ppb), a guide-
line based on assessments made by the National Academy of Sciences, and
accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the
Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services as the threshold action
level for public health purposes. Based on this unofficial state standard,
the presence of aldicarb in drinking water at levels in excess of 10 ppb is
presumed to constitute a threat to public health.
Temik 15G contains 15% active ingredient by weight and has been used in
Wisconsin, primarily on potatoes, since 1975. Perceived benefits of using
Temik over an alternative insecticide for the control of potato pests include
a wider spectrum of pest control and a greater persistence during the growing
season. Prior to a change in product labeling in 1982 which reduced the
amount of aldicarb that can be applied to an acre of Wisconsin potatoes, Temik
15G was labeled for the control of certain nematodes. This provided another
advantage to growers.
As a granular pesticide formulation, Temik is incorporated into the soil.
This significantly reduces the potential for applicator exposure to the
pesticide and the possibility of pesticide drift or overspray. The risk to
birds and other wildlife is also minimized, when the granule is soil incor-
porated.
In 1974, at the time of aldicarb product registration by the U.S. EPA, it was
expected that, under normal conditions of use, aldicarb would fully degrade
in the soil, and therefore, would not reach any potential source of drinking
water, such as subsurface water. This has not been the case in some areas of
Wisconsin. Union Carbide first confirmed findings of aldicarb in Wisconsin
groundwater in 1980.
Prior to the 1982 planting and growing season, the Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection ("DATCP") adopted a temporary
emergency rule to restrict the use of aldicarb in Wisconsin, pursuant to
ss. 94.69 and 227.027, Stats.. Jhe rule was published on March 12, 1982 with
a scheduled effective date of March 15. The rule remained in effect until
July 13, 1982, when it expired automatically.
The emergency rule established aldicarb-use moratoriums in the recharge zones
of aquifers where aldicarb had been detected in potable water wells, at 1 ppb
or more, at any time prior to November, 1981. Approximately 130 sections of
land, or 83,200 acres (not all potato growing acres), were included in the
information taken from Environmental Impact Statement For Proposed Rules
Relating to Special Restrictions On The Use of Pesticides Containing Aldicarb,
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, December 1982.
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WMD/PS/ATT B-4 57 -
moratorium areas. Growers in the moratorium areas were prohibited by the
emergency rule from using aldicarb in a 15% formulation in 1982. All users
in Wisconsin of the Temik 15G formulation were required to report their
intended use of the pesticide to the DATCP at least 15 days prior to use,
regardless of the location of use in the state or the crop on which the
aldicarb was to be applied.
Under Wisconsin ss. 94.70 Stats., no person may apply a pesticide in a
manner inconsistent with label directions.
1. Aldicarb is designated as a restricted-use pesticide which may not be
applied except by state-certified private or commercial pesticide appli-
cators, or by other persons under the direct supervision of a certified
applicator.
2. Aldicarb applications on potatoes in Wisconsin are to be made 4-6 weeks
after planting, rather than at time of planting. Directions for use on
potatoes also require at least 50 days between crop treatment with
aldicarb and crop harvest.
3. Aldicarb may not be applied to the same field more than once every
2 years. Fields treated with aldicarb in 1981 could not be treated with
aldicarb in 1982.
4. Application rates on Wisconsin potatoes are reduced to a maximum of
2 Ibs. of active ingredient per acre (ai/A).
5. The revised Wisconsin label includes a statement of groundwater hazards
associated with aldicarb use.
The 5 label changes were estimated by Union Carbide to reduce the potential
for aldicarb reaching groundwater. Postponing the date of application permits
soil temperatures to increase approximately 10 degrees, thus increasing the
activity of microorganisms. This may promote more rapid breakdown of the pro-
duct in the soil, before it leaches to groundwater. A later application date
will also avoid 6-8 inches of water infiltration brought by early rains, and
application made above the root system to an established plant will increase
the amount of pesticide taken up into the plant, therefore reducing the amount
available to potentially migrate into groundwater.
Reducing the rate of application from 3 Ibs. ai/A to 2 Ibs. ai/A reduces the
amount of aldicarb available to reach groundwater. Changing from an annual
application to one application every other year reduces by 50% the amount of
aldicarb applied to the soil. ~
Only certified applicators are able to apply Temik in Wisconsin because of its
restricted-use classification. This, and the addition of an environmental
hazard statement, help insure that applicators are aware of the product's
potential for leaching into groundwater.
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WMD/PS/ATT B-5 58 ^
Simultaneous to the Temik 15G label changes being made, Temik 10G was regis-
tered for use on agricultural crops, including potatoes. Union Carbide is not
currently marketing the 10% formulation for agricultural use, however.
Union Carbide stated during a November 3, 1981 meeting of the state's Pesticide
Advisory Council that the then proposed label revisions would lessen the amount
of groundwater contamination (where samples showed aldicarb present at 50 ppb,
Union Carbide estimated a reduction in aldicarb levels to 9 ppb). No data are
currently available to support the position that label changes alone will pre-
vent aldicarb from leaching to subsurface water.
To date, 1982 sampling has consisted of resampling, on a quarterly schedule,
those wells in which aldicarb was previously detected, and of expanding
sampling to areas where aldicarb is used but which were not initially consid-
ered "high risk." Recent sampling efforts show the presence of aldicarb in
previously unsampled wells in Portage and Marathon counties. Samples taken
from Jefferson, Waukesha and Sauk counties showed no aldicarb present.
Although research is under way, no trends in aldicarb behavior in Wisconsin's
groundwater are apparent at this time.
Of the 505 different wells sampled by Wisconsin and Union Carbide officials
in 1982, 93 wells sampled contained detectable levels of aldicarb. Thirty-four
of the 93 wells sampled contained detectable levels of aldicarb over 10 ppb at
one time or another.
Aldicarb continues to be detected in Wisconsin's groundwater, and use in com-
pliance with product labeling has not yet been shown to prevent the pesticide
from leaching into groundwater. Even if the 1982 label changes are ultimately
successful in reducing new contamination, such that net additions over time
are kept within "acceptable" bounds, these additions may nevertheless be
unacceptable in the short run when combined with high existing accumulations
from former years' applications under the prior label. In areas where signifi-
cant contamination has already occurred, localized use moratoriums may be
necessary to prevent undue aggravation of existing problems, and to reduce con-
tamination to "acceptable" levels. The DATCP is therefore proposing an amend-
ment to Ch. Ag 29, Wisconsin Administrative Code, which would place special
restrictions on aldicarb use in the state.
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59
TOXICS
Manufacturing Sites of Toxic or Potentially Toxic (Hazardous) Substances
In order to determine where potential hot spots of toxic chemical contam-
ination may be located, Region V has developed detailed maps indicating
the location of facilities which produce toxic or potentially toxic
substances. The set of maps included here identifies manufacturers of
substances which were listed in the 1979 Chemical Activities Status
Report. This information was generated by cross referencing with the
1977 chemical inventory generated under the TSCA. The substances included
in the Chemical Activities Status Report include substances regulated or
being reviewed under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Federal Insec-
ticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Manufacturers of potential carcinogens, substances found in the Great
Lakes Basin, and chemicals found in fish have also been determined.
This information provides a means to help identify facilities and areas
manufacturing large numbers and quantities of toxic or potentially toxic
(hazardous) substances. Such identification provides a logical means to
select sites for environmental assessments to determine if significant
quantities of toxic substances are being released to the environment.
The maps and computer printouts of manufacturing sites of these groups
of substances have been supplied to the environmental regulatory agency
within each State in Region V. Due to a lack of resources, very little,
if any, monitoring for these substances was conducted by the end of 1982.
Because of the high potential for adverse health effects as a result of
exposure to these chemicals and because many of the sources are also
located near highly populated urban areas, it is imperative that these
potential hazards be evaluated. The best method to evaluate these poten-
tial sources would be a multi-media approach, including ambient air and
water monitoring and investigating land disposal sites where wastes from
producing these toxic chemicals may have been illegally disposed.
Maps of the chemical production of substances listed in the Chemical
Activities Status Report cross-referenced to the 1977 TSCA inventory are
presented in the following pages for each State in Region V. Those
counties having chemical production exceeding one billion pounds per
year have been shaded. Only non-confidential information has been included
in these maps, so the absence of chemical information in some counties
or the numbers indicated in other counties do not necessarily reflect
all the chemical manufacturing information gathered under TSCA. The
data, therefore, must be viewed with these constraints.
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60
WMD/TMB/ATT 8-2
PCB contaminated Harbors (Green Bay, Ashtabula, and Waukegan)
Several harbors in the Great Lakes are known to be contaminated with
PCBs. Sediment samples showing PCB levels in excess of 50 parts per
million (ppm), a level which EPA considers as significant contamination,
have been taken from the Fox River at Green Bay, Wisconsin, and harbors
located at Waukegan, Illinois; Sheboygan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Grand
Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal, Indiana; and Ashtabula Harbor,
Ohio. The most severe PCB problem is PCB contamination of Waukegan
Harbor at Waukegan, Illinois. This site contains the highest known
concentrations of uncontrolled PCBs in the country. PCBs in one drainage
ditch leading to the Harbor have been detected at levels as high as 25%.
The source of this contamination was Outboard Marine Coporation, which
discharged PCB oils into the drainage ditch. This contamination has
resulted in an immediate threat to Lake Michigan water quality, where
unacceptably high concentrations of PCBs have been found in fish tissue.
Sport fish from Lake Michigan, including lake trout and coho salmon,
have been found to contain PCB concentrations ranging from 7 to 20 ppm
(FDA's action level is 5 ppm). Sale of these species of fish in interstate
commerce has been restricted.
The Fox River, which empties into Green Bay in Wisconsin, has been found
to be contaminated with PCBs and mercury. In 1977, a study conducted
by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found PCBs up to 16 ppm
in sediment samples from this river. The highest levels were found
immediately downstream from the outfalls of paper companies or the City
of Green Bay. In November of 1982, samples from three birds, obtained
at Green Bay, Wisconsin, were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzofurans
(PCOFs), dioxins (PCDDs), and PCBs. The birds were a belted kingfisher
and two black-crowned night herons. These birds contained PCB levels
of 192 ppm, 86 ppm and 28 ppm. PCDDs were found in all three birds at
levels of 37,188 and 88 parts per trillion (ppt). PCDFs were found in
the kingfisher and one heron at levels of 164 ppt and 8 ppt, respectively.
In Ohio, PCB contamination has been found in the Ashtabula Harbor and
in rivers leading to the Harbor. Sediment samples from the Harbor have
revealed concentrations of PCBs ranging from 5 to 70 ppm. One small
tributary of the Ashtabula River, Fields Brook, has PCB concentrations
in the sediment ranging from 3 to 4 ppm.
A number of industries are located in the drainage area leading to the
Harbor, and waste water discharges are believed responsible for much
of the PCB contamination found.
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61
MANUFACTURE OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES
1LLI&03S
/-I ^-r-t 13.1 f
'nxJuCtlon ;ou(ii!i<)o
No production or gn-
1,000 to IO.GCO
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100,500 to i,;:3,c
l.coo,coo to 10,:
10.003,COT -.3
so.ow.oco 13 ioo,;.
loo.oco.ccD ts :CG,
$00,000,300 ;j Cnc
C-«cr One Billion
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MANUFACTURE OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY!
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES
62
INDIANA
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Over Cn« Sill ton
-------
IT TO *vrtaic«i certs
p>r
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Ktnuf«turtd
63
SubtUfKit
County
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10 proouction or unltr !
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100,000 iC-CO *5 SCdCCOiC
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Ovtr One 5»\lion
lined
MANUFACTURER OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES
MICHIGAN
-------
MANUFACTURER OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES
MINNESOTA
'fon coun-iag* clii
Ho production 2r jn-^ef ' ,CCO :ouncs
1.000 15 10,COO
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65
MANUFACTURER OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES .
OHIO
1
0
1
• ho production or
• i.xo :o ;o.::o
• lo.oco 13 10:.;-
• 1M.3CO to i .:::
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66
MANUFACTURER OF TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY
TOXIC (HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES
WISCONSIN
Mrtt
Stand
"turner of Subiumces
Code *vzs*r for Poundage of SyO'Stancei
J»inuf*ctur»d p«r County (Cades list^a
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67
Unregulated Toxic Substances
Overview
Increasingly, Region V is directing its attention in all program areas toward
the identification, assessment, and control of toxic substances pollution. This
progressive shift in program emphasis is a logical outgrowth of the Agency's
successes in addressing conventional pollution problems; improved scientific
understanding of the nature and extent of toxic substances in the environment;
and, of course, the recent rapid growth in the number and volume of toxic and
hazardous substances in the environment. One by-product of these developments
and experiences is the growing awareness that toxic substances in the air,
water, and land media present a far more complicated set of pollution concerns
that any we have confronted to date. Confounding this situation is the fact
that the more scientists learn about toxic substances, the more regulatory
agencies realize that control mechanisms applied at present are inadequate.
The emerging problem of unregulated toxic substances has a number of dimensions.
First, the information base necessary to develop an understanding of the nature
and extent of toxic substances problems is incomplete. One element of this is
our information on the actual and potential sources of toxic substances. This
information should consist of qualitative and quantitative data about chemical
production, importation, transportation, or use at specific locations; information
about types of industries, raw materials used, production processes, catalysts,
intermediates, products and by-products, point source discharges, and emissions;
and data on the location, number, and contents of active and inactive disposal
sites.
Another critical informational element is data on the physical, chemical, and
toxicological properties of toxic substances. This information enables
scientists to gain insight into the movement, fate, and effects of toxic
substances in the environment. It also provides a basis for estimating the
potential for exposure to chemical substances. And, most importantly,
characteristics information is used to assess the degree of hazard a chemical
substance poses to organisms, and to set priorities for regulating specific
toxic substances.
A final element in our toxic substance information base is the measurement of
the actual incidence and accumulation of specific chemical substances in the
environment. Through research, monitoring, and surveillance activities, informa-
tion is gained on new or previously undetected potentially toxic substances in
the environment, instances of detrimental effects on human populations and
natural resources from toxic contamination, and trends in the environmental
concentration of specific toxic chemicals.
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68
The second dimension of the emerging toxic substances problem is the complex
area of hazard and risk assessment. The data in the information base are used
in the assessment of the potential hazard a substance poses to humans and other
organisms. An assessment is used to assist in deciding which substances
should receive priority attention for regulation, monitoring, or further
investigation. In essence, hazard assessment is a continuous process that
involves the estimation of the potential hazard of a toxic substance to an
organism.
The complementary exerise to hazard assessment is formal risk assessment.
Risk assessment is a process of estimating the probability that exposure to
a chemical at a particular level will cause an adverse effect in humans, other
living organisms, or important non-living environmental components. Risk assess-
ments should contain the following common elements:
1. definition and quantification of exposures;
2. characterization of the exposed population in quantitative terms;
3. chemical and physical properties of the substance and its chemical
reactivity in relation to exposure;
4. prudent quantitative mathematical extrapolation of the responses from
observed to estimated exposure ranges within the observed biologic
system; and
5. qualification of the estimated risks in light of identifiable biological
and toxicological differences that may be present in the exposed human
population.
The toxic substance assessment process sketched above is a highly complex
exercise for which no one definitive model exists, nor is remotely likely
to be developed. This very individualized process is undertaken by many
regulatory agencies on a continual basis for the purpose of deciding in
specific situations what the most appropriate control or remedial measures are.
In view of the plethora of toxic substances in the environment, it can readily
be seen from even this very general outline of the purposes and elements of the
assessment process that our capacity to deal with toxic substances is severely
strained.
The third and final dimension of the unregulated toxic substances problem
is the regulatory and control programs designed to manage toxic substances.
In this country there is an array of programs in all media under a variety of
environmental legislation designed at least in part to address toxic
substances from the time of their proposed introduction into commerce,
-------
through their...use, to the time of their disposal or discharge. Federal laws
addressing toxic substances in the environment include the TSCA, FIFRA, CAA,
CWA, SDWA, RCRA, and CERCLA. In practice, the various programs under these
laws have been able to address toxic substances with varying degrees of effec-
ti veness.
In the air medium, toxic air emissions and their potential health effects are a
growing concern in Region V due to the concentration of potential industrial
and hazardous waste sources and their coincident proximity to population cen-
ters. At present, toxic air pollutants are regulated under provisions of the
CAA, in particular the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP). Despite concern about the magnitude of the health and environmental
impacts of toxic air pollutants and a substantial expenditure of effort to
date, NESHAP regulations have been promulgated for only four substances. They
are vinyl chloride, beryllium, asbestos, and mercury. Lead is also regulated
as a criteria pollutant. In addition, just three other substances, benzene,
radionuclides, and inorganic arsenic, have been designated as hazardous.
Thirty-seven chemicals are on a list that was undergoing assessment for pos-
sible listing. No regulations for them are proposed. The present scope of
Federal regulatory control over hazardous air emission is clearly very limited.
As a result of the complex and accordingly, expensive process for listing
toxic air pollutants, not to mention setting scientifically and legally defen-
sible control standards, the efficacy of the powers under the CAA are corre-
spondingly limited.
Furthermore, although it is known that controlling particulates and volatile
organic compounds will generally limit associated toxic emissions, there are
limits on the regulatory agencies' abilities to use pollutional surrogates to
control toxic air emissions.
Additional air toxicants authorities, however, exist at the state level. State
agencies are developing emission inventories, defining potential problems and
creating regualtory programs. A current initiative is an effort to define a
limited number of sites and facilities around the Region upon which Federal and
state resources may he focused.
In the water medium, toxic substances under the CWA are controlled primarily
through wastewater effluent limitations derived from technology-based evalua-
tions and water quality standards. The information bases for these programs
are generated through the discharge permitting and compliance process, National
Effluent Guidelines development, environmental fate pollutant monitoring, and
research on toxic pollutants.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program gen-
erates limited toxic data as well as information on flow, plant configuration,
and effluent concentration. Much of the information on toxicants was generated
before 1977 and is now being updated for significant critical facilities.
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70
All plants (some 2,300 in USEPA Region V alone) in some 30-35 industrial
categories are currently required to conduct limited chemical evaluations or
have evaluations conducted on their behalf for the 126 priority pollutants
published by the USEPA. In addition, the industries are required to provide
updated raw material, production, and discharge information. The states and
Region are requiring that a more select group of industries, with the highest
potential for the discharge of toxicants, conduct special biological, chemical,
treatabil ity, and manufacturing process evaluations to aid in determining
limitations for toxicants and other parameters of concern. This evaluation and
limitation development process is designated to balance human health and
environmental risks with treatability and the economics of control.
Overall product use and environmental fate data-gathering are centralized in
National Effluent Guidelines and water quality criteria development. Most
fate and risk studies have been within the purview of the USEPA Office of
Research and Developments' national laboratories. Unfortunately, the data base is
generally too fragmented to identify trends in large categories of chemicals.
Limited environmental contaminant trends for a selected number of toxicants,
particularly pesticides, have been developed for a number of locations in
Region V. However, broad-scan analytical capability for a large number
of other toxicants is just being implemented, particularly for fish flesh and
sediment surveys. The fish flesh arid wildlife contaminant trend monitoring
programs have been largely limited to sporadic reviews every few years.
Most NPDES permit data are updated primarily through the permit reissuance
process cycle of 3-5 years. However, the manufacturing information available from
the TSCA inventory for identifying potential toxic discharges is becoming outdated,
as most of it was gathered in 1977. The most significant new source of toxicant
production and release information is expected to be the locally developed detailed
industrial inventories from implementation of the pretreatment regulations for
industries discharging to municipal treatment plants and revised NPDES applications.
The municipalities and states are also now starting to evaluate and control toxicants
which have and are contaminating municipal sludge. In some instances, contaminant
sludge has been used by home gardners to raise vegetables and can have resulted in
significant health problems.
The information utilized in the CWA toxicant comtrol programs is usually
sufficient to perform first-cut analysis and problem identification. How-
ever, information is not as yet available on product contaminants and by-
products present in the wastewater. This type of information requires
intensive and time-consuming reviews of target facilities.
Treatability and potential water impacts provide the technical basis for
assessments. These assessments are formalized and are uniform in approach
at the national level, but are applied to only a limited number of parameters.
Furthermore, the degree of control specified by these assessments is affected
-------
by industrial sector economics, successful court challenges, and non-
uniform timing in implementation of controls. National, state, and regional
formal assessment procedures for toxicants, other than guideline parameters,
are mostly in the initial stage and are aimed primarily at control level
specification for industrial facilities. The assessment process, due to
extensive delays in developing Best Available Technology Economically
Achievable (BAT) Effluent Guidelines, has resulted in significant delays
in implementing toxicant controls. Moreover, many of the BAT development
efforts are focusing only on a limited number of pollutants of national
interest, primarily the heavy metals. The development of toxicant effluent
controls for other toxicants, therefore, must be based on "best professional
judgement" for each facility, a condition requiring extensive staff work.
Moreover, even where the criteria development has resulted in a strong
data base for toxicant control under water quality standards, the site
specific nature of the control again requires intensive specialized
regulatory development.
The CWA authorities seem adequate to support the necessary toxicant control
programs. However, the delays in implementing Best Available Technology
Currently Available (BAT) requirements for toxic substances, the increasing
reliance on resource intensive BPJ approaches in a time of shrinking resources,
the need to undertake time-consuming site-specific criteria modifications,
and the intensive water quality standard-setting process limit the scope and
effectiveness of the CWA tocicant control program.
In the water supply problem area, the program does not seek to control toxicants
and their use in the environment, but rather assures that the public does not
consume toxic substances in its drinking water. At present, maximum contaminant
levels (MCL's) have been set for only eight constituents (i.e., heavy metals),
nitrate, flouride and six pesticides formulations, in addition to several non-
toxicant contaminants. Clearly, the regulatory scope is limited relative to the
number and volume of potential toxic contaminants of groundwater and drinking
water. In view of the complexity and expense associated with toxic substances
control in groundwater and drinking water, Region V is increasingly concerned
with the actual or potential presence of unregulated volatile synthetic organic
chemicals in drinking water, toxic chemical degradation of groundwater from
a variety of agricultural and industrial sources, contamination from in-
place toxicants, and the adverse impacts of toxic-contaminated municipal
sluoge. Limited capacity to sample and analyze, as well as the lack of
scientifically sound risk assessments, result in insufficient knowledge
to address the full extent of toxic substance pollution problem in ground
water and drinking water.
In the hazardous, or land, media, which is the focus of the FIFRA program and
the newer Agency programs under TSCA, RCRA, and CERCLA, the variety and extent
of the unregulated toxic substances problem is most evident. Under the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Region has utilized the 1977 inventory of
chemical production to identify manufacturers of various categories for toxic
-------
chemical and potential problem areas and geographic concentrations of major
chemical manufacturers. Unfortunately, this TSCA inventory is outdated (1977
data), unsuitable for trend analysis (no automatic updating mechanism), and
limited with respect to manufacturer claims of confidentiabi li ty. These limi-
tations adversely affect the Region's ability to base inspectional and enforce-
ment priorities on timely, scientific information.
TSCA also provides for the assessment of chemicals being manufactured which are
considered to have potential risks to human health or the environment. This
assessment is conducted using two methods. First, manufacturers are required
to supply toxicological and environmental data on the chemicals produced.
Then, under the direction of the Interagency Testing Committee (ITC), chemicals
are recommended to the USEPA for regulatory action. Under this process,
chemicals are assessed on the basis of production, volume, environmental re-
lease, and toxicological data. The ITC has established formalized methods for
the review of chemicals during manufacture. However, the USEPA has experienced
difficulty in responding promptly to the ITC's recommended priority chemical
lists due to the now familiar problem of time consuming scientific hazard
assessments. In this often times arduous process, the Agency must evaluate
large amounts of toxicological data and, before restricting a chemical, must
establish the degree of risk and the impact of possible regulatory actions.
The difficult and resource-consumptive assessment requirements under the TSCA,
while certainly essential from the persective of scientific soundness, are
nonetheless extremely difficult to meet in a truly comprehensive manner. The
result is that toxic substances in the environment are not regulated. While
all chemical substances will likely not require restriction, our limited capa-
city to identify with certainty those substances is an emerging concern in
Region V. The states have only limited ability to complement federal assessment
efforts for several reasons: formalized, uniform testing procedures are at
best remotely possible due to variations in state capabilities; state program
support under the TSCA will soon cease; and the extremely specialized nature
of some of the assessment procedures create scale economics and efficiencies
realizable only in a national-level program.
In the pesticides area, much of the above discussion concerning activities
under the TSCA applies. The FIFRA controls pesticide manufacturing, packaging
movement in commerce, disposal, and use by requiring that all products (approx-
imately 35,000) be registered. Product registration is a detailed process
requiring the submission of data which addresses at a minimum product efficacy,
chemistry, environmental fate, toxicology, residue chemistry, and ecological
effects. Similar to TSCA, there have been delays in the complicated processes
of product registration and classification, although recent efforts to stream-
line the procedures have resulted in fewer delays. However, these streamlined
procedures must be sufficiently vigorous to prevent the introduction of pro-
ducts which pose unreasonable risk of injury to human health and the environ-
ment. Another area of concern relative to unregulated pesticides involves the
need for generally available, adequate disposal facilities and techniques for
pesticides containers and application wastes. Simply stated, there is a grow-
ing concern in this Region of Heavy pesiticides use about the proper disposal
of pesticides in accordance with the regulations. This problem is in fact one
aspect of the general hazardous materials disposal issue.
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73
The real issues concerning unregulated toxic substances in the hazardous waste
areas involve the long-term adequacy of environmentally-sound disposal capacity;
the unregulated disposal of hazardous wastes by small-quantity generators; the
proper listing and regulation of hazardous substances, such as dioxin; the control
of hazardous wastes in recycling operations; and the control of hazardous wastes
in blended fuels for use in boilers or heat-recovery units. One other major
concern involving unregulated toxic substances relates to the extent to which
the individual Superfund sites will be cleaned-up. This is commonly known as
the "how clean is clean" issue.
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74
REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
ATTACHMENT B
WATER
TOXICS - SAUGET, ILLINOIS
Geographic Location and General Description
The Sauget Area consists of the City of East St. Louis, and the Villages of
Sauget and Cahokia. As noted on the location map (Attachment 1), these
communities are all bounded by the Mississippi River on the west. It is
generally known that this area is underlain with sand and that groundwater
flow is toward the Mississippi River. Groundwater within this area is not
used for drinking water purposes. Potable water in the area originates from
the Mississippi River, upstream of the Village of Sauget.
There are many large industries in this area, particularly within the Village
of Sauget. The area contains several landfills which are now closed. Since
the 1950's, several of these landfill sites received large quantities of various
chemical wastes. Dead Creek is a small intermittent stream that flows through
the Sauget Area. The Illinois EPA has documented that the creek bed sediments
of this waterway are highly contaminated from surface water discharges and the
probable dumping of chemical wastes.
Sauget Sewage Treatment Plant and Mississippi River Impact
The Sauget STP serves approximately 200 local residents plus the industrial
wastewater of several large industries including the Monsanto Krummrich Plant.
The STP is a physical-chemical plant described in Attachment 2. The Sauget
plant treats approximately 8 million gallons a day of a wastewater that is
laden with organic chemicals. The results of U.S. EPA sampling on March 2-3,
1982, revealed the influent and effluent to contain several organic chemical
compounds which are not removed, to any degree, by the STP. The location of
the STP is identified in Attachment 4.
The environmental impact of the present STP discharge on the Mississippi
River is not well defined.' Organic chemicals, known for their persistent
and bioaccumulative characteristics, dilute down to below analytical levels
of detection due to the large dilution volume of the river. In November 1982,
the U.S. EPA Water Division conducted a caged fish study in the Mississippi
River upstream and downstream of Sauget. The intent of this study is to
define, under controlled conditions, any bioaccumulation of organic compounds
in the study fish. Also, some native fish are to be analyzed as a part of
this study. There is known to be some commercial fishing in the river, south
of Sauget. The fish are generally sold in local markets for human consumption.
The results of this study are expected to be complete by mid-1983.
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75
Groundwater Contamination
Contamination of the groundwater appears to be the result of the numerous
landfills in the area. A diagram showing these past dumpsites is described by
Attachment 4. On March 3, 1982, U.S. EPA sampled several wells in the Sauget
Area. The results are listed in Attachment 5. Additionally, low levels of some
organic compounds were found in the groundwater, in particular, bis (2-ethyl
hexyl) phthalate. Groundwater in the Sauget Area is not used as a drinking
water source, but is used by some residents as a supplemental water source for
watering their vegetable gardens.
Proposed Remedial Action
The Sauget STP effluent will be further treated by the American Bottoms
Regional Treatment Plant upon its completion in 1985-1986. That treatment
facility will employ the use of powdered activated carbon to adsorb the organic
chemical wastes before discharging to the Mississippi River. Waste Management
Division has evaluated and calculated MITRE scores on the inactive landfills
and dumpsites in the Sauget Area. Due to the relatively low MITRE scores, to
date, only the Dead Creek area has received remedial improvement measures.
This has consisted of enclosing the Dead Creek with chain link fence near a
residential area.
The construction and operation of a Regional Treatment Plant is a longer term
solution to an environmental problem that has been in existence for many years.
Alternative shorter term solutions could consist of reducing the quantity and
types of chemical wastes to the Sauget STP by implementing process controls
and modifications at the contributing industries. Additionally, chemical wastes
from the contributing industries could be pretreated on-site by the industry.
Neither alternative has received a favorable reception from the industries of
the Sauget Area.
Further groundwater studies are necessary to define the full extent of environ-
mental contamination caused by the landfills and dumpsites of the Sauget Area.
These studies are then condensed into a Remedial Action Master Plan (RAMP)
which defines what remedial actions are necessary to achieve a specified level
of cleanup and the probable cost of such actions. Such remedial actions are
longer term in nature. Short term immediate action should consist of advising
the area residents of the limitations on the use of groundwater. Active land-
fills in the area are regulated by State and Federal law. The deposition of
wastes in the landfills is restricted to prevent further degredation of the
groundwater.
-------
^ii
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Attachment^?
DATA TABULATION OF LABORATORY- RESULTS FOR> NON-METAL PERMIT PARAMETERS
LOCATION: Sauget POTW
SURVEY DATE: March 2-3, 1982
(All Results in mg/1 Unless Otherwise Noted)
CDO Sample Number 82CS01
Flow (Avg) MGD
pH(pH units) Field
Suspended Solids
Suspended Solids kg/day
BOD
BOD kg/day
Cyanide
Phenclics rag/1
Phenolics (kg/day)
Fluoride
Oil & Grease
Oil & Grease (kg/day)
SOI
\nSlv) f
-------
DATA TABULATION OF LADOR/TORY RESULTS FOR METALS
' LOCATION: Saug£t POTW
SURVEY DATE: March 2-3, 1982
(All Results in ug/1 Unless Otherwise Noted)
x',
L-C
CuO Sample Number
2"'; 4 ,6-trichlorphenol
iichlorophenol
"2,4-dichlorophenol
2-nitrophenol
itnitrophenol
phenol
b is (2-chloroethyl) ether
'^.2-dichlorober.zene
"isophorone
butyl benzyl phthalate
•Idrin
"alpha BHC
*beta-BHC and/or heptachlor
^gatntna-BHC
1 ,4-dichlorobenzene
naphthalene
•ois(2-ehtylhexyl)phthalate
di-n-butylphthalate
^-
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Q A
DATA TABULATION OF LABORATORY RESULTS
LOCATION: JIrjaujad_ Wat!er_ Mo ni to ring { Sauget, Illinois
SURVEY DATE: March 3, 1~982
T ..e Number 82CX01
n »^ * *
5 •-"*"
I ,-nainun ug/1
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FT
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11000
14
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97
1100
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1
109000
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8000
31
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82
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74
1500
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40000
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29
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1800
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95
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9
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1900
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1
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; 0.2
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140
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<50
530
11
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260
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<200
<10
<2C
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Analytical Laboratory Test **CRL Laboratory Teat. CRL mercury result is considerec
:r'dible because analysis was performed within the required holding tine.
-------
DATA TABULATION OF LABORATORY RESULTS
LOCATION: JSrjjuasLWa_t e r Monitor lag, Sauget, Illinois
SURVEY DATE: March 3, 1982
I _!„ Nuaber 82CX01 507 |
I .,»il Aluminum ing/kg 750
f • Arsenic " 1.3
I • Bariun " 80
| • Boron " <10
if " Cadmium " 1.06
1 Chromium " 2.2
Cobalt " <5.0
Copper " 16'
| " Iron " 340
| " Lead " 45
j. " Managmese " 120
£*
P " Mercury " <0.02
S " Nickel " 6.5
| " Seleniun " <0.'2
I . " Silver " <1.0
I _ - Tin - <2.0
! _ " Vandiura " <20
1 > " Zinc " 96
1 " -Antimony " <2.0
1
{ . " Thallum " <1.0
i
[ . " Beryllium " <0.5
1
S10 I
600
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80
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1.64
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24
360
20
630
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' <0.5
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80
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0.29
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13
240
25
134
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1
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<10
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<4.0
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<1.0
<2.0
<1.0
<0.5
-------
83
TOXICS - WATER - DIOXINS IN MIDLAND, MICHIGAN
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MONR) and Region V, beginning
in 1981, cooperated in the development of a wastewat^r characterization
study for the Dow Chemical Company facility in Midland, Michigan. The study
was to identify and quantify discharges of contaminants with special empha-
sis on toxic substances. The data obtained was to be utilized, along with
additional engineering and toxicological analyses, in the development of
Dow's next NPDES permit. A preliminary report was prepared in March, 1983.
More than 40 toxic organic chemicals were identified and quantified in the
main process wastewater outfall, most in the low part per billion range.
Discharge of toxic organic pollutants from the plant is estimated to exceed
6 tons per year. More than 30 organic chemicals were found in whole fish
exposed to the main outfall plume at levels ranging from a few parts per
billion to over 1 part per million. These chemicals included chlorinated
benzenes, phenols, and pesticides. A number of dioxin isomers were found in
the discharges and the caged fish. The most toxic chlorinated dioxin isomer,
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, was found at a level of 50 parts per
quadrillion in the main process effluent and at 100 parts per trillion in
whole fish exposed to the effluent. The complete results from the fish bio-
accumulation study are not yet available. The remaining analyses will be
completed this summer.
The Region continues to work closely with Michigan to study this problem
and that of other toxics in the environment. The cost and complexity of
analytical procedures and the need to perfect analytical methods for sample
analysis in the sub-parts per trillion range poses major Regional and
National problems. This is a limiting factor to the number of samples that
can be analyzed. The development of a study plans and associated technical
protocols to perform credible and scientifically sound studies is impera-
tive.
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84
*A1dicarb (Temik) Contamination of Ground Water in Wisconsin
Introduction
Aldicarb is the active ingredient found in Temik 15 G and Temik 10
G, systemic carbamante pesticides manufactured and marketed by the
Union Carbide Agricultural Products, Inc. ("Union Carbide").
In 1974, at the time of aldicarb product registration by EPA, it
was expected that, under normal conditions of use, aldicarb would
fully degrade in the soil, and therefore, would not reach any
potential source of drinking water, such as subsurface water. How-
ever, under normal use conditions, in certain environmental circum-
stances, aldicarb residues have leached into the groundwater before
being fully degraded in the soil. This characteristic of aldicarb
was discovered in Suffolk County, New York (Long Island) in 1979
where high rates of aldicarb were used on potato fields. Ground-
water sampling for aldicarb residues was then initiated in other
states where the pesticide is used under similar conditions,
Wisconsin being one of those states.
In 1980, 1981 and 1982 aldicarb was confirmed to be present in ground
water samples collected in several Wisconsin counties (See enclosure!).
In some samples, the amount of aldicarb detected exceeded 10 oa^ts per
billion (ppb), which is the drinking water guideline accepted by EPA,
the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services and the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources as the threshold action level for public
health purposes. Therefore, the presence of aldicarb in drinking water
at levels above 10 ppb is considered a threat to public health.
Location and Severity of the Problem
Although indications are that aldicarb applications in Wisconsin were
made in compliance with pesticide rules and according to product label
directions, aldicarb has leached through soil and into the groundwater
in some areas of the state. Union Carbide first confirmed findings of
aldicarb in Wisconsin ground water in 1980. In 1981, Union Carbide,
the University of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Re-
sources, and the Portage County Community Human Services Department
participated in extensive cooperative program of well water sampling
and analysis for aldicarb.
Wisconsin water sampling sites were initially selected based on land
use patterns and soil and groundwater characteristics. Sampling con-
centrated on potable water wells in those areas thought to most sus-
cepitable to groundwater contamination by aldicarb. "High risk" sites
-------
85
chosen for sampling were those where: aldicarb was used the two
preceding years; there is sandy, acidic soil with little organic
matter preset; the water table is close to the soil surface; and
irrigation is practiced. Based largely on these criteria, 363
well water samples were collected and analyzed from 10 counties
In 1981. Of the 363 samples collected in 1981, 68 contained
detectable levels of aldicarb (over 1 ppb). Of these 68 samples,
51 contained aldicarb residues of 10 ppb or less, 13 contained
levels ranging from 11-30 ppb, and 4 contained levels greater than
30 ppb. The highest level of aldicarb in any one sample was 111
ppb. In 1981, aldicarb residues were detected in groundwater
in Portage, Adams, Barron, Langlade, Marathon, Waupaca, and
Waushara counties. No aldicarb was detected in samples taken in
Juneau, Vilas, or Wood counties.
1982 sampling consisted of resampling, on a quarterly schedule,
those wells in which aldicarb was previously detectd, and of
expanding sampling to areas where aldicarb is used but which were
not initially considered "high risk." Recent sampling efforts
showed the presence of aldicarb in previously unsampled wells
in Portage and Marathon counties. Samples taken from Jefferson,
Waukesha and Sauk counties showed no aldicarb present. No trends
in aldicarb behavior in Wisconsin's groundwater are apparent at
this time from reared that is underway.
Of the 505 different wells sampled in 1981 and through May, 1982,
93 wells sampled contained detectable levels of aldicarb. Thirty-
four of the 93 wells sampled contanied detectable levels of
aldicarb over 10 ppd at one time or another. The analysis of
samples collected between August 27 and September 27, 1982 by
DNR and the Portage County Community Human Services Department
shows that 27 different potable water wells in 5 counties (Adams,
Portage, Marathon, Langlade and Waushara) contain aldicarb at
levels above 10 ppb. (See enclosure 3).
Analysis and Discussion of Problem f
Characteristics, Uses, and Effects of Aldicarb (Temik)
Temik 15 G contains 15% aldicarb by weight and has been used
in .Wisconsin, primarily on potatoes, since 1975. It is thought
that using Temik for the control of potato pests rather than
alternative pesticides provided wider spectrum of pest control
and greater persistence during the growing season. Temik 10G
contains 10% aldicarb by weight and is registered for specific
uses in greenhouse and on outdoor nursery planting. In 1982
agricultural uses were added to the Temik 10G registration and
label. As a granular pesticide formulations Temik is incorporated
into the soil. Temik is effective as an insecticide because it
inhibits the production of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme which
-------
86
mediates neurological transmission at nerve/muscle junctions
This effect has been observed in mammals and other higher
species, as well as in insects. Aldicarb has a high acute
toxicity and is both dermally and orally toxic to humans.
Aldicarb is not known to be a carcinogen, mutagen, or
teratogen. j
Actions Already Taken to Minimize the Potential for Aldicarb
Contamination of Ground WateK
State Emppqency Rule
Prior to the 1982 planting and growing season, the Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
DATCP adopted a temporary emergency rule to restrict the use
of aldicarb in Wisconsin. The rule was published on March 12,
1982 with a scheduled effective date of March 15. The rule
remained in effect until July 13, 1982, when it expired auto-
matically.
Voli'ntarv Product Label Changes
In addition to the DATCP's action, Union Carbide submitted 5
changes to the Temik labels to EPA on March 11, 1982. These
changes, approved by EPA on March 15, 1982, and applicable
today, were designed to reduce the likelihood of aldicarb
contamination in groundwater by lessening the amount of aldicarb
available for leaching, and include the following changes for
use of Temik 15G in Wisconsin. Under s, 94.70, States., no
person may apply a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with label
directions.
The 5 label changes were estimated by Union Carbide to reduce the
potential for aldicarb reaching groundwater. Postponing the date
of application permits soil temperatures to increases approximately
10 degrees, thus increasing the activity of microorganisms. This
may promote more rapid breakdown of the product in the soil, before
it leaches to groundwater. A later application date will also
avoid 6-8 inches of water infiltration brought by early rains, and
application made above the root system to an established plant
will increase the amount of pesticide taken up into the plant,
therefore reducing the amount available to potentially migrate
into groundwater.
Reducing the rate of application reduces the amount of aldicarb
available to reach ground water. Changing from an annual ap-
plication to one application every other year reduces by 50%
the amount of aldicarb applied to the soil.
Only certified applicators are able to apply Temik in Wisconsin
because of its restricted-use classification. This, and the ad-
dition of an environmental hazard statement, help insure that
applicators are aware of the product's potential for leaching into
groundwater.
-------
* 8?
Union Carbide has stated to Wisconsin's Pesticide Advisory
Council that the label revisions would lessen the amount of
ground water contamination. However, no data are currently
available to support the position that label changes alone
will prevent aldicarb from leaching to subsurface water.
Actions Under Consideration by EPA, State and Others
Proposed State Rule
It is the State of Wisconsin's position that use of aldicarb in
compliance with product labeling, even the 1982 label changes,
has not yet been shown to prevent the pesticide from leaching
into groundwater. Even if the labelling changes are successful
in reducing new contamination, any additions may be unacceptable
when combined with high existing accumlations from former years'
applications. In areas where significant contamination has al-
ready occurred, localized use moratoriums may be necessary to
prevent aggravation of existing problems, and to reduce contam-
ination to "acceptable" levels. Therefore, the Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is in the process of
promulgating an amendment to Ch. Ag 29, Wisconsin Administrative
Code, which will place special restrictions on aldicarb use in
the State. The rule is expected to be in effect for the 1983
growing season.
Central Sands Study
The Central Sands study is being completed by the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources and was funded by a 208
Water Quality Management grant. It will provide further
documentation of the ground water problems in the Central
Sands Area and recommendations for potential solutions.
EPA Review of Health Advisory Limits
At the request of Union Carbide, EPA Headquarters is currently
reviewing the SNARL (Suggested No Adverse Response Level) for
aldicarb to determine whether this drinking water health advisory
limit should be changed based on new information.
Other Potential EPA Actions
Other actions which can be taken by EPA at this time are limited.
If contamination from this source continues to occur at an un-
acceptable level in spite of new states rules and label changes,
consideration could be given by EPA and the State to withdrawing
registration of the pesticide. Since the environmental and eco-
nomic consequences of such an action have not been fully evaluated,
an in-depth study would have to conducted before pesticide cancella-
tion would occur.
-------
• i 88 .
« Enclosure 1: • .
-preliminary Draft of:
Source: Central Sands Study, Wisconsin Department
of.Natural Resources ' •
•\ '•-"-[ ^~ \ " . t • ^ /, Wausau
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! y^x v
I i •* i. _«V \ v
^ i'.'
"" "
Figure 1. Map of the 10 countio of conTrjl Wnconiin and the appfoximatu boundaries of the Sand Plain (inicrpfttrd
f»om numerous tour(.c»).
-------
"Enclosure, 2 :• '.'•-•' ~ -
i
Source:
• *
Environmental
"j~. . . •
SI: a cement
- . . . 'restrictions on the /Vise
'.*.'•"• . ' ".
* •
.• • .
.Wisconsin C)epa
:. Protection-.- '
' . *• * • "
rtment of
: i •
. , • '8.9 ';.
or. i-roposccl
o£ .pa stic id
Agriculture
•
. • '••••''•
' i i
rujo rela
30 PPB . • " :
•11 :
.1
0
• 0
• • • o
* .1
- .0
0
0
0
1 • - 4 ; :'..;.. ..
• * f\ »
- ° , -•
'0 ' '
. ,. o - -
.0 ' ' . '.
0-
.
• o • •
i 0 . ' .
0
0 . • • . -
Totals
358
295
46
I3
*.-
-------
Enclosure 3: , " ; •':.•-. AlOOcMfVy I—
. V Souf-_e: * Environmental Statement / »' ' ^ x * '*
on proposed rule iclating t-; §£)
special restrictions Svira,ar>. of 133 Wisconsin V,:ll Water
.on the use of Collected Between August 21 and September 7t 1982.
Pesticides con-
taining aldicarb ' Aldicarb detections grouped by ppb levels.
Wisconsin Depart- Repeat samplings shown as up, dovn, or even.
'ment of Agriculture . *
Trade and Consumer Protection. ' • '' •
Number of Wells
County
Ad eras
". Barren
Juneau
Langlade
Karathon .
Portage
Vaupaca
Vaushara
Wood
Total
14
' 10
,_, •
5
8
35
34
9
10
- 8
Uew
1
4
1
2
27
22
7
5
5
Repeats
13
'6
•A
' 6
8
• * •
12
2 •
5
3
Number of Welle by
ppb Detect Level
0
11
7
**
5
5
7
21
7
8
8
J-10
2
2
0
2
11
6
2
1
0 .
11-30
1
. 0
0
0
•10
4
0
1
0
^30
0
0
0
1
7
3
0
0
0
Up
2
0
*
0
0
0
V2
1
2
0.
Repeats
Dovn
3
1
0
2
5
6
0
0
0
Even
8
5
4
4
' '3
4
1
3
3
133 74
59
"79 27
16 11
17
35
-------
91
REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
ATTACHMENT B
Great Lakes Water Quality Board
Report to the International Joint Commission
EXCERPTED FROM:
1982 Report on Great Lakes Water Quality
November 1982
Windsor, Ontario
-------
92
Appendix
Areas of Concern
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITION
An area of concern is identified when an Agreement objective or a
jurisdictional standard, criterion, or guideline has been exceeded.
PROCEDURE
To identify, evaluate, and classify each area of concern from a technical
perspective, all available environmental data - fish, sediment, and water -
are used to provide as complete a description as possible. The 1978 Agreement
objectives, along with jurisdictional standards, criteria, and guidelines,
provide the basis for review and evaluation of these data. To the extent
possible, the Board has established the human and environmental significance
of the observed ecosystem quality. The Board has also established a
cause-effect relationship between observed environmental conditions and the
sources of environmental insult. This leads to a description of regulatory
and remedial measures which have been implemented in response to the degraded
environmental conditions in each area of concern.
Detailed information about present and proposed remedial programs is then
evaluated, in order to decide whether environmental problems can be solved and
beneficial uses restored.
DESCRIPTION OF CONCERN
In order to provide as complete a description and evaluation of all
potential areas of concern, the following have been considered to the extent
necessary and possible:
1. Compilation of surveillance and monitoring data for fish and other
biota, sediment, water column, and air, in order to develop a
description of present and historical conditions.
2. Comparison of these data with Agreement objectives and jurisdictional
values in order to establish and substantiate duration and extent of
any violations. Values for sediment and fish are given in Tables 6
and 7, respectively. Agreement objectives and jurisdictional values
for water are presented where appropriate in the discussion of
specific areas below.
3. Discussion of potential and observed environmental and human health
effects and uses affected.
4. Information about biological community structure, e.g. types,
relative abundance, and absolute abundance of benthos and fish.
Consideration of how the community structure reflects and is a
consequence of observed ecosystem quality and anthropogenic inputs.
Discussion about the direction in which the community structure might
- 75 -
-------
93
TABLE 6
GUIDELINES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF GREAT LAKES SEDIMENTS
(Concentrations in mg/kg dry weight)
Volatile Solids
Chemical Oxygen Demand
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
Oil and Greese
Lead
Zinc
Mercury
Polychlorinated Biphenyl
Ammonia
Cyanide
Phosphorus
Iron
Nickel
Manganese
Arsenic
Cadmium
Chromium
Barium
Copper
U. S. EPA
NONPOLLUTED
< 50, 000
<40,000
<1,000
<1,000
<40
<90
<1
<1
<75
<0.10
<420
<17,000
<60
<300
<3
-
<25
<20
<25
MODERATELY
POLLUTED
50,000-80,000
40,000-80,000
1,000- 2,000
1,000- 2,000
40- 60
90- 200
-
1- 10
75- 200
0.10- 0.25
420- 650
17,000-25,000
20- 50
300- 500
3- 8
-
25- 75
20- 60
25- 50
HEAVILY
POLLUTED
>80,000
>80,000
>2,000
>2,000
>60
>200
>1
>10
>200
>0.25
>650
>25,000
>50
>500
>8
>6
>75
>60
>50
ONTARIO
M 0 E
60,000
50,000
2,000
1,500
50
100
0.3
0.05
100
0.1
1,000
10,000
25
-
8
1
25
-
25
Discussion of the applicability and limitations of these guidelines is found in the
report of the Dredging Subcommittee, "Guidelines and Register for Evaluation of Great
Lakes Dredging Projects", 1982. The U.S. EPA guidelines are from the report,
"Guidelines for Pollutional Classification of Great Lakes Harbor Sediments".
- 76 -
-------
TABLE 7
MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS IN FISH
(Concentrations in mg/kg wet weight)
PARAMETER
Aldrin/Dieldrin
DDT and Metabolites
Endrin
Heptachlor/Heptachlor
Epoxide
Lindane
Mi rex
Polychlorinated
Biphenyls
Kepone
Mercury
Toxaphene
2,3,7, 8-TCDD
(Dioxin)
AGREEMENT
OBJECTIVE
(Edible portion)
0.3
l.oa
0.3
0.3
0.3
Substantially
Absent
O.la
-
0.5a
-
-
U.S. FDA
ACTION LEVEL
(Edible portion)'3
0.3
5.0
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.1
5.0
0.3
1.0
5.0
0.00005
CANADA HEALTH
PROTECTION GUIDELINE
(Edible portion)
-
5.0
-
_
-
O.la
2.0a
-
0.5
-
0.00002
a. Whole fish
b. Fillet with skin.
-------
shift, and why, as a consequence of changes in ecosystem quality and
in loadings.
5. Causes of violations. Specific point source dischargers and/or
nonpoint inputs (including land runoff and the atmosphere) are named
along with the loadings of substances for which violations are
observed. If a violation is the result, in whole or in part, of a
natural phenomenon, this is noted.
6. Remedial or corrective measures. Controls presently in place are
described. These are evaluated to determine their present ability to
control the release of a particular substance, the correctability of
the problem, any modifications or additional measures required, and
the probable cost. Observed and/or projected changes in ecosystem
quality are described.
Consideration of the above information provides a common basis for
selecting and evaluating areas of concern. This approach also establishes a
comparable depth and breadth to the data base required to substantiate a
concern.
EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Through consideration of the above information, the Water Quality Board
prioritized areas of concern into two classes:
1. A Class "A" designation is assigned to those areas exhibiting
significant environmental degradation, where impairment of beneficial
uses is severe.
2. A Class "B" desingation is assigned to those areas exhibiting
environmental degradation, where uses may be impaired.
The Board employed a set of guidelines to evaluate, from a technical
perspective, available information for each area of concern, in order to
prioritize that concern. The initial questions asked were:
1. Are one or more Agreement objectives or jurisdictional values
violated?
2. Are values exceeded for a significant number of parameters? Which
ones?
3. For each parameter, is the violation persistent over a number of
repeat observations?
4. How many samples were taken? Over what period of time and what
geographic area?
5. Is the value for each parameter exceeded by a significant amount?
6. How old are the data? Are such data still relevant?
- 78 -
-------
98
A positive response to most of these questions would suggest a Class "A"
or a Class "B" classification. A negative response would suggest that no
further evaluation is required at the present time.
To further rank the relative severity of a problem, additional questions
were considered:
7. Is a use impacted? Which one or ones?
8. Is the violation related to current discharges or historic
accumulation?
9. Are there any transboundary implications?
If the responses were positive, then a Class "A" classification would be
suggested.
Through consideration of available technical information, and through
application of its professional judgement to help identify where the most
severe problems exist, the Water Quality Board identified and reported on 18
Class "A" and 21 Class "B" areas of concern in its 1981 report. These 39
areas of concern are given in Table 8.
EVALUATION OF REMEDIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION
In this report, the Water Quality Board has evaluated specific information
about present and proposed remedial programs, in order to decide whether
environmental problems could be solved and beneficial uses restored. The
Board considered:
1. The nature of the environmental problem.
2. The nature of the remedial programs in place or planned.
3. The schedule to initiate or complete these programs.
4. Factors which would preclude timely and satisfactory resolution of
the problem and restoration of uses, including costs, technical
considerations, and further definition of the issue.
5. Expected date by which the problems would be resolved and uses
restored.
Based on its evaluation, the Board reached one of the following
conclusions for each area of concern:
1. Remedial measures currently in operation will resolve the identified
environmental problems and restore beneficial uses over the near term
(5 to 10 years).
2. Remedial measures currently in operation will not resolve the
identified problems and restore uses over the near term:
- 79 -
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97
TABLE 8
CLASS "A" AND CLASS "B" AREAS OF CONCERN
CLASS "A" CLASS "B1
LAKE SUPERIOR BASIN
None St. Louis River, Minnesota
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Nipigon Bay, Ontario
Jackfish Bay, Ontario
Peninsula Harbour, Ontario
LAKE MICHIGAN BASIN
Fox River/Southern Green Bay, Wisconsin Manistique River, Michigan
Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin Menominee River, Michigan-Wisconsin
Waukegan Harbor, Illinois Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grand Calumet River and Muskegon, Michigan
Indiana Harbor Canal, Indiana White Lake, Montague, Michigan
LAKE HURON BASIN
St. Marys River, Michigan and Ontario Spanish River Mouth, Ontario
Saginaw River System and Penetang Bay to Sturgeon Bay, Ontario
Saginaw Bay, Michigan Collingwood, Ontario
LAKE ERIE BASIN
St. Clair River, Ontario and Michigan Clinton River, Michigan
Detroit River, Michigan and Ontario Wheatley Harbour, Ontario
Rouge River, Michigan
Raisin River, Michigan
Maumee River, Ohio
Black River, Ohio
Cuyahoga River (Cleveland), Ohio
Ashtabula River, Ohio
LAKE ONTARIO BASIN
Buffalo River, New York Eighteen Mile Creek, New York
Niagara River, New York and Ontario Rochester Embayment, New York
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario Oswego River, New York
Toronto Waterfront, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Bay of Quinte, Ontario
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
Cornwall, Ontario-Massena, New York None
- 80 -
-------
1 98
A. However, additional programs and measures have been imposed, and
these will be adequate and timely.
B. Additional programs and measures have been imposed, and
environmental problems will eventually be resolved and uses
restored. However, there is a long lag time between completion
and operation of the remedial measures and the response of the
environmental system.
C. Even though all reasonable remedial measures have been or are
being taken, it is doubtful whether the environmental problems
will be completely resolved and uses restored.
D. There are apparently no firm programs additionally planned that
will resolve problems and restore uses.
3. Insufficient information has been received or is available in order
to make a reasonable judgement as to whether control measures are
adequate, or to decide when such measures may be required.
Presented below is information describing the environmental quality,
discharges, and remedial measures for each Class "A" area of concern. This
information has been updated and expanded from the material presented in
Appendix II of the Board's 1981 report. Also presented below is the Board's
evaluation of present and proposed remedial programs, and conclusions about
whether and when environmental problems will be solved and beneficial uses
restored.
The sources of information are given also below for each area of concern;
the reader is referred to these for additional details. In general, the fish
data for U.S. areas of concern were obtained from records compiled by EPA's
Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago. The sediment data for these
areas were drawn primarily from reports prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers or by EPA; these reports are available through EPA's Great Lakes
National Program Office. The U.S. water data are from STORET. The summaries
of environmental data for Canadian areas of concern were provided by the
Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. In addition, several
jurisdictions have published special reports describing aspects of these areas
in detail.
Information about Class "B" areas of concern is given in the Board's 1981
report. The Board has also compiled available information about other areas
in the Great Lakes; this information is maintained at the Commission's Great
Lakes Regional Office. These other areas are also being kept under close
scrutiny and, where appropriate, the Board encourages the development of
information to establish the nature and extent of uses impacted by discharges
or by conditions existing within these areas.
- 81 -
-------
99
FOX RIVER AND SOUTHERN GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
The sediments of the lower Fox River and the navigation channel leading
out into Green Bay were examined in an intensive 1977 survey. , Sediments in
the river were grossly polluted, with high concentrations of volatile solids,
chemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, oil and grease, mercury,
phosphorus, lead, zinc, and ammonia. The sediments were also contaminated
with PCB in excess of 10 mg/kg. Pollutant levels in sediments decrease away
from the river mouth; at the end of the navigation channel, about 16 km from
the river mouth, sediments are classified as unpolluted.
In the 1980 and 1981 sampling of sediments in the lower Fox River, all
samples continued to show elevated levels of PCB - in the 4 to 6 mg/kg range -
but down substantially from the greater than 10 mg/kg levels in 1977. The
highest value was found at Highway 29 bridge in the city of Green Bay, 2.9 km
above the river's mouth. DDT was also found at this location in the sediments
and at another site closer to the bay itself.
FISH
Fish collected both upstream and at the mouth of the Fox River in 1978 and
1979 were analyzed for more than 20 metals and organic substances. Levels of
PCB routinely exceed the U.S. FDA action level of 5.0 mg/kg; the maximum
reported level is 90 mg/kg. DDT and mercury levels were below the FDA action
level. Traces of pentachlorobenzene, a-BHC, HCB, nonachlor, pyridine
carboxamide, tri-, tetra-, and pentachlorophenol, copper, and chromium have
been reported.
PCB levels exceed the 5.0 mg/kg FDA action level in 18 of 30 fish samples
collected from other tributaries to Green Bay: Duck Creek, Little Suamico
River, Oconto River, Peshtigo River, Pensaukee River, Big Suamico River, and
Red River. Subsequent sediment sampling, however, showed no detectable
sources of PCB on these tributaries. Investigations also showed that the fish
had migrated into the streams from the bay.
Fish sampling in 1980 in the 11.7 km sector below the DePere Dam found 8
of the 9 samples exceeding the PCB action level. PCB levels decreased above
the dam with only one sample exceeding the action limit. In 1981, 9 of the 11
fish samples on the lower Fox River exceeded the PCB action level.
WATER
Five automatic monitoring stations are located in the 64.4 km (40.0 miles)
stretch of the lower Fox River between the outlet of Lake Winnebago and the
stream's mouth at Green Bay. These stations have been operational since
1971. They are polled hourly by computers providing electronically sensed
data on four or five parameters including dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature,
and specific conductivity. The data are stored directly in the computer for
later statistical comparison and/or printed out on the teletype. Stations can
be contacted manually at other times.
- 82 -
-------
jOO
Additionally, since 1959 a monitoring station has been maintained near the
mouth in the DePere-Green Bay section where samples are collected monthly for
a broader range of chemical testing. Fish, sediment, and biological sampling
is done routinely at the station too, but at less frequent intervals.
There is a series of dams in the lower Fox River but negligible storage
capacity below Lake Winnebago. Tributary inflow to the Fox River in this
section is of little significance. A stream flow gauging station is located
at Rapid Croche Dam, near the mid-point of the lower Fox River section, and
its flow is considered applicable throughout the stream sector. For 84 years
of stream flow records through the 1980 water year, the average flow was 117
cubic metres per second (4,163 cubic feet per -second) and the most recent
determination of Q; 10 (minimum 7 days flow in 10 years) is 27 m-Vs (950
ft3/s).
Generally the worst stream conditions at the automatic monitoring stations
have been found at Rapid Croche Dam. For comparison, data at that station for
the month of August are shown for 1972, 1980, and 1981. The base year, 1972,
was chosen because there was little advanced wastewater treatment along the
Fox River at that time and flow and temperatures were similar to those in
1981.
RAPID CROCHE DAM - AUGUST MONITORING DATA
Daily Ave. D.O. (mg/L)
Daily Ave. D.O. (mg/L)
Monthly D.O. (mg/L)
Monthly Temp. (°F)
Monthly pH
Monthly Flow (ft3/s)
Max.
Min.
Ave.
Ave.
Ave.
Ave.
Min. Daily Fow (ftj/s)
1972
"2T4T
0.00
0.74
76.2
7.82
2,334
1,335
1980
"OS
6.63
7.73
75.0
9.10
3,804
1,598
1981
"97815
4.43
7.74
76.5
8.50
2,046
1,556
Change
980 to TSS1 1972 to l9~8T
T7I2 "
-2.20
0.01
1.5
-0.6
-1,758
-42
7.34
4.43
7.00
0.3
0.68
-283
221
Total phosphorus analysis was conducted on the monthly samples collected in
the Green Bay-DePere area. For calendar years 1972, 1980, and 1981 the respective
total phosphorus averages were 0.20, 0.19, and 0.14 mg/L.
Ammonia can be detrimental to water quality in different ways. In its
decomposition and stabilization, each part of ammonia requires 4.44 parts of
oxygen for conversion to the end products of nitrates and water and, in so
doing, can remove sizeable amounts of the water's dissolved oxygen. This
stabilization of the nitrogeneous materials does not start to take place until
most of the carbonaceous material is oxidized. Extensive mathematical
modelling of the lower Fox River from the outlet of Lake Winnebago to the
DePere Dam - 64.4 km to 11.7 km from the mouth - does not show that a
significant problem exists or is likely. Studies of the downstream portion
from the DePere Dam and in southern Green Bay are continuing.
Ammonia is toxic at fairly low levels. As the pH increase, the
ammonium/ammonia equilibrium is shifted further toward higher concentrations
of the latter. Algal activity can contribute to pH increases. Although no
toxic problems have been observed, it is believed there is a potential for
such near the mouth of the Fox River and for some distance out into Green Bay.
-------
oi
Nitrogen and phosphorus are considered as key nutrients in the
eutrophication of a body of water. Nitrogen as ammonium, ammonia, and
nitrates is directly utilizable by aquatic plants and algae, and eutrophic
growths can result. Both Lake Winnebago and southern Green Bay have historic
eutrophication problems, and the additional impacts from industrial and
municipal discharges have not been determined with any certainty.
Significant sources of ammonium discharges occur in the Lower Fox River.
Monthly average effluent concentrations of ammonium from municipal
installations are about 15 mg/L at Appleton, 10 to 15 mg/L at Heart of the
Valley, and 35 to 55 mg/L at Green Bay. Levels of 10 to 30 mg/L at Ford
Howard Paper, Green Bay; 3 to 200 mg/L at Nicolet Paper, DePere; and 5 to 40
mg/L at Consolidated Papers, Appleton make up the list of significant
industrial discharges of ammonia to the Fox River.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The lower Fox River has the largest concentration of pulp and paper
facilities in the Great Lakes Basin. Sixteen mills discharge treated wastes
directly to the Fox River while five other mills route all of their
wastewaters to local municipalities for treatment and subsequent discharge to
the same stream. Over the past decade, the industry has made significant
reductions in their discharge of suspended solids and BOD as noted in the 1981
report of the Pulp and Paper Task Force to the Water Quality Board.
Municipal discharges are the second most significant source of pollutants
on the lower Fox River. Besides handling all domestic wastes from their
jurisdictions, the seven major municipal treatment systems treat the total
wastewater loads from 5 pulp and paper mills (some of the waste streams from
other mills provide their own treatment), and essentially all wastes from
other wet industries such as those involved in meat, milk, and vegetable
processing. All these municipalities provide phosphorus removal and, with the
exception of Appleton, which was under construction, were meeting the 1.0 mg/L
phosphorus discharge requirement. The 1981 average total phosphorus discharge
for Appleton was 1.4 mg/L. The flow-weighted average for the other 6
dischargers was 0.55 mg/L.
A study to determine the phosphorus budget and dynamics for Green Bay, its
relation to phytoplankton growth, and how the phytoplankton affects the oxygen
resources versus the effects from organic loading is underway by investigators
at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan.
Dischargers must meet permit requirements and are required to provide
detailed records of treatment plant performance. For the 16 pulp and paper
mills, this means a daily record of treatment plant performance and stream
loadings. The mills have increased production by about 50% in the past 10
years. The population served by the municipal treatment plants has at least
equalled the 7% county-wide gain shown in the 1970 and 1980 censuses and
totals an estimated 240,000 to 250,000 people. The Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources' Lake Michigan District Office, Green Bay, has a team of
experienced professionals on operation and maintenance to ensure that
treatment plant performance continues at a high level.
- 84 -
-------
102 *
LOWER FOX RIVER POLLUTIONAL LOADINGS
(Kilograms per day)
_ Percent Chang
1972 1980 1981 1980 to T98f 1972
Pulp and Paper
BOD 122,420 15,300 13,782 -9.9 -88.7
Suspended Solids 97,500 16,775 15,223 -9.3 -84.4
Municipal
BOD 17,547 6,275 ~ - 5,436 -13.4 -69.0
Suspended Solids 17,376 6,041 4,857 -19.6 -72.0
Combined
BOD 139,967 21,575 19,218 -10.9 -86.3
Suspended Solids 114,876 22,816 20,080 -12.0 -82.5
The 1981 records show that Consolidated Papers at Appleton and Appleton
Papers discharged average phosphorus concentrations of 3.8 and 1.1 mg/L
respectively. These are above the Agreement goal of 1.0 mg/L., Phosphorus in
these cases may be from excesses used in the wastewater treatment process.
Three of the pulp and paper mills on the lower Fox River recycle paper
that may contain PCBs: Wisconsin Tissue, Bergstrom Paper Company, and Fort
Howard Paper Company. High removal of PCB with the treatment plant sludges is
likely, although an effluent sample from the Fort Howard mill was found to
contain 4.0 ug/L. Paper recycling operations are specifically exempted by
state law from restrictions on the use of PCB-containing materials.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has established the total
maximum daily loadings of BOD which can be assimilated in the Fox River above
the DePere Dam and still maintain state water quality standards for fish
protection. These allowable loadings have been established for varying
conditions of river flow and temperature in three separate reaches of the
river. This assimilative capacity has been allocated, through the permit
process, to the various dischargers in each reach. The allocation for each
individual discharger is proportional to the quantity of BOD which would be
allowed under the categorical effluent standards program.
Wasteload allocations will be in effect on July 1, 1983' for most of the
lower Fox River and are under development for the point sources in the
DePere-Green Bay sector. Waste load allocations, including ammonia
restrictions, for the entire lower Fox River will become effective January 1,
1985. Facilities for treating BOD and suspended solids are essentially in
full operation now. The use of highly efficient wastewater treatment
technology has resulted in current discharges from the pulp and paper mills to
be less than one-half the quantity permitted under the categorical treatment
standards. (The combined permit averages for BOD and suspended solids -
35,646 and 51,113 kg/d, respectively - compares to the 13,782 and 15,223 kg/d
actually discharged by the pulp and paper mills in this stream section.)
Further reductions called for by waste load allocations are expected to be
achieved by reduced production and waste storage. It also appears that
substantial ammonia reductions could be attained by changing industrial
production methods. This will likely be explored in lieu of treatment.
- 85 -
-------
Ammonia concentrations in the effluents from facilities at Heart of the
Valley and Appleton are probably in line with what would be expected for the
type of treatment and a municipal waste. The Consolidated and the Fort Howard
plants both have biological type treatment units which require nutrient
additions, including ammonia. High ammonium readings at Nicolet Paper are
from problems associated with an ammonia-based coating process. The Green Bay
Metro Plant receives high strength ammonium wastes from the Proctor and Gamble
ammonium bisulfite pulping operations at their Fox River Mill; and from the
use of ammonia to neutralize wastes at the James River Paper Mill, formerly
American Can Company.
Consolidated Papers at Appleton will permanently discontinue operations by
October 1, 1982. Nicolet Paper's recent discharge permit gives them until
July 1, 1984 to correct their ammonia problem. Fort Howard Paper and the
Green Bay metropolitan facility are in the DePere-Green Bay section of the
lower Fox River which is under study and mathematical modelling. This section
is tentatively scheduled to be subject to waste load allocations, including
temperature/flow/ammonia requirements, if necessary, by January 1, 1985.
Emphasis is also being given to control of toxic materials released by the
pulp and paper making processes. As part of their reapplication for reissued
WPDES permits, individual mills were required to analyze their effluents for
the U.S. EPA list of priority pollutants. They were also asked to assess
their pulp and papermaking processes to determine the potential sources of
toxic contaminants in the wastewater. Permit applications and other
information sources were reviewed for deleterious concentrations of toxic
pollutants. Although specific limitations on toxic pollutants were not placed
in permits (ammonia limitations were, however, included in some cases), some
mills are required to conduct additional monitoring, including bioassays, to
more clearly define the presence of toxic substances in their effluents. In
addition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is initiating a trend
monitoring program for selected toxic substances and a PCB "hot-spot"
identification study on the river. Inventory studies (e.g. Sullivan and
Delfino's 1982 report, "A Select Inventory of Chemicals Used in Wisconsin's
Lower Fox River Basin") are helpful in designing such monitoring programs.
ASSESSMENT
A big improvement has been made in the water quality of the lower Fox
River in the past 10 years, and all waste discharges are now essentially in
compliance with their permit requirements. When the waste!oad allocations are
in effect for the DePere-Green Bay dischargers, tentatively scheduled for
January 1, 1985, water quality standards should consistently be met with
respect to dissolved oxygen and suspended solids. Reduced production and
waste storage, rather than treatment are expected to be the principal ways in
meeting waste load allocations during periods of low stream flows and high
temperatures.
Wisconsin has prohibited the use of dieldrin and DDT and the manufacture
and most uses of PCB. Point sources of these can be eliminated as they are
identified but diffuse sources will persist in the environment for some time.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is continuing an active program
for the identification and control of toxic substances.
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INFORMATION SOURCES
For specific information regarding the lower Fox River and Southern Green
Bay, please refer to the following reports:
1. Sullivan, J.R. and Delfino, J.J., "A Select Inventory of Chemicals
Used in Wisconsin's Lower Fox River Basin." University of Wisconsin
Sea Grant Institute WIS-SG-82-238, March 1982, Madison, WI.
2. Christiansen, R., "Wisconsin's Approach to Developing Waste Load
Allocations", J. Water Poll. Contr. Fed., Vol. 51, No. 3, March 1979,
pp. 630-635.
3. "Waste Load Allocated Water Quality Related Effluent Limitations."
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Regulations, Chapter NR212,
Wisconsin Administrative Code, Register, No. 309, September 1981.
Additional specific information about the lower Fox River and southern
Green Bay can be obtained from the files and reports of the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin 53707.
Five stations on the lower Fox River are automatically polled hourly for
temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductance. This information is
routinely summarized on a monthly basis for averages, maxima, and minima, as
well as stream flow. The data may also be displayed graphically by day, week,
month, or year. Contact: Bruce Fenske, Water Quality Evaluation Section.
The ambient monitoring station in the DePere-Green Bay section of the
lower Fox River is part of the statewide monitoring network and is sampled
monthly for chemical parameters and about annually for fish and benthos. The
network has been operational since 1961 and data collected have been published
through 1980. Contact: Carol Tiegs, Water Quality Evaluation Section.
Mathematical modelling of the lower Fox River is under the immediate
direction of Dale Patterson, Water Quality Evaluation Section. He and Mike
Llewelyn, Water Quality Planning, with staff assistance from the Municipal and
Industrial Wastewater Sections, generally guide wasteload allocations.
Additional general information about both the lower Fox River and southern
Green Bay and the Milwaukee Estuary can also be obtained from the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources.
Municipal and industrial loading information was obtained from monthly
discharge monitoring reports submitted by the industries and the
municipalities. The loadings are usually based on the arithmetic average of
daily counts. An annual summary of pulp and paper mill discharges is made,
showing the daily averages by month and year, together with the average
discharges called for in the WPDES discharge permit. Contacts: Paul Didier,
Chief, Industrial Wastewater Section, and Chuck Ledin, Municipal Wastewater
Section.
Information about toxic substances in fish was extracted from the annual
reports of the Coastal Zone Project. A bibliography of toxic substances
reports published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has also
been prepared. Contact: Tom Sheffy.
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The Department's Bureau of Water Quality Management has prepared a list of
major research, survey, and investigative activities for the period July 1,
1980 through June 30, 1982. A bibliography of water quality reports published
by the Department has also been prepared. Contact: F.H. Schraufnagel.
The U.S. Geological Survey prepares an annual report showing daily average
stream flows at principal gauging stations, with physical and chemical data
also collected for streams and rivers in Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE ESTUARY, WISCONSIN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
Surveys conducted in 1973 and in 1980 reveal that the sediments in
Milwaukee Harbor are heavily polluted, according to EPA's "Guidelines". The
sediments contain high levels of oil and grease, chemical oxygen demand, total
Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper. The
1980 surveys also showed portions of the estuary to have PCB levels in excess
of 50 mg/kg.
Further 1980 and 1981 sampling was reported in the October 1981
Departmental publication to Coastal Zone Management on the Toxic Substances
Survey project. This report indicated that sediment contamination in the
Milwaukee River can be divided into 3 reaches. The first, between the mouth
and Hampton Avenue, shows an average PCB sediment level of 9.60 mg/kg. The
second, from Silver Spring Drive to County Highway C below Grafton, shows an
average PCB level of 0.28 mg/kg. A sediment sample from Cedar Creek, which
flows into the Milwaukee River below County C, showed a PCB level of 0.73
mg/kg below the Cedarburg sewage treatment plant. In the third reach, above
Grafton, PCB levels were below detection limits.
Detectable levels of DDT (0.19 mg/kg average) were confined to the reach
from the mouth to Silver Spring Drive. Four sediment samples from the Woolen
Mills impoundment at West Bend shows this area to be a low-level source of
PCB, DDT, and chlordane. Average values for these residues were 0.28, 0.13,
and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively. Dieldrin was not detected in any sample.
The other two rivers draining the Milwaukee metropolitan basin also
displayed measurable amounts of sediment contamination. PCB was identified in
the Menomonee River sediment from Highway 100 downstream to its mouth. Three
samples were taken in the Kinnickinnic River between Kinnickinnic Avenue and
Jackson Park; elevated levels of PCB were found in all three with the highest
nearest the mouth. Chlordane (0.02 mg/kg) was found at Kinnickinnic Avenue.
FISH
Fish collected in 1978 and 1979 surveys by the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources were found to be heavily contaminated with PCB; the maximum
observed level is 88 mg/kg; the FDA action level is 5.0 mg/kg. DDT in some
fish exceeds the Agreement objective of 1.0 mg/kg; the maximum observed level
is 2.98 mg/kg. Also present in the fish at trace levels or present but not
quantified are hexachlorobenzene, a- and y-BHC, cis- and trans-chlordane,
dieldrin, trans-nonachlor, mercury, copper, and chromium.
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106
The 1981 Toxic Substances Survey report showed that all 11 fish samples
from the three rivers in 1980 exceeded the PCB action level, with a range of
8.6 to 88.0 mg/kg. One sample from the Kinnickinnic River exceeded the
chlordane action level. The 1981 extensive sampling of the Milwaukee River
fish revealed a PCB problem area extending from the mouth upstream to
Grafton. Fifteen of the 23 samples in this area exceeded the PCB action level
with a range of 5 to 49 mg/kg. Fish from the Kinnickinnic River in 1981
continued to show PCB values above acceptable levels.
WATER
Water samples collected in 1976 from Milwaukee Harbor exceed the Agreement
objectives for conductivity, ammonia, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, and
copper. Note: Little new water quality data are available for the Milwaukee
Harbor at this time. The current harbor/estuary study is generating
considerable data, but it is mainly for design purposes, has not been
adequately analyzed to date, and toxics coverage probably is minimal.
PCB (1.0 pg/L) was detected in the final effluent to the Milwaukee River
at the Saukville sewage treatment plant. Dieldrin (0.1 ng/L) and DDT (0.89
ug/L) were detected in the Butler storm sewer discharge to the Menomonee River
at 124th Street and Villard Avenue. More intensive sampling is required to
determine the exact sources of these microcontaminants.
Dieldrin and DDT were also detected in the leachate from the Woolen Mills
landfill at West Bend. Two samples were taken, one of which showed dieldrin
(0.07 ug/L) and both of which showed DDT (0.73 pg/L average).
The Milwaukee Health Department has found that bacterial counts increase
at area beaches as a result of combined sewer overflows after heavy rainfall.
Beaches are therefore subject to a two-day closure, as a precautionary
measure, whenever rainfall exceed 0.60 inches. In 1981, South Shore Park was
closed 3 times for a total of 7 days, out of a 68-day swimming season.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The Milwaukee Estuary is heavily developed and highly industrialized.
However, the current water quality problems are primarily related to combined
sewer overflows and in-place pollutants. The combined sewer effluents contain
significant amounts of heavy metals in addition to the normal oxygen -demanding
materials, oil, and nutrients. In June 1981, the Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District obtained approval of a comprehensive Master Facilities Plan
for upgrading its facilities to meet federal and state clean water laws. The
Milwaukee Water Pollution Abatement Program is estimated to cost 21.6 billion
in 1982 dollars. Over 2300 million in work has already been completed or is
under contract. Following are the court-ordered deadlines for completing the
initial plan elements:
1. July 1, 1982 for meeting treatment standards during dry weather
periods.
2. July 1, 1983 for completion of relief sewers.
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107 •
3. July 1, 1986 for elimination of wet-weather bypassing in the
separated sewer area.
4. July 1, 1993 for correction of the combined sewer overflow problem,
if sufficient grant funds are available. If they are not, minimum
expenditures of 213 million (in 1976 dollars) per year until the
combined sewer overflow project is completed.
The current treatment facilities have highly efficient phosphorus removal
systems and consistently meet secondary treatment requirements during dry
weather periods. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is presently
developing a pretreatment control program to help reduce the industrial impact
on sludge and on treatment plant effluent quality.
A pretreatment standard for cadmium has been enacted by the Sewerage
District. As a result, pretreatment installed by one industry has reduced the
cadmium content of Milwaukee's sludge product, Milorgam'te, to one-half of
previous levels. Standards have been developed, and are undergoing public
review for zinc, nickel, copper, and lead.
The primary rationale for these pretreatment standards is to reduce the
metals content in sludge and thus extend the site life for land applications.
An additional advantage of pretreatment is the removal of toxic and gross
pollutants that would otherwise discharge to surface waters during periods of
combined sewer overflows. In accordance with Milwaukee's WPDES permit, the
Sanitary District must have an approved pretreatment program by July 1, 1983.
Due to high levels of PCB found in fish native to the estuary and its
tributaries, U.S. EPA conducted a special sediment survey in 1980. The
results showed that, overall, the contamination level in the inner harbor area
was lower than expected. Investigations under the Toxic Substances Control
Act were conducted by U.S. EPA to identify the potential sources of the PCB
"hot spots".
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Commission is conducting a
comprehensive study of the harbor/estuary to establish the level of pollution
abatement needed for the combined sewer overflows. The study completion date
is scheduled for December 1984. Pollution abatement for the combined sewer
overflows is anticipated to rely on conveyance and storage facilities to
intercept flows that would otherwise spill and store these flows until
capacity is available at the treatment plants. The results of the study will
determine the amount of storage volume needed. Additional planning efforts
will then determine costs. These costs, in addition to the provisions of the
court order Milwaukee is under, will determine 'the length of time required to
complete the abatement works. While the study is being conducted, overflows
from the separated sewer area and treatment plant deficiencies are being
corrected.
ASSESSMENT
Some of the contaminants in the Milwaukee Harbor and lower parts of the
Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic, and Menomonee Rivers are also found upstream.
Indications are that diffuse sources or discontinued operations are or were
involved. Wisconsin banned the use of dieldrin and DDT in the late 1960's
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and, effective July 1, 1977, with some exemptions, prohibited the manufacture
and purchase for use of substances containing PCB. Although the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources continues to seek upstream sources to
eliminate, these contaminants could persist in the aquatic environment for
some time.
Also, with the correction of sewage overflows and treatment plant
deficiencies, the Milwaukee Estuary problem will continue as a major pollution
problem until the combined sewer overflows in the metropolitan area can be
addressed. Complying with the court ordered clean-up of the combined sewer
overflows and possibly the implementation of measures to mitigate the in-place
pollutants, should eliminate the area of concern. This is a costly
undertaking, and completing installation of the facilities in a reasonable
amount of time, 10 to 12 years, will rely on funding at the level of 220
million (1982 dollars) per year in local funds and 220 million (1982 dollars)
per year in state aid from the newly created Combined Sewer Overflow Fund.
The schedule to resolve the environmental problems should be nearly
identical to the schedule to place the controls into operation, although some
lag might be expected, depending on the specific problem involved. It should
be noted that, although the final date for the combined sewer overflow problem
correction is July 1, 1993, work is proceeding and the problem is not 100
percent uncorrected until that time.
INFORMATION SOURCES
For specific information regarding the Milwaukee Estuary, please refer to
the report, "Study Design for the Milwaukee Harbor Estuary Comprehensive Water
Resources Planning Program," prepared by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
Planning Commission (SEWRPC) in September 1981.
The interests of the state of Wisconsin and its Department of Natural
Resources, insofar as the court stipulation, agreements, and follow-up on
progress is concerned, are handled by Jay Hochmuth, Special Assistant for
Milwaukee Metropolitan Environmental Affairs.
General information sources are given at the end of the presentation for
the lower Fox River and southern Green Bay.
WAUKEGAN HARBOR, ILLINOIS
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
Data obtained by U.S. EPA since October 1978 were subject to a protective
order issued by the court at the request of Outboard Marine Corporation. The
order was lifted in mid-June 1981. These data are now available from
U.S. EPA, Region V, Chicago.
SEDIMENT
The sediments in Waukegan Harbor and the nearby North Ditch, a tributary
to Lake Michigan, are grossly contaminated with PCB. Levels up to 500,000 and
380,000 mg/kg have been found in Slip No. 3 in the harbor and in North Ditch,
respectively.
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09
FISH
PCB contaminant levels (whole fish) for samples of fish collected in the
harbor over a four year period are listed below:
Date of Collection
Number
of Samples
Average Coneentration
of Total PCB in
in Whole Fish (mg/kg)
Number of Samples
Exceeding 5 mg/kg
U.S. FDA Action Level
for Edible Portion of Fish
August 1978
May and July 1979
September 1980
July 1981
9
9
7
4
18.9
29.7
77.4
8.2
6
8
5
1
A 1980 study demonstrated that uncontaminated fish exposed to water from
Slip No. 3 for thirty days achieved PCB levels of 20 mg/kg. After an 84-day
reacclimation period in open-lake water, the PCB levels did not drop below 8
mg/kg. The U.S. FDA action level for PCB in fish is 5.0 mg/kg.
WATER
PCB levels in water in Waukegan Harbor range from 0.1 ng/L to several ug/L
in Slip No. 3.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) has an aluminum die-casting facility
located between Waukegan Harbor and the North Ditch, a tributary to Lake
Michigan. The facility had purchased 8.4 million pounds of PCB as hydraulic
fluids from Monsanto Company between 1959 and 1972, and it is estimated that
an additional 1.5 million pounds were purchased between 1954 and 1959. OMC
has estimated that as much as 15 to 20^ (1.5 to 2.0 million pounds) of these
PCB may have been released to the environment. A U.S. EPA consultant
estimated in a 1981 report that about 350,000 pounds of PCB remain in the
harbor sediments and about 500,000 pounds remain the North Ditch sediments.
Initial actions taken in 1976 by the U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA were
successful in substantially reducing the PCB load from the facility's
discharges. However, the residual PCB contamination of sediments and soils in
the harbor, North Ditch, and the facility's property continue to impact the
surrounding area.
The U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA
against Monsanto in 1980 for a remedy
scheduled for December 1982.
filed suit against OMC in 1978 and
to the PCB contamination. Trial is
now
Substantial engineering work on alternative mitigative measures has been
done by U.S. EPA in support of the lawsuit as well as for potential government
clean up under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (Superfund).
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119
The warning signs against consumption of fish caught in the harbor posted
by the Lake County Health Department in 1980 remain in place.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a study underway to identify a
suitable disposal site for sediments to be dredged from the federally
maintained portions of the harbor. In the meantime, dredging is only being
conducted outside of the breakwaters in the entrance channel where accumulated
material is uncontaminated, being primarily littoral drift sand from Lake
Michigan.
U.S. EPA, which has been pursuing remedies through the lawsuit as well as
Superfund, has now decided to concentrate on the lawsuit. Consequently, on
May 7, 1982, U.S. EPA withdrew its application to the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Chicago District, for the dredge and fill permit under the
provision of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977. The Corps
acknowledged the withdrawal of the application and advised the Illinois EPA.
This action by U.S. EPA obviates the need of the Illinois EPA to continue work
on the water quality certification, required by Section 401 of the Clean Water
Act; lacking an active application, no certification is necessary.
The Illinois EPA also has received an application for a permit to
construct retaining lagoons and filter systems to receive the dredged
material. A review had been completed and comments addressed to U.S. EPA on
the facilities. At present the application lies dormant, since the Section
404 dredge and fill permit application was withdrawn.
ASSESSMENT
Since resolution of this environmental problem is the subject of extensive
litigation involving several parties, remedial controls and reclamation
programs have not been specified as of this date. Therefore, assessment of
their adequacy is impossible.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Information about environmental conditions in Waukegan Harbor and about
the status of remedial programs may be obtained from:
Great Lakes National Program Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
536 South Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois 62706
GRAND CALUMET RIVER AND INDIANA HARBOR CANAL INDIANA
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA - RIVER AND CANAL
SEDIMENT
Sediment surveys conducted from 1977 to 1980 confirm that all sediments in
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111
Indiana Harbor Canal and the Grand Calumet River are heavily polluted for all
conventional pollutants and heavy metals, and have high levels of organic
chemicals associated with heavy industry. The concentrations of pollutants
are among the highest reported in the Great Lakes System. Maximum observed
concentrations for representative substances are: oil and grease 175,000
mg/kg (17.51%), volatile solids 609,000 mg/kg (60.9%), iron 326,000 mg/kg
(32.6%), chemical oxygen demand 415,700 mg/kg (41.57%), total phosphorus
15,000 mg/kg, lead 15,000 mg/kg, zinc 13,000 mg/kg, chromium 2,000 mg/kg, and
PCB 89.22 mg/kg.
FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATES
Fish are observed in the area only occasionally. In 1980, the Indiana
Stream Pollution Control Board and U.S. EPA captured several fish from the
Indiana Harbor Canal for contaminant analyses: carp (some with fins rotted
off), a spotfin shiner, and a yellow perch. Several organic substances were
reported as present, including PCB, a-BHC, hexachlorobenzene,
pentachloroanisole, cis-nonachlor, cis- and trans-chlordane, oxychlordane,
p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, and dieldrin. Based on the total absence of fish in the
Canal at other times that collections were attempted, and considering the
small size and the condition of the fish that were collected, these fish were
likely not indigenous to the area but were washed in during heavy flow periods.
A macroinvertebrate sampling program was carried out in 1979. When
recovered, the sampler plates were covered with oily silt and sludge. A few
segments which appeared to be portions of oligochaetes were found on the
plates, but no other organisms were present.
A 1980 sampling program confirmed the presence of oligochaetes and an
extremely small number of other macroinvertebrates.
WATER
Two water surveys conducted in 1978 showed that the Agreement objectives
were exceeded for copper, iron, mercury, zinc, ammonia, phenol, and
conductivity. The maximum cyanide level was 87 ug/L, and the maximum observed
PCB concentration was 17
A water survey conducted by U.S. EPA in 1980 showed that the Agreement
objectives were exceeded for copper, lead, selenium, iron, zinc, ammonia, and
phenolics. Indiana water quality standards were exceeded for ammonia,
cyanide, phenol, total phosphorus, chloride, fluoride, mercury, and oil and
grease. The maximum cyanide level was 320 ug/L.
SURVEILLANCE DATA - NEARSHORE LAKE MICHIGAN
Outflow from the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal also has an
adverse environmental impact on the adjacent nearshore area of Lake Michigan.
WATER
Based on intensive sampling by the Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board,
in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in 1980 and
1981, elevated concentrations or violations were found for cadmium, phenol,
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and ammonia in the nearshore area of Lake Michigan. In addition, phosphorus,
chloride, and sulphate concentrations appear to be increasing.
The extent to which the Agreement objective for cadmium (0.2 pg/L) is
exceeded is not clear, since the analytical detection limit was 1.0 ug/L.
Ninety-one percent (540 out of 596} of the samples were less than the
detection limit. How many of these would have been less than 0.2 ug/L is
unknown. The Indiana water quality standard for cadmium (10 ug/L) was not,
however, exceeded.
Phosphorus concentrations appear to have increased slightly from 1980 to
1981, but are well below the Indiana water quality standards of 0.30 mg/L
average and 0.40 mg/L maximum. Chloride and sulphate appear to be increasing
but do not exceed Indiana water quality standards (15 mg/L monthly average and
20 mg/L daily maximum, and 26 mg/L monthly average and 50 mg/L daily maximum,
respectively).
Violations of bacteriological standards for whole body contact continue
periodically following rainfall. The beach at Hammond Lake Front Park remains
permanently closed, and the beach at Jerose Park, in East Chicago, was closed
during 1981. The four other beaches along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Lake
County, Indiana were open for the 1981 season.
FISH
The 1981 annual fish flesh survey near Michigan City, included analysis of
the anterior steak of lake trout, ranging from 22 to 32 inches and from 4
through 9 years of age. Violative concentrations were found for PCB, total
chlordane, total DDT, and dieldrin. Pollutants not detected were heptachlor,
aldrin, p,p'-methoxychlor, o,p'-methoxychlor, and endrin; Y-BHC was detected
in only a few fish. All other pollutants checked were below violative
concentrations, including mercury, pentachloroanisole, heptachlor epoxide, and
hexachlorobenzene.
REMEDIAL MEASURES AND ASSESSMENT
The Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, no more than 13
miles in total length, predominantly consist of treated industrial and
municipal wastewater and storm runoff with little, if any, "natural" flow.
Recognizing this, as well as other unnatural features of these waterways, the
Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board has designated these waters for partial
body contact, limited aquatic life, and industrial water supply use only. The
Board has established water quality standards and effluent limits to obtain
these limited uses, as well as to protect the water quality and higher uses of
Lake Michigan. It is doubtful that the river and harbor will ever meet some
Agreement objectives and that these waters will be suitable to support all
uses.
The major industrial facilities discharging to this watershed were in
compliance with their permit requirements in 1980. The permits are being
reviewed by the Indiana Department of Health to determine whether additional
requirements may be needed for control of toxic substances.
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Sulphate and chloride Increases are caused by wastewater treatment
techniques to reduce cyanide in steel plant discharges and constitute a
trade-off, presumably for the better. These increases will continue,
accelerated by cyanide reduction wastewater treatment techniques. Whether or
not such increases are a significant ecological concern is unknown.
Phenols originate from steel plant and oil refinery discharges but, while
exceeding the objective in some areas, do not cause taste problems for Indiana
municipal water treatment plants. U.S. Steel and the sole remaining refinery,
AMOCO, are meeting best practicable technology limits, and U.S. Steel is close
to meeting best available technology limits. Bother steel mills, however,
discharge their phenolic wastewater to the East Chicago sewerage system, which
passes through the treatment plant with little effective treatment.
A special "sweep" of the area by U.S. EPA, Indiana, and local agency staff
identified a large number of industrial waste landfills in the northwest
Indiana area. Some of these have contaminated seepage and runoff to Indiana
Harbor and its tributaries. As information becomes available, U.S. EPA is
taking appropriate action under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act to contain
these inputs. Where needed, responsible parties are being taken to state and
federal courts to ensure that the necessary abatement measures are taken.
The East Chicago wastewater treatment facility was not in compliance with
its NPDES permit requirements in 1980, including requirements for phenol and
ammonia. Some phenol violations will persist in the receiving water unless
the steel companies discharging into the East Chicago sewerage system provide
pretreatment. However, existing violations do not affect Indiana water
treatment and should not affect Chicago. Recent Indiana Stream Pollution
Control Board lake surveys show no concentrations above detection limits (2.0
wg/L) outside Indiana waters.
Ammonia violations occur primarily because the East Chicago wastewater
treatment facility receives high ammonia-bearing wastewater from area steel
mills. An ammonia effluent limitation has been imposed in the facility's
NPDES permit which, if met, should result in the elimination of violations in
the nearshore area of Lake Michigan. However, ammonia violations will persist
until East Chicago installs and operates ammonia reduction facilities. Their
progress in adding the necessary sewerage system improvements through
federal/state construction grants appears to be stymied. No forecast of when
the ammonia limitation will be met can be made at this time.
Joint enforcement action by Illinois, Indiana, and U.S. EPA is in progress
against East Chicago concerning all its permit violations. Several meetings
with all parties have been held to reach an agreement. When finalized, a
realistic abatement compliance schedule should result.
The Gary Sanitary District was not in compliance with its permit
requirements in 1980. New facilities are under construction.
The Cities of Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago have completed combined
sewer overflow studies. These will be forwarded to the state for review.
In 1974, Indiana allocated dry weather waste loads for the Grand Calumet
River and Indiana Harbor Canal. Indiana water quality standards for the area
have been changed since 1977. The river flow has been significantly reduced
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114
since 1975, due to recycling of cooling water by U.S. Steel. Indiana plans to
update the 1974 waste load allocations according to the following strategy:
1. The 1983 waste load allocation study will be based on current state
water quality standards. New EPA advanced treatment review policy
and effluent guidelines for industrial dischargers will be adopted in
the study.
2. Projected effluent flows for both municipal and industrial
dischargers will be used. The progress of the U.S. Steel recycling
plan will be taken into account.
3. The 1983 study will include a seasonal waste load allocation
analysis, which was not considered in 1S74.
Toxic and conservative waste loads will be evaluated and allocated for at
least phenol, cyanide, chloride, sulphate, and phosphorus.
While the Hammond sewage treatment plant met its requirements, a faulty
sewer resulted in the bypassing of combined municipal wastes and stormwater.
This resulted in extended beach closings along the southern Lake Michigan
shoreline in 1980. An emergency 38 million construction program was initiated
in the fall of 1980 and completed in May 1981.
Periodic fecal coliform violations at some Lake Michigan bathing beaches
are caused by combined sewer overflows to the Grand Calumet River. While dry
weather discharges have been and will continue to be eliminated, it is
doubtful that wet weather overflows will ever be totally eliminated due to the
expense and engineering difficulties involved. East Chicago may also
contribute by the discharge of inadequately treated sewage which could be
eliminated by better operation and plant improvements. No remedial action is
comtemplated other than enforcement of NPDES limits on wastewater treatment
plant discharges.
Whether contaminated sediments in the Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor
Ship Canal, and Indiana Harbor are a sink, or a source for uptake by aquatic
organisms, is unknown, even though the sediments appear to effectively remove
pollutants from the water column. No remedial action is planned at this time.
The chlordane, PCB, DDT, and dieldrin in most lake trout (those greater
than 20 inches or more than 4 years old) caught in the Indiana waters of Lake
Michigan are apparently not attributable to municipal and industrial
discharges in the area. These pollutants are widespread throughout the entire
lake. Federal and/or state remedial measures prohibiting or limiting the use
and disposal of these products has already been taken. Until more is known of
the sources, uptake mechanisms, and the efficacy and the feasibility of source
control (once determined), no remedial measures can be proposed other than the
continued issuance of fish advisoriei.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Additional information about environmental conditions and remedial
measures may be obtained from:
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115
Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board
1330 West Michigan Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
Great Lakes National Program Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
536 South Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60605
ST, MARYS RIVER, MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) carried out intensive
sediment analyses during 1973. The data indicated high levels of iron, zinc,
phenol, cyanide, and oil exist in the sediment along the Canadian shore for a
distance of 5 km from the Algoma Slip to downstream from the Canadian locks.
Elevated levels of PCB (as high as 300 tig/kg) were found in 1974 along the
U.S. shore downstream from the locks. The area of contamination extended 2 km
from the locks with a maximum width of 300 m. High PCB levels (as high as 120
ug/kg) also existed in the Lake George channel downstream from the Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario sewage treatment plant and in Little Lake George. Restrictions
have been placed by Ontario MOE on the disposal of dredged materials.
FISH
The 1982 Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Natural
Resources publication entitled, "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish",
indicated that mercury, PCB, mi rex, and DDT in boneless, skinless fillets of
dorsal muscle flesh of fish from Lake George are suitable for unrestricted
consumption for fish in size up to 26 inches. Species such as northern pike
(>26 inches), lake trout (>22 inches), and walleye (>18 inches) show elevated
levels of mercury and have consumption advisories. The Canada consumption
guideline for mercury is 0.5 mg/kg.
WATER
Discharges from Algoma Steel Corp. Ltd. have contributed to elevated
levels of phenols, ammonia, and cyanide in the St. Marys River. Ontario MOE
monitored the river quality through 5 cruises during 1981. Phenol levels
higher than the Agreement objective (1 ug/D persisted along the Ontario
shoreline of the river down to Little Lake George. Levels ranged from 100
ug/L at 300 m from the Algoma outfall to 5 ug/L at Little Lake George (12 km
from the source). Frequent equipment breakdown in the coke oven by-product
plant is largely responsible for the elevated levels of phenolic compounds in
the river. Free cyanide levels exceeded the provincial objective (5 ug/L) for
a relatively small distance not exceeding 1 km from the source. Levels were
in the range of 10 to 120 ug/L. Similarly, total ammonia levels (ranging from
0.2 to 1.2 mg/L) met the Agreement objective at 1 km.
Bacterial contamination resulting from sewer system overflows along the
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario waterfront continues to restrict recreational use in
some areas. The provincial fecal" coliform objective (100 counts/100 mL) was
exceeded at 50% of the stations located along the Sault Ste. Marie
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116
waterfront. In the Lake George channel, downstream from the Sault Ste. Marie
sewage treatment plant, fecal coliform levels exceeded the provincial
objective at 50/° of the stations for a distance of 7 km.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Algoma Steel Corp. Ltd. at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is not yet meeting
Ontario MOE's effluent requirements for suspended solids, oil, grease,
cyanide, zinc, phenols, solvent extractables, dissolved iron, sulphite, and
ammonia. On June 21, 1982, Ontario MOE served the company with a Control
Order which will require Algoma Steel to limit the discharge of sulphides,
cyanides, and ammonia, by September 30, 1985^ such that the effluent will be
non-toxic at the end of the prescribed mixing ^one. The order also specifies
that:
1. By September 30, 198G, Algoma must install the first phase of a dual
media filtration system designed to reduce ether solubles from the
existing 9,000 to 6,000 Ibs/d and to reduce total suspended solids
from 25,000 to 19,250 Ibs/d.
2. By December 31, 1987, Algoma must install a biological treatment
plant to treat phenols discharging from the steelworks, so as to
reduce the load to 50 Ibs/d or less. A load of 50 Ibs/d will
eliminate the transboundary movement of phenols.
3. By September 30, 1988, Algoma must install the second phase of the
dual media filtration system and further reduce ether solubles to
3,000 Ibs/d or less and suspended solids to 13,500 Ibs/d or less.
The above program is based on the best available technology, reducing the
concentration of all contaminants to levels that are either non-toxic or as
low as technically achievable.
The installation of a primary clarifier by the Abitibi-Price Paper Mill in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario should resolve the existing suspended particulate
problems associated with the plant. This clarifier is expected to be
operational before the end of 1982.
On May 20, 1982, an agreement was signed among the federal, provincial,
and municipal governments in Sault Ste. Marie, towards the funding of a second
municipal sewage secondary treatment plant (4.2 MIGD), to serve the westerly
section of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The first phase of this sewage
treatment plant is expected to be completed and operational by 1985.
Michigan dischargers to the St. Marys River are in substantial compliance
with NPDES permit requirements.
ASSESSMENT
WATER
The effluent limitations contained in the Control Order for Algoma Steel
Corporation will, when implemented, prevent the problem of transboundary
pollution and will ensure that the Agreement objectives will be met in a
relaively small distance downstream.
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The increased municipal sewage treatment capacity resulting from the
provision of the new secondary plant is expected to ensure the protection of
shoreline recreational areas.
SEDIMENT
The high contaminant levels in sediment are primarily a result of past
discharges from Algoma Steel and Abitibi-Price. The Control Orders are
expected to ensure that no further significant deposition of toxic or
otherwise objectionable substances will occur. Dredging carried out as part
of the Great Lakes Power Development project in 1981 resulted in the removal
of some of the contaminated sediments. Material was disposed of in a confined
area. The problem does not appear to warrant any further direct remedial
action at this time. Natural physical and biochemical processes are expected
to reduce the contaminant levels and lead to re-establishment of a healthy
benthic fauna community over the longer term.
FISH
Since the problem of mercury levels in sport fish in the St. Marys River
is not of local origin, no remedial action is indicated. The origin of the
problem, point surce inputs of mercury to Lake superior associated with
chlor-alkali and pulp mill operations, were eliminated in the early to
mid-1970's. The remedial programs cited above with regard to phenolics,
sulphides, cyanides, and ammonia will, however, contribute to a healthier
sport fishery.
SUMMARY
The transboundary phenolics problem is expected to be corrected by 1987.
The remedial programs scheduled for implementation over the period to 1988 are
expected to correct the local bacterial and other pollution problems
described. Improvement of bottom sediment quality and recovery of the benthic
fauna will occur over the longer term through natural recovery processes.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Detailed environmental and remedial program information may be obtained
from two reports:
1. Hamdy, Y.S. and G. La Haye, 1982. "Water Quality Conditions in the
St. Marys River 1966-1980." Paper presented at XXV IAGLR Conf.,
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., May 4-6, 1982.
2. Hamdy, Y.S., J.D. Kinkead, and M. Griffiths, 1978. "St. Marys River
Water Quality Investigations 1973-74." Ontario Ministry of the
Environment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto, 52 pp.
Information may also be obtained from:
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario M4V IPS
Information about the Michigan shoreline of the St. Marys River may be
obtained from:
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Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
SAGINAW RIVER SYSTEM AND SAGINAW BAY, MICHIGAN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
Sediments in the Saginaw River contain levels of PCB up to 25.1 mg/kg.
Sediments in the Pine River contain levels of PBB up to 77 mg/kg; however, PBB
has not been detected further downstream. Chlorinated dioxins have not been
detected in sediments from the Tittabawassee River.
FISH
Samples of whole fish collected in the Saginaw River in 1976 contained 8
to 12 mg/kg PCB, exceeding the Food and Drug Administration guideline of 5.0
mg/kg for fillets. Levels of hexachlorobenzene were 10 to 100 times greater
in these fish, compared to levels in fish from other Great Lakes tributaries.
High levels of PCB have been found in fish from the Flint and Shiawassee
Rivers, tributaries to the Saginaw River.
PCB was detected in the Saginaw fishery at the following levels in 1980:
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Channel Catfish
Carp
3.04 mg/kg
2.28 mg/kg
6.80 mg/kg
9.47 mg/kg
Fish samples taken in 1974 and 1976 from the Pine River, another Saginaw
River tributary, contained PBB levels up to 2 mg/kg; however, fish from
locations further downstream did not contain detectable levels of PBB. Of ten
composite fish samples taken from the Pine River in 1981, only three exceeded
the 0.1 mg/kg detection limit; PBB was detectable only in rock bass.
The chlorinated dioxin 2,3,7,8-TCDD was detected in fish from Saginaw Bay
at the following levels in 1980:
Northern Pike
White Sucker
Carp
Catfish
4.0 ng/kg
Not detectable
61.0 ng/kg
50.0 ng/kg
Levels of dioxin in fish samples from the Saginaw River system have been
reported as high as 600 ng/kg; the U.S. FDA guideline is 50 ng/kg. A channel
catfish from the Tittabawassee River in 1978 contained 695 ng/kg of dioxin;
the highest level detected in fish samples taken from the Tittabawassee River
in 1980 was 142 ng/kg in a carp. Tests are currently underway to more fully
investigate the extent of dioxin contamination in fish from the Saginaw River
system.
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119
Michigan has issued fish consumption bans for the following rivers,
because of contamination of fish by the substances noted: South Branch of the
Shiawassee River (M-59 to Owosso) - PCS; Chippewa River (downstream from
Chippewa Road in Isabella County) - PBB; Pine River {downstream from St.
Louis) - PBB; Tittabawassee River (downstream from Midland) - PBB and TCDD;
Cass River (downstream from Bridgeport) - PCB; and Saginaw River - PBB and
TCDD.
A fish consumption advisory is also in effect for Saginaw Bay. Carp,
catfish, muskellunge, salmon, and trout should not be eaten by children or by
women who are pregnant, nursing, or expect to bear children; all others should
limit consumption to no more than one meal per, week. The advisory on
muskellunge, salmon, and trout also applies to the whole of Lake Huron.
Additional discussion of area biota, including contaminants in herring
gull eggs, is contained in the report of the Surveillance Work Group, "Great
Lakes Surveillance," prepared as an appendix to the 1981 report of the Water
Quality Board.
WATER
All 24 samples collected at the mouth of the Saginaw River during water
year 1980 exceeded the total dissolved solids objective of 200 mg/L. The mean
concentration was 468 mg/L.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Several wastewater treatment plants discharging to the bay have come into
compliance within the past year. The Bay City plant was in compliance for all
of 1981. The West Bay plant has been on line since December 1981 and has been
in compliance since April 1982. The Flint plant is now in compliance for all
parameters except ammonia and nitrates.
The annual total phosphorus loading from the Saginaw River to Saginaw Bay
decreased from 1,044 tonnes in 1974 to 409 tonnes in 1979. The 1980 load
increased, however, to 472 tonnes. The 1981 tributary load cannot be
estimated with a high degree of confidence, due to the paucity of flow and
concentration data for that year. Since the 1978 Water Quality Agreement
proposed target phosphorus load for Saginaw Bay is 440 tonnes per year, and
since the Saginaw River makes up approximately 90% of the total loading to
the bay, it is apparent that the target load is being approached.
Programs to reduce phosphorus loadings from point source discharges are
generally in place in Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River System. It is estimated
that more than half of the loading decrease between 1974 and 1979 was due to
phosphorus removal efforts by municipal treatment plants in the Saginaw River
Basin and to the detergent phosphorus ban in Michigan. The annual municipal
phosphorus load to Saginaw Bay decreased from an estimated 800 tonnes in 1974
(Upper Lakes Reference Group estimate) to 211 tonnes in 1979. The annual
loads in 1980 and 1981 were 220 and 232 tonnes, respectively. This increase
in municipal phosphorus load from 1979 to 1980 and 1981 is due in part to an
increase in the number of facilities reported, an increase in the total flow
treated, and to poor performance by one or more of the municipal facilities.
The point source component of the phosphorus load to Saginaw Bay nonetheless
appears to have stabilized.
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120
The rest of the phosphorus loading decrease from the Saginaw River to
Saginaw Bay between 1974 and 1979 was due to reductions in river flow. The
increase between 1979 and 1980 is mainly due to increased tributary flow.
The Saginaw Bay ecosystem has responded favorably to phosphorus load
.reductions over the last decade. The following changes in water quality
indicators have been observed to date. Total phosphorus concentrations and
secchi depth measurements have improved slightly, with an apparent lag in
response to the reduction in loadings. Trend analysis on spring and fall
chlorophyll a concentrations in Saginaw Bay shows a significant decline for
the period 1974 to 1980.
Changes in the phytoplankton in Saginaw Bay have been dramatic. The peak
blue-green algal concentration in inner Saginaw Bay in the fall of 1974 was
1.29 mg-dry weight/L while in the fall of 1980 it was 0.027 rug-dry weight/L.
In addition, two species of nuisance-producing blue-green algae have virtually
disappeared from most areas of the bay. The number of days that the odor of
water (thought to be caused by these algae) at the Saginaw-Midland water
treatment plant, the largest water intake on Saginaw Bay, exceeded the U.S.
Public Health Service standard has been reduced from 56 in 1974 to 0 in 1980.
Indicators of eutrophication in the zooplankton community have also
responded significantly to phosphorus reduction. The extremely abundant
crustacean, Bosmina longirostris, has decreased almost 4-fold since 1974.
Other indicators, sucTPas totaTrotifer concentration and predatory rotifer
concentration, have also decreased.
Eutrophication may be a natural characteristic of Saginaw Bay; however,
continuance of point-source control programs now in place will ensure minimum
human contribution to accelerating the eutrophication process.
PCB contamination in the Saginaw River basin is the result of historical
contamination of the sediments and atmospheric deposition rather than current
discharges. PCB in the intake water of the Chevrolet Plant in Bay City has
decreased from approximately 7 pg/L in 1972 to less than 0.5 ug/L in 1980; PCB
concentrations in the discharge from this facility have similarly decreased.
PCB contamination exists in the Shiawassee River at the Cast Forge site.
Dredging of contaminated sediments will be completed by October 1, 1982. The
plant site was previously cleaned up.
PBB contamination exists in the Pine River but has not been detected in
Saginaw Bay. The source, the Velsicol Chemical site, has been capped, and an
approved plan for controlling runoff is now in place. There are on-going
negotiations at the state and federal level for full resolution of the PBB
problem.
All industrial dischargers on the Saginaw River are in compliance with
permit limits. Dow Chemical Company, Michigan Division, is adjudicating its
new permit but, it is, to date, submitting studies required by the permit.
The new Dow permit placed increased monitoring requirements on the company and
limitations on nine additional non-conventional/toxic pollutants. The permit
requires a detailed wastewater characterization and a dioxin bio-uptake study.
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•"? 1
fi J.
Control measures proposed for implementation by Michigan are directed at
providing necessary controls over chlorinated hydrocarbons; however,
additional testing in Saginaw Bay will be necessary to determine the adequacy
of these control measures and the impacts, if any, on Saginaw Bay of
contamination problems in tributaries to Saginaw Bay.
Agricultural land management appears to contribute suspended solids,
nutrients, pesticides, organic matter, and pathogenic organisms to Saginaw Bay
and the Saginaw River system. These are detrimental to the quality of the
water and the aquatic environment.
Agricultural nonpoint source contributions occur as either a direct or
indirect result of the tilling of soils, supplemental drainage measures, or
the disposal of plant and animal residues. The pollutants are transported to
surface waters by wind, erosion, water runoff, leaching through agricultural
tile systems, and by direct discharge.
The Saginaw Monitoring and Evaluation Project in Huron and Tuscola
Counties, a program covering 72,000 acres and about 20% of the agricultural
drainage in the Saginaw Bay Basin, has shown that the nutrient and suspended
solids loads from agricultural nonpoint sources are measurable in the streams
and ditches which directly receive agricultural runoff. Coastal areas and
tributary mouths on the southeastern section of Saginaw Bay, areas which are
most directly affected by the agricultural activities within this drainage
basin, are especially degraded locations in Saginaw Bay.
Siltation is a problem throughout the Saginaw region, resulting in fish
habitat degradation, the filling of surface drainage ways, and the filling of
the Saginaw Federal Navigation Channel.
The dissolved oxygen level of the Saginaw River is particularly dependent
upon photosynthetic oxygen production and the benthic oxygen demand. Both of
these characteristics are adversely affected by the nutrient and suspended
solids loads contributed by agricultural activities. Loadings from wholly
agricultural tributaries of the Saginaw River, i.e. Dutch Creek and
Cheboyganing Creek, have been shown to cause dissolved oxygen sags to as low
as 1.9 mg/L in 1976.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Detailed information about environmental conditions in Saginaw Bay may be
obtained from the following sources:
1. "Michigan Fishing Guide", Lansing, 1982.
2. Letter from W.E. McCracken, Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
Lansing, to G.D. Haffner, IJC, Windsor, June 8, 1981.
3. "1981 - Highlights of Water Quality and Pollution Control in
Michigan", Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing.
4. "The Great Lakes Environmental Contaminants Survey. Summary Report
1972-1980." Michigan Department of Natural Resources Publication No.
3730-0038, Lansing, March 1982.
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5. T.K. Rohrer, "2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo(p)dioxin Residues in Fish
from the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers and Saginaw Bay - 1980,"
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, 1982.
6. Bierman, V.J. Jr., D.M. Dolan, R. Kasprzyk, and J.L. Clark, "A
Retrospective Analysis of the Responses of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron,
to Reductions in Phosphorus Loadings", U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Grosse lie, Michigan, 1982 (To be published after internal
U.S. EPA review).
7. Great Lakes Water Quality Board, "1981 Report on Great Lakes Water
Quality. Appendix: Great Lakes Surveillance," International Joint
Commission, Windsor, Ontario. November 1981.
Information may also be obtained from:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Great Lakes National Program Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
536 South Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60605
ST, CLAIR RIVER, ONTARIO AND MICHIGAN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
As a result of the elimination of point sources, mercury levels in
sediments have declined significantly in the last decade; however,
concentrations are still higher in some locations along the Canadian shore
than the provim'cial guideline for open water disposal. In 1977, Ontario data
indicated that the average mercury concentration in the surficia'l sediment was
3 mg/kg compared to an average level of 250 mg/kg in 1969. During the same
year, PCB levels ranged from not detected to a maximum of 5.3 mg/kg, with an
average level of 0.3 mg/kg. These high levels of PCB and mercury render the
river sediments, especially in the vicinity of industrial discharges, unsafe
for open water disposal. Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) guidelines
for open water disposal for mercury and PCB are 0.3 and 0.05 mg/kg,
respectively.
Most stations in 1977 contained concentrations of heavy metals in excess
of Ontario MOE's guidelines for open water disposal. Fourteen percent of the
stations exceeded the 50 mg/kg guideline for lead, 97% exceeded the 25 mg/kg
guideline for chromium, 34% exceeded the 100 mg/kg guideline for zinc, and
60% exceeded the 25 mg/kg guideline for copper.
A marked improvement in the biological community of the river sediment has
occurred over the last decade. A resurgence of bottom-dwell ing life forms is
evident in the nearshore waters, as indicated by increased numbers and a
greater variety of taxa.
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FISH
Mercury concentrations in all species of fish from the St. Clair system
have declined to less than half of what they were in 1970. The application of
stringent controls on mercury losses from the Dow Chemical Company's
chlor-alkali plant in Sarnia in 1S69 and the subsequent elimination of the
mercury cell operation led to this decline.
High levels of mercury in larger sizes of most fish species still
necessitate restrictions on consumption. In 1982, Ontario published a
consumption advisory for gizzard shad >10 inches from the St. Clair River.
Restricted consumption of the following sport fish from Lake St. Clair was
also advised due to elevated mercury concentrations: rock bass, pumpkinseed,
and largemouth bass >6 inches; bluegill >8 inches; black crappie, smallmouth
bass, yellow perch, and brown bullhead >10 inches; white bass and freshwater
drum >12 inches; walleye >14 inches; channel catfish, northern pike, white
sucker, and quillback carpsucker >18 inches; carp >22 inches; rnuskie >26
inches; and sturgeon >40 inches. Larger sizes of carp and channel catfish
also contained elevated levels of PCB (exceeding the Canadian federal
guideline of 2 mg/kg), necessitating consumption advisories.
Michigan has a fish consumption advisory in effect for muskellunge caught
from the St. Clair River, because of elevated mercury levels; the mean mercury
concentration in 1980 was 2.10 mg/kg.
The incidence of fish tainting had declined significantly in recent years,
although it is still occasionally reported in areas close to industrial
sources.
WATER
In 1981, Ontario data indicated that levels of total phenols ranged from 1
to 25 ug/L along the Ontario shoreline of the St. Clair River. The extent of
the Agreement objective (1 ng/L) violation was 15 km along the shore with a
maximum width of 50 m.
During the same year, fecal coliform levels exceeded the provincial
objective (100 counts/100 mL) along the Sarnia waterfront (Sarnia Bay) for a
longitudinal distance of 300 m and a maximum width of 30 m.
A recent survey of trace organics in industrial effluents indicated that,
while there is no immediate threat to water supplies or fish, additional
controls on the discharge of these compounds are warranted, for the long-term
protection of the river ecosystem.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
ONTARIO
Significant industries are concentrated on the Canadian side of the St.
Clair River. Shell, Petrosar, DuPont, Union Carbide, and Ethyl Canada are
located at Corunna; Lambton Generating Station and CIL at Courtright; Suncor,
Dow Chemical, Polysar, Imperial Oil, and Esso Chemical at Sarnia. Several
industries in the St. Clair area are not meeting Ontario MOE's effluent
requirements for conventional parameters on a consistent basis.
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Phenols and BOD/COD loadings from Polysar exceed the effluent
requirements. A two-stage remedial program has been required by Ontario MOE
to correct water pollution problems. Stage 1 was completed on schedule, and
Stage 2 is scheduled for completion in 1982 and will result in 85% of the
organics being directed to a biological treatment plant.
Two industries, Petrosar and Esso Chemical, periodically exceed
requirements for phenol in spite of the fact that both have effluent polishing
with activated carbon. Neither contributes to the narrow band along the
Ontario shoreline where the ambient objective for phenolic compounds is
exceeded, since the outfalls extend into the-deeper channel where dilution is
achieved rapidly.
Lead levels from Ethyl Canada continue to exceed discharge objectives in
spite of the installation of an inclined plate clarifier in 1981. The unit
has been dismantled in an attempt to rectify shortcircuiting problems and
should return to service by late summer 1982.
Since 1975, Ontario MOE has been investigating organic chemicals in
municipal and industrial effluents along the St. Clair River. A report on the
1977-78 studies indicates that organics are present in municipal and
industrial effluents. In 1979 and 1980, Ontario MOE end Environment Canada
undertook a joint study to further characterize and quantify toxics in
industrial effluents in the St. Clair River area; the study reports are in the
final stages of completion. It is anticipated that this joint study will
improve the data base on effluent characteristics both qualitatively and
quantitatively, with the result that Ontario MOE may impose further
requirements for toxic control on the industries involved, to ensure that
water quality continues to improve in the St. Clair River.
Additional surveillance work is planned by Ontario MOE to refine the data
obtained in the above studies, to assess trends, and to evaluate the benefit
of recent and impending improvements in effluent quality from several
industries. At the same time the industries are being required, by way of
conditions on Certificates of Approval for new or modified discharges, to
monitor for specific toxic organic chemicals. This will permit Ontario MOE to
maintain an active data base of each outfall and monitor improvements achieved
by process modifications or control techniques.
MICHIGAN
Michigan industrial and municipal dischargers to the St. Clair River are
in substantial compliance with permit requirements.
ASSESSMENT
WATER
Remedial action at Polysar Corporation in conjunction with the extension
of the Township ditch and other outfalls will significantly reduce the mixing
zones associated with phenolic compounds and generally lower contamination
concentrations within the river. Regulatory controls and discharge monitoring
results indicate PCB input has been virtually eliminated. Achievement of
further controls on persistent and non-persistent toxic substances emissions
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will follow from further definition of priority compounds, identification of
sources, and selection of appropriate control technology. It is expected that
this will proceed on a scheduled basis as the results of additional fish
contaminants analysis, discharge monitoring, and predictive modelling of
instream concentrations become available.
SEDIMENTS
Improvements in contaminant levels and the zoobenthic community observed
over the last decade suggest that effluent controls and natural river
processes are contributing to system rehabilitation. The removal of
contaminated sediment for confined disposal as -part of periodic capital and
maintenance dredging projects carried out in the immediate industrial area
will result in further improvement. No other action is warranted at this time.
FISH
The mercury levels in sport fish in Lake St. Clair are now being resolved
through natural processes. Scheduled abatement activity is expected to
totally eliminate the fish tainting problem.
SUMMARY
The remedial action essential to reducing mercury levels in fish was taken
in the early 1970's. Levels have declined in fish and should continue to do
so, albeit at a reduced rate, as natural physical and chemical processes
reduce the availability of mercury in sediments. Similarly, the major
controls necessary to the recovery of the benthic community along the Ontario
shoreline are in place and progress is being monitored.
Remedial measures at Polysar, when completed this year, should markedly
improve water quality in the Sarnia area.
Correction of the bacterial contamination problem in Sarnia Bay is being
sought in cooperation with the municipality.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Detailed information about environmental conditions in the St. Clair River
may be obtained from the following reports:
1. Government of Ontario, 1982. "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish -
Southern Ontario and Great Lakes," Toronto, 1982, 191 pp.
2. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto,
1977. "St. Clair River Organics Study. Fish Toxicity and Tainting
Evaluations for Selected Industrial Effluents." Rept. LTS 81-1, 21
pp.
3. Hamdy, Y.S. and J.D. Kinkead, 1979, "St. Clair River Organics
Study. Waste Dispersion." Ontario Ministry of the Environment,
Toronto. 27 pp.
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26
4. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Southwestern Region, 1979. "St.
Clair River Organics Study. Biological Surveys. 1968 and 1977."
90 pp.
5. Bouner, R.F. and 0. Meresz, 1981. "St. Clair River Organics Study.
Identification and Quantisation of Organic Compounds." Ontario
Ministry of the Environment, Laboratory Services Branch Report,
Toronto, 219 pp.
6. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Laboratory Services Branch,
Toronto, 1981. "St. Clair River Organics Study. The Screening of
Industrial Effluents for Genotoxic Activity." 69 pp. plus appendices.
7. "Michigan Fishing Guide," Lansing, 1982.
8. "Great Lakes Environmental Contaminants Survey, Summary Report
1972-1980," Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Publication No.
3730-0038, Lansing, March 1982.
Additional information about remedial measures may be obtained from:
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Southwestern Region Office
London, Ontario
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
DETROIT RIVER, MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) conducted a survey of bottom
fauna, metals, and organic pollutants in the sediments of the Detroit River in
1981 in preparation for a more intensive study in the future. Levels in
excess of the Ontario guidelines for open-water disposal of dredged materials
for PCB (0.05 mg/kg) and mercury (0.3 mg/kg) were found at 78% and 34% of
the stations sampled, respectively. The majority of exceedances were in
sediments along the U.S. shore in the vicinity of the Detroit sewage treatment
plant, Great Lakes Steel, and the Rouge River mouth, and would necessitate
confined disposal of dredged materials.
Improvements in distribution and numbers of the pollution-sensitive mayfly
have occurred along both sides of the river since 1968. However, a
significant portion of the U.S. shoreline in the vicinity of and downstream
from the Rouge River mouth still exhibits very high densities of tubificids
(sludgeworms).
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct a
preliminary study of organic pollutants in the sediments of the Detroit River
in 1982 in preparation for an intensive study in the future.
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127
Conditions near the Detroit River mouth and in western Lake Erie suggest
that an overall reduction has occurred in organic and phosphorus waste
loadings into the area.
FISH
The 1982 Ontario Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources
publication entitled, "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish", indicated that
mercury levels in walleye (>16 inches) and rock bass (>6 inches) ranged from
0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg. The Canadian federal guideline for fish consumption is 0.5
mg/kg. Fish consumption advisories issued by Ontario for the above species
and sizes remained in effect.
Michigan has issued an advisory against consumption of muskellunge from
the Detroit River as a result of a mean level of mercury contamination of 2.10
mg/kg.
WATER
In water year 1980, 78 of 456 samples (17.1%) from the Detroit River
exceeded the fecal coliform bacteria objective. The mean phenol concentration
was 0.5 ug/L in 1980, compared to a mean of 0.93 ug/L in 1979. Concentrations
exceeded Agreement objectives most often below the confluence with the Rouge
River. Total iron concentrations exceeded the objective at every station on
the Detroit River on at least one date, but violations occurred more
frequently in the lower reaches. The mean total iron concentration was
188 Mg/L. The mean total dissolved solids concentration of 103 mg/L met the
Agreement objective, but samples collected at both the head and mouth ranges
in water year 1980 exceeded the objective.
The Ecorse River, a tributary to the Detroit River, in the past
contributed to fecal coliform and phenol problems in the Detroit River, due
largely to combined sewer overflows. In 1980, 15 of 18 samples exceeded the
Agreement objective for fecal coliform bacteria, with a maximum of 2.6 million
colonies/100 ml. Phenol concentrations reached 19 ug/L; the mean of 12
samples was 6 ug/L. One 1980 sample showed a total iron concentration of 620
pg/L, compared to 630 ug/L in one sample in 1979. Total dissolved solids
concentrations averaged 382 mg/L in 1980, with a maximum of 754 mg/L.
However, the communities of Lincoln Park, Taylor, and Dearborn Heights on the
Ecorse River now have separate sewer systems, and Allen Park is under federal
court order to construct a separate system.
The River Rouge is also a significant source of pollutants to the Detroit
River. This river is considered below, as a separate area of concern.
Total phosphorus loadings from the Detroit River into the western basin of
Lake Erie have declined significantly over a 12-year period. This improvement
is reflected by a decrease in phosphorus levels in the western basin of Lake
Erie and a decline in algal densities at a municipal intake in the basin.
The 1981 Ontario data for bacterial levels along the Ontario shoreline
from Windsor to Amherstburg confirmed the restriction of the water use for
recreational swimming, bathing, and other activities along the shoreline.
This restriction is due to frequent violation of the provincial objective for
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fecal coliform (100 organisms/100 ml). Bacterial contamination in the Detroit
River does not, however, extend along the north shore of the western basin of
Lake Erie.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
MICHIGAN
The Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant, long a major pollutant source to
the Detroit River, has fully met the standards for secondary treatment and
phosphorus removal, as ordered by the courts, since June 1981 for all dry
weather flows. The plant meets the standards for oil and grease removal for
all flows through plant. The plant meets the standards for phenol removal for
all flows up to 805 million gallons per day, which includes peak dry weather
flows. Results are tabulated below:
DETROIT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE
June 1980 - June 1981a June 1981 - June 1982b
Flow (average) 660 MGD 684 MGD
(maximum) 993 MGD 1081 MGD
(total) 241 billion gallons 249 billion gallons
Total Suspended Solids
(average) 52 mg/L 24 mg/L
(total) 50650 tons (25000 tons)c
BOD5 (average) 37 mg/L 17 mg/L
(total) 35350 tons (18000 tons)c
Phenol (average) 46 mg/L 19 mg/L
Total Phosphorus
(average) 1.32 mg/L 0.57 mg/L
(total) 1259.5 tons (590 tons)c
Fecal Coliforms
(average) 110 MPN 83 MPN
a. Data obtained from "Final Fiscal Year Record", prepared by the Detroit
Water and Sewerage Department.
b. Data obtained from "Monthly Operating Report", prepared by the Detroit
Water and Sewerage Department.
c. Estimate.
The Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant, probably the main source of phenol
to the Detroit River is now in compliance with the phenol limits. From
September 1980 to May 1982, the 30-day and the 7-day averages for phenols
discharged from the plant were 103.26, and 144.53 pounds, respectively. The
limits are 400 to 800 pounds, respectively.
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The Ford Motor Company, also previously a major discharger of phenols, is
now in compliance.
Although preliminary examination of 1981 data indicates the phenol
objectives may be exceeded in the Detroit River, those communities (Monroe,
Wyandotte, and Detroit-Southwest Plant) drawing water supply from the Detroit
River no longer register problems with taste or odor.
Several sites possibly contributing to surface water degradation have been
or are being cleaned up. The BASF Wyandotte southworks are closed and being
demolished. The mercury cell room has been closed and is being torn down. A
previously owned BASF site in the City of Wyandotte has been cleaned up and
capped.
The Liquid Disposal Incineration, Incorporated site in Shelby Township is
being cleaned up under Superfund emergency provisions. The site is on the
interim national priority list to receive funds for remedial action.
Urban surface runoff from the City of Detroit directly into the Detroit
River, combined sewer overflows in the Rouge River Basin, and combined sewer
overflows from the City of Detroit result in elevated levels of bacteria in
the Detroit River and contribute to the total phosphorus load to the river and
to the western basin of Lake Erie. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
conducted a 25,000,000 facilities planning study addressing combined sewer
overflows from the City of Detroit. The study showed that, although pollutant
loads to the river from this source could be reduced, no significant
improvement in water quality would result from any of the abatement
alternatives identified to date. Any load reductions and improvements would
be masked by the direct surface runoff from the City of Detroit and by the
combined sewer overflows in the Rouge River Basin. There are no plans to
address direct land runoff into the river. Combined sewer overflows in the
Rouge River Basin are discussed below in a separate area of concern. It
should be noted, however, that over the past ten years, the City of Detroit
has eliminated approximately 50% of its combined sewer overflows through
in-system storage, and by preventing river inflow; also, as a result of
improved plant operation, this wastewater is receiving better treatment than
in the past.
In its 1981 report, the Water Quality Board reported that the estimated
annual phosphorus load from combined sewer overflows at Detroit was 110
tonnes. The Board further reported that, when all municipal treatment plants
in the Lake Erie Basin achieve an effluent limitation of 1.0 mg/L, combined
sewer overflows at Detroit would constitute the third largest point source of
phosphorus in the basin, in terms of annual load. Since combined sewer
overflows and direct land runoff contribute a sizeable loading of phosphorus,
control of these sources could afford a greater measure of protection and
improvement to the water quality of the Detroit River and the western basin of
Lake Erie.
Monsanto Company in 1981 discharged 117 pounds per day of phosphate
phosphorus, an annual average concentration of 0.92 mg/L, which represents
98.8% removal of phosphorus from the process waste flow. This is considered
to be best available treatment and no further remedial action is proposed.
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30
The high contaminant levels in sediment are primarily a result of past
discharges from industries along the U.S. shore of the river. The regulatory
emphasis on hazardous waste disposal sites in the Detroit metropolitan area
ensure that no further significant deposition of toxic substances will occur.
Natural physical and biochemical processes are expected to reduce the
contaminant levels and lead to re-establishment of a healthy benthic fauna
community.
ONTARIO
While Ontario industrial inputs do not in themselves result in objective
exceedances or use impairment, described above, there are a number of waste
treatment deficiences which are under active resolution or investigation with
the objective of reducing overall waste loading. As such, they should
contribute to the maintenance of water quality in the Detroit River and
western Lake Erie once controls on major Michigan inputs are complete.
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Chrysler Canada Limited, Gulf and Western
Canada Limited, Hiram Walker and Sons Limited, Allied Chemical Canada Limited,
and Canada Salt Company Limited at Windsor and BASF Wyandotte Corporation at
Fighting Island are the industrial sources. Except for Chrysler Canada
Limited and Ford Motor Company, all of these Ontario sources are in compliance
with Ontario MOE effluent requirements.
Chrysler Canada Limited was not in compliance with Ontario MOE loading
requirements for phosphorus. The Company is planning to segregate those waste
streams containing relatively high phosphorus concentrations for separate
treatment, designed specifically for phosphorus removal.
Ford Motor Company was marginally not in compliance with the loading
requirements for phenol and suspended solids. The reasons for this
non-compliance are being investigated.
Shoreline bacterial contamination downstream of Windsor and at Amherstburg
is being addressed through a number of municipal projects. The City of
Windsor completed expansion of its Little River plant in 1981 and is presently
expanding its Westerly wastewater treatment plant to 163 x 10^ m^/d (36
MIGD). Completion of this expansion is expected in late 1981. Extension of
trunk and lateral sewers to areas presently serviced by septic tank systems
will continue as an ongoing program.
A 220 million program to provide a sewage collection system, including
pumping stations and forcemains, is presently under construction in Sandwich
West Township, located immediately south of Windsor. This provincially
financed system, when completed in late 1981 or early 1982, will transfer
wastes to the West Windsor pollution control plant. Completion of this
project should improve water quality in the Detroit River immediately
downstream from Windsor.
At Amherstburg, a proposal to expand the existing 4.5 x 10^ m^/d (1.0
MIGD) primary type sewage treatment facility is presently under review by
Ontario MOE for preliminary acceptance. Also included in the proposed
expansion are pumping stations and modifications to chemical dosing
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Si
equipment. Upon acceptance of the proposal, final design will have to be
completed and funding secured by the municipality before construction begins.
Recently completed and ongoing improvements to the Windsor area collection
systems and expansion of sewage treatment facilities at Windsor and
Amherstburg, coupled with the phased extension of sewer services into areas
presently serviced by septic tanks, will bring about steady improvement in
bacterial levels along the Ontario shoreline, and help ensure that the
provincial objectives for public health indicator bacteria will be met.
The Windsor and the Amherstburg plants are currently discharging 97.2 x
and 4.3 x 10^ m«Vd, respectively, with annual average phosphorus
concentrations of 1.0 and 1.9 mg/L, respectively.
In addition to the above Canadian point sources, recent developments
concerning the possible future use of Fighting Island, located in the Detroit
River, are also noted. The island is in Canada and is owned by BASF Wyandotte
of Michigan. It has been used for waste disposal since the 1920's. The U.S.
EPA, Environment Canada, Ontario MOE, and Michigan DNR are concerned about the
possible discharge of toxic substances in the event that Fighting Island is
used as a treatment/containment facility for sewage sludge from the City of
Detroit. Detroit proposed a pilot project for sewage sludge disposal on the
island; this proposal received provisional approval from Ontario MOE and is
now underway. The process basically consists of mixing sewage sludge with the
settled materials from the abandoned treatment beds with the object of
determining the feasibility of employing waste material to support vegetation
to rehabilitate the island. The pilot study is expected to require 2-3 years
for completion.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Detailed information about environmental conditions and remedial programs
may be obtained from the following reports:
1. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Southwestern Region and Water
Resources Branch, 1981. "An Assessment of the Bottom Fauna and
Sediments of the Western Basin of Lake Erie, 1979." Ontario Ministry
of the Environment, Toronto. 24 pp.
2. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Southwestern Region, London, and
Water Resources Branch, Toronto. Unpublished data on 1981 trace
contaminants and macrozoobenthos survey of Detroit River sediments.
3. Letter communication from W.E. McCracken, Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, to G.D. Haffner, International Joint Commission,
Windsor, June 8, 1981.
4. "1981 - Highlights of Water Quality and Pollution Control in
Michigan", Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Publication
Number 4833-9804, Lansing.
5. "Great Lakes Environmental Contaminants Survey, Summary Report,
1972-1980", Lansing, Michigan.
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Information may also be obtained from:
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Southwestern Region Office
London, Ontario
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Water Resources Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West.
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
ROUGE RIVER, MICHIGAN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
No recent data are available; historical data show severe degradation.
WATER
In 1980, fecal coliform concentrations exceeded the Agreement objective in
11 of 12 samples, with a maximum of 60,000 colonies/100 mL. Phenol
concentrations exceeded the Agreement objective., with a mean concentration of
9 ug/L and a maximum of 24 ug/L. Two samples were analyzed for total iron in
1980 with a mean concentration of 1,085 ug/L, compared to 6,700 ug/L in one
sample in 1979. The mean total dissolved solids concentration was 295 mg/L in
1980, and the maximum was 490 mg/L.
FISH
No fish analyses have been performed. It should be noted as anecdotal
evidence of improved water conditions that two steel head were caught in the
Rouge River in the spring of 1982.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Industrial dischargers to the Rouge Basin are in substantial compliance
with permit requirements.
The River Rouge is, nonetheless, a significant source of pollutants to the
Detroit River. Combined sewer overflows are the major problem. Twenty-five
percent of the total Rouge basin is drained by combined sewer networks. The
outfalls from these combined sewers are located in the lower portions of the
branches of the Rouge which are subject to low stream velocities. Many
pollutants from the-combined sewers settle out on the bottom and perpetuate
polluted conditions for days and weeks after the combined sewers overflow.
Combined sewer overflow studies for communities in the basin,, upstream
from Detroit, were undertaken. The main study has been completed and other
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I 33
studies will be completed by fall of 1982. More than $500 million would be
required to alleviate the effects of combined sewer overflow. Based on
information available, and considering the benefits to be derived and the
costs involved, the court has concluded that measures to correct combined
sewer overflows in the Rouge River Basin are not warranted at this time.
INFORMATION SOURCE
Environmental information was provided by W.E. McCracken of the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources in a letter to G.D. Haffner of the
International Joint Commission, dated June 8,,1981. Additional information
about environmental conditions and remedial measures can be obtained from:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
RAISIN RIVER, MICHIGAN
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
Sediments collected during 1975 and 1976 surveys from Monroe Harbor and
the approach to the Raisin River are heavily polluted with volatile solids,
oil and grease, and metals. Chemical oxygen demand is high.
FISH
Fish were collected from the Raisin River in 1978 and 1979. PCB levels
were as high as 111 mg/kg, compared with the U.S. FDA action level of 5.0
mg/kg. Also present were DDT, nonachlor, tri-, tetra-, and heptadecane,
naphthalene, methyl- and dimethyl naphthalene, methylbiphenyl, phenanthrene,
fluoranthrene, pyrene, pyridine carboxamide, and mono- and dichlorobiphenyl.
WATER
Water samples were collected in 1978. Agreement objectives were violated
for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, zinc, dissolved oxygen, specific
conductivity, and fecal coliforms. The Michigan standard for pH was also
violated.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
All major dischargers to the Raisin River are in substantial compliance
with their permits. Existing water quality problems result to a great extent
from contaminated sediments. However, the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources received support from U.S. EPA to conduct process evaluations of
several chemical and manufacturing facilities in the watershed, in order to
identify potential sources of toxic contaminants. Three evaluations were
completed during Phase II of the study, and no problems were identified.
Phase III, to be completed in October 1982, will include evaluation of three
more facilities in the Raisin River watershed.
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134
INFORMATION SOURCE
Additional information about environmental conditions and remedial
measures can be obtained from:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, Michigan 48909
MAUMEE RIVER, OHIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
Surveys conducted in 1973 and 1975 reveal that the sediments in the lower
Maumee River and Toledo Harbor are heavily polluted with volatile solids,
chemical oxygen demand, and metals. Sediments in the outer bay are also
polluted, although less heavily so.
FISH
Fish collected between 1976 and 1979 contain PCB up to 5.9 mg/kg; the U.S.
FDA action level is 5.0 mg/kg. Also detected were DDT, hexachlorobenzene,
chlordane, nonachlor, methylbiphenyl, methylbenzanthrene, pyridine
carboxamide, pentachloroanisole, heptadecane, and nonadecane.
WATER
Water collected at the mouth of the Maumee River contains cadmium, iron,
manganese, nickel, zinc, copper, and chromium in excess of the Agreement
objectives or Ohio EPA standards. In addition, dissolved oxygen, specific
conductivity, phosphorus, and fecal coliforms do not meet Agreement objectives.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The Maumee River is the largest source of sediment and non-point
phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie. In recognition of this, a consortium of
state, local, and federal agencies has agreed to foster no-till and associated
soil conservation practices in the Maumee River Basin.
The U.S. EPA has funded several large agricultural land management
demonstration projects in the Maumee River basin, including: The Black Creek
watershed of northeastern Indiana, Allen and Defiance Counties, Ohio and the
Accelerated Conservation Tillage project (a nine-county program in
northwestern Ohio, specifically affecting three counties in the Maumee River
basin). Preliminary results are showing 30% to 90/o reductions in soil
loss, with attendant phosphorus loss reductions, depending on the specific
soils and tillage practices being used. In addition to encouraging
conservation tillage, the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of
Ohio, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation are promoting lower rates
of application of phosphate fertilizer in northwestern Ohio to more closely
match the crop utilization rates.
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135
All of the large Ohio municipal treatment facilities in the Maumee River
estuary averaged below the 1.0 mg/L effluent phosphorus requirement during
1981. All of these plants are at the advanced secondary treatment levels
required to protect the dissolved oxygen requirements of the river.
Combined sewer overflow problems are currently under study at Toledo,
Perrysburg, and Oregon. This problem is also being evaluated by an outside
consultant under contract to U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office.
Remedial programs will be developed at the conclusions of these studies.
However, the funds to finance these proposals may not be readily available,
which may require the deferral of the implementation.
The industrial dischargers in the estuary are in compliance with the
NPDES permit requirements which were designed to meet the 1977 requirements
for the traditional sewage parameters and also to meet the water quality
standards for toxicants (heavy metals, cyanides, and phenols). A program to
control other toxic materials is being developed.
Acute, static bioassay tests with fathead minnows were performed on the
effluents from the two petroleum refineries, Standard Oil Co. of Ohio and Sun
Oil Co., during 1982. No acute toxicity was discovered. Additional remedial
measures may be required based on this review and the issuance of best
available treatment (BAT) requirements by U.S. EPA. These BAT requirements
for the petroleum refineries are expected to be issued in 1982 with compliance
under the Clean Water Act being required by July 1, 1984. However, the
implementation of any required control programs may take 3 to 4 years, with
final compliance in 1985 or 1986.
ASSESSMENT
WATER
The combination of NPDES permits, the pretreatment program, and
enforcement practices should result in all principal dischargers meeting
Ohio's water quality standards.
The water quality in the estuary may never meet the Agreement objectives
for Lake Erie because of the natural chemistry of the water in the drainage
basin and the existing land use patterns. In addition, modifications of the
geometry of the estuary (installation of bulkheads, loading docks, and deep
channel dredging) have changed the hydrology so as to slow the movement of
water through the estuary, resulting in a decrease in reaeration of the water
and the assimilative capacity of the streams. The modified geometry promotes
sedimentation, requiring periodic dredging.
The Maumee River estuary is also profoundly affected by "lake effects"
through its location at the end of a relatively shallow lake. During periods
of northeast winds, lake water is driven up the estuary for many miles, thus
preventing the normal flow in the river. The U.S. Gelological Survey gauging
station on the Kaumee River is located 21 miles up river at Waterville in
order to be out of the area influenced by the "lake effects".
The water entering the estuary from upstream of Waterville showed only
minor problems with violations of state water quality standards for lead,
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133
cadmium, zinc, and mercury during the period October 1, 1978 through September
30, 1980.
SEDIMENT
A portion of the high contaminant loads in the sediment can be attributed
to past discharges of municipal treatment plants and industries and from
agricultural practices. The continued practice of the existing remedial
programs is expected to ensure that no further significant deposition of
toxicants (heavy metals, cyanide, and phenols) will occur. The sediment
pollution from non-point sources is more difficult to control and the remedial
programs are voluntary. Time and natural processes are expected to reduce the
contaminant levels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates an annual
dredging program for the navigation channel of the Maumee River in Toledo and
Maumee Bay. Information from an assessment of that activity over the period
1976 to 1981 indicates that the sediment is becoming less contaminated with
time. The material taken from the channel northward from the Toledo Harbor
Light may be suitable for open lake disposal. (Toledo Harbor Assessment, in
preparation).
FISH
The ban on PCB and natural attrition will in time result in the reduction
of this contaminant in fish. A similar statement can be made for the
persistent pesticides and metabolites (DDT, chlordane, and nonachlor). The
other identified materials are hydrocarbons, presumably from petroleum
refining, coke manufacture, and other petroleum oil uses. The major sources
of these products have control measures in place which should minimize the
occurrence of these materials and allow natural attrition to occur. The other
remedial programs discussed previously will also contribute to a healthier
fish population.
GENERAL
The remedial programs in place for permit sources should decrease the
pollutant loads into the river so that the natural processes of attrition
should remove the contaminants from the sediments and fish over the next 5 to
10 years. The programs for non-point pollution controls are just under way,
but noticable improvements in sediment and phosphorus loadings should be
realized within 5 years.
It is unlikely that the water in the estuary will meet all of the
Agreement objectives for Lake Erie.
INFORMATION SOURCE
Additional information about environmental conditions and the status of
remedial measures may be obtained from:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216
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BLACK RIVER, OHIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
A 1975 survey indicated that the lower Black River and Lorain Harbor are
heavily polluted with volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand, oil and grease,
nutrients, and metals.
FISH
Fish caught at the mouth of the Black River in 1978 contained PCB, DDT,
methyl naphthalene, biphenylphenanthrene, flouranthrene, pyrene, fluorene,
acenaphthalene, dibenzothioprene, pyridine carboxamide, terphenyl,
phenylnaphthalene, and pentachloroanisole. Many of these substances are of
industrial origin. A maximum PCB level of 12.6 mg/kg was recorded in 1979, in
excess of the FDA's action level of 5.0 mg/kg.
WATER
Water samples collected during a 1978 survey contained concentrations of
phosphorus, ammonia, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, mercury,
cyanide, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliforms which violated
either the Agreement objectives or Ohio EPA standards.
CAUSES AiND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The observed pollution is attributed in part to past industrial
discharges. Sediment sampling is currently under way to assess the extent of
contamination with toxic organic substances.
The lower Black River is affected by the discharge from the Elyria
municipal treatment plant, which has significant industrial inputs of heavy
metals. Elyria has applied for federal grants to develop a pretreatment
program to address the industrial inputs and to update its treatment plant.
Completion of construction is currently scheduled for 1985.
Amherst's municipal treatment plant also contributes to the pollution of
the Lorain Harbor area. This entity is currently operating under a consent
decree requiring it to meet interim effluent limits and to improve its plant
to meet advanced secondary limits by the end of 1986.
U.S. Steel will be initiating a remedial program to meet best available
treatment and water quality standards. These requirements will be included in
the renewal permit to be issued this year which will require compliance by
July 1, 1984.
An intensive survey of the lower reaches of the Black River from Elyria
to Lake Erie was conducted during tha summer of 1982. These results, along
with the chemical/physical data collected by U.S. EPA, Eastern District Office
will be used to assess the water use that can be achieved and to allocate the
pollutant loads among the dischargers. The data analysis and final report is
scheduled to be completed by September 1983.
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138
One hazardous material site in Lorain County, Chemical Recovery, has been
cleaned up by the owners under a consent decree obtained by the City of
Elyria. A second site in Lorain County, Ford Road Landfill, is currently
being monitored and may be a candidate for clean-up, possibly with CERCLA
funds ("Superfund").
ASSESSMENT
HATER
NPDES permits, the pretreatment program (Elyria), and enforcement (such
as the consent decree for Amherst) should result in the entities involved
meeting Ohio's water quality standards.
The natural chemistry of the drainage area end the current land use
patterns may preclude the river water from attaining the Agreement objectives
for Lake Erie.
SEDIMENT
The reduction in pollution from point source dischargers discussed above
should reduce significant deposition of additional pollutants. Natural
physical and biochemical processes are expected to, in time, reduce the
contaminant levels.
FISH
The elimination of sources of the contaminants found in fish seems to be
the only practical remedial program for ensuring a healthy fish population.
The controls on dischargers should provide a mechanism to eliminate the
contaminants.
GENERAL
The remedial programs under way should result in adequate controls of the
discharges of wastewater into the river by mid-1986. There will be a
residuals problem which will require an additional 5 to 10 years for natural
processes to correct.
INFORMATION SOURCE
Additional information about environmental conditions and the status of
remedial measures may be obtained from:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216
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1 39
CUYAHOGA RIVER (CLEVELAND), OHIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
SEDIMENT
An extensive 1977 survey revealed that sediment from the Cuyahoga River
is polluted, as is the majority of the sediment from the outer harbor. Using
EPA's "Guidelines for Pollutional Classification of Great Lakes Harbcr Sedi-
ments", heavy contamination still exists for the metals arsenic, cadmium,
chromium, copper, magnesium, lead, and zinc. The Guidelines are also exceeded
for volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and oil
and grease. Nonetheless, sediment quality is substantially improved since
1972.
PCB levels in both river and harbor sediment samples exceeded 2.2 me/kg
in 1977.
FISH
Because of polluted conditions, the fish population remains severely
depressed, although carp, goldfish, and white sucker were actually caught in
the Cuyahoga River in 1980. PCB levels in these fish ranged from 1.6 to 23.G
mg/kg; the FDA action level is 5.0 mg/kg.
WATER
Water samples collected at the river mouth in 1S78 exceeded the Agreement
objectives for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, ammonia, mercury, cadmium,
copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and phenols. The fecal coliform level exceeded
the Ohio standard.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The Cuyahoga River has been severely impacted by numerous municipal and
industrial dischargers, non-point urban runoff, and combined sewer overflows.
The City of Akron instituted a phosphate detergent ban and is currently
meeting the 1.0 mg/L phosphorus limitation in their discharge by adding
polymers for better solids removal. The city is complying with an enforcement
order that requires them to upgrade and expand the treatment plant, with a
completion date of 1986. This upgrade will minimize the current problems with
combined sewer overflows and sewer system by-passes.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District has three major wastewater
treatment plants: Easterly, Southerly, and Westerly. There are construction
programs under way at all three facilities:
1. Easterly is currently meeting the phosphorus limitation, and the rest
of the construction is currently scheduled to be complete by 1983.
2. Southerly is scheduled to have the phosphorus control facilities in
place by the end of 1982. The rest of the construction is scheduled
to be completed by 1985.
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3. Westerly is not meeting the phosphorus limitation and the schedule
for needed facilities has slipped. Facilities are currently expected
to be complete in 1983.
In addition to the wastewater treatment plant expansions, the District
has two large interceptor programs:
1. Cuyahoga Valley Interceptor is on schedule and will pick up the
Summit County Macedonia plant in 1982. The Phase 2 extensions to
pick up Maple Heights and Cuyahoga County S.D.#13 are scheduled for
funding in September 1985, with completion in 1989.
2. The Southwestern Interceptor slated to serve Berea, Brook Park,
Middleburg Heights, and NEORSD-Strongsville A is scheduled for
funding by 1986, with completion in 1990.
Wastewater treatment systems have been installed at the major industrial
point sources in the estuary to control conventional pollutants and
toxicants. These facilities are in compliance. These facilities are being
reviewed to identify whether additional controls are needed for other toxic
substances.
The best available treatment guidelines for the iron and steel industries
have been issued. The U.S. Clean Water Act requires compliance by July 1,
1984. The NPDES permits for Republic Steel and for Jones and Laugh!in are
being reviewed to determine what additional treatment may be required.
The permits for the two major che.nical companies, du Pont, and Harshaw,
are also under review, especially with respect to possible toxic pollutants.
Several hazardous waste sites have been identified, closed, and/or
cleaned up.
The Ohio Drum Reconditioning site was leased by L. Gray Barrel & Drum
Company in November 1981. There remains no discharge from this facility, the
marshy area having been diked. Superfund money is expected to be utilized for
clean-up of the PCB-contaminated marsh area.
Approximately 3440,000 in Superfund emergency removal monies have been
used to clean up the Chemical Mineral Reclamation site. The final phase may
require an additional 5115,000.
The Old Mill Creek site clean-up is under way, with 400 of 1000 drums
removed. Additional sites at Anaconda Avenue and Woodford Road Quarry are
under investigation.
An intensive survey of the navigation channel of the Cuyahoga River is
tentatively scheduled for 1985. This survey will gather all the pertinent
information on biology, chemical and physical conditions of the water,
detailed information on dischargers and the altered geometry/hydrology of the
channel. The survey will allow Ohio EPA to assess the uses that are
attainable for the river and develop wasteload allocations to enable those
uses to be achieved.
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ASSESSMENT
WATER
Completion of the present remedial programs will result in improvement in
the water quality of the river. However, achievement of high quality water is
problematic because of the extensive alteration of the stream geometry along
with the intensive use as a navigation channel.
SEDIMENT
The improvement in water quality will result in less deposition of
contaminants. Enforcement actions, such as the Ohio Drum Reconditioning case
in 1980 and the identification of uncontrolled waste disposal sites, will also
reduce pollutants in the sediment.
FISH
The probability of the Cuyahoga River ever becoming a sport fishery is
small. However, with improved water quality and reduced pollutants in the
water and sediments, fish may start to reappear.
GENERAL
There is inadequate information available to determine what water quality
the current remedial programs will permit. However, in light of the natural
chemistry of the drainage basin, the current intensive land use, and the
greatly modified geometry of the navigation section of the river, it is
unlikely that the water quality in the river will ever meet the Agreement
objectives for Lake Erie.
INFORMATION SOURCE
Additional information about environmental conditions and the status of
remedial measures may be obtained from:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1049 -
Columbus, Ohio 43216
ASHTABULA RIVER, OHIO
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
Analyses of sediment, fish, and water samples collected from the lower
Ashtabula River, the harbor area, the navigation channel, and the tributaries
(Black Creek, Field's Brook, and Strong Brook) reveal that this heavily
industrialized area has been and continues to be polluted.
SEDIMENT
Based on 1974 studies, Ashtabula Harbor was classified as polluted,
because concentrations of volatile solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, chemical
oxygen demand, zinc, iron, manganese, chromium, and oil and grease exceeded
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143
A group of major industries is located on Field's Brook, a tributary to
the Ashtabula River in the navigable portion. The industries include Gulf and
Western Natural Resources Division, 01 in Corporation, SCM Corporation, Detrex
Chemical Corporation, General Tire and Rubber Company, and RMI, Inc. The
discharge from these companies comprises the flow of the stream under low flow
conditions (the intake water is from Lake Erie). All of the companies have
installed treatment facilities to meet the 1977 requirements for the historic
sewage and toxic pollutants. The treated wastewater could not achieve the
water quality standards for total dissolved solids, and Ohio EPA eased the
standard for total dissolved solids from 1,500 to 3,500 mg/L for the brook
below the industries.
01 in Corporation has closed its plant because the economics were no
longer favorable. Detrex Corporation continues to operate its plant, for
limited production of hydrochloric acid and N-niethyl pyrrole. The other
industries are being evaluated to see if additional controls are needed,
especially to see if toxic pollutants are being discharged.
The Detrex Chemical Company has an old dump site on its property.
Evidence shows that chlorinated organics are leaching into the ground hater
and into Field's Brook. Negotiations are under way with the company to
develop a program for clean up of the site.
The contaminated sediment in Field's Brook is under study to determine
the best method of removal/containment. A joint, cooperative project with the
industry in the area is being discussed, with the option of using Superfund
monies as a back-up option. Field's Brook is a priority site on the Superfund
list; it is the only site where Superfund monies are being considered for the
removal of contaminated sediment from a stream.
The contaminated sediment in the navigation channel of the Ashtabula
River will be dredged by the Corps of Engineers, with the material being
deposited at a secure disposal site. An agreement among the various
governmental entities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the owners of the
preferred site is under active discussion.
Hazardous waste sites were identified in the Ashtabula River drainage
basin:
1. Raser Tannery: The company went into receivership in 1980. The
site has been cleaned up with 233,000 of Superfund money.
2. Poplar Oil/Laskins Waste Oil: Superfund monies were used to remove
some of the waste oils on an emergency basis. A contractor has
been selected and is currently av.aiting an award of £1.56 million
to-clean up the site.
Additional sites under review include Sitrex Chemical Co., Big D
Campground, North Kinesville Sanitary Landfill, New Lyme Township Sanitary
Landfill, and Detrex Chemical Co.
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143 '
EPA's "Guidelines for Pollutional Classification of Great Lakes Harbor
Sediments."
An extensive 1979 study revealed the sediments in the navigation slip
near Strong Brook to be heavily polluted with zinc, lead, and oil and grease.
Sediments collected in Field's Brook in 1979 contained high levels of
chlorinated solvents, including hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated butadienes,
ethanes, ethylenes, and benzenes, as well as benzo(a)pyrene and PCB. These
are all U.S. EPA priority pollutants. The sediments were also classified as
heavily polluted with mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and
zinc, all EPA priority pollutants. ~ -
Sediment samples collected in the navigation channel revealed
contamination with polychlorinated compounds, including 1,4-dichlorobenzene.
The metals arsenic, cadmium, and chromium were also present.
A 1980 study in Field's Brook reconfirmed that the sediments are heavily
polluted with mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc.
Polychlorinated solvents present in the sediments included trichloroethylene;
1,1,2-trie Mo roe thane; tetrachloroethylene; 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane;
hexachlorobutadiene; plus others. PCB is also present.
FTSH
Fish collected from the Ashtabula River in 1976 contained a wide variety
of chlorinated organic chemicals, including several known to be toxic and/or
carcinogenic. Compounds present include PCB, polychlorinated butadienes,
chlorinated propane, chlorinated prcpene, chlorinated styrenes, chlorinated
norborenes, and nexachlorobenzene. No U.S. FDA action levels exist, except
for PCB (5.0 mg/kg); the maximum PCB level measured was 7.2 mg/kg.
A 1978 study confirmed these findings. A 1979 study reported PCB
(maximum 45.3 mg/kg) and hexachlorobenzene as present. A 1980 study again
confirmed hexachlorobenzene to be present.
WATER
Water samples collected at the mouth of the harbor in 1978 exceeded
Agreement objectives for conductivity, mercury, cadmium, copper, iron, and
fecal coliforms.
CAUSES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
The Ashtabula municipal wastewater treatment plant is probably the
principal source of the violations of the fecal coliform objective due to a
lack of a chlorine contact tank. Completion of construction of plant
improvements is scheduled for 1984.
Acute, static bioassays were conducted for 24 and 48 hours on the
effluents in 1981, using daphnia as the test organism. The results showed
mortalities ranging from C% to 100%. However, this species is sensitive
to total dissolved solids and it is suspected that the high salt content of
the effluents caused most of the mortality. Additional tests with other
organisms will be performed.
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1 44
ASSESSMENT
WATER
With respect to traditional pollutants and toxicants, the improvement of
the municipal sewage treatment plant and the control facilities built by the
industrial dischargers should result in improvements to the water quality.
The currently ongoing studies for other toxics must be completed and decisions
made as to other controls required for industrial dischargers before any
assessment can be made as to overall improved water quality.
SEDIMENT
Until the study of the removal of the currently contaminated sediments is
completed, it is not possible to make any assessment of the effectiveness of
any remedial program to correct sediment pollution.
FISH
If the water quality continues to improve and if the contaminated
sediment is removed, the fish population in the area should become healthier
and less contaminated.
GENERAL
Significant progress has been achieved in the last ten years in improving
the water quality in the river basin. In the early 1970's, Field's Brook was
a sterile watercourse because of large discharges of chlorine in addition to
the chlorinated organic compounds and residues from the titanium dioxide
refining processes. In 1980, the major problems were corrected and
pollution-tolerant fish have returned to the lower reaches of Field's Brook
and the stream is meeting Ohio's water quality standards.
The upper reaches of the Ashtabula River are relatively free of pollution
except for infrequent iron, lead, and phenolic violations that are suspected
to be from non-point sources.
The estuary, despite the contaminated sediment, is an important spawning
area for many important Lake Erie fish. Local sport fishermen and the U.S.
Coast Guard report salmonoid migrations and large numbers of white bass in
this segment.
The remaining problems are the residuals problem and need for additional
interpretation of the impact on human health, particularly for the
chlororganics, as well as continuing monitoring to assess the rate that
natural attrition is improving the water quality.
INFORMATION SOURCE
Additional information about environmental conditions and the status of
remedial measures may be obtained from:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216
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