United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of V\
(WH-585)
823N92001a
Number 6
August 1992
Contaminated
Sediments News'
EPA Continues Development of
Sediment Management Strategy
EPA is continuing to develop its national contaminated sediment management
strategy. The strategy is currently being revised to incorporate comments re-
ceived during the past few months. A draft outline of the strategy was widely
circulated for review and public comment in March, and many written comments
were received prior to the close of the comment period on July 15. Three national
fora were also held by EPA to discuss the sediment management strategy and to
receive public comments. The forum topics included national extent and severity
of sediment contamination; federal and state agency cooperation to address the
issue of sediment contamination; and public awareness, education, and outreach
related to the issue of sediment contamination. A revised draft of the sediment
management strategy is expected to be completed this fall, and will be circulated
for internal EPA review before being submitted for Office of Management and
Budget Approval and publication in the Federal Register. For more information
contact Tom Armitage, EPA HQ, at (202) 260-5388.
Sediment Activities
Around the Country
EPA Headquarters
Economic Analysis of SQC on
Dredging Program
OPPE, in conjunction with the Office
of Water, has initiated a study, "Eco-
nomic Analysis of the Benefits and
Costs of Sediment Quality Criteria:
Impacts on the Army Corps of Engi-
neers Dredging Program." This study
will analyze existing data of COE
dredging projects from 1989 to the
present, as well as estimates for
projected projects through 2000, to
determine what percentage of COE
dredging projects would fail the
proposed sediment quality criteria.
Three categories of dredged material
will be evaluated: (1) dredged
material that the COE did not test
because it was deemed to be clean
sediment, (2) COE-tested dredged
material that was considered nontoxic,
and (3) dredged material that was
tested and failed the COE criteria.
OPPE will determine the costs of
current dredging and disposal prac-
tices under the three scenarios and
increased costs due to failure to meet
the criteria. This study is scheduled to
be completed by the end of November
1992. Contact Brett Snyder, EPA-
OPPE, at (202) 260-5610 for more
information.
Sediment Criteria
On June 10-11,1992, presentations
were made to the EPA Science
(continued on p. 2)
Contaminated Sediment
Activities Timeline
September 1-3,1992. 3rd National
Meeting: Water Quality Standards for
the 21st Century. Las Vegas, NV.
Contact Patti Morris at (202) 260-2806.
September 16-18,1992. Tiered
Testing Issues for Freshwater and
Marine Sediments. Washington, DC.
Contact Bev Baker at (202) 260-7037.
September 30-October 2,1992.
International Environmental Dredging
Symposium. Buffalo, NY. Contact
Environmental Education Institute, Inc.,
at (716) 858-6370.
November 7-8,1992. Meeting of
ASTM Subcommittee on Sediment
Toxicology (E47.03). Cincinnati
Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH.
Contact Chris Ingersoll at (314) 875-
5399.
November 8-12,1992. 13th Annual
SET AC meeting. Cincinnati Conven-
tion Center, Cincinnati, OH. Fax (904)
469-9778 or call (904) 469-1500 for
more information.
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Advisory Board (SAB) as part of its
review of the methodology to derive
national sediment criteria and the first
sediment criteria documents. EPA
provided draft sediment criteria
documents, field validation studies,
the criteria development methodology,
supporting documentation, and
presentations on likely uses of sedi-
ment criteria to the committee. The
final report identifying the SAB's
findings is expected in the latter part
of August. A favorable review is
expected, and it is anticipated that the
draft sediment criteria documents will
be distributed for Red Boarder and
public review and comment shortly
after the SAB review is completed.
For more information contact Chris
Zarba, EPA HQ, at (202) 260-1326.
National Inventory for
Contaminated Sites
At both the first and second public
forums on the Draft Contaminated
Sediment Management Strategy, all
EPA program and other Federal
agency representatives supported the
development of a national inventory of
contaminated sediment sites. The
final planning for this inventory is
under way. The completion of a
national inventory of contaminated
sediment sites is one of the major
EPA Sediment Strategy
Forum Proceedings
Proceedings from all three Sedi-
ment Management Strategy Fo-
rums will be available by Sep-
tember 1,1992. Forum attendees
and participants will automati-
cally receive a copy of the pro-
ceedings. Others wishing to re-
ceive a copy of the proceedings
may contact Esther Williams at
(202) 260-7049.
assessment elements of EPA's Draft
Contaminated Sediment Management
Strategy. The purposes of this activity
are (1) to obtain the best possible
near-term assessment of the national
extent and severity of sediment
contamination, (2) to identify areas
that may be contaminated and in need
of further assessment, and (3) to
identify areas with sufficient data to be
characterized as causing high risks or
severe effects so that Agency pro-
grams can target those areas for
appropriate action. For more informa-
tion contact Bev Baker, EPA HQ, at
(202) 260-7037.
Marine and Coastal Enforcement
Training Course
A Marine and Coastal Enforcement
Training Course will be held later this
year. This pilot training course has
been developed primarily to provide
EPA Regional personnel in coastal
States with a
better
understand-
ing of the
enforcement
roles of
EPA, the
U.S. Army
Corps of
Engineers,
and the U.S.
Coast
Guard, as
well as
appropriate
procedures for responding to viola-
tions under the following statutes:
The Marine Protection, Research,
and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) -
Title I
The Clean Water Act (CWA) -.
§§301(h), 402, and 403 (NPDES
permitting of ocean point source
discharges); §311 (oil spills); and
§312 (marine sanitation devices)
The Shore Protection Act (SPA)
The Act to Prevent Pollution from
Ships (APPS) as amended by the
Marine Plastics Pollution Research
and Control Act (MPPRCA).
A fundamental theme of this course is
the importance of interagency team-
work in responding to potential
violations under the statutes listed
above, given the limited enforcement
resources available to each Federal
agency and the need for effective
marine and coastal pollution enforce-
ment programs. For more information
contact Catherine Crane, EPA HQ, at
(202) 260-9177.
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Members of the Baywide Monitoring
Program, a three-part study conducted
by Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota,
FL, are about to publish a report on the
benthic habitat, sediment, and water
quality of Sarasota Bay, FL. The
report describes the collection and
characterization of sediments from
105 stations for heavy metals and
organic contaminants. Preliminary
results indicate elevated levels of lead,
zinc, and copper in sediments depos-
ited at the mouths of large industrial
tributaries and elevated levels of
pesticides and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons in sediments of large,
more urbanized tributaries. For more
information contact Dean Ullock,
Region IV, at (404) 347-1740.
Tampa Bay Estuary Program
An agricultural nonpoint source
proposal developed by the Tampa Bay
Estuary Program, entitled "Agricul-
tural Runoff Treatment for Sediment
Contamination Control in Cockroach
Bay, Florida," was selected to receive
FY92 section 319(h) set-aside funding
in the amount of $400,000. The
(continued on p. 3)
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money will be awarded to the State of
Florida to support final design and
construction of a stormwater treatment
system for agricultural runoff prior to
discharge into Tampa Bay. The
constructed system will consist of a
sediment sump, a detention basin, and
scrubber marshes to remove pesticide-
contaminated particulates. Sediment
and water quality monitoring is also an
important part of the project. For
more information contact Catherine
Fox, Region IV, at (404) 347-1740.
Regional Activities
Region I
Harbor Tunnel
The Massachussetts Department of
Public Works is proposing a $5 billion
project to construct approximately 7
miles of roadways in Boston. In-
cluded in the project is the construc-
tion of an underground "central artery"
to replace an elevated highway that
runs through the City of Boston and a
third Harbor Tunnel under Boston
Harbor to Logan Airport in East
Boston.
This project will result in the genera-
tion of approximately 12 million yd3
of dredged and excavated material.
The disposal of this dredged and
excavated material has been an issue
under discussion for several years.
The surface sediments from Boston
Harbor along the new tunnel align-
ment were determined to be unsuitable
for ocean disposal because of the
toxicity in one test sample and signifi-
cant bioaccumulation of several metals
and organics in the other two test
samples. The underlying native
marine clays were determined to be
suitable for ocean disposal. Most of
the contaminated surface sediments
are being taken to a newly constructed
confined disposal facility located at
Governor's Island adjacent to Logan
Airport. A portion of the contami-
nated sediments will be taken to
Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor,
which is an old landfill historically
used by the City of Boston. Contami-
nated sediments will be deposited in
the landfill and then that layer will be
capped with clean excavated material
from the construction project. Spec-
tacle Island will then be converted into
a park, adding to the Boston Harbor
Islands State Park. The underlying
clean native marine clay is being
disposed of in an ocean dump site
approximately 22 nm offshore in
Massachusetts Bay. For more infor-
mation contact Kym Keckler, Region
I, at (617) 565-4432.
Radioactive Barrel Study
Massachusetts Bay, a largely oceanic
coastal embayment east of Boston
Harbor, has been a depository for a
variety of permitted (and possibly
unpermitted) wastes for the better part
of this century. In particular, the
disposal of industrial/chemical wastes
during the mid-1940's through the
mid-1970's and low-level radioactive
wastes during the 1940's and 1950's
took place at a number of sites
throughout the Bay. Most noteworthy
is the so-called "Industrial Waste Site"
(IWS) located 20 miles east of Boston
in 300 ft of
water. In an
EPA-sponsored
1991 study, the
International
Wildlife
Coalition
estimated that
the most
densely distrib-
uted area of the
IWS contained
about 21,000
containers, half of which still may
have their contents intact.
Recent concerns have been raised by a
number of agencies and environmental
groups regarding the status of these
wastes and their potential effects on
3
the fisheries of Massachusetts Bay, the
ecosystem at large, and public health.
A number of fishermen have retrieved
and redeposited waste containers
during their trawling activities. In one
case, toxic fumes generated from
retrieved barrels caused a
dehabilitating injury to a fisherman
and eventual loss of his boat. U.S.
Representative Gerry Studds has asked
EPA to evaluate all Bay disposal sites
for eligibility under the Superfund
program.
In response to these concerns, EPA
Region I has formed a task force to
address the problem. Its objectives
include:
Perform a records investigation that
includes interviews with dumpers
and fishermen.
Develop a study strategy and public
outreach program.
Plan and coordinate field investiga-
tions to assess potential risks to
public health and the ecosystem.
Assess potential management
options.
Given the lack of records confirming
the types and amounts of wastes and
the actual
location of
eventual dis-
posal, the task
force identified
four broad areas
of the Bay
(totaling more
than 100 mi2) as
possible waste
depositories that
would be
candidates for
further study over the long term.
To date, a total of about 30 mi2 of the
Bay's bottom, including the IWS, has
been mapped for the distribution of
waste containers using side scan sonar
(continued on p. 4)
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and remotely operated vehicles. A
more recent EPA Region I/ERL-
Narragansett study of another more
inshore disposal site (Lightship Survey
Area) indicated a much lower density
of probable waste containers (perhaps
as much as three orders of magnitude
lower than that of the IWS).
Most recently, a multiagency study
collected sediment and animal tissue
(lobster and fish) samples for a variety
of toxics and radionuclides from the
IWS. This cooperative effort included
EPA Region I, Narragansett and
Environmental Monitoring Systems
(Las Vegas) Labs; NOAA; FDA; and
the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries,
Public Health, and Coastal Zone
Management agencies. Preliminary
analysis of one sediment sample
indicated a higher-than-background
presence of Strontium-90, but much
below the level for public concern.
The remaining samples did not exhibit
any radioactivity during safety screen-
ing but will be further analyzed. The
results should be available this fall.
For more information contact Dave
Tomey, EPA Region I, at (617) 565-
4425.
Region II
Decontamination Technology
Demonstration Project
Section 412 of the Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) of 1990
provided for the New York District
Corps of Engineers, in consultation
with EPA Region II, to implement a
decontamination technology demon-
stration project in New York/New
Jersey Harbor. The Corps has been
appropriated $1 million to carry out
the project. The intent of the demon-
stration project is to evaluate a method
of disposing of material dredged from
the harbor region in an environmen-
tally sound manner other than ocean
disposal. The application of decon-
tamination technology will be evalu-
ated for a portion of dredged material
from the harbor that would otherwise
be disposed of at the Mud Dump
ocean disposal site. Potential sites for
future pilot-scale implementation are
currently being assessed. Bench-scale
tests are planned to be performed
using at least three technologies with
selected sediments from the harbor.
Continued funding for this program is
being considered for inclusion in the
WRDA of 1992. For more informa-
tion contact Alex Lechich, Region II,
at (212) 264-1302.
Region IV
Region IV's Contaminated Sediments
Workgroup is currently developing a
Guidance Memorandum on Sediment
Quality Assessment in Wetlands for
use in both Waste and Water Division
Regulatory Programs. The draft
memorandum uses the tiered-testing
approach for determining sediment
quality: sediment chemistry studies
(with recommended chemicals of
concern, methodologies, and detection
limits), followed by acute toxicity and
bioaccumulation studies with appro-
priate species and
test conditions.
The use of in situ
tissue concentra-
tions of fauna and
flora is also dis-
cussed. This
information, along
with other types of
information, (e.g.,
quality of the
wetland), will be
used to help determine the mode of
cleanup to be used, if any, in each
specific wetland case.
The Regional Implementation Manual
of the 1991 Green Book for the
Southeast is nearing completion.
Protocols described in this manual are
already being applied in the assess-
ment of many harbors, including
Wilmington Harbor, NC, and
Canaveral and Fort Pierce Harbors,
FL. Use of the more stringent testing
approach has revealed sediment
quality concerns in Charleston Harbor
and Winyah Bay, SC, and Miami
River, FL. Sampling and testing plans
for both Savannah and Brunswick
Harbors, GA, are currently being
developed for the first time, with
collection scheduled to begin later this
year.
Region IV's Coastal Sediment Quality
Inventory (more than 40,000 records
from NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, and MS)
is now complete, with copies available
for distribution. Evaluation of the
database is currently in progress and
scheduled for completion by October
1,1992. The evaluation, designed to
determine the nature and extent of
coastal sediment contamination in the
Southeast, has recently been expanded
to include information on the types
and loadings of point source contami-
nant discharges. A Contaminated
Fish/Shellfish Tissue Data Inventory is
also under way for use in identifying
areas of concern and as an aide to
States in issuing fish/shellfish con-
sumption advisiories. For more
information contact Catherine Fox,
Region IV, at (404) 347-1740.
Region VI
Region VI is overseeing a special
Supplemental Environmental Project
(SEP) called for in a consent decree
between the City of Houston and EPA.
The consent decree was developed as
an enforcement action in response to
violations of the City's NPDES permit.
A multi-agency oversight committee
has been formed to develop a Scope of
Work for the project. A draft Scope of
Work has been completed and is
presently under review. The emphasis
of the project will be assessment of
toxicity and toxic substances in water
and sediments in tidally influenced
tributaries to the Houston Ship Chan-
nel. The sampling will include wet
weather and dry weather (summer and
winter) conditions. The project will be
(continued on p. 5)
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carried out over a period of about 18
months.
A nonpoint source proposal entitled,
"City of Austin, TX, Proposal for EPA
Contaminated Sediment 319(h) Grant,
Urban Control Technologies" was
selected to receive $400,000 in FY92
funds. The project will include
installation of inlet filters, oil sediment
treatment chambers, and a detention
pond to control toxic sediment con-
taminants entering Town Lake in
Austin, TX. The use of a new and
innovative technology, perforated
aluminum inlet filters, will also be
demonstrated in this project. For more
information on the above projects,
contact Phil Crocker, Region VI, at
(214) 655-7145.
Region IX
Region IX is conducting the following
contaminated sediment-related activi-
ties:
Region IX is working with the Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) San
Francisco District and State of
California regulatory agencies in
San Francisco Bay on draft sediment
testing guidance for Clean Water
Act Section 404 dredged material
disposal. The new draft will include
bioassays, sediment chemistry
method detection limits and evalua-
tion of a reference area around the
Alcatraz disposal site. Agreement
by all of the regulatory agencies is a
significant and major accomplish-
ment for dredged material manage-
ment in San Francisco Bay. For
more information contact Brian
Ross, Region IX, at (415) 744-1979.
Region IX is working with the
Corps San Francisco District to
develop a methods manual for
sediment and water collection,
water, sediment, and tissue testing
and bioassay tests. The manual will
be useful to other Regions and other
sediment-related programs. The
primary contact for this manual is
Richard Stradford, Long-Term
Management Strategy Coordinator,
Corps San Francisco District, (415)
744-3325.
Comments on draft regional testing
agreements for the Ocean Dumping
Program are expected from the
Corps Los Angeles and San Fran-
cisco Districts by the end of August
1992. For more information on
these manuals, contact Patrick
Cotter, Region IX, at (415) 744-
1163.
ORD Activities
ERL-Duluth
Field Verification
ERL-Duluth is continuing field
verification efforts for sediment
quality criteria. At a heavily DDT-
contaminated site in Huntsville, AL,
sediment chemistry, laboratory
toxicology, and benthic community
structure are being evaluated relative
to exposure conditions using the
Equilibrium Partitioning (EP) ap-
proach. A gradient of contamination
was discovered showing some changes
in benthic community structure.
Using Toxicity Identification and
Evaluation (TIE) techniques to assess
the toxicity at the site, ODD and DDE
were also determined to have an
impact on the organisms. The Duluth
lab will conduct tests to develop
toxicity models to determine the
interactive properties of these com-
pounds. These toxicity models will be
used in conjunction with the EP
exposure model to determine the
reasonableness of what is being
observed in the test sediment.
Model Evaluations
ERL-Duluth is continuing to evaluate
models to predict bioavailabiltiy of
metals in sediments. Research is
being conducted on long-term expo-
sures using a sediment-ingesting
organism (oligochaete) to examine
metal bioaccumulation relative to
sediment AVS concentrations or pore-
water metal concentrations.
Contaminated Sediment Database
A database has been established at
ERL-Duluth to determine the reason-
ableness of the sediment quality
criteria with respect to sediment
Sediment Chemistry
Toxicity
Benthic Community
Structure
chemistry, toxicity, and benthic
community structure. Freshwater data
sets that include sediment chemistry,
toxicity, and/or benthic community
structure are still desired.
For more information contact Gary
Ankley, ERL-Duluth, at (218)720-
5603.
ERL-Athens
Sediment Sorption of Basic lonizable
Chemicals
As the scope of the Sediment Quality
Criteria (SQC) Program broadens, the
need for the development of SQCs for
ionizable compounds will undoubtedly
arise. This requires a better under-
standing of the sorptive processes of
these chemicals in sediments because
sorption will significantly affect their
environmental movement, persistence,
and bioavailability. Sorption mecha-
nisms that must be considered for the
(continued on p. 9)
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F
ocus:
Great
Lakes
Development of Dredged
Material Testing Manual
EPA, in conjunction with the Corps, is
developing a regional manual to
determine the suitability of dredged
material for open water disposal. The
Great Lakes Dredging Material
Testing Evaluation Manual will
include standardized test methods for
all Great Lakes dredging projects. The
Region is currently developing five
bioassay tests and one
bioaccumulation test to be used for
effects-based testing in addition to
sediment chemistry. The regional
effort is interacting closely with the
development of a national testing
manual for dredged material disposal
in inland and near coastal waters. For
more information contact Marc
Tuchman, EPA Region V, at (312)
886-0239.
Site Summary Inventory
Over the last 10 to 15 years there has
been an increase in the amount of
sediment data collected, both from
routine ambient monitoring and from
efforts to better define suspected areas
of contamination. To date, no re-
gional effort has been made to compile
all this information into one reposi-
tory. To remedy this situation, Region
V has developed a sediment site
inventory summary. This summary
includes sediment contamination data
from the States of Wisconsin and
Minnesota, as well as the basins of
Lakes Michigan and Superior. Exist-
ing data on sediment chemistry and
any available biological components
(e.g., fish tissue, bioassay) were
collected from over 400 sites. Sum-
mary information on fish consumption
advisories and potential sources of
contamination are also included. A
draft of this pilot inventory is expected
to be out later this month. For more
information contact Marc Tuchman,
EPA Region V, at (312) 886-0239.
Nonpoint Source Sediment
Pilot Projects
EPA has provided funding to three
States (Illinois, Indiana and Wiscon-
sin) to conduct a total of five pilot
nonpoint source sediment contamina-
tion prevention/remediation projects as
part of EPA's National Sediment
Management Strategy. These grants
are managed by the Nonpoint Source
Program within Region V. A brief
summary of each project is provided
below.
Butterfield Creek
Butterfield Creek, located southeast of
Chicago, IL, is contaminated with
metals and organics due to urban
runoff. The Northeastern Illinois
Planning Commission received a grant
from EPA to conduct the following
activities: (1) develop a stormwater
ordinance; (2) construct a sediment/
stormwater control structure within the
Butterfield Creek watershed that will
be used to demonstrate to communities
and developers that the control mea-
sures specified in the ordinance are
implementable; and (3) provide
technical assistance to the communi-
ties within the Butterfield Creek
watershed.
(continued on p. 7)
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Little Lake Butte des Morts
Little Lake Butte des Morts is located
in Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, in the
Lake Michigan Basin, and its sedi-
ments are heavily contaminated with
PCBs. Little Lake Butte des Morts is
a major source of PCBs to the Lower
Fox River and Southern Green Bay,
which have fish and waterfowl con-
sumption advisories posted.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) has initiated a
program called SMART (Sediment
Management and Remediation Tech-
niques) to study approaches and
conduct demonstration projects for
cleaning up contaminated sediments
within the State. Little Lake Butte des
Morts was selected by the Wisconsin
DNR to be one of the first demonstra-
tion projects for the SMART program.
In addition, EPA gave DNR a grant to
develop a remedial investigation and
feasibility study (RI/FS) for Little
Lake Butte des Morts.
Ruck Pond/Cedar Creek
Ruck Pond is located in the Lake
Michigan Basin north of Milwaukee,
WI. The pond's sediments are heavily
contaminated with PCBs, due in part
to discharges from a storm sewer.
Ruck Pond is the upstream source of
PCBs to Cedar Creek, which flows
into the Milwaukee River, a tributary
to Lake Michigan.
The Wisconsin DNR received a grant
from EPA to develop a PCB transport
model to estimate the loading of PCBs
to the Milwaukee River. Results from
this model will provide a basis for
approaching potentially responsible
parties (PRPs) for funding an RI/FS
and the subsequesnt remediation. The
model will also be used in selecting
remediation alternatives, locating
remediation sites, and setting clean-up
goals for PCBs in the Cedar Creek
system.
Starkweather Creek
i> ..ark weather Creek is located in
Madison, WI, in the Lake Monona
Basin. As a result of urbanization, the
creek has received significant pollu-
tion from stormwater and industrial
discharges. Its sediments contain
elevated levels of mercury, zinc, lead,
oil, and grease. The Wisconsin DNR
received a grant from EPA to conduct
a demonstration project for
remediating the sediment contamina-
tion at Starkweather Creek. The actual
dredging of the sediments will be
managed by the City of Madison's
Engineering Department. Approxi-
mately 17,000 yd3 of sediment will be
dredged with a
backhoe, loaded
into lined dump
trucks, and
hauled to a
contained
retention site,
and used as daily
cover at the Dane
County Landfill.
WolfLake
Wolf Lake is located on the Illinois/
Indiana border near Lake Michigan.
The lake's sediments are contaminated
with metals and other contaminants
from nonpoint source runoff from
highways and industrial sites.
The Lake County Soil and Water
Conservation District (LCSWD)
received a grant from EPA for the
demonstration of various BMPs for the
control of shoreline/bank erosion.
Two methods for controlling shore-
line/bank erosion have been selected:
(1) installation of a limestone ^.atc
designed to capture sediment and (2)
installation of limestone blocks along
a 1,000-ft stretch of highly credible
beach.
For information on the above pilot
demonstration projects, contact
Thomas Davenport, EPA Region V, at
(312) 886-0209.
Contaminated Sediment
Activities Funded Under State
Lake Water Quality Assessment
Grants
A variety of contaminated sediment
activities are being conducted by the
six States in Region V which are
partially funded through the U.S. EPA
Lake Water Quality Assessment
grants. These activities range from
compilation of existing sediment data
to sampling and analysis of sediments
for organic and inorganic pollutants,
as well as nutrients. Each state
received Federal LWQA grants of
$60,000 for FY91 -92. One of the
requirements was for the States to
include an inland lake sediment
element valued at $10,000 to $20,000
of the total project costs in their
LWQA workplans. EPA Region V
provided additional guidance which
said that the inland lake sediment
efforts using LWQA-funded grants
should be: 1) consistent with Reigon V
draft Great Lakes sediment monitoring
guidance, 2) used to compile existing
(continued on p. 8)
Sediment Enforcement/Remediation Training
A multimedia training program regarding sediment-related legal
authorities and the methods of employing them to obtain remediation
is scheduled for August 17-19 at Region V. Discussions will include
legal authorities, program and agency strategies, case development
approaches, and ease examples. For more information contact Rick
Nagle, Region V, at (312) 353-8222.
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F
ocus:
Great
Lakes
lake sediment data, and 3) used to
monitor sediments in lakes where data
are inadequate or unavailable or where
contaminated sediments are known or
expected. For more information
contact Linda Hoist, Region V, at
(312) 886-0215.
History of Confined Disposal
Facilities on the Great Lakes
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
authorized to maintain some 131
navigation projects around the Great
Lakes. These projects include harbors
and channels for commerical and
recreational navigation users. In order
to maintain safe navigation depths at
these projects, the Corps dredges
between 4-6 million yd3 of sediments
annually.
Up until the mid 1960's, dredged
material was disposed with economics
as the key concern. This meant
unconfmed, open-water disposal in
most cases. In the mid 1960's, envi-
ronmental concerns were raised about
the degradation of water quality in the
Great Lakes. These concerns prima-
rily focused on the eutrophication of
the lakes, and controls on the
pollutional loadings of nutrients such
as phosphorus and nitrogen. The
practice of open water disposal of
dredgings from polluted harbors and
waterways was criticized and called
into question.
In 1966, the Corps began investigating
the feasibility of using alternate
dispsoal areas at a number of harbors.
In 1967, the corps, in cooperation with
the Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration (the predecessor of US
EPA) initiated a 2-yr pilot investiga-
tion on alternate methods for
dredged material disposal.
This investigation examined
the pollutional status of the
Great Lakes, provided a
detailed look at existing
dredging and disposal
practices, described its
effects of these operations on
water quality, and examined potential
modifications and control measures to
abate environmental impacts. A
variety of disposal alternatives were
investigated, including several innova-
tive treatment technologies. Pilot
projects conducted included the
construction and operation of the first
confined disposal facilities (CDFs) on
the Great Lakes.
The River and Harbors Act of 1970
(PL 91-611, Section 123) authorized
the Corps to construct and operate
confined disposal facilities for pol-
luted dredged
materials on the
Great Lakes. The
Act had specific
requriements for
local sponsors,
and provided that
CDFs be con-
structed to hold
10-years worth of
maintenance
dredgings. It was
presumed that
after 10 years, the
provisions of the
Federal Water
Pollution Control Act would have
produced clean sediments, and future
dredgings would no longer need to be
confined.
A CDF is an upland or in-water
structure constructed solely for the
disposal of contaminated dredged
materials. The Corps has constructed
42 CDFs around the Great Lakes with
16 constructed at upland sites and 26
constructed in water.
Upland CDFs are typically constructed
of earthen dikes or located in existing
8
pits or depressions. In-water CDFs
are generally formed by stone-filled
dikes, and are constructed attached to
the land, breakwaters, or as detached
islands. The size and shape of a CDF
are determined by the required storage
capacity, local site conditions, and the
ultimate use plans of local sponsors.
The siting of a new CDF can be a
controversial and lengthy process.
The primary objective of a CDF
design is to retain as high a percentage
of the sediment particles as practical.
CDFs basically function as settling
basins, with solids retention efficien-
cies greater than 99.9%. Excess water
is discharged through permeable dikes,
over adjustable weirs, or through filter
cells. As a CDF becomes filled, the
dredged materials tend to clog perme-
able dikes and restrict lateral or
vertical movement of water from the
facility.
"Over 60 million yd3 of
contaminated sediments
from the Great Lakes
and its tributaries have
been disposed in CDFs."
The monitoring and management
practices at CDFs are as individual as
the sites and designs. Special studies
which have been conducted at CDFs
include dye tracer tests, biological
monitoring with indigenous and caged
organisms, plant and animal uptake
studies, volatile loss monitoring, and
contaminant loss modeling.
The environmental impacts of CDFs
on the Great Lakes is the subject of
many opinions and theories. An
interagency work group of EPA,
(continued on p. 9)
-------
Corps, and Fish & Wildlife staff
examined the long-term significance
of CDF releases through modeling and
biomonitoring studies between 1985
and 1988. The model studies provided
"order-of-magnitude" estimates of
PCB losses, although biomonitoring
was not able to detect significant PCB
losses.
To date, over 60 million yd3 of con-
taminated sediments from the Great
Lakes and its tributuaries have been
disposed in CDFs. For more informa-
tion contact Jan Miller, COE-North
Central Division, at (312)353-6354.
Public Involvement in the
Great Lakes
Along the Grand Calumet River in
northwest Indiana, there is standing
room only at a meeting to discuss
"dredging, treatment and disposal
options for contaminated sediment as
it affects the Lake Michigan water-
shed."
Why and how has the public gotten so
excited about this issue, not just in the
Great Lakes but along marine coasts
and, increasingly, along other public
waterways as well? Is there a clear
"public involvement model" here that
we can all follow for other complex
environmental issues? The answer is
probably almost as complicated as the
problem itself.
The success of public involvement in
the Great Lakes is due to several
factors:
A ready-made platform or venue
exists within the Great Lakes region
for detailed discussion of this issue.
Those platforms are the public advi-
sory committees assembled to develop
Remedial Action Plans (RAP) for the
43 Great Lakes geographic toxic hot
spots, called "Areas of Concern."
There is also already in place a very
strong network of citizen groups
focusing on environmental protection
through a watershed/ecosystem
approach, both in the Great Lakes and
along North America's marine coasts.
Aino he larger giuups facihuiUiifc
this i ,v ork, through virtually daily
contact, are Great Lakes United, the
Coast Alliance, Great Lakes office of
both the Sierra Club and the National
Wildlife Federation, Environmental
Defense Fund, Natural Resources
Defense Counsel, and the Lake
Michigan Federation.
Working with these groups as "eyes
and ears on the scene" are dozens of
local groups such as the Grand Calu-
met Task Force ,IN, Clean Ocean
Action in Sandy Hook, NJ, and
Coastal Advocates in Oakland, CA.
The U.S. EPA has been willing to
take the time to encourage broad
public involvement from the begin-
ning and throughout two important
processes: 1) the development of
national sediment criteria; and 2) a
Great Lakes-coordinated program
called ARCS(Assessment and Reme-
diation of Contaminated Sediment) to
develop guidance on assessment
techniques and technology evaluation
for contaminated sediment treatment.
In both efforts, both formal and
informal efforts have been made to
include all federal and state agencies
as well as public interest groups,
university researchers, and the regu-
lated community.
An important starting point for coa-
lescing all of these groups was a
binational conference on contaminated
sediment, held in December of 1988,
by the Lake Michigan Federation and
Great Lakes United with support from
both the U.S. EPA and Environment
Canada. Congressman Henry Nowak
(D-NY) was the keynote speaker.
Participants included citizen groups
nationwide, the Corps of Entgineers,
state and local governments, the two
federal environmental agencies,
private engineering consultants and
vendors of sediment technology. For
more information contact Glenda
Daniels, Lake Michigan Federation, at
(312)939-0838.
9
Aniline
Pyridine
(continued from p. 5)
basic ioniz-
able cL-ii >i-
cals (e.g.,
aromatic
amines and
nitrogen-
heterocyclic
compounds)
include
partitioning
through
hydrophobic
interactions, cation or ligand exchange
reactions, and chemical reactions
leading to the formation of covalent
bonds through nucleophilic and/or
oxidative processes. Differentiation
between these processes is necessary,
because in general, sorption through
the formation of covalent bonds with
constitutents of the sediment matrix is
an irreversible process, as opposed to
sorption partitioning or cation ex-
change that can be described by
equilibrium constants.
Studies at ERL-Athens are currently in
progress to determine the sorption
mechanisms of basic ionizable organic
chemicals. Initially, the sorption
kinetics of a series of 2- and 4- substi-
tuted anilines were measured in a
sediment-water system. Removal of
the anilines from the aqueous phase
was fast over the first 24 hours fol-
lowed by a much slower rate of
removal. Furthermore, a general trend
between sorption kinetics and sub-
strate pKa was observed: As the pKa
of the aniline increased, there was an
increase in both the rate and extent of
sorption. Sequential extraction studies
of a sediment treated with 14C-aniline
suggested that hydrophobic partition-
ing and cation exchange processes do
not contribute significantly to the
aniline sorption and that irreversible
sorption through covalent binding to
the organic matter of the sediment
matrix dominates the sorption process.
On the other hand, in similar experi-
ments with 14C-pyridine, a nitrogen
containing heterocycle, the dominant
sorption process was determined to be
-------
cation exchange. In other studies, we
found that the sorption of aniline and
pyridine in a resaturated pond sedi-
ment was independent of pH over the
pH range of 4 to 8.
To provide direct spectroscopic
evidence for covalent binding of the
aromatic amines, 15N NMR was used
to analyze fulvic acid that had been
treated with 15N-aniline. These studies
were conducted in conjunction with
Dr. Kevin Thorn at the USGS labora-
tory in Denver, Colorado. INEPT and
ACOUSTIC 15N NMR spectra exhib-
ited resonances for imine, anilide,
aniline-quinone, and anilino-hydro-
quinone nitrogens in the 15N-aniline-
reacted fulvic acid, providing further
evidence for covalent binding through
nucleophilic addition to carbonyl
moieties. These studies suggest that
aromatic amines will be rendered
highly immobile in sediment-water
systems. For more information
contact Eric Weber, ERL-Athens, at
(404)546-3198.
ASTM Update
The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Subcommittee E47.03 01
Sediment Toxicology met April 28-30,1992, during the 2nd ASTM Symposiu
on Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment in Pittsburgh, PA. Ballot
results were discussed for (1) a revision to E 1383-90 (freshwater invertebrate
toxicity) Annex 4 on Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia, (2) fish bioaccumulation, (3)
sediment design, (4) a revision to E 1367-90 (marine and estuarine amphipod
toxicity) Annex 5 on Leptocheirus plumulosus, (5) a revision to E 1383-90
Annex 5 on Hexagenia sp., and (6) terminology.
The subcommittee discussed the status of additional documents, including: (1)
invertebrate bioaccumulation; (2) polychaete testing; (3) revisions to E 1383-9C
on (a) Tubifex tubifex, (b) mollusks, (c) Dioporeia sp., and (d) Lumbriculus sp;,
(4) bacterial testing; (5) earthworm testing; (6) sediment resuspension; and (7)
Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (TIE) of sediment.
Rick Scroggins discussed the status of two documents being developed by
Environment Canada: Guidance Document for the Collection, Storage, and
Manipulation of Sediments for Chemical Characterization and Biological
Testing and Guidance Document on the Use of Spiked-Sediments for Reference
Toxicity Testing.
The next meeting of Subcommittee E47.03 will be Saturday, November 7, and
Sunday, November 8,1992, before the 13th Annual SETAC meeting at the
Cincinnati Convention Center in Cincinnati, OH. Contact Chris Ingersoll at
(314) 875-5399, or FAX (314) 876-1896, if you would like more information
concerning the activities of the subcommittee.
New Publication
Recently published, Sediment Toxicity Assessment provides information relating to sediment contamina-
tion and its effects on aquatic ecosystems. It presents an integrated ecosystem approach by detailing
effective assessment methods, considerations, and effects on each major component of marine and
freshwater systems, including the benthos, plankton, and fish communities. The approach emphasizes
defining habitat conditions (physical and chemical), toxicant bioavailability, factors influencing toxicity
(lab and field), biomarkers, acute and chronic toxicity, study design, collection methods, and EPA
management strategies. For more information contact Lewis Publishers at (407) 994-0555.
10
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