WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
OIL AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROGRAM SERIES OHM 7106 002
Pesticide Poisoning of Pond Lick Lake, Ohio
Investigation and Resolution
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY •
• OFFICE OF WATER PROGRAMS
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Pesticide Poisoninq_of Pond Lick Lake, Ohio
Investigation and Resolution
June 2 - July 5, 1971
FINAL REPORT
Prepared by
Ryckman, Edgerley, Tomlinson and Associates, Inc
St. Louis, Missouri
under Contract No. 68-01-0045
for
Environmental Protection Agency
Division of Oil and Hazardous Materials
•"Office of Water Programs "
Washington, D. C.
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FOREWORD
This report is one of a program series on the prevention of
and responses to discharges of oil and hazardous materials
into the navigable waters of the U.S. These actions are
carried out under the provisions of Section 11 and 12 of the
Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970 (PL 91-224). Other
reports have discussed topics on the state of the art, pre-
vention techniques and types of materials that may be con-
sidered hazardous polluting substances.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re-
cognized that an immediate response is essential in dealing
effectively with environmental incidents. Therefore, in 1970
a program was organized through the Division of Oil and Haz-
ardous Materials of the Water Programs Office of EPA which
would facilitate a rapid response to hazardous spill emerg-
encies throughout the U.S. The program calls for close co-
ordination between state, federal and private organizations.
In order to minimize the response time, and to supplement EPA
resources, several private contractors have been chosen in
various parts of the country to work with EPA on spills of
oil and other hazardous polluting substances. Ryckman, Edgerley,
Tomlinson and Associates, Inc. (RETA) is one of those contract-
ors chosen to provide on site technical assistance to EPA
during such emergencies.
This report prepared by the contractor describes the efforts
of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in ren-
dering assistance to the State of Ohio in order to combat a
potentially dangerous spill of a pesticide mixture in the
Pond Lick Reservoir near Portsmouth in southern Ohio. The
investigation and resolution of this emergency, as described
in the following report, were directed by the Division of Oil
and Hazardous Materials as On Scene Spill Coordinator, with
the emergency technical assistance provided by the contractor
and the extensive support and able field activities of the
State of Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Dr. C. Hugh Thompson
The Division of Oil and Hazardous Materials
Office of Water Programs
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D. C.
11
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Foreword ii
Table of Contents iii
List of Tables v
List of Figures v
SPILL DEFINITION 1
ACTIVATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL RESPONSE TEAMS 4
Initial Communications . 4
Organization and Personnel 6
INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION 6
Chronological Overivew 6
Treatment Process Selection 9
Treatment System 13
EPILOGUE 22
Unresolved Critical Issues . 22
A. Ecological Recovery of Pond Lick Lake . . 22
B. Alternate Countermeasures 24
Critique of Response Actions and Recommendations . 25
Incident at Shawnee: Its Significance 27
APPENDIX A. CHRONOLOGY OF PROJECT 28
Exhibit A. Statement of Work from
EPA/Washington to RETA
Authorizing Contract
No. 68-01-0045 28
Exhibit B. Chronology 29
Exhibit C. Critical Decisions 29
APPENDIX B. SITUATION REPORTS, ENDRIN/STRYCHNINE
HAZARDOUS POLLUTING SUBSTANCE SPILLS . 38
Situation Report No. 1 39
Situation Report No. 3 59
APPENDIX C. GEOLOGICAL REPORT ... 73
ill
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APPENDIX D. ALTERNATE STRATEGIES CONSIDERED 77
APPENDIX E. TREATMENT SYSTEM 81
Pilot Plant 81
Design of Prototype Plant 84
Construction 89
Operation 91
Notes on Operation of Carbon Filter Plant 98
APPENDIX F. FIELD DATA 108
Sample Location Map 109
Gas Chromatograph Analysis Ill
Fish Bioassay Analysis 114
Temperature Profile, Pond Lick Lake 120
Biological Survey 121
Pilot Plant Data 128
Prototype Plant Data 133
APPENDIX G. NEWS RELEASES 138
IV
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LIST OF TABLES
No. Title
1 Toxicity of Endrin 3
2 Sequence of Events 8
3 Pilot Plant Operating Data 14
4 Typical Treatment Plant Operation 20
LIST OF FIGURES
1 Spill site location and its proximity to
Ohio River 2
2 Watercourses threatened by poison in Pond
Lick Lake 5
3 Project Organization 7
4 Diversion dam and by-pass system installed
at Pond Lick Lake 10
5a Spillway structure of Pond Lick Reservoir 11
5b Temporary dam to cut off flow from influent
stream to Pond Lick Lake 11
6 Broadcasting activated carbon over surface
of lake 12
7 Pilot plant start-up and operation 15
8 Gas chromatograph and Technician 16
9 EPA On Scene Spill Coordinator and
emergency response consultant work on
last minute details of prototype treat-
ment plant 18
10 Placement of activated carbon filter
plant at Pond Lick Lake 19
-v-
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No. Title Page
11 EPA Consultant checks flow of contaminated
lake water into completed activated carbon
filter assembly 21
12 North-South cross section, Pond Lick,
Ohio Region 74
13 East-West schematic 75
14 Isometric schematic of pilot plant 82
15a Pilot plant under construction 83
15b Loading carbon in pilot plant column 83
16 Activated carbon filter for Pond 87
17 Floating support for electric submersible
pump installed to eliminate air bubbles
in the carbon filter 94
18 Spillway of dam and discharge of by-pass
pipe during heavy rain 96
19 Pona Lick Reservoir sample points 110
-vi-
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PESTICIDE POISONING OF POND LICK LAKE, OHIO
INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION
June 2 - July 5, 1971
SPILL DEFINITION
Pond Lick Reservoir is located in the Shawnee State Forest
approximately ten miles southwest of Portsmouth, Ohio and
125 miles east of Cincinnati on the Ohio River. (See Figure
1.) At one time it served as a reservpir for an honor camp
of the Ohio penal system until that facility was closed down
several years ago. With boating and fishing permitted, the
reservoir presently serves as a popular recreational site
within Shawnee State Park. The lake is about 1,000 feet long
and 250 feet wide at its widest point, with regular shores
and no swamps. A watershed of about 4.5 square miles drains
into the lake, which is about 35 feet deep at its deepest
point, with an average depth of about 15 feet.
On June 2, 1971 approximately one gallon of a mixture of a
concentrated pesticide solution and strychnine-treated corn,
which is often used for rodent control, was deliberately
dumped into the lake.2 Although the pesticide poison was
contained in a plastic gallon container which apparently
floated on the lake for a period of time, it eventually con-
taminated the lake and within days killed the lake wildlife,
including an estimated 3,400 sunfish, carp, blue gills, and
other fish together with numerous frogs, snakes, and other
aquatic life. The plastic gallon container was eventually
recovered from the lake by the State of Ohio. The pesti-
cide was determined to be an 18.6% Endrin wettable emulsion
with a petroleum hydrocarbon content of 73% and an inert con-
tent of 8.4%. The wettable Endrin emulsion rapidly goes into
suspension in water; by the time the spill was discovered,
the Endrin had mixed with all the surface waters of the lake.
The measured Endrin concentration^ of greater than 9 parts
per billion (ppb) in the lake water is consistent with the
estimated lake volume (approximately 15 million gallons) and
the assumed magnitude of the spill. In the absence of normal
Also referred to as Pond Lick Lake and Shawnee Lake.
2
Later a suspect was arrested and held in $3000 bail on
charges of destroying state property and wildlife.
As discussed below, the concentration varied with depth
and was significantly less below the thermocline.
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SPIU.SITE PORTSMOUTH
X
OHIO RIVER
Figure I - Spill site
location and its prox-
imity to Ohio River.
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rains, the relatively low flow rate of Pond Lick Creek, which
was approximately 20 gallons per minute in the days following
the spill, ensured that by the time EPA was contacted and
emergency cleanup operations began several days later, the
poison was still largely confined to the lake. Nevertheless
by June 10, eight days following the spill, all the fish up
to a distance of two-tenths of a mile downstream from the
lake were killed and noticeable toxic effects in fish and
other aquatic life up to a distance of six-tenths of a mile
downstream were noted. Beyond that distance the aquatic
life was apparently normal.
The strychnine (0.05 - 1.0%) that was spilled with the Endrin
was in an insoluble form on dried corn. It was not s mat-
ter of great concern in the incident because it was not pre-
sent in large concentrations and strychnine readily breaks
down when exposed to sunlight. Endrin, however,, is one of
the most toxic and persistent of the chlorinated hydrocar-
bons, and was present in concentrations considered to be •,
toxic to humans, and deadly to fish and other aquatic life"1'
and wildlife, as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1
TOXICITY OF ENDRIN
Species
P. Calif ornica
P. Pulex
Blue gill
Gammarus Lacustris
0,8
20.0
0.2
4.7
10 mg/kg
3 mg/kg
7 mg/kg
14 mg/kg
Dog
Monkey
Rabbit
Quail
(1) "iReport oj[ theT Committee on_
FWPCA, 1968.
(2) McKee and Wolf, Water Quality^ Criteria, 2nd ed
Sacramento, California.
For example TL1QO for blue gills is 0,6 ppb (96 hours)
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The extreme toxicity of Endrin is compounded in seriousness
by two important facts: (1) it does not degrade rapidly
and, in fact, may persist in an aquatic environment for as
long as ten years; and (2) it is subject to "biological
magnification" in the aquatic food chain. That is, even
if it were present in vastly diluted concentrations from
that found in the lake, which could happen if it were
allowed to continue downstream, primary producers and pre-
dator organisms can concentrate the poison in their bodies
to a high degree by feeding upon other organisms that have
picked up lesser amounts of the Endrin poison. In this way
aquatic life such as catfish might pick up levels of Endrin
in their bodies that exceed Federal Drug Administration
standards for human consumption even though the aquatic en-
vironment contains only trace amounts of Endrin.
ACTIVATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL RESPONSE TEAMS
Initial Communications
When the spill was discovered, officials of the Ohio Depart-
ment of Natural Resources were concerned by the proximity of
Pond Lick Lake to the Ohio River. As shown in Figure 2, the
lake is less than 10 miles from the Ohio River. The spill
thus posed a potential threat to the river. Because of the
potential magnitude of the problem, on June 10 the Department
of Natural Resources asked the Chicago office of EPA for
assistance. Because the threat to the Ohio River was suf-
ficiently great to require EPA assistance in the incident,
Mr. Angell Sidio of the National Field Investigative team of
the Cincinnati office of EPA reported to the site on June 10.
Dr. C. Hugh Thompson, Division of Oil and Hazardous Materi-
als of EPA/Washington was informed of the spill on June 12.
Due to the imminent and substantial threat to the Ohio River,
the Emergency Response Contractor, Ryckman, Edgerley, Tom-
linson and Associates (RETA) was activated to provide im-
mediate on-site technical assistance to determine the ade-
quacy of the measures already implemented by the State and
to suggest alternate countermeasures. In addition, the con-
tractor was asked to provide technical advice to Mr. Sidio
and other EPA personnel on-site, and to undertake limited
downstream observations and photographs necessary to prepare
an incident report dealing with the causes, effectiveness
of counter measures, timeliness of response, short-term and
long-term effects of the spill and steps that may be taken
in the future to prevent such a spill incident.
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Ul
THREATENED WATERCOURSE
Figare 2 - Watercourses
threatened by poison in
Pond Lick Lake.
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Organization and Personnel
The organization and management of this project is depicted
schematically in Figure 3. The diagram illustrates the work-
ing relationship between the State of Ohio, the United States
Environmental Protection Agency and the Emergency Response
Contractor.
William B. Nye, Director of the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources, was ultimately responsible for the success of the
project. Through his efforts, adequate manpower was made
available for all tasks. Dr. C. Hugh Thompson, Chief, Haz-
ardous Materials Branch of the Division of Oil and Hazardous
Materials, EPA/Washington, directed the teams organized to
efficiently resolve the hazardous spill emergency. The emer-
gency contractor, RETA, as advisor to the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, provided immediate on-site technical exper-
tise.
INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION
This section presents (1) a broad overview of the project
through a brief chronological tabulation of events; (2) a
description of key events leading to the selection of the
design, construction, start-up and operation of the treatment
plant.
Chronological Overview
Table 2 outlines the daily activities of key personnel of the
State of Ohio, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,
and the Emergency Response Contractor. Table 2 is an attempt
to illustrate some of the interactions that occurred during
the incident from the initial spill of the Endrin to notifica-
tion and activation of the State/Federal response team and sub-
sequent design, construction, and operation of the prototype
treatment plant. The sequence of events for each day are
listed under the group most responsible for them. By studying
the chart, the progress of the project can be followed and the
contributions of each team member ascertained.
Further elaboration of the chronological events with em-
phasis on project initiation and activation and the critical
decisions which controlled the direction of action by the
team, is presented in Appendix A, Chronology of_ Project.
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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
STATE OF OHIO
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
W, NYE/ DIRECTOR
NATIONAL
FIELD
INVESTIGATIVE
TEAM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
A, SIDIO
EPA
REGION V
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
FIELD OFFICE
WHEELING/ VI, VA,
R, B, GRIFFITH
DIV, OF OIL AND
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
K, E, BIGLANE, DIRECTOR
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
BRANCH
C, H, THOMPSON, CHIEF
FIELD OFFICE
EVANSVILLE, IND,
D, H, STOLTENBERG
DIVISION OF
WILDLIFE
D, ARMBRUSTER
E, RIDGE
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
CONTRACTOR
G, M, BARSOM, RETA
PROJECT MANAGER
S, J, RYCKMAN, RETA
FIELD MANAGER
DIVISION OF
WATER
A, WALKER
H, EAGAN
OHIO STATE
UNIVERSITY
GAS
CHROMATOGRAPH
D, HOWARD
ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR
D, MEEKER
CHIEF
ENGINEER
J, SWARTZMILLER
FIGURE 3 -- PROJECT ORGANIZATION
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OHIO
EPA
D C*1*A
RETA
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Wed. (Thursday
June 2 | June 10
Poison IDNR asks
dumped ii
lake in
Ohio
i EPA for
assis-
tance
EPA
notified
National
Field
Team to
scene
Friday
June 11
Spillway
dammed
Bioassay
Fish die
2 hours
G. G.
sample
to Cinn.
Dam
spillway
Sat.
June 12
Diversio
dam
s tarted
Activate
Carbon o
lake
C. H.
Thompson
notified
Informa-
tfor,
gathered
National
Field
Investi-
gative
Team in-
put to
Hazard-
ous
Material
Branch
RETA
notified
Accepts
job
Sunday
June 13
Finish
diversio
sion dam
Begin
by-pass
Raise
Sandbags
Post
guard
around
lake
Bioassay
& Chem-
ical
analyses
Stream
damage
survey .
Suggest
stop
using
wells in
area.
RETA to
field
from
Dayton &
St .Louis
Assess
damage
Recom-
mend no
more
carbon
Monday
June 1U
Raised
dam
Built
by-pass
Set up
pumps
Depth
sample s
taken,
temper-
ature
profile
C. H.
Thompson
receives
report
Prepared
situa-
tion
report,
Tuesday
June 15
Formal
assis-
tance
request
sent to
EPA
W. Nye,
meets
CHT in
travel
to site
CHT to
Columbus
meets
with DNR
travels
to site
CHT de-
cides
pilot
plant
needed
Compre-
hensive
sampling
program
reques-
ted
Design
Pilot
Plant ,
start
delivered con-.
to CHT
Second
report
sent
struc-
tion
Wed.
June 16
Power in
stalled
at dam
W. Nye
locates
G. C. at
O.S.U.
Build
pilot
plant
CHT
attempts
to lo-
cate EPA
carbon
filter
plants.
All are
in use
CHT
works to
find GC
Build
pilot
plant
Pilot
Plant
Opera-
tion
begun at
Thursday
June 17
- 2:a.m.
G. C.
arrives
at dam
with
D. Howart
Telephon<
installed
at site
2 a.m.
CHT, D.
Howard
set up
G.C.
Results
at lOa.m
pilot
plant
working
CHT
locates
tank for
proto-
type
plant
Dec ides
to build
proto-
type
based on
pilot
plant
success
Operate
and
sample
pilot
plant
Begin
design
calcula-
10: 30p.m. t ions on
prbto-
tvpe
J r
plant
Friday
June 18
G.C.
analysis
shows
good
pilot
plant
opera-
tion
Build
proto-
type
plant
6 a.m.
Repairs
Pilot
Plant
CHT
directs
con-
struc-
tion of
proto-
type
Detailed
Construc-
tion
descrip-
tion by
SJR
Sat.
June 19
Complete
proto-
type
plant
Construe
tion con'
tinues
Plant in
opera-
tion
5:30 p.m
Air
bubbles
in fil.
ter
cause
problems
shut
down
proto-
type
plant
Sunday
June 20
Modify
filter
Dave
Howard
briefed
on safety
Dave
Howard
briefed
on safety
Modify
filter
CHT
leaves
Dave
Stolten-
berg in
charge
Modify
filter
Restart
Monday
June 21
State to
pick up
as EPA
pulls
out
Filter
Modifi-
cations
with
state
Need for
24 hour
opera-
tors
noted
\fed.
June 23
Electric
submer-
sible
pump
ordered
to stop
air
bubbles
Opera-
ting &
emer-
gency
proceed-
ure
instruc-
tions
created
Thur sday
June 2t
Slectric
"ump
Operation
2:-30 p.m.
No air
in filter
Friday
June 25
Heavy
rain,
lake
level
rises
18"
Confer-
ence CHT
about
heavy
rain
condi-
tions
fl
Sat.
June 2 6
Condi-
tions
stabi-
lized
Con-
struc-
tion of
emer-
gency
spillway
filter
begins
HBLE 2
Monday
June 28
Filter
and
spillway
filter
operate
to *»00
GPM
KEY:
DNR Ohio Department of
Natural Resources
EPA Federal Environmental
Protection Agency
RETA Ryckman, Edgerley,
Tomlinson, & Associates
CHT Dr. C. H. Thompson
SJR S. J. Ryckman
G.C. Gas Chromatograph
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Treatment Process Selection
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources undertook the pro-
ject under the leadership of William B. Nye, whose objective
throughout was to handle the project in the best interests
of the citizens of Ohio and cleanse the lake as quickly as
possible. The Ohio team initiated the critical first step
of isolating the reservoir. They accomplished this by sand-
bagging the spillway, building an earth diversion dam up-
stream from the lake, and providing two 2,500 GPM pumps and
10 inch aluminum piping to enable Pond Lick Creek to bypass
the now isolated reservoir (see Figures 4, 5a and 5b). The
dam was completed Sunday night, June 13, 1971, and the pump-
ing system was completed on Monday, June 14. The bypass
system was a temporary one designed to protect the lake if
rain occurred in the area. Because of its limited capacity
in the event of a heavy rain, Ohio officials stressed the
need for a quick cleanup action. Bags of activated char-
coal were added to the spillway to cleanse the seepage and
a pump was added in the downstream stilling basin to pump
the seepage back into the reservoir.
The first EPA support to arrive on the scene was the National
Field Investigative Team (NFIT) from Cincinnati. Together
with the Ohio group they first attempted to reduce the con-
centration of Endrin in the reservoir by broadcasting appro-
ximately 6,800 pounds of 40 mesh granular activated charcoal
(see Figure 6). The method had the advantages of being quick,
easy and inexpensive, and it achieved a limited reduction in
Endrin concentration. However, subsequent investigation
showed that for the type of activated carbon available, the
contact time, that is, the time before the activated carbon
settled to the lake bottom, was insufficient to reduce the
Endrin concentration to tolerable levels. Furthermore, un-
less subsequently removed, the Endrin could adversely effect
the benthos or desorb from the carbon into the lake water.
The Emergency Response Contractor made a systematic investi-
gation of the extent of the contamination, the effects, the
topographic characteristics pertinent to a solution of the
problem, and a study of possible countermeasures. On the spot
observations were collected and issued in a series of situa-
tion reports on June 14 through June 18, for the use of the
men working at the site, for EPA information, and for later
use as documentation (see Appendix B).
Upon arrival at the site on Sunday, June 13, the Contractor
reviewed and agreed with Ohio's plans for the diversion dam
and pumping system and recommended increasing the height of
the sandbags on the spillway. The Contractor also suggested
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DIVERSION DAM
H
O
oh—VALVE BOH
U—ORIGINAL DAM
SPILLWAY
STILLING WELL
BY-PASS PUMPS
FIGURE 4
DIVERSION DAM AND BY-
PASS SYSTEM INSTALLED
AT POND LICK LAKE
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Figure 5a - Spillway structure of Pon
Note sandbagc md
of activated ca
from contar.
Fiqure 5b -
;...*orary dam to cu
s upstream
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Figure 6 -
Broadcasting activated carbon over surface
of lake in an early attempt to remove
Endrin from the water. (Courtesy Ports-
mouth Times)
12
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to NFIT that the public be kept away from the area. NFIT
advised the state and officials implemented the quarantine
later in the day Sunday.
An initial concern was the possible contamination of ground
water, and nearby wells in particular. The Department of
Natural Resources, Division of Water, provided the Contractor
with well logs and basic information which enabled rapid re-
porting on the geology of the area. This information showed
that a 40 foot thick layer of impermeable shale separated
the lake from ground water, andj that ground water in the
area was very poor. Many drilled wells are dry or provide a
flow of less than five gallons,per minute. It was concluded
that it was unlikely that any ground water contamination
would occur unless the entire:lake were to drain to the Ohio
River flood plain at one timef The flood plain contains
aquifers which are potential!^ very good sources of water.
These aquifers might be endangered by either a rapid dis-
charge of the water or activity such as landfilling bottom
material scraped from the lake. A complete geological de-
scription of the region surrounding Pond Lick Reservoir is
presented in Appendix C.
Treatment System
Next, and most importantJ it was essential to devise an
effective means of eliminating the Endrin contamination.
The countermeasures which were proposed and discussed are
presented in Appendix D. However, the method of treating
the lake water by running it through an activated carbon
contact bed seemed most attractive. Because of the earlier
failure of carbon to significantly reduce the Endrin concen-
tration, the EPA Oij Scene Spill Coordinator (OSSC) made the
decision on June 15, 1971, to construct and operate a pilot
plant to determines
a. the ability of carbon to remove Endrin and pro-
duce an effluent non-toxic to aquatic life.
b. the absorptive capacity of activated carbon for
Endrin.
c. the necessary loading rates for proper carbon con-
tact and Endrin absorption.
d. how to best construct the filter system.
e. whether a pre-filter was needed to remove suspended
material.
13
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The Emergency Response Contractor designed the pilot plant
based upon rough sketches provided by the EPA On Scene Spill
Coordinator (OSSC) and aided the Ohio workers in building the
plant on the night of June 15. The plant was in operation by
the afternoon of the next day, June 16. The pilot plant
installed on the dam is shown undergoing adjustments in
Figure 7.
In order to optimize operation of the pilot plant, it was
necessary to monitor the Endrin concentration influent and
effluent to the process. The only available analytical
instrumentation was located in the EPA Cincinnati labora-
tories. This was inadequate to properly optimize the pilot
plant performance because of the several days delay involved
in transporting the sample to Cincinnati. In order to al-
leviate this constraint, the OSSC initiated an intensive
nation-wide search to locate a portable gas chromatograph
and operator that could be flown to the spill site. The
OSSC search, which began on June 13, was successfully con-
cluded on June 16 by the State of Ohio following a lead of
the OSSC. The Ohio State University instrument was trans-
ported to the site and set up in an old CCC camp kitchen which
was quickly converted into a laboratory. With the OSSC's help,
the operator1 calibrated the chromatograph and placed it in
operation in the early hours of June 17, 1971 (see Figure 8).
TABLE 3
PILOT PLANT OPERATING DATA
Endrin Concentration (pjDb)
Influent
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
6.66
Effluent
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.050
0.050
Flow
gpm
3.7
3.3
7.5
7.3
1.1
7.0
7.0
5.7
Hours of
Operation
0
1
2
3
4
5
10
11
40
Gallons
Treated
0
220
420
870
1,340
1,410
3,550
3,970
13,880
David Howard, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Biology
Ohio State University. J
14
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Figure 7 - Pilot plant start-up and operation.
15
-------
Figure 8 - Gas chromatograph and technician are
pressed into vital analytical work
on site within 6 hours after arrival
on scene. (Courtesy Portsmouth Times)
16
-------
Based on the success of the pilot plant as shown by the data
in Table 3, the OSSC decided to see if enough equipment was
available to construct a large scale treatment plant based
on the design parameters verified by the pilot plant. By a
search of EPA resources, the OSSC was able to locate a large
cypress box built for a research project in water treatment
methods. This container was of a suitable size for the Pond
Lick treatment plant and the OSSC and Shawnee State Park per-
sonnel 1 were able to arrange immediate shipment of the box
on Thursday night, June 17. The treatment system design was
completed Thursday night and construction began at dawn Friday,
June 18. Figure 9 shows the construction in progress. By
Saturday evening the filter was finished and placed in opera-
tion. Several operational difficulties were discovered and
corrected by design modification and operation over the next
week.
Two types of trouble plagued the plant: first, fine carbon
particles were washed out of the filter and were trapped by
the material forming the top of the filter, which was a com-
bination of vermiculite, clay and cloth. This was corrected
by replacing the top with a wire screen assembly. The second
problem was that of air drawn into the suction side of the
supply pump which was a converted military fire pump. The
air bubbles disturbed the carbon bed and allowed Endrin to
short circuit untreated. This was reflected in effluent read-
ings from the treatment plant, which is presented in great
detail in Appendix F. The final solution to this problem was
the installation of a submersible electric pump in the lake on
June 23. The placement of the activated carbon filter plant
is depicted schematically in Figure 10.
To increase the rate of treatment a second, gravity operated
filter was built by damming the lower end of the spillway
and letting water flow up through a bed of carbon in the bot-
tom of the spillway near the stilling well. A treatment rate
of about 400 gpm was maintained since early July using this
scheme. Samples were taken regularly from the stilling well
and analyzed by gas chromatography. If the Endrin level ex-
ceeded a value of 0.4 ppb in this pool, emergency procedures
outlined in Appendix E, Notes on Operation Section, were put
into effect. Table 4 below includes typical operation data
for the pressure filter. More complete data is collected in
Appendix F, Field Data. Figure 11 shows an Emergency Response
engineer evaluating the flow and performance of the completed
and installed filter assembly.
Mr. Everett Ridge, District Supervisor, Department of
Natrual Resources, State of Ohio, and his staff.
17
-------
Figure 9 - T'' 'tor s
emergem sulta:
details of protot-
•; to 1
filter undergoes modification by
orkers a- ick Lake.
(Courtesy Portsmouth Times)
-------
DIVERSION 0AM
BY-PASS PUMPS
VALVE BOX
J^-ORIGINAL DAM
ELEC. SUBMERSIBLE PUMP
QMD-bf^K
LAKE
-—SPILLWAY
STILLING WELL
LOW METER
CARBON FILTER BOX
FIGURE 10
PLACEMENT OF ACTIVATED
CARBON FILTER PLANT
AT POND LICK LAKE
-------
TABLE 4
TYPICAL TREATMENT PLANT OPERATION
Date
6/19
6/20
6/20
6/21
6/22
* 6/24
6/24
6/24
6/25
Endrin Concentration (ppb)
Lake
3.8
7.2
9.0
6.15
7
7
Effluent
0
0
0.063
0.100
.65
.1
.03
.2
.28
Flow Rate Number of
Hours in
(gpm) Operation
47
91
198
115
118
168
168
178
169
0
13.5
23.5
38.5
63
69
75.5
86.5
90.5
* Submersible electric pump placed in operation
20
-------
Figure 11 - EPA consultant checks the flow of con-
taminated lake water into the completed
activated carbon filter assembly. Filter
was placed in operation one week after
EPA was notified of spill. (Courtesy
Portsmouth Times)
21
-------
EPILOGUE
The dispatch with which the State of Ohio, the U. S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency and the Emergency Response Contractor
investigated and resolved the hazardous spill emergency at
Pond Lick Lake is a credit to the scientific and engineering
capabilities and manpower and resource mobility of each or-
ganization. The cleanup and removal of Endrin proceeded
carefully, thus eliminating any threat to the Ohio River and
the surrounding populace.
During and following any such operation, however, certain
improvements, modifications and unresolved issues become
evident; these bear great significance for the future re-
solution of emergencies such as the incident at Shawnee.
The following briefly summarizes those critical yet unresolved
issues as well as suggested improvements to incident control
procedures.
Unresolved Critical Issues
During the crisis period, several issues were raised which
were discarded in favor of other alternatives. Some of
these issues need to be focused upon for their value and use
in preventing and controlling future incidents.
A. Ecological Recovery of Pond Lick Lake
It appears from the available information that the long-term
ecological damage resulting from the strychnine will be mini-
mal. Endrin, however, is a highly toxic chlorinated hydro-
carbon pesticide with high toxicity to both fish and mamma-
lian forms. Although it is a stereo isomer of Dieldrin, it
differs from Dieldrin in that it has higher acute toxicity,
it is more rapidly metabolized in plant and animal tissues,
and it does not appear to be a persistent insecticide in
vertebrates.1 For this reason, it is possible that problems
with biological magnification will be less with Endrin than
would be the case with other chlorinated hydrocarbon pesti-
cides .
In order to adequately assess these problems, it will be nec-
essary to determine the present chemical, physical and biolo-
gical characteristics of the tributaries into and out of the
lake as well as the lake itself and the Endrin concentrations
in water, mud, and the aquatic food chain over a period of
at least one year.
Shell Technical Bulletin, Summary of Basic Data for
Technical Endrin, Shell Chemical Company, San Romon, California
and Jager, K.W., Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin and Telodrin,
Elsevier Publishing Company, New York, 1970, p. 86.
22
-------
Prior to the implementation of either the limited survey or
the complete evaluation, it will be necessary to conduct pre-
liminary studies to determine the overall nature of the phy-
sical environment and the biological community in order to
best locate sampling sites and to determine those parameters
which are most significant. A complete evaluation should be
conducted according to the following outline.
I. Sampling Locations: Total of 8 locations; one above
lake, two within lake, three in Pond Lick Run, two on
Turkey Creek. Care must be taken to assure that the
stream sites selected comprise similar aquatic habitats
whenever possible.
II. Frequency of Sampling: Total of 6. One immediately
after selection of permanent sites, one within one
month, quarterly for a period of 1 year.
III. Determinations at Each Site:
A. Pesticides: Analyses for pesticides should include
determination of other chlorinated hydrocarbons as
well as Endrin since this will provide available
background information and does not greatly increase
the time or cost involved in analyses.
1. Water: From each stream station and during
periods of stratification, from two to three
depths within the lake.
2. Fish: At each site as available for major species,
3. Bottom Sediments: At each site.
4. Periphyton and/or Macroinvertebrates: Nature
of these samples will depend on the nature of
the aquatic communities present.
B. Chemical: The nature of chemical analyses to be
routinely conducted depends on the quality of the
water in the lake and its tributaries, and the
nature of any pollutants which may be present.
Routine analyses such as D.O., pH, Alkalinity,
Hardness, Phosphate, Nitrate, Ammonia, and B.O.D.
should be carried out.
C. Biological: Biological studies should be conducted
at each site. In addition to the specific studies
described below, observations of other organisms and
communities should be made during each sampling per-
iod in order to determine if additional effects of
the Endrin pollution are evident and the overall
pattern of recovery of the aquatic community.
23
-------
1. Benthic Organisms: Samples will be taken at
lake stations with a dredge suitable for the
bottom type in question. Stream samples will
be taken with a dredge or Surber sampler. The
kinds and numbers of organisms present will be
determined. Samples from similar habitats will
be compared for composition, number and diversity.
2. Plankton: Samples for plankton studies will
be collected and concentrated by means of the
plankton centrifuge and examined to determine
the kinds (to genus) and numbers of organisms
present.
3. Periphyton: At each site, if available, for
composition only.
4. Fish: At each site if possible. Collections
will be made by seine hauls, gill nets or shock-
ing, depending on conditions. Determinations
as to kinds, numbers, and age class should be
made.
B. Alternate Countermeasures
Several promising alternate treatment schemes were proposed
but ruled out due to the lack of reliable design information
in the literature or immediate feasible implementation.
These alternate countermeasures are presented in great detail
in Appendix D. Some of these, such as barging the poisoned
water to sea, would be too expensive to consider seriously,
but several materials were proposed for in-place treatment
of the lake. Powdered activated carbon, fly ash, bentonite,
and topsoil or peat were mentioned for this purpose. Simple
jar tests performed at the site could have established the
usefulness of any or all of these materials if reliable de-
sign and scale-up factors existed in the literature. The
economics of each of these alternatives appears to be extre-
mely favorable and should be compared with the activated car-
bon filter system built. Since the geological report showed
no likelihood of ground water contamination, a system of sink-
ing the Endrin to the bottom might be desirable.
An issue which was to be resolved was what should be done with
bottom muds containing Endrin. If the sides were scraped per-
haps the best place to put the muds is in the bottom of the
lake. The bottom could be sealed with a layer of bentonite
or fly ash. Perhaps these materials would absorb any Endrin
which desorb from the muds. Resolution of this issue would
relate to the ecological recovery program presented above.
24
-------
The last, and perhaps most important issue, is the alternate
method proposed which would let the lake recover naturally,
Allowing natural recovery would not only be inexpensive, with
the cost dependent upon monitoring used, but it would be extre-
mely useful in gaining knowledge of how recovery occurs so
that predictions could be made about a larger lake or river
which could not be treated. The remoteness and geological
isolation of this lake made it an ideal area for study.
Critique of Response Actions and Recommendations
During the course of the emergency spill cleanup operation, it
was recognized that certain improvements and modifications
could be made to the spill incident control procedures. These
suggestions are presented as follows:
1. Working within existing state organizations, all states
should designate an Oil and Hazardous Materials Branch with
responsibility to coordinate state response and to interface
with U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs and
On Scene Spill Coordinators.
2. Correspondence and lines of communication should be
opened between these State agencies and the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency. This project required a great deal of co-
operation between State, Federal, and private individuals to
accomplish the objective of removing the Endrin as expediti-
ously as possible. Without cooperation the project could not
have succeeded. Under conditions such as these a close work-
ing rapport is necessary in the field.
3. A Spill Response Notebook or Damage Assessment Manual
should be developed by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,
for distribution and use by various concerned agencies and
organizations.
4. These notebooks, along with an explanation of the full
breadth of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency program
should be presented in a series of seminars to the designated
State teams.
5. Field Preparedness Package
To allow rapid mobilization of the Emergency Response Contractor,
a field preparedness package should be maintained by the con-
tractor at all times. This unit would contain: slide rule,
notebooks, engineering handbooks, Damage Assessment Manual,
and Polaroid camera. The field preparedness package should
possibly contain sampling equipment and containers similar to those
25
-------
used by the Contractor. These containers allow refrigerated
samples to be sent by air anywhere in the world simply by using
insulation material. This field preparedness package is not
thought of as a complete portable lab, but rather a "first-aid
kit" which will make the initial response a more efficient
operation.
6. Manpower Scheduling
In an emergency such as that created by a spill of Endrin
there is an optimum number of personnel to send to the site
to effect remedial action. The area affected by the spill
and the degree of danger to humans, wildlife, and livestock
in the area will dictate the level of manpower required and
the duration of their stay. The Contractor recommends that
one senior level engineer or principal representing the
Emergency Response Contractor and one Project Officer repre-
senting the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency be dis-
patched to the scene prior to authorization of support ser-
vices. Based upon their review and on-site evaluation, the
level of technical response should be authorized. To support
the response team on significant spills, one clerical level
person should also be sent. This person will be available
to answer telephones, relay messages, type, and correlate the
field notes of the professionals.
7. Effective Coordination and Project Communication
a. To effectively assess the damage caused by a spill
of this nature, the Emergency Response Contractor
operates in two areas. The field team on site re-
lies heavily on the activities of the home office
staff for support information. This is a good con-
cept but to work efficiently, it requires excellent
communications; thus the suggestion above for cleri-
cal support in the field. Limited telephone faci-
lities in the field and large distances between the
phones and the site of the spill made communication
at Pond Lick Lake unreliable. In the event of
future spill incidents, the telephone company
should be requested to immediately install adequate
telephone service at the field site, or portable
equipment, i.e., radios, etc. EPA should plan for
these devices in future remote areas.
b. Release of information to the public should be
handled in a manner which will dispel rumors and
misconceptions. This can be most effectively
26
-------
accomplished by establishing an on-site press
office manned by designated EPA and State offi-
cials. The Contractor should have no contact with
the press unless the OSSC asks for assistance or
approves a press release.
Incident art Shawnee: Its Significance
The importance of the unresolved critical issues and the sug-
gested improvements to the incident control procedures can-
not be underestimated. In retrospect, however, these are
relatively minor concerns. The element most crucial to the
resolution of the problem was the human response which the
emergency spill necessitated. A basic concern for the health
and welfare of the populace in the surrounding area motivated
the initial efforts of the State of Ohio and the subsequent
actions taken by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the Emergency Response Contractor. It is essentially
this human element which led The Portsmouth Times' to say:
"We can take great pride in the response of the many agencies
concerned with clearing the lake of the poison. We can take
pride in the fact that the discovery came early enough to
prevent harm to persons who use the lake. We can take pride
in the efforts of every individual concerned with the action
in any way."
1 The Portsmouth Times, Monday, June 21, 1971, p. 6. For
additional newspaper references to the emergency spill, see
Appendix G.
27
-------
APPENDIX A
Chronology of Project
This Appendix includes:
1. Exhibit A. Statement of Work from EPA/Washington
to RETA authorizing Contract No« 68-01-0045.
2. Exhibit B. Chronology
3. Exhibit C. Critical Decisions
Exhibit A
Statement of Work from EPA/Washington to
RETA authorizing Contract No.
Background
On June 2 or 3, approximately one (1) gallon of a mixture
of concentrated pesticide (18.6% Endrin) and strychnine
treated corn was dumped into Lake Shawnee (area three (3)
acres) in Shawnee State Park. Shawnee State Park is about
ten (10) miles southeast of Portsmouth, Ohio. Mr0 Roach
of the Department of Natural Resources of Ohio asked for
help from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Chicago, Thursday, June 10. Because of the imminent and
substantial threat to the Ohio River and downstream users
thereof, EPA response was required, Mr. Andy Sidio of
the National Field Investigative Team (NFI) of Cincin-
nati responded June 10 and took samples of the lake and
receiving stream Pond Lick and Turkey Creek. 6800 Ibs .
of .40 mesh activated carbon were broadcasted by Mr. Sidio's
crew across the surface of Lake Shawnee. Mr. Robert Can-
tor dispatched Wheeling, West Virginia, Regional Oil and
Hazardous Material Personnel to aid and/or relieve Mr.
Sidio and the NFI, June 12, 1971.
Task to be Performed
The emergency Response Contractor was activated and, if ac-
cepts, will undertake to accomplish the following:
1. Provide Mr. Sidio and other EPA personnel on-scene
with immediate (June 12, 1971) technical advice, by
phone, on adequacy of existing activated carbon
treatment or suggested modifications thereof and
advise on other alternative countermeasures;
28
-------
2. provide Mr. Sidio or other EPA personnel on-scene
with technical advice once the Contractor is on-
scene (June 13, 1971);
3. undertake limited downstream observations to sup-
plement the work already underway by the NFI, June
13-15, etc; and
4. collect sufficient technical information and photo-
graphs to prepare an incident report dealing with
the cause, effectiveness of countermeasures, time-
liness of response, short-term and long-term effects
of the discharge, and steps that may be taken in
the future to prevent such a discharge. This re-
port is due to the Project Officer in Washington,
D. C., July 15, 1971.
Exhibit B
Chronology
The following table outlines the daily activities of key
personnel of the States of Ohio, the U. So Environmental
Protection Agency, and Ryckman, Edgerley, Tomlinson and
Associates (RETA) throughout the project from the initial
spill of Endrin to notification and activation of the
State/Federal response team and subsequent design, con-
struction and operation of the prototype treatment plant.
The sequence of events for each day are listed under the
group most responsible for them. By studying the chart,
the progress of the project can be followed and the con-
tributions of each team member ascertained.
Exhibit C
Critical Decisions
In anticipation of an incident similar to the one reported
here, the Division of Oil and Hazardous Materials of EPA
had set up an agreement with RETA to provide technical as-
sistance and support to EPA to minimize damage to the en-
vironment by a release of hazardous materials. The ex-
tremely rapid rate at which a solution to the problem was
reached and implemented is a compliment to all who partic-
ipated and to their ability to work together under trying
circumstancese The activities at Pond Lick Lake were di-
rected by a cooperative team consisting of the U» S. En-
29
-------
OHIO
EPA
fj ff A
KblA
Wed.
June 2
Poison
dumped ii
lake in
Ohio
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Thursday
June 10
DNR asks
i EPA for
assis-
tance
EPA
notified
National
Field
Team to
scene
Friday
June 11
Spillway
dammed
Bioassay
Fish die
2 hours
G. C.
sample
to Cinn.
Dam
spillway
Sat.
June 12
Diversio
dam
started
Activate
Carbon o
lake
C. H,
Thomp son
notified
Inf orma-
tior
gathered
National
Field
Investi-
gative
Team in-
put to
Hazard-
ous
Materials
branch
RETA
notified
Accepts
ob
Sunday
June 13
Finish
diversio
sion dam
Begin
by-pass
Raise
Sandbag s
Post
guard
around
lake
Bioassay
& Chem-
ical
analyses
Stream
damage
survey.
Suggest
stop
using
wells in
area.
RETA to
field
from
Dayton &
St .Louis
Assess
damage
Recom-
mend no
more
carbon
Mond ay
June 14
Raised
dam
Built
by-pass
Set up
pumps
Depth
sample s
taken,
temper-
ature
profile
C. H.
Thompson
receives
report
Prepared
situa-
tion
report ,
Tuesday
June 15
Formal
assis-
tance
request
sent to
EPA
W. Nye,
meets
CHT in
travel
to site
CHT to
Columbus
meets
with DNR
travels
to site
CHT de-
cides
pilot
plant
needed
Compre-
hensive
sampling
program
reques-
ted
Design
Pilot
Plant ,
start
delivered con-.
to CHT
Second
report
sent
struc-
tion
Wed.
June 1 6
Power in
stalled
at dam
W. Nye
locates
G. C. at
O.S.U.
Huild
pilot
plant
CHT
attempts
to lo-
cate EPA
carbon
filter
plants.
All are
in use
CHT
works to
find GO
Build
pilot
plant
Pilot
Plant
Opera-
tion
begun at
Thursday
June 17
- 2: a.m.
G. C.
arrive s
at dam
with
D. Howarc
Telephon<
installed
at site
2 a.m.
CHT, D.
Howard
set up
G.C.
Results
at 10a.m.
pilot
plant
working
CHT
locates
tank for
proto-
type
plant
Decides
to build
proto-
type
based on
pilot
plant
success
Operate
and
sample
pilot
plant
Begin
design
calcula-
10:30p.m.tions on
proto-
type
plant
Friday
June 18
G.C.
analysis
shows
good
pilot
plant
opera-
tion
Build
proto-
type
plant
6 a.m.
Repairs
Pilot
Plant
CHT
directs
con-
struc-
tion of
pro t o-
type
Detailed
Construc-
tion
descrip-
tion by
SJR
Sat.
June 19
Complete
proto-
type
plant
Construe.
tion con.
tinues
Plant in
opera-
tion
5:30 p.m
Air
bubbles
in fil-
ter
cause
problems
shut
down
proto-
type
plant
Sunday
June 20
Modify
filter
Dave
Howard
briefed
on safety
Dave
Howard
briefed
on safety
Modify
filter
CHT
leave s
Dave
Stolten-
berg in
charge
Modify
filter
Restart
Monday
June 21
State to
pick up
as EPA
pulls
out
Filter
Modifi-
cations
with
state
Need for
24 hour
opera-
tors
noted
Ved.
June 23
Electric
submer-
sible
pump
ordered
to stop
air
bubbles
Opera-
ting &
emer-
gency
proceed-
ure
instruc-
tions
created
Thursday
June 24
ilectric
himp
Operatior
2:30 p.m.
lo air
in filter
Friday
June 25
Heavy
rain,
lake
level
rises
18"
Confer-
ence CHT
about
heavy
rain
condi-
tions
T
Sat.
June 26
Condi-
tions
stabi-
lized
Con-
struc-
tion of
emer-
gency
spillway
filter
begins
ABLE 2
Monday
June 28
Filter
and
spillway
filter
operate
to 400
GFM
KEY:
DNR Ohio Department of
Natural Resources
EPA Federal Environmental
Protection Agency
RETA Ryckman, Edgerley,
Tomlinson, & Associates
CHT Dr. C. H. Thompson
SJR S. J. Ryckman
G.C. Gas Chromatograph
-------
vironmental Protection Agency, the State of Ohio and Ryckman ,
Edgerley, Tomlinson and Associates (RETA).
Pond Lick Lake is a small lake of approximately three
acres surface area and a length of about 1,000 feet. The
depth is 35 feet maximum and an average of approximately
15 feet,, The volume is approximately 15 million gal-
lons. The shore characteristics are regular with steep
banks and no swampy zone.
The lake was formed behind a dam built during the de-
pression by CCC labor groups. It served as a reservoir
for an honor camp of the Ohio penal system until it was
closed a few years ago. The current use is recreational,
with fishing and limited boating. The lake and its water-
shed are located in Shawnee State Park about seven miles
southwest of Portsmouth, Ohio, some 110 miles from Cin-
cinnati and 100 from Columbus.
The lake is used for fish, aquatic life and wildlife. The
affected population living downstream from the lake before
it flows into the Ohio River is between 50 to 200. There
were four or five wells threatened, according to the Ohio
National Resources Division.
In this section of the report we have attempted to collect
the critical decisions which were made and which controlled
the direction of action by the team. These decisions are
as follows:
1. State of Ohio Requests U. S. EPA Assistance.
The State of Ohio Department of Natural Resources asked
the federal EPA for help June 10 due to the threat of
Endrin poison entering the Ohio River. An EPA team,
under the leadership of Andy Sidio of the Cincinnati
Field Investigative team, responded June 10. Mr. Sidio
assessed the initial damage and through the Wheeling,
W. Va. EPA field office contacted Dr. C. H. Thompson,
Chief, Hazardous Materials Branch, Water Quality Office
of EPA in Washington.
2. Ohio Takes Steps to Contain the Lake.
An initial decision was made by the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources to contain the lake by sandbagging
the spillway and building a diversion dam and by-pass
at the head end of the lake to isolate the entire lake.
Approximately 6,800 pounds of granular (40 mesh) acti-
vated carbon was spread on the lake. This did not sig-
nificantly reduce the Endrin concentration because it
settled to the bottom too fast to contact a significant
amount of Endrin.
31
-------
3. EPA Activation of RETA Response Team.
The initial contact with RETA was made at 5:30 p.m. on
June 12, 1971 (Saturday) by Dr. C. H. Thompson, of the
Environmental Protection Agency, in a telephone call
to Dr. G. M. Barsom. Dr0 Thompson is Chief of the
Hazardous Materials Branch, Water Quality Office, EPA,
Washington, This telephone conversation reported pre-
liminary information available on the spill of Endrin and
strychnine into Pond Lick Lake in Shawnee State Forest
near Portsmouth, Ohio.
RETA personnel had several conversations with Dr, Thomp-
son concerning the EPA Contract 68-01-0045, its acti-
vation, and the preliminary information transfer.
Mr. John Blake, EPA Contract Officer, held a contract-
ual discussion with D. W. Ryckman, RETA President, and
requested a preliminary cost estimate.
At 7:30 p.m., a conference of key RETA staff was held
to discuss preliminary evaluation and proposed action.
A decision was made by the staff to accept the assign-
ment. This acceptance of the assignment was made in a
telephone conference call between D. W. Ryckman, G. M0
Barsom and C. H. Thompson at 9:30 GST. Additional infor-
mation on the scope of work was transmitted at this time.
At 11 p.m. a conference call was held between G. M.
Barsom, D. W. Ryckman and S. J. Ryckman (Dayton, Ohio)
with Mr. Sidio. There was a two-hour discussion of the
situation, action to date, the recommended course of
action, and the schedule verification of participants.
During Saturday night and into the early morning hours
of Sunday, the RETA staff made manpower allocations and
mobilized field equipment. Schedules for transportation
were assigned, and at 7:00 a.m. GST the RETA team was
dispatched to the field from St. Louis and Dayton.
At 11:00 a.m. Sunday the 13th of June, the field crew
called the St. Louis office to say they were leaving the
motel to meet with the EPA and State of Ohio men on the
site. Contact was made at the site by Mr. S. J. Ryck-
man from Dayton, and Dr. C. Lue-Hing and Mr. W. E. An-
derson from St. Louis with Mr. A. Sidio, EPA, and Mr
Redett, State of Ohio.
**• RETA Makes First Observations and Recommendations.
RETA field personnel endorsed the isolation of the lake
and sandbagging to raise the height of the spillways.
32
-------
RETA recommended that no more carbon be spread on the
lake until its effectiveness to sorb the Endrin and
its effect on the lake biota and groundwater could be
determined. Federal and state officials agreed and
no granular carbon was spread in the lake after June 12.
Spill definition information was gathered and transmit-
ted to_the St. Louis office. Isolation of the lake by
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was largely
completed on Sunday and sample locations on the lake
and downstream were established. The RETA team dis-
cussed possible treatment of the spill with Mr. Redett.
Dr. Thompson called the RETA office Sunday afternoon and
was given the status of the project. Arrangements were
made to deliver Situation Report No. 1 (see Appendix B)
to him in Denver on Monday at the Annual AWWA confer-
ence. Sunday evening, S. J. Ryckman, RETA Field Man-
ager, was contacted for information for the first re-
port. Following is a summary of Situation Report No. 1.
A. Spill Definition
As nearly as can be determined, on June 2, 1971, a
one gallon plastic container filled with approximately
one gallon of Endrin mixed with corn kernels soaked
with strychnine (rat bait) was dumped into Pond Lick
Lake in Shawnee State Forest, Portsmouth, Ohio, by
an irate citizen.
According to the manufacturer's specifications, the
Endrin was a wettable emulsion in an oil based dis-
persing agent, 18.6% by weight Endrin, 73% by weight
petroleum hydrocarbon and 8.4% by weight inert. Be-
tween 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of Endrin is believed to have
been in the bottle. The wettable Endrin emulsion ra-
pidly goes into suspension in water and by the time
the spill was discovered, had mixed with all the sur-
face waters of the lake. Samples were analyzed by
Friday, June 11 in Cincinnati by the Environmental
Protection Agency. Endrin was reported as 8.5-9.5 ppb
by these.tests* This figure was in agreement with
bioassay data.
The strychnine (0.05-1.0%) was in insoluable form
on dried corn, which amounted to approximately 1/2
gallon. This caused little damage to the environ-
ment since strychnine breaks down when exposed to
sunlight and was not a matter of great concern through-
out the incident.
33
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The public was warned of the polluted water by radio,
television and newspaper, signs saying "Poisoned
Water" posted around the lake and downstream and 2k
hour patrols guarded the lake. The access roads^
were closed during the entire period after the dis-
covery of the spill and continue to be closed as the
lake is being pumped dry.
No hazardous polluting substance was spilled after
the lake outlet was sandbagged on Thursday, June 10th,
Before that the substance had travelled downstream
approximately 1 mile. After the lake was sandbagged,
the water was contained in a concrete dissipating
basin and recycled into the lake by a pump.
B. Ecological Damage
The apparent ecological damage is as follows:
1. There were approximately 3,500 dead fish, both
in the lake and downstream,, They were mostly
blue gills, bull heads and catfish and were
killed within a few days as the Endrin spread.
2. About 3,400 fish were estimated to be dead in
the lake. A downstream survey showed a complete
kill for 0.2 miles below the dam, heavy damage
with most forms of aquatic life dead in the
0.2 - 0.6 mile region, recovery in the 006 - 1.0
mile stretch and no apparent damage at distances
of greater than one mile»
3. A muskrat was caught after swimming in the lake,
and shipped to the State Health Department in
Columbus for observation. The muskrat died.
4. Two dead opossums were reported by one of the
men representing the State of Ohio.
5. Several types of large and small fish - perch,
catfish, sucker - have been observed alive at
intervals since June 2.
6. On June 18, a sr-i!:e was seen swimming in the water
by the spillway. Some sick bluegills were seen
the same day, also some frogs swimming near the
surface.
7o Mr* Gilbert Helwig of the Ohio State Department
of Natural Resources reported seeing two couples
swimming from the dock at the lake on June 8,
1971. He told them the lake was poisoned and
that they should get out. He did not get their
names. Another employee of the Ohio DNR re-
ported chasing several people away who were swim-
ming in the lake. The total seen swimming was
about twelveo No names were given. Mr. Helwig
later heard a rumor that a boy was in University
34
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Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, badly swollen, who
claimed to have gone swimming in the lake.
Construction of a diversion dam across the upper end
of the lake was progressing well and completion was
to be achieved Sunday night. Light, intermittent rain
was falling and continued to fall for several days.
The pumping system to convey the diverted water
around the poisoned lake was completed on"Monday, June
14. This system was designed as a temporary device
to try to protect the lake if rain occurred in the
area. Ohio Department of Natural Resources stressed
the importance of immediate action due to the limit-
ed capacity of this system and its temporary nature.
The watershed above the lake is about 4 1/2 square
miles but the area receives frequent heavy showers;
in summer, there may be 2 to 4 inches of rain at
one time.
It is fortunate that no heavy rain occurred between
the time of the spill and construction of the dam
eight days later. A heavy rain then could have pushed
a large amount of the poisoned water over the spill-
way and into the Ohio River. A rain gauge was in-
stalled later and recorded over 2 inches of rainfall
on Friday, June 25.
On Monday, June 14th, Situation Report No. 1 was de-
livered to Dr. Thompson in Denver by E. Edgerley, RETA
Senior Vice President. William Nye, Division of Water
Resources, State of Ohio, expressed a need to meet with
Dr. Thompson. A flight schedule was arranged by RETA
staff so that Dr. Thompson could meet with Mr. Nye on
Tuesday morning in Columbus, Ohio.
Situation Report No. 2 was written Monday, showing that
the contaminated lake water was not a threat to ground
water. Published standards for Endrin toxicity to
aquatic life were contained in this report.
Pilot Plant is Needed
T*he failure of the initial spreading of the carbon to
reduce the Endrin concentration raised the need to com-
prehensively evaluate other possible counter measures,
(Appendix D). Tuesday evening, June 15, the decision
was made to construct and operate a pilot plant to de-
termine :
a. Ability of an activated carbon column to remove
Endrin and produce a non-toxic effluent;
b. Adsorptive capacity of activated carbon;
35
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c. Necessary loading rates for proper carbon contact
and Endrin adsorption;
d. How to best construct a filter system;
e. Whether a pre-filter was needed to remove sus-
pended material.
Dr. Thompson made the decision to use a pilot plant
in order to quickly verify the information^needed.
Other counter measures (detailed in Appendix D) were
evaluated and ruled out either because of process or
construction short comings or because a long time was
required to establish the validity of the process.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources^and RETA co-
operated in designing and building the pilot plant.
A crew worked all night Tuesday, June 15^with RETA
engineers to construct the plant. The pilot plant
went into operation Wednesday, June 16. Dr. Thompson
and S. J. Ryckman were at the pilot plant when the
gas chromatograph arrived from Ohio State University,,
Dr. Thompson immediately turned to the installation
of the instrument as noted below.
Portable On-site Gas Chromatograph is Needed.
One of the first areas recognized as a potential
trouble spot by the RETA team on Sunday, the 13th
of June was that of sample analysis. Dr. Cecil Lue-
Hing of RETA expressed the desirability of an on site
Gas Chromatograph to allow rapid analysis of samples.
On Sunday, samples were being sent to Cincinnati for
analysis, a workable arrangement for defining the prob-
lem, but not for monitoring and controlling the treat-
ment system. RETA relayed the request to Dr. Thompson.
Dr. Thompson was attending the AWWA meeting in Denver
and discussed the need with other conferees. Several
leads emerged from the discussion. Ohio State Univer-
sity was a possible source as was EPA in Wheeling, West
Virginia, Cincinnati, Ohio and Chamblee, Georgia. Dr.
Thompson, John Cox, John Blake and Dr. Aron Rosen,
all of EPA, spent a great deal of time in trying to lo-
cate an available unit, without success. All of the
EPA units were in use on research projects and unavail-
able for the Shawnee Lake Operation. Dr. Thompson and
Director Nye discussed the need and Mr. Nye worked
with Ohio State University to provide an instrument and
an experienced man to run it. Finally Mr. Nye sent word
the 16th of June that the instrument was available.
Decision to Build Prototype Plant
The pilot plant was successfulin removing Endrin from
the lake water at its design loadings as shown by
early gas chromatography of effluent samples and fish
bioassays. The next decision was to try to build a
36
-------
prototype plant capable of treating large amounts of
water.
A critical factor was locating equipment available to
build the plant which would meet the design criteria
established by the pilot plant, or which could be mo-
dified to do so in a short time. Dr. Thompson,
through EPA in Cincinnati, found that some large
cypress tanks were in storage at Cincinnati. Size es-
timates allowed a rough calculation of capacity, which
was found to be suitable. Dr. Thompson flew to Cin-
cinnati to inspect the tanks, found them satisfactory
and ordered the prototype plant designed using locally
available supplies such as PVC drain pipe. The plant
went into operation Saturday, June 19. Details of its
construction and operation are given in Appendix EB
On Sunday, June 20, certain problems developed and some
redesign was required.
Prototype Modifications
The top of the filter was originally designed with a
layer of vermiculite to allow expansion of the carbon
bed. This material broke down and clogged a muslin
cloth designed to stop carbon fines from escaping.
The top of the filter was redesigned to eliminate both
the muslin and vermiculite. This helped operation but
air being drawn into the pump supplying the filter
caused channeling of the bed. A submersible pump was
installed instead of the original gasoline pump to
stop the flow of air into the carbon filter. The
filter has been operating successfully since that time.
Samples are periodically taken and analyzed with the
gas chromatograph (G.C.) to ensure that Endrin is not
discharged to the receiving stream.
37
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APPENDIX B
SITUATION REPORTS, ENDRIN/STRYCHNINE
HAZARDOUS POLLUTING SUBSTANCE SPILL
The absence of documented information about the hazardous
spiLL emergency coupled with the poor communications
system in the vicinity of Pond Lick Lake necessitated
a means should be devised to provide reliable and factual
information to all involved. This included the State of
Ohio field team and headquarters personnel, personnel from
two Environmental Protection Agency Regional offices, and
RETA field team and headquarters personnel. Thus, RETA
initiated the use of situation reports to communicate the
most current and accurate information regarding the spill
and vital to its resolution. These reports proved essen-
tial in guiding and supporting the decision making process
and in communicating the nature of the spill to the Congrees
of the United States and to the general public. Two of
the most essential situation reports are presented as
follows. The first one was delivered to Environmental
Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. and to
Dr. Hugh Thompson in Denver within 48 hours of RETA project
activation.
38
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STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Situation Report No.
RETA No.
862-1
TIME PERIOD:
From: 5:30 pm 6/12/71
To; 11:30 pm 6/13/71
TO: Dr. C. H. Thompson
Environmental Protection Agency
1921 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202
FROM: Ryckman, Edgerley, Tomlinson and Associates, Inc
500 Coronet Building
225 S. Meramec
St. Louis, Missouri 63105
ENDRIN/STRYCHNINE
HAZARDOUS POLLUTING SUBSTANCE SPILL
SHAWNEE LAKE
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO
RETA 862-1
39
-------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL i
TITLE PAGE ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ill
CHAPTER I EVENTS LOG 1
II PERSONNEL 2
III SPILL DEFINITION 4
IV PROBABLE COUNTER MEASURES 9
V METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY REPORT 1Q
VI GEOLOGICAL REPORT 11
VII SAMPLING PROGRAM REPORT 14
VIII AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE REPORT 16
IX PROPOSED ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY PROGRAM .... 17
X NOTES
40
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I. EVENTS LOG
Date Time
(Nautical time)
Event
6/12/71
1730
1830
1900
1915
1930
2030
2200
2230
2300
6/13/71
0130
0200
0300
C. H. Thompson, EPA, called G. M.
Barsom, RETA, to report preliminary
information available on spill of
endrin and strychnine.
C. H. Thompson to B. N. Sampley,
report pending activation of B.O.A.
C. H. Thompson to D. W. Ryckman,
activation of B.O.A. preliminary
information transfer.
J. Blake to D. W. Ryckman, contractual
discussion. Request for preliminary
cost estimate.
Conference of key RETA staff: G. M.
Barsom, D. W. Ryckman, E. Edgerley,
H. D. Tomlinson, Ralph Clark, Joel
Harrod, Cecil Lue-Hing, Jim Chaney,
Joe Dieterman, Russ Tirella. Pre-
liminary evaluation and proposed action.
Joel Harrod call to Weather Corporation
for present and forecasted weather in
the damage area. Intermittent thunder-
showers .
D. W. Ryckman, G. M. Barsom telephone
conference with C. H. Thompson. Trans-
mit tal of additional information on
scope of work.
C. H. Thompson call to A. Sidio (EPA,
Cincinnati, man-on-site)
Conference call by G. M. Barsom, D. W.
Ryckman and S. J. Ryckman with A. Sidio.
Two hour discussion of situation, action
to date, recommended course of action,
schedule verification of participants.
G. M..Barsom, D. W. Ryckman conference
regarding schedule, manpower allocations
and mobilization.
H. D. Tomlinson, Joe Dieterman, Bill
Anderson, Jim Chaney to RETA laboratory
and warehouse to mobilize field equipment
G. M. Barsom final schedule verification,
manpower allocation and mobilization.
41
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Date
Time
Event
6/13/71
0100 - 0300
0700
1030
1100
1200
1315
1345
1800
2138
RETA planning meeting.
RETA team dispatched to field
from St. Louis and Dayton.
RETA strategy sessions begin.
Contact from field crew
leaving motel base to meet
with EPA, State men on site.
St. Louis (DPC) contacted EPA
(Cincinnati) for background.
Dr. Rosen gave basic information
on concentration 8.5-9.5 ppb.
use of activated carbon. Rough
size of lake, depth, sandbagging
of spillway.
SJR report from field. Confirmed
Dr. Rosen's information. In-
dicated work proceeding on di-
version dam at head end of lake;
expect it finished by tonight.
Strychnine not the problem due to
its inclusion on corn and low
concentration.
Dr. Hugh Thompson called; given
status of project. Told us his
plans to go to Denver and to go
to field Tuesday. E. Edgerley
to deliver report to H. Thompson
in Denver Monday. Effect on
ground water discussed. Need
for carbon samples from the
bottom discussed.
Information form assembled.
Contacted S. J. Ryckman for up-
dated report. Information on
Report I transmitted.
42
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II. PERSONNEL
1. EPA/Washington Headquarters:
Project Officer; Pr. G- H* Thompson
Alternate: Mr. Russ Wyer
2. RETA Personnel (Name, Title, Function)
Headquarters:
1. G. M. Barson
2. D. P. Clement
3.
4. Support: S. J. Clement, Geologist
Field:
1. S. J. Ryckman
2. Cecil Lue-Hing
3. Wm. E. Anderson
4. Support:
3. EPA/Field Personnel (Name, Title, Function)
1. Angell Sidio Cincinnati - Cinti group chief
2. Dick Daun in charge Cinti group in absence of A.S
3. Nelson Thomas Chief Biologist
4. Mr. Griffith Wheeling, W. Va. Biologist - sampling
State Crews: (Name, Title, Function)
John S. Barrett, Asst. Chief Eng. Dept of Wat. Resources
Supervise upstream damming and diversion
Dan Armbruster, Chief Div«»of Wildlife, Dept.of Wat. Res.
Everett Ridge, District Supervisor, Div of Wildlife,
Dept. of Wat. Res.
Mr. Toss, Coordinator of Parts
Robert Redeft, Wat. Resources - cleanup
43
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III. SPILL DEFINITION
Date: 6/2/71
Time:
Location; Shawnee Lake, Shawnee Lake St. Park, Portsmouth,Ohio
SUBSTANCES SPILLED QUANTITY
Strychnine (0.05-1.0%) on
corn (rat bait) 1/2 gallon
Endrin WE (Wettable emulsion)
18.6% by wt. 3/4 gallon
73% by wt. petroleum hydrocarbon
8.4% by wt inert
How Spilled: Dumped from 1 gallon plastic bottle into
the lake by irate citizen. Attempted to sink bottle by
hitting it with rocks. Bottle recovered (date of recovery
unknown).
Affected Area: (Describe and sketch)
Surface Area: 3 acres
Depth: 35' maximum Average: 15 ? Range: 35-0
Volume: 15 x 10 gallons
General Topographic Features:
Shore Characteristics:
Regular - steep banks. No swampy zone
•Estimated Water Shed Area:
44
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III. SPILL DEFINITION (Continued)
Designated Water Use
Potable ____ Agricultural
Recreational _ Industrial
Fish, aquatic life
& wild life
Affected Population: 50 - 200 (estimates vary)
Affected Water Supplies (Surface, Ground):
4-5 wells threatened
Ohio Nat. Res. Div sending well logs 6/14/71
Hazardous Polluting Substances going over Spillway:
X Contained i-n concrete energy dissipating basin
___ Not contained
Public Warning System:
_JL Radio - TV - Newspaper
X signs ~ Poisoned Water
^_ Patrols - 24 hr guard suggested by SJR implemented by
Angell Sidio
Access roads closed.
Presence or absence of livestock
None noted by field crew.
Some along Turkey Creek.
Apparent Ecological Damage:
X pish 3400 dead fish removed - 50 still floating, blue gills,
bull heads, catfish.
Wildlife
_X. Aquatic Life -
_ Other
Fish buried in polyethylene bags
45
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III. SPILL DEFINITION (Continued)
Apparent Movement and Dispersion of Hazardous Polluting
Substance:
Sketch area — Maps at end.
Define affected zones (1) Lake - apparent complete kill;
(2) 0-0.2 miles below spillway - complete kill; (3) 0.2-0.6
miles below spillway - damage, sick fish, great effect;
Dominant mechanism of diffusion (4) Below 1 mile, aquatic
life appears normal.
Molecular
X Turbulent (wind)
X Mass transport - stream flow now blocked by
sand bags on spillway
Quiescent pools - on shale bedrock downstream from dam
Aerial photos - NO
Characteristics of Receiving Stream:
Size: Small
Depth: 0"-6"
Width: 6"
Velocity: Very slow - 20-30 gpm flow
Rapids: No
Turbidity: None
Shore line: Normal
Bank condition: Solid
Water appearance:
Observable damage:
Property: None
Life: Dead and sick fish and frogs as above.
46
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III. SPILL DEFINITION (Continued)
Known Characteristics of Hazardous Polluting Substance:
Solubility: Endrin insoluble. Wettable emulsion disperses
Structure: easily.
Physical: \ Toxic vapors if heated to decomposition
:i
Chemical:
Biological: TL10Q 96 hr. 0.6 ppb (blue gills)
Ecological:
Toxicity:
Man: Enter via skin contact - 10 mg/kg orally cause
Other life forms: sickness
Health:
Estimated time available for designated action:
Time available 2 weeks - solution required 1 week
Designated Action: Pilter through activated carbon
Basis of Decision:
Known adsorption of endrin on A.C.
Lack of chemical treatment
Insensitive to biological treatment
47
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Ill SPILL DEFINITION (Continued)
Profile of Affected Area:
I
c o
'I
I 000 '
Area Map:
h 0
ft f>t\rtJ
48
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IV. PROBABLE COUNTER MEASURES:
Material
Supplies
Containment:
Counter
Measures
Dam lake
Isolate lake
and let
settle
Manpower
Reqmnts.
Met by
Ohio
Better
dam and
diversion
Technique
Estimated
Time
Required
Months to
3 years or
more
Chem ppt.
or
carbon
Chemicals
Spreaders
Settle
or
ppt.
Week
Treatment;
If con-
centration
gradient
drain
bottom/
treat re-
maining
pool
Filter
Water
pumps
chemicals
pump
and
filter
Week (?)
Removal:
Activated
carbon
filter
operators
pump
Filter
Water
pump
lake
through pipe
filter
Carbon
in hydraulic
structure
Filter
Water
Carbon
in bags
pulled
through
water.
49
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V. METEOROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL REPORT
Weather:
Since
Spill
Thunde r s t o rms
Intermittent
Present
Thunders t orm
24-48 hour
Forecast
Thundershowers
Wind (Beaufort
Scale):
<.5 knots
Rainfall
Quantity:
Very little
Time:
10 - 15 min
Effect on
Water
Level
minimal
50
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VI. GEOLOGICAL REPORT
1. Location:
Quadrangle: Pond Run Quad (7-1/2 Minute USGS)
County: Scioto
City, etc. 6 - 7 Mi S.W* Portsmouth, Ohio
Drainage Basin Turkey Creek trib. to Ohio River
2. Purpose(s) of Lake and Age
Designated Legitimate Use: fishing (Flood Control?)
Lined
Unlined X (?)
3. Lake Configuration:
Surface Area 3 acres
Shape: triangle
Depth: 30+ feet
Shore Line: Regular - steep banks, no swampy zone
Surrounding Topography:
Steep, parallel ridges - 45 slope
51
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VI. GEOLOGICAL REPORT
4. Bottom Sediments (mud/water interface)
Ooze thickness ,
•
Permeability ?
Was bottom scraped in construction process?
5. Nature of bedrock
Shale - generally impervious; thickness of shale or
underlying formations not known - little ground
water in area.
6. Nature of Shoreline see #3 above
7. Aquifer characteristics - shale underlying formations
not known
Size 7
•
Depth
Transmissibility (rate of movement and time of travel
of contaminants)
52
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VII. SAMPLING PROGRAM (Spatial and Temporal Distribution)
Station No. Date: Time:
Air/Water Interface
Physical
Chemical
Biological
Frequency
Analytical
Procedure
Vertical Profiles
Physical
Frequency
Analytical
Procedure
Chemical
Biological
Mud/Water Interface
Physical
Frequency
Analytical
Procedure
Chemical
Biological
53
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VII. SAMPLING PROGRAM (Continued)
Analytical
Shore Zone Frequency Procedure
Physical
Chemical
Biological
Current System
Floatables
Drift Card's
Current Drogues
Collect Dead Species
Microscopic Work
Well Water Sampling
54
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VIII. AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
55
-------
IX. PROPOSED ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY PROGRAM
56
-------
Source reference:
Water Quality Criteria, Second Edition
by McKee and Wolf; State Water Quality
Control Board, Sacramento, California
ENDRIN
1. General. Endrin is the common name for the
chemical l,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-6,7-epoxy-l,4,4a,5,6,7,8,
8a - octahydro -1,4,5,8 - endo - endo - dimethano -napthalene
(364). It is insoluble in water, acetone, and benzene, and
slightly soluble in alcohol (2997). Although endrin is
said to have a strong residual toxieity as does its closely
related compound, dieldrin (3005), endrin is reported to
disappear "relatively rapidly" based upon analyses of
water, mud, aquatic vegetation, and surviving fish tis-
sues (3170). Also, another report states that endrin does
not persist in soil and presents no accumulation problem,
but this report advises not to contaminate areas fre-
quented by wildlife (3171).
2. Cross Kef erences. Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, Diel-
drin.
3. Effects Upon Beneficial Uses.
a. Stock and "Wildlife Watering. The acute oral
LD50 value for laboratory rats has been reported at
values ranging from 7.3 to 48 rag/kg of body weight
(2992, 2999, 3002, 3005, 3172, 3173). Chronic feeding of
100 mg/kg in the diet of males and 25 mg/kg for females
gave significant mortality to the same degree. Endrin
has been used as a broadcast spray at up to 2.5 Ibs/acre
to control field rodents (3005). Younger males and older
females appear to be more susceptible than their counter-
parts (3173).
Dogs appear to be more sensitive than rats. Death
occurred within six weeks at dietary levels as low as 10
mg/kg, abnormal effects at 4 mg/kg (3005). Oral LD80
values for male and female monkeys were 3 mg/kg of
body weight, female rabbits 7-10 mg/kg. and male and
female guinea pigs 36 and 16 mg/kg (3173).
Inclusion of endrin at 1 mgAg in the diet of growing
quail resulted in high mortality rates. Young pheasants
failed to survive on a diet containing 5 mg/kg of endrin.
However, no ill effects were noted when quail were fed
winter diets containing 1 mg/kg. Hatchability of eggs
and viability of chicks were adversely affected by the in-
clusion of endrin in the reproduction diet (3044, 3045).
The inclusion of 1 mg/kg in the diet will cause a 40 per-
cent or more decrease in the reproduction of quail. The
amount of endrin that will produce at least 50 percent
mortality in bobwhite quail and ringneck pheasant con-
sidering all stages of the life cycle arc 5 and 14 mg/kg,
respectively (2994, 2996).
The LD50 values of one-week old chicks is 3.5 mg/kg
of body weight. Young chickens, two-months old, in-
curred a 10 percent mortality at 4.3 mg/kg. In chronic
feeding tests with chicks up to seven weeks of age, 95
percent died at 12 mgAg. 15 percent at 6 mgAg (3005).
b. Fish and Aquatic Life. Fish are highly sensitive
to endrin. Various figures noted in the literature are as
follows:
Concentration
of Endrin
Type of
mo/1
0.0006
0.001
0.0015
0.003
0.003
0.003
0.005
0.005
0.006
8.051
0.1
0.14
0.61
4.2
10.7
20
Fish
BlueRills
Guppies
Golden shiners
Bass
Bluest!!
Goldfish
Carp ftngerllngs
Carp fmserlings
Carp fingerlings
Salmon
Fish
Carp fingerllngs
5-day carp fry
4-day cary fry
2-day carp larvae
Carp eggs
Results
96-hour Tlim
Abnormal behavior In
B hours (20°C),
death in 24 hours
TLn,
TLm
TLm
TLm
48-hour TLm, (28°C)
2 4 -hour TLm
48-hour TLm (1S°C)
96-hour TLm (20'C)
Death
48-hour TLm (8'C)
24-hour TLm (20'C)
24-hour TLm (20°C)
24-hour TLm (20°C)
24-hour TLra (20°C)
Reference
3012
2992
3005
3005
3005
3005
3012
3175
8012
8174
3102
3012
8175
3175
3175
3175
Field applications to rice paddies of one or two Ibs/
acre remained toxic to fish for over one month (3175).
Although laboratory studies indicated a TLm value for
endrin of between 1.0 and 1.5 ng/1, a dose of 1.0 jig/1 to
a pond gave no results. A second dose of 1.0 ng/1 was
administered, but was still without effect. Rapidly lower-
ing temperatures were thought to be inhibiting the lethal
effects (3176, 3178). Endrin, used in sugar cane fields
to combat borers, has washed into streams during heavy
rains, causing fish kills (3177).
The 96-hour TLm values of endrin to fathead minnows
in hard and soft water at 25° C were, respectively, 1.3
and 1.0 jig/1. Tests with bluegills, goldfish, and guppies
in soft water at 25°C gave values of 0.60, 1.9, and 1.5
jig/1 respectively (3000).
In a series of screening tests of a large number of
compounds, rainbow trout, bluegill sunfish, and the sea
lamprey all died within 14 hours at 12°C when exposed
to a 5 mg/1 concentration of an 18J percent emulsion of
endrin (2976). The estimated concentration of endrin
required to immobilize Daphnia magna in 50 hours at
20°C is 352 |ig/l (3255).
57
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Source reference: Report of the Committee on Water
Quality Criteria, Federal Water
Pollution Control Administration,
U. S. Department of the Interior,
April, 1968.
TABLE III-5A. Pesticides*
INSECTICIDES
[48-hour TLm values from static bioassay, in micrograms per liter. Exceptions are noted.]
Gamma rus
Stream invertebrate >
Pesticide
Abate -
Aldrin"
Allethrin
Azodfin
Aramite
Baygon*
Baytex'
Benzene hexachloride
(lindane).
Bidrin
Carbaryl (sevin)
Carbophenothion
(trithion).
Chlordane'-
Chlorobenzilate
Chlorthion
Coumaphos —
Cryolite
Cyclethrin
ODD (IDE)5- —
DDT"
Delnav (dioxathion) __
Delmeton (systex)
Diazinon •
Dibrom (naled) __
Dieldrin '
Dilan ..
Dimethoate
(cygon).
Dimethrin
Species
.Pteronarcys
californica.
.P. californica ...
_P. californica
-P. californica „_
-P. californica
P. californica
-P. californica
-P. californica
-P. californica . .
-P. californica
-P. californica
-P. californica __
-P. californica
-P. californica. _.
P. californica
Dichlorvos ' (DDVP) — p. cafifornica
Disulfoten (di-syston)._p. californica
Dursban .
Endosulfan (thiodan) _
Endrin 8
EPH —
Ethion -
Ethyl guthion •
Fenthion -
Guthion •
Heptachlor"
Kelthane (dicofel)
Kepone _
Malathion •
Methoxychlor* _.
Methyl parathion *
Morestan _.
Ovex ._
Paradichlorobenzene .
Parathion '
Perthane
Phosdrin * . - ..
Phosphamidon
Pyrethrins .
Rotenone -. .
Strobane' -
Tetradifon (tedion) ...
TEPP"
Thanite . -
Thimet . - -.
Toxaphene *
Trichlorofon
(dipterex).'
Zectran
-Peteronareella
badia
-P. californica
-P- californica
-P. californica
-P- californica
-P. californica
-P. badia
-P. californica
P. badia . .__
-P. californica
-P. californica
-P- californica.
.P. californica
-P. californica
.P californica. .
.P. californica
.P californica
P. californica
..P. californica
P. badia... ...
P. californica
TLm
100
8
28
110
130
8
1,900
1.3
55
1,100
19
60
16
1.3
140
10
18
1.8
5.6
0.8
14
39
8
4
3,000
6
8
40
1,500
11
9
460
64
900
7
7
22
16
Cladocerans *
Species
Daphnia
put ex.
D. pulex
D. magna
Simocephalus
serrulatus.
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. magna
S. serrulatus
S. serrulatus..
D. magna
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. magna
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. magna
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. magna
O. pulex _ ...
D. magna
D. pulex
D. pulex . .
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
D. magna
D. pulex
TLm
28
21
345
3.1
460
600
6.4
0.009
20
550
4.5
1
5,000
55
3.2
0.36
14
0.9
3.5
240
21
2,500
0.07
240
20
0.1
0.01
4
0.2
42
390
1.8
0.8
4.8
0.4
9.4
0.16
4
25
10
450
15
8.1
10
Fish"
Species
Brook trout--
Rainbow
trout.
do
do
Bluegill
Fathead
Brown t.
Rainbow t
do
Brown t.
Bluegill . ..
Rainbow t
do
Rainbow t
Rainbow t
Bass .
Bluegill _ .
do
do __
Brook t.
Bluegill
do
do
Rainbow t
Bluegill
do .
Rainbow t
do
Bluegill
do
do
Rainbow t
Rainbow t
do
do
do
Brook t.
Rainbow t
Bluegill
do _
do
Rainbow t
Bluegill
Rainbow t
do
do
do -
Bluegill
Rainbow t.- .
Bluegill
Fathead
Bluegill
Rainbow t
do
do
lacustris,*
TLn,
1,500
3
19
7,000
35
25
80
18
8,000
1,500
225
10
710
47,000
9
2.1
14
81
30
78
3.4
16
9,600
700
700
40
20
1.2
0.2
17
230
10
9
100
37.5
19.5
7.2
8,000
96
700
880
47
7
17
8,000
54
22
2.5
1,100
390
5.5
2.8
160
8.000
TLm
640
12,000
20
100
50
70
88
790
22
28
80
0.14
1.8
2.1
690
500
160
1,000
600
400
1
70
0.4
64
4.7
36
3.2
0.3
100
1.8
1.3
310
3.8
18
350
140
52
70
70
60
76
• See notes following Table III-5B.
58
-------
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Situation Report No. 3_
RETA No. 862-1
TIME PERIOD:
From: 12:00 noon, June 14, 1971
To: 6:00 p.m. June 17, 1971
Dr. C. H. Thompson, Project Officer
Environmental Protection Agency
1921 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202
FROM: Dr. George M. Barsom, Project Manager
Ryckman, Edgerley, Tomlinson and Associates, Inc.
225 S. Meramec
St. Louis, Missouri 63105
RETA 862-1
DATE: June 18, 1971
59
-------
I. INFORMATION FROM THE FIELD
Major effort appears to center on the construction
of a pilot plant to run at about 10 GPM.
1. The pilot plant is built around a commercial
swimming pool filter being used as a rapid sand
filter to remove some organic material and silt
from the water. The output of the pool filter
is fed to a vertical carbon column 18" diameter
and 7% ft. tall. This system will be used to
establish the required contact time and perhaps
carbon capacity.
C
a-
1
-\
0 «
0
•HW^^^^B
- ^ £* -C C
AC f \ w<
2- C a*\t>
pool
•la 0 V\
C. 0
Uke
The inlet dam structure is working well. Rain
estimated V in a 3% - 4 hour period - 6/15 was
captured and pumped around the lake by one of
two pumps available. The quantity of water pumped
was not known but was thought to be about 3000 GPM.
Ohio State University is providing a gas chromat-
ograph on the scene. Installation should be
complete by June 17, 1971. This will permit more
rapid evaluation of the pilot plant.
There is a possibility of a 50,000 GPD portable
plant being brought to the site either as a large
scale pilot plant or to control the level of the
lake if very heavy rain would raise the level.
Some bottom samples have been taken and are being
analyzed in Cincinnati.
60
-------
II. Ecological Damage and Recovery Survey
A program to assess the ecology of the damaged area needs
to be formulated and implemented. Benthic and periphyton
samples in the lake, inlet stream and discharge streams
need to be collected and analyzed. Pond Lick Creek has
suffered visible damage 1/2 mile below the spillway as
was noted in situation report #1. The ecological study
is needed to make sure no further damage occurs in con-
nection with treating the lake or eventual discharges
from the spillway. A series of sample stations, outlined
on the schematic map attached, need to be studied. Station
1 would be upstream of the new dam area and thus serve as
a control. Fish and invertebrates from this area should
be analyzed for background endrin levels. Benthetic and
periphyton samples are needed also. Stations 4-6 on Pond
Lick Creek would show damage done by the endrin before it
was controlled and also be monitor points downstream dur-
ing the treatment process. Stations 7 and 8 in Turkey
Creek should also be monitored but do not show lethal
damage. They may show a concentration of pesticide in
the aquatic population and are thus important.
Wells in the area have been located from state records
and (see attached maps) wells along Turkey Creek should
be tested now and monthly to verify that ground water con-
tamination has not occurred.
Stations 2 and 3 in the lake will require vertical profile
sampling as well as bottom samples.
Water samples should note pH, D-0- and endrin each week
and daily measurements of endrin will be needed below the
discharge point if the treated water is released to the
stream. In any case, fish should be put in the product
61
-------
water from the treatment system each 1/2 to 1 hour as a
check of the effectiveness of treatment stream samples.
Ecological and biological samples will probably be needed
every 4-6 weeks to monitor the recovery of the stream
system.
III. Recommendations for Laboratory Work on Countermeasures
We are not aware of any laboratory work that has been done
on determining which one of several types of activated car-
bon will give the best removal of endrin from the lake
water. Screening a number of samples in jar tests under
standard laboratory conditions is highly desirable before
a pilot study is run. This will allow the pilot study to
determine the detention time and pretreatment needed for
the most efficient type carbon. Without such a study the
pilot plant and full scale process as well may be set up
using a carbon less efficient and therefore more expensive
than necessary. RETA feels strongly that laboratory test-
ing is necessary and should include GC and bioassay studies
to show removal of endrin.
IV. Countermeasures Available
To date, several Countermeasures have been proposed. Some
are more attractive than others economically and in pro-
bable effectiveness. However, without the previously men-
tioned laboratory studies it is impossible to determine
with certainty what is the best alternative. The decision
as to what alternative will be used must be made in the
field by those with first-hand information. During this
time, the RETA office facilities became a research and supply
information center.
The listing below summarizes the Countermeasures. Each
is then shown in more detail on a separate page.
62
-------
A-. ^-
te^-^
T^K^
J
/,i/<''•, A v ?'•
£s)
. ,.. Iff
('?''$>
, , "/ y> Mi'
D'.*np Oyo
,
'
^\ ^ 1 J '« ^VR*v *. f • * L
\- VV-VjJTJ-/- -' \ A. i
\\^^rK>sV '
-------
T-
• .'•'• V ..'A.- A-'-V.Y'Y !J"' 'jr.
'..".' ' ."/•'' ;- ~ •-'- 'V. • \ •'•'•.:
>->.,> -.\\V ' •••••• ' .'-M ' : ''
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'*' Sv 'll 1
>V
^ v
EVE ,NN{"S T A JVB . ; P ,V0 U , K S -T
^4:v;'7:---^-rx ;:-
'-
- . .
^^0 Onl°
•ui "
•• \r> ,,
/. i \ >• /1 ,i
'-• ~-"j* -. i\ j -• -• . "^- '
•>iMt»Ay ""r-v.'v.v/ /.••-••••. s' , ,
r*~s?.- Met vr-' .-• •'/ •"••*r-""-t"
^ .: ^. LKlv ( ^ ;..-.- ,. / , ,;, . -
'.jtr ' '••-.,-i'i v.,r^'..' •///
^ .- ' -•'-•' .'{*• -K r" \; •••/' ' ' ' «'•', . • ' • ' , . .'
?• ; .,'>*•/-''\ .. >j i.".^-- ?,•',','••• i . //•• •
. ' •••• .--70 y ^x ~ -/•' .•• • '/
., //••;.-,/VX /V vV/'A • .../ -
a1*4
-------
1. Treat lake with bentonite slurry. Let settle.
2. Treat lake with fly ash and let settle.
3. Spread activated carbon onto the surface of the
lake and let it settle.
4. Allow lake to recover itself. Monitor and bioassay
extensively to gain knowledge useful in a larger
spill.
5. Spray irrigate the endrin water onto surrounding land.
6. Load contents of lake into barges and take to sea.
7. Build an activated carbon filter and pass the lake
through it.
65
-------
COUNTERMEASURE
1. Spread a slurry of bentonite on the
Lake, allow to settle and spread a
second layer a week later to seal
the endrin to the bottom.
REFERENCE
Settling characteristics,
R. L. Folk, Petrology of
Sedimentary Rocks, Uni-
versity of Texas, 1965
Flow Diagram
Materials
Boat to apply bentonite slurry
Slurry making equipment - pump and mixer
Approximately 1 ton bentonite ($80 - $100)
1 ton will give 2 100 mg/1 applications if the lake volume
really is 15 million gallons.
Readily available.
Procedure and Technique
Bentonite absorbs well, settles slowly, so it would scrub the whole
lake and is cheap. The second layer would form a seal preventing
desorption. Jar tests could quickly determine the dose. The size
could be chosen to give 18 - 48 hours contact time before the clay
is all on the bottom. This is an inexpensive operation,, both from
materials and labor viewpoint and seals the endrin into a favorable
area geologically, preventing ground water contamination.
66
-------
COUNTERMEASURE REFERENCE
2. Spread fly ash on the surface of the lake. Fly Ash J D Eye
Let it settle, adsorbing endrin on the Research, University
surface on the way down. of Cincinnati
Flow Diagram
L en he
777777777777
t-afre Be>#0»* S
Materials
Fly ash - amount determined by jar tests. Should be available
for hauling costs from almost any coal-fired power plant.
Procedure and Technique
Spread fly ash as a powder on the surface of the lake and let it
settle. A second application may be useful to seal the endrin in
and prevent desorption into the bottom water of the lake.
-------
COUNT ERME AS URE REFERENCE!
3. Spread powdered activated carbon Suggested by early
on the lake and let settle. action of State of
Ohio.
Flow Diagram
Materials
Powdered activated carbon - equivalent to Aqua-Nu-Char. App. 9£/lb.
One firm offered enough carbon free to treat the lake. This was an
estimated 200 Ibs. of material.
Procedure and Technique
Spread the activated carbon and let it settle, picking up endrin as
it falls. This requires a fine powdered carbon, not a granular
material.
68
-------
COUNTERMEASURE
REFERENCE
Let the lake recover itself,
Flow Diagram
Dr. R. E. Hanson,
Shell Chemical Co.
Agriculture Products Div.
San Ramon, California
(telephone 6/15/71 to
D. Clement, RETA,
St. Louis)
Materials
Procedure and Technique
Monitor the recovery in terms of endrin in Pond Lick Creek and
Turkey Creek. Level of endrin involved is not thought to present
a hazard to man or livestock now. The time required to allow fish
to live in the lake again could be determined. Caged bluegills
or continuous bioassay with stream side tanks are possible. This
would permit gathering information useful if a much larger lake
were poisoned when it would be impractical to treat it.
69
-------
COUNTERMEASURE
REFERENCE
5. Spray irrigate onto surrounding land.
Flow Diagram
Telephone conversation
6/16 SJR/GMB - SJR/DPC
Absorptive capacity of
soil. Sc.D. Research,
J. D. Eye, University
of Cincinnati, 1966.
rpe
\\*-f
Materials
Pipeline to Ohio River flood plain or truck transport to the
flood plain. Irrigation equipment to apply to soil.
Procedure and Technique
Soil is a good adsorbant of endrin and probably would filter the
endrin out of the water. The golf course on the Ohio river flood
plain may be a possible area to irrigate but the possibility of
contaminating ground water aquifers shown on the geologic section
map in report #2 is greatly increased. The cost of pipeline or
truck to the irrigation area is probably too great to make this
possible. Head loss on pipe system makes a gravity flow distri-
bution doubtful.
70
-------
COUNTERMEASURE REFERENCE
6. Load contents of lake on to
barges and take to sea for dumping.
Flow Diagram
Materials
Probable barging costs - $1.00 - 1.25 mil/ton-milev would need
about 18 standard 840,000 gallon barges. This is expensive and
the barges couldn't go into the Gulf to dump. Would also require
pipeline or trucks to load barge.
Costs per telephone call to Ralph Clark 6/16/71
Procedure and Technique
Transport by pipe "or truck to barge. Take- to mouth of Mississippi
River and discharge slowly if weather did not permit risking river
barges in open sea.
71
-------
COUNTERMEASURE
REFERENCE
7. Activated carbon filter systems.
Flow Diagram
o ° o
O CJ O
Ooo
P.'/ff
JAWWA
Vol. 57, p. 185,
February, 1965
Effectiveness of A.C
Materials
Q
1. Activated carbon approximately 2,500 ft.
20 - 40 #/ft3 Cost $12,000 - $20,000
2. Confinement structure
pressure vessel - app. $12,000
3. Ditch or wooden structure
to hold carbon - app. $5,000
4. Regeneration, disposal of carbon
Procedure and Technique
1. Pressure filter assembly built on site.
2. A. C. in a ditch lined with polyethyline.
FAB, carbon manu-
facturers - telephon
conferences
3. A. C. in a wooden structure on surface of ground.
Calculations based on 1000 GPM, 15 minutes detention time, indicate
need for 2500 ft3 carbon. Carbon weighs 30 - *+0#/ft3
Recycle to lake possible and desirable
until process well under control Field discussion
Regenerate carbon in furnace to destroy endrin - by contract
72
-------
APPENDIX C
GEOLOGICAL REPORT
The Department of Water, Division of Natural Resources,
provided RETA with well logs and basic information which
permitted the completion by Monday, June 14, 1971, of
an^analysis of the danger to ground water in the area.
This information showed that a 40 foot thick layer of
impermeable shale separated the lake from ground water,
and that ground water in the area was very poor. Many
of the grilled wells are dry or provide a flow of less
than five gallons per minute. RETA concluded that it
was unlikely that any ground water contamination would
occur unless the entire lake were to drain to the Ohio
River flood plain at one time. The Ohio River flood
plains do contain aquifers which potentially are very
good sources of water with well yields of 1000 GPM ex-
pected. They should not be exposed to the poison by
activities such as landfilling bottom material scraped
from the lake. The geological report with Figures 12
and 13 follows:
I. Groundwater
There is little chance of seepage of Pond Lick Lake water
into groundwater. The bedrock under the lake is largely
impermeable shale with some interbedded sands. Most of
the sands are poorly sorted and not good aquifers. Fur-
thermore, they are thin and isolated from each other by
interbedded shales. The shales effectively isolate the
sand layers so little water can collect _or flow through the
sand. Maximum yields for these sands might be app. 5 gpm.
The Berea sandstone, which is probably 50 feet below lake,
consists of interbedded sandstone and shale with sands up
to two feet thick. The Berea may yield some water, but
because of interbedded shales, it is not a good aquifer.
The first good aquifers below the lake are Devonian lime-
stone and dolomites of Middle Devonian age which are 600
feet below the lake, and probably bear brackish water.
The only other aquifer in the area is the alluvial deposit
in the Scioto and Ohio Valleys. The Pond is isolated from
these alluvial materials by the above described shales
and contamination would not be a problem unless the mater-
ial in the lake overflowed and ran down Turkey Creek to
73
-------
5 Ml
5
SUKIBUAY -5M
BEDFORD SWAU5.
OUIO R1V5R
1-2
SOUTH CROSS SS£TION|
OMtO
-------
IOOO
01
SJ-tALS. I DEV)
4 oo
'. O>
K c .--
-------
the Ohio Flood plain. The lake is 200 feet above the
alluvial material and isolated from it by impermeable
shale layers as shown by cross sections, Figures 12 and 13.
II. Geologic Column at Pond Lick Lake
Surface - Cuyahoga Shale and Sandstone; total thickness
of 300 feet, 20/30 feet of this layer is below lake level,
gray shale, sandstone and siltstone, poorly sorted, not
a source of groundwater. Lower Cuyahoga is Buena Vista
member. Sandstones are from 1" to 16" thick with inter-
bedded shale.
Sunbury Shale: 20-30 feet, Dark Shale. Not water bearing.
Berea Sandstone: 20-60 feet, gray sandstones up to 2 feet
thick with interbedded shales. May carry some water lo-
cally. Sand is generally not well sorted and is there-
fore not a good aquifer.
Bedford Shale: 50-110 feet, gray interbedded sandstone
and shale. Sands are thin. Does not bear water.
Ohio Shale: ^00 feet, black shale. Does not bear water.
76
-------
APPENDIX D
ALTERNATE STRATEGIES CONSIDERED
The primary consideration of the field team was to find a
satisfactory method to eliminate the poison from the lake
rapidly since the upper diverting dam was only temporary and
could not be relied upon for long-term protection.
The costs of different treatment methods were roughly esti-
mated, as was the time required to implement the plan. These
strategies were forwarded to the field where they were dis-
cussed with other ideas formulated on site and by Dr. Thompson.
Also sent to the field was information on performance stan-
dards required in terms of Endrin toxicity tolerances. This
information is shown in this appendix.
Initial failure of the activated carbon spread on the lake
to remove Endrin led to the feeling that a pilot plant assembly
was necessary prior to any further large scale use of carbon.
Public concern and the need to do "something" to show removal
of the poison was a factor involved in the decision to use a
removal technique rather than a less expensive in-place treat-
ment of the Endrin.
This section of the report discusses seven alternate treat-
ment methods in some detail. The methods are:
1. Treat lake with bentonite slurry. Let settle.
2. Treat lake with fly ash and let settle.
3. Spread powdered activated carbon onto the surface of the
lake and let it settle.
4. Allow lake to recover itself. Monitor and bioassay
extensively to gain knowledge useful in a larger spill.
5. Spray irrigate the Indrin water onto surrounding land.
6. Load contents' of lake into barges and take to sea.
7. Build an activated carbon filter and pass the lake through
it.
COUNTERMEASURE REFERENCE
1. Spread a slurry of bentonite on Settling characteristics.
the lake, allow to settle and R. L. Folk, Petrology of
spread a second layer a week later Sedimentary Rocks, Uni-
to seal the Endrin to the bottom. versity of Texas, 1965.
Materials
Boat to apply bentonite slurry.
Slurry making equipment - pump and mixer
77
-------
Approximately 1 ton bentonite ($80 - $100)
1 ton will give approximately 100 mg/1 applications if the
lake volume really is 15 million gallons.
Readily available.
Procedure and Technique
Bentonite absorbs well, settles slowly, so it would scrub
the whole lake and is cheap. The second layer would form a
seal preventing desorption. Jar tests could quickly deter-
mine the dose. The size could be chosen to give 18 - 48 hours
contact time before the clay is all on the bottom. This is
an inexpensive operation, both from materials and labor view-
point and seals the Endrin into a favorable area geologically,
preventing ground water contamination.
COUNTERMEASURE REFERENCE
2. Spread fly ash on the surface of Fly Ash. J. D. Eye
the lake. Let it settle, adsorb- Research, University
ing Endrin on the surface on the of Cincinnati.
way down.
Materials
Fly ash - amount determined by jar tests. Should be available
for hauling costs from almost any coal-fired power plant.
Procedure and Technique
Spread fly ash as a powder on the surface of the lake and
let it settle. A second application may be useful to seal
the Endrin in and prevent desorption into the bottom water
of the lake.
COUNTERMEASURE REFERENCE
3. Spread powdered activated carbon Suggested by early
on the lake and let it settle. action of State of
Ohio.
Materials
Powdered activated carbon - equivalent to Aqua-Nu-Char. App.
9£/lb. One firm offered enough carbon free to treat the lake.
This was an estimated 200 Ibs. of material.
Procedure and Technique
Spread the activated carbon and let it settle, picking up
Endrin as it falls. This requires a fine powdered carbon,
not a granular material.
78
-------
GOUNTERMEASURE
k. Let the lake recover itself.
REFERENCE
Dr. R. E. Hanson,
Shell Chemical Co.
Agriculture Products Div,
San Ramon, California
(telephone 6/15/71 to
D. Clement, RETA,
St. Louis).
Materials
Procedure and Technique
Monitor the recovery in terms of Endrin in Pond Lick Creek
and Turkey Creek. Level of Endrin involved is not thought
to present ,a hazard to man or livestock now. The time re-
quired to allow fish to live in the lake again could be
determined. Caged bluegills or continuous bioassay with
stream side tanks are possible. This would permit gathering
information useful if a much larger lake were poisoned when
it would be impractical to treat it.
COUNTERMEASURE
5. Spray irrigate onto surrounding
land.
REFERENCE
Telephone conversation
6/16 SJR/GMB - SJR/DPC
Absorptive capacity of
soil. Sc.D. Research,
J. D. Eye, University
of Cincinnati, 1966.
Materials
Pipeline to Ohio River flood plain or truck transport to the
flood plain. Irrigation equipment to apply to soil.
Procedure and Technique
Soil is a good adsorbant of Endrin and probably would filter
the Endrin out of the water. The golf course on the Ohio
River flood plain may be a possible area to irrigate but the
possibility of contaminating ground water aquifers shown on
the geologic section map in Appendix C is greatly increased.
The cost of pipeline or true* to the irrigation area is prob-
ably too great to make this possible. Head loss on pipe
system makes a gravity flow distribution doubtful.
COUNTERMEASURE
6. Load contents of lake on^to barges
and take to sea for dumping.
REFERENCE
79
-------
Materials
Probable barging costs - 1.00 - 1.25 mil/ton-mile, would
need about 18 standard 84-0,000 gallon barges. This is ex-
pensive and the barges couldn't go into the Gulf to dump.
Would also require pipeline or trucks to load barge.
Costs per telephone call to Ralph Clark 6/16/71.
Procedure and Technique
Transport by pipe or truck to barge. Take to mouth of
Mississippi River and discharge slowly if weather did not
permit risking river barges in open sea.
COUNTERMEASURE
7. Activated carbon filter systems.
Materials
1,
REFERENCE
JAWWA
Vol. 57, p. 185,
February, 1965
Effectiveness of A.C,
Activated carbon approximately 2,500 ft.
20 - 40 #/ftJ Cost $12,000 - $20,000
Confinement structure
pressure vessel - app. $12,000
Ditch or wooden structure
to hold carbon - app. $5,000
Regeneration, disposal of carbon
Procedure and Technique
1. Pressure filter assembly built
on site.
2. A. C. in a ditch lined with
polyethylene.
3. A. C. in a wooden structure on
surface of ground.
Calculations based on 1000 GPM, 15
minutes detention time, indicate need
for 2500 ft^ carbon. Carbon weights
30 -
FAB, carbon manufacturers
telephone conferences.
Recycle to lake possible and desir-
able. Field discussion until pro-
cess well under control.
Regenerate carbon in furnace to de-
stroy Endrin - by contract.
Field discussion.
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APPENDIX E
TREATMENT SYSTEM
This section of the report details the decision to build a
pilot plant to measure the effectiveness of a carbon filter
and illustrates the means by which the successful operation
of the pilot plant led directly to the design, construction,
and operation of the prototype plant built to treat Pond
Lick Lake.
Pilot Plant
The combined field team of State, Federal and RETA
consultants felt a definite need to evaluate activated
carbon in a pilot scale operation after the failure to
function of the first carbon applied to the lake.
Published literature (JAWWA 57:181-199, 1965) showed that
activated carbon was effective in removing Endrin at a
loading rate of 0.5 GPM/cubic foot of carbon. The pilot
plant was built with this flow as the loading criteria.
Tuesday afternoon in a meeting of all present field personnel,
Dr. Thompson suggested and Mr. Nye approved design and con-
struction of a pilot plant. RETA engineers designed the plant
from a rough sketch by Dr. Thompson.
The decision was made about 6 p.m. By 9 p.m. construction
had started, a pressure filter from a swimming pool had been
located and arrangements made to ship it to the site the next
day. Electricity was ordered and installed about daybreak
Wednesday. Welders worked through the night Tuesday to fab-
ricate a column to hold the carbon bed. Construction was
completed and the plant put in operation Wednesday afternoon.
The pilot plant under construction is shown in Figures 14, 15a,
and 15b.
The pilot plant was designed to answer several questions in
a planned operating period of 24-48 hours:
1. Determine the Endrin adsorption capacity of activated
carbon. This figure would give an estimate of the
carbon needed to treat the entire lake if it were to
be filtered.
2. Determine the residual level of Endrin and thus the
removal efficiency of the activated carbon process. This
would also indicate the ability of the system to meet
effluent standards for Endrin in water.
3. Confirm suitability of the chosen loading rate and study
effects of varying the rate.
81
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EFFUURHIT
L.IMK.
PRESSURE
-------
Figure 15a - Pilot plant under construction,
Figure 15b - Loading carbon in pilot plant column,
-------
4. Show if a prefliter to remove organic material was needed.
5. Provide, by running until breakthrough, an estimate of the
life of the carbon.
6. Demonstrate that an upflow filter assembly would provide
greater carbon utilization by agitating the bed sufficiently
to continuously expose fresh carbon surfaces.
7. If needed, evaluate different grades and brands of avail-
able carbons (this did not prove necessary).
The plan of operation was to take frequent samples and send
them to Cincinnati for gas chromatographic analysis, with con-
current fish bioassays at the site, since there was not a
chromatograph available at the site at that time. By Wednesday
afternoon the Department of Natural Resources had located a
G.C. at Ohio State University which was available for use at
the site. It was moved to the site and installed between 1:30
a.m. and ^:00 a.m. Thursday, as described in the critical
decisions section.
The pilot plant showed the available carbon was effective
and Thursday afternoon Dr. Thompson made the decision to
build a prototype plant to treat the entire lake. The pilot
plant was kept in operation to find the capacity of the carbon
bed and ran until June 25 without reaching breakthrough. A
power failure occurred due to heavy rains on June 25, and in
restarting the pilot plant after the power was restored, a
high flow rate occurred which washed the carbon out of the column,
destroying the pilot plant. Its operation was terminated shortly
thereafter.
Design of Prototype Plant
The upflow carbon filter was designed by first determining
what basic equipment that might possibly be used was avail-
able, and then applying the design parameters obtained in
the pilot plant study to this equipment to calculate the
rate at which this system could treat the lake water. Since
the resulting rate was found to be acceptable, the auxiliary
portions of the system were then sized and all necessary parts
listed and either obtained or redesigned so that existing
parts could be used. The obvious purpose of utilizing avail-
able equipment wherever possible was the saving of time.
The first item sought was a tank or basin to hold the carbon.
Temporary modification of portions of the spillway from the
lake was an early consideration. On-site construction of a
wooden frame for holding the carbon was also contemplated.
In the search for a tank, Dr. Thompson, in discussion with
84
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Dr Sid Hana of Cincinnati EPA, discovered that some wooden
tanks of 3" thick cypress with inside dimensions of 4' x 18'
x 7' high, which had previously been constructed for research
in water treatment, were owned by EPA and located in Cincinnati.
The State quickly provided an airplane to transport Dr. Thompson
to Cincinnati to inspect the units and dispatched a flat-bed
truck to the city to save time if the tank proved to be sat-
isfactory. Dr. Thompson located and measured a suitable unit
and made necessary arrangements for its use. Had the tanks
been unsuitable, he would have cancelled the trucks by radio
from his plane.
The pilot plant had operated well up to a rate of-7.5 gpm,
which was a volumetric loading rate of 0.5 gpm/ft and a
surface loading of 3.5 gpm/ft . Above 8.0 gpm, there was
increased expansion of the bed and lift out of the carbon
through the top restraint. The available depth in the large
tank was only 6 feet, compared to 7 feet in the pilot plant
unit. This resulted in a lower surface loading and decreased
tendency for the carbon to be lost in the upflow at the same
volumetric loading of 0.5 gpm/ft . The total flow corresponding
to the design rate was 216 gpm, or approximately 1/3 mgd. The
maximum permissible flow through the filter was calculated to
be 225 gpm.
The decision was made to use one of these tanks on Thursday
afternoon and it was delivered on Thursday night at 11:30
p.m. Until the box was examined more closely for location
of reinforcing bars and joints, very little of the design
of inlet and outlet piping could be done. The tank was sent
to the garage at the Shawnee State Forest headquarters, where
welding equipment and other facilities were available.
Preliminary design sketches prepared by Dr. Cecil Lue-Hing
and Joe Dieterman showed dual 8" diameter PVC inlet manifolds
running the entire length of the box and resting on the bottom.
They were spaced with centers one foot from the two sidewalls
and drilled on both sides with 1/2" diameter holes every 6".
The weight of the filter material was supported on three rows
of concrete blocks spaced at 2' centers, covered by expanded
metal grating, 1/8" grid hardware cloth, and muslin. The 6'
bed of activated carbon was shown to be covered by another
layer of muslin to separate the carbon from a V layer of
vermiculite on top. The purpose of the vermiculite was to
provide a cushion against excessive packing of the carbon.
The filter bed was held in place by reverse construction ot
the filter bottom - muslin, 1/8" grid hardware cloth, and
finally expanded metal grating. Two by four stringers placed
upright at 24" intervals held the filter top secure and the
water level was maintained above the filter box by adding
85
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2 x 12 boards as risers on three sides of the tank. One end
of the tank top was shown as an overflow weir, with the flow
being caught in an overflow box which emptied through a bottom
effluent pipe. The tank and risers were lined with continuous
plastic liner to minimize leakage. A copy of this field
design sketch is presented in Figure 16. The
map sketch, Figure ID, shows the location of the pump and
filter at the lake.
The activated carbon specified was that used in the pilot
plant - Galgon Filtrasorb 400, 12 x 40 mesh. Calgon repre-
sentatives had verified that the quantity required, approx-
imately 26,000 Ibs., was available from a production facility
in nearby Catlettsburg, Kentucky. They also indicated that
they would repurchase the spent carbon.
Inlet piping was also originally specified as 8" PVC pipe,
with the two manifolds under the filter combining at a Y
section, which then changed to metal plumbing with an 8"
globe valve. However, it was soon determined that the large
pipe sizes and fittings would not be obtainable from stock.
The design was modified to 6" PVC manifold pipes in the filter
coming out into an elbow and a tee-section with the common
header valved with a 4" gate valve. Galvanized piping up-
stream from the valve were shown as a flow meter, a tee-section
leading to a by-pass (also with a gate valve), and a connection
onto the fire hose from the pump. All these fittings were
originally designed as 4", but the use of a 3" meter with its
extremely high head loss compared to the remainder of the
fittings made the use of 3" piping much more reasonable. The
meter was loaned to the project by the Portsmouth Water De-
partment .
A pump with approximately the head-discharge characteristics
needed for the filter system was already owned by the Ohio
DNR and located in Chillicothe. The pump, powered by a gasoline
engine, was used very infrequently to flood marshes and was
stand-by equipment for fire-fighting. The pump was fitted
to use 2-1/2" fire hose on the discharge side and 4" hard
rubber hose on the intake side. A strainer and float for
the intake were also designed.
Although a pressure sand filter had been used in the pilot
plant to protect the carbon column from suspended solids in
the lake water, the decision was made to eliminate this unit
from the full-scale treatment operation. This was primarily
because of the very low suspended solids in the lake - an
average turbidity of 7 units coming into the sand filter and
4 in the effluent from the pilot plant carbon filter. In
three full days of operation, the pressure loss through the
sand filter had not increased perceptibly.
86
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DIVERSION DAM
BY-PASS PUMPS
•VALVE BOX
^—-ORIGINAL DAM
ELEC. SUBMERSIBLE PUMP
SPILLWAY
STILLING WELL
FLOW METER
'CARBON FILTER BOX
FIGURE 10
PLACEMENT OF ACTIVATED
CARBON FILTER PLANT
AT POND LICK LAKE
-------
The locations^of the pump, filter, and piping were largely
dictated by site conditions near the spillway. Because of
the by-pass pipes lying between the roadway and the paved
parking area near the spillway, it was not easily possible
to place the filter in this otherwise desirable location
Therefore,^it was lifted from the truck by a crane and placed
almost against the pipeline at the edge of the roadway. The
pump, which was readily movable because the unit was mounted
on^wheels, was located on a concrete pad at the edge of the
spillway just a few inches above lake level. This minimized
the length of suction hose needed and the suction head on the
pump.
Several modifications were made from the design described
above as a result of construction or operation difficulties.
These changes are described in the following two subsections.
CONSTRUCTION
In order to accommodate the concrete blocks between the
sidewalls of the tank and the inlet manifolds, the PVC pipes
were actually placed close to the third points across the
bottom rather than one foot from the sidewalls. After the
holes for the inlet pipes were cut and the pipe inserted,
held in place by brackets, and the holes sealed, the filter
box was ready to be moved to the lake site. The plastic
liner was installed and several existing fixtures on the
box were also modified or sealed at the garage before moving
the filter tank.
The box was leveled by placing wood shims under corners on
the downhill side, with main emphasis on keeping the weir
level. The thickest skim needed was about 2". Subsequent
experience indicated that the wood was inadequate to support
the weight of the tank when filled with water. The wood at
the intake end of the tank crushed, resulting in a level
overflow end but a torque and distortion of the tank.
The bottom screens were cut and placed in the tank with
careful work at the edges and overlaps. Before the muslin
was put in, a field conference was held and it was decided
that the possibility of the muslin blinding with fines in
the water or carbon was great enough and the difficulty in
removing the muslin would be so great that the muslin should
not be installed. It was decided to use a *+" layer of gravel
in place of the muslin to prevent loss of carbon through the
bottom screen. Some gravel was available in the State Forest
It was loaded onto a dump truck, washed, and placed in the
tank without any significant time loss. A sample of the
gravel was taken for later size analysis.
89
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While the bottom was being installed, the weir plate and
overflow box were also being constructed. The weir plate
was simply a tin sheet molded to the top of the 3" cypress
board, providing a smooth, broad-crested weir that brought
the overflow away from the edge of the tank so that the
overflow box could catch it. A3' deep by 2' wide box built
of spruce lumber was attached to the end of the tank at an
approximate 15° angle. This permitted insertion of a sec-
tion of 10" aluminum pipe into the bottom of the low side
of the box to drain the box, rather than the original design
of a pipe coming out of the bottom. The advantages of this
change were many: no elbows would be required to direct the
flow into the spillway; there was no downward force on the
piping which would require a more substantial attachment to
the overflow box; and a greater flow could be accommodated
because of the low head loss characteristics of the revised
flow design.
Before loading the activated carbon, additional cleaning of
the gravel was ordered. This was accomplished by connecting
the pump and inlet piping and adding the risers to the top of
the tank. Two by fours placed flat to hold the plastic liner
topped by 2 x Vs on edge were used for risers instead of
the 2 x 12 planks originally specified. The flat 2 x Vs
were to restrain the upward movement of the screen edges
and prevent bubbling of carbon along the walls, a problem
encountered in the pilot plant.
Flow of water through upflow unit cleaned the gravel within
15 minutes and also showed leaks. Most of these were between
sideboards in the filter which would swell shut within a day.
Some of the larger cracks were caulked with waterproofing
compound. However, the major leaks were at the joints in
the PVC inlet piping. These were later repaired by S. J.
Ryckman and Dr. Thompson when the tank was drained by mixing
a patching compound of the sealant used for the PVG pipes
and ground PVC. This paste was built into a 45° weld around
all the joints and then covered by a black plastic tape,
followed by nylon filament strapping tape. Dr. Thompson
also ordered a complete new manifold in case of failure of
the joints.
The carbon was then added to the tank filled with water.
Trucks full of 60 Ib. bags of the carbon were parked next
to the side of the tank. Temporary scaffolds were laid
along the top of the filter to permit the workers to easily
move about the top. The bags were handed to the workers on
top, who cut holes in the bags and permitted the carbon to
empty from the bags slightly submerged. This procedure
90
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eliminated much of the dust problem usually associated with
handling carbon and gave uniform density in packing of the
bed. When the carbon was nearly at overflow level, about a
foot of water was drained from the tank. The bed could then
be walked on without any significant compaction. The surface
was leveled with rakes and the water surface again raised to
the top of the carbon for the final leveling process, using
the water level as a guide.
Again because of possible blinding, the muslin between the
carbon and vermiculite layers was eliminated. It was de-
cided that separation of the vermiculite from the carbon
could be achieved by floatation of the lighter vermiculite.
Four inches of dry vermiculite was spread over the drained
carbon bed and a layer of muslin spread over the top, with
the edges lapped over the filter walls to eliminate leakage
of filter material. The two restraining screens were next
added, followed by 2 x 4 stringers notched to fit partly
under the protruding 2 x Vs in the riser section. The
filter was then ready for operation.
OPERATION
Lake water was started through the filter at 5:10 p.m. on
June 19. The pump had been operating for several hours at
about 180 gpm« with the flow bypassed back into the lake.
The initial flow rate of 40 gpm was achieved by opening
the valve to the filter and then partially closing the by-
pass. The effluent at first contained many carbon fines and
had a gray color. However, there was no boiling or carbon
leakage. The pressure gauge on the inlet read 2-1/2 psi,
as it continued to do throughout the start-up and early
operation of the plant, indicating that-the total head loss
through the filter was only slightly above the static head.
A record of filter operation was started and has since been
maintained. The first week's record is presented in Appendix F.
Soon after flow was started through the filter, the need for
one change became obvious. The 2x4 braces on the filter
top obstructed the flow along the top to the extent that the
water level at the inlet end was four to five inches higher
than at the overflow. This variation in heads would affect
the flow pattern up through the filter and nearly resulted
in overflowing the filter wall at the inlet end. Notches
and eventually rectangular sections were removed from the
braces to minimize the surface differential along the filter
top.
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Subsequent increases in the loading rate on the filter
revealed other problems with the filter top. At rates
above 90-100 gpm, large amounts of carbon leaked around
the edges of the muslin. When the muslin was attached to
the walls with wooden strips to eliminate the leakage, the
screen began to bulge upward in the center where it was
not restrained by braces. An attempt to increase the flow
to the design rate (215 gpm ) at 6:30 a.m. on June 20 re-
sulted in the structural failure of the top as the braces
were pushed out and the screens dislodged.
Dismantling of the top showed the cause of the failure.
Disintegrated vermiculite granules had created a layer_of
pasty consistency of 1/16 to 1/8" thickness on the entire
surface of the muslin cloth. Blinding of the cloth had
caused the pressure build-up.
The decision was immediately made to remove the muslin and
vermiculite and replace it with a fine mesh screen and pos-
sibly sand and gravel to prevent the carbon from escaping.
Instead of floating the vermiculite to separate it from the
carbon, it was scraped off the top with shovels. Six inches
of carbon was also removed to provide space for the sand and
gravel layers, if needed. The remaining carbon bed depth
of 5'2" would accommodate a flow rate of 187 gpm under de-
sign conditions, as shown in Appendix F, Section 6.
To facilitate any further removal of the filter top, it was
constructed as an integral unit and then slid into position
and secured. Two by fours were used to construct the frame,
to which the 40 -mesh screen was stapled. In place, the
frame rested on the unexpanded carbon bed and left V' of the
freeboard to the screen for bed expansion. The hardware cloth
and expanded steel grating were placed on top of the screen
and held in place by another frame similar to the bottom one
that was nailed to the sidewalls of the tank to prevent leak-
age of carbon around the edges. No sand or gravel was added
until the screen was tested by itself.
The start-up procedure of slowly increasing the flow rate was
again used. Because the carbon fines had been removed during
the previous operation of the carbon bed, very little turbidity
was observed. At first, however, small carbon granules rose
through the screen and then redeposited on top of the screen.
The total loss of carbon due to this problem was only about
1/2 foot3, all during the first 30 minutes after start-up.
Consequently, no sand or gravel was added.
As the flow was increased to about 100 gpm, another poten-
tial operational problem was noted. Large air bubbles rose
92
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through the filter and escaped at the same places on the top
at frequent intervals. The amount of bubbling increased pro-
portionately with the flow rate.
To keep the bubbles from forming channels through the carbon,
injection of more carbon into the filter was first attempted'
as a countermeasure. To accomplish this, operation of the
filter was temporarily halted and the water level drawn down
about three feet. A three inch diameter hole was cut through
the sidewall just above the lowered water level and a flange,
nipple, and gate valve were attached to the outside of the
hole. The original water level was restored and carbon slurry
was then pumped from a 55 gallon drum into the tank with a
trash pump. Three 60~lb. bags were added near the overflow
end of the filter by this technique. The injection brought
the unexpanded carbon bed up to the screen in the portion of
the filter where the addition occurred.
The added carbon did not reduce the bubbling, although it
appeared to have repaired the channeling caused by the bub-
bles. During the injection process, the decision was made
by the field staff to obtain a submersible electric pump to
replace the gasoline-powered pump. The suction head on the
exposed part of the intake piping for the pump was thought
to be the source of the air in the filter system. Also, sub-
stitution of the submersible pump would increase the depend-
ability of the system, reduce manpower requirements, and
permit more versatility of intake location. For the two
days it took to locate, purchase, assemble, and transport
the pump to the site (June 21-June 23) , operation was con-
tinued with the old pump at the highest rate which did not
cause turbulent bubbling, 116 gpm.
The submersible pump was mounted on a floating platform as
shown in Figure 17 so that the depth of the intake could be
adjusted. Sections of fire hose were used to carry the lake
water from the pump to the filter. By anchoring the platform
at different locations in the lake, the pump could be moved
to points were the Endrin concentrations were highest.
Before the submersible pump reached the site, Endrin concen-
trations in the effluent began to rise. The system was shut
down and the necessary modifications for addition of the new
pump were made. The gasoline-powered pump was kept in its
position as a standby in case of power failure.
When the system was restarted with the submersible pump, the
initial effluent samples showed very high Endrin concentra-
tions (0.9 ppb). However, after three to four hours of
93
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Figure 17 - Floating support for electric submersible
pump installed to eliminate air bubbles
in the carbon filter. Filter operated
well at 180 GPM with this pump.
(Courtesy Portsmouth Times)
94
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flushing the channels formed by the bubbling were repacked
by the upflow of water and the effluent concentrations dropped
to an acceptable level.
Endrin levels in the stilling basin and downstream in Pond
Lick were monitored closely by G-C analysis as shown in
Figure and fish bioassay to insure that the high levels did
not reach the stream. A pump and hose were available at the
stilling basin to repump water into the lake if high levels
were detected. Because the capacity of the stilling basin
was only about 20,000 gallons, or two hours detention time
at 170 gpm, there was a necessity for frequent sampling of
the effluent. Fish were placed in the water on top of the
filter to provide rapid detection of a breakthrough. They
were kept on the top by placing a screen across the overflow.
Additional protection against unexpected breakthrough was the
continued operation of the pilot plant. With an approximate
three-day lead time and operating at the same loading rate,
the pilot plant carbon could be expected to reach its absorp-
tive capacity before the large filter and provide a warning.
However, as indicated earlier, the pilot plant ceased opera-
tion after the carbon column was partially lost in start-up
after the June 26 power failure.
Notes on plant operation were prepared for the assistance of
state personnel at the time that the EPA and RETA field team
left the site. The notes included sampling schedules and
outlines of actions to be taken in the event of possible
emergencies. A copy of the notes is presented at the end
of this section.
On June 21, a morning rain of 0.6 inches and an evening rain
•of 1.03 inches caused a total lake rise of U to 4-1/2 inches,
but resulted in no operational problems. The bypass pumps
were able to control the water level above the diversion dam
and no increase in turbidity of the lake water was observed.
The discharge of the pumps is shown in Figure 18. However, on
the night of June 25 and early morning of June 26, a 2.15
inch downpour was recorded at the lake. Working through the
night to reinforce the diversion dam and keep the water above
it pumped down, the state DNR employees were finally forced
to cut a trench through it to prevent the entire dam from
being lost. The lake level rose rapidly, causing a need for
additional sandbags around the spillway. The final increase
in lake level from the rain was 18 inches.
The rainstorm created additional difficulties. For nine hours
Friday night and four hours Saturday night, there was loss
of electrical power at the site. This resulted in lightning
problems and inactivated the submersible pump. In addition,
the work on the diversion dam and rapid runoff into the lake
caused high turbidity, especially at the upper end of the lake
95
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Figure 18 - Spillway of dam and discharge of
by-pass pipe during heavy rain.
96
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The turbidity was severe enough to have caused shut-down of
the carbon filter, but the filter was already out of operation
because of the power failure.
As the lake level continued to rise on the morning of June
26, and the possibility of the lake water either topping or
breaking through the sandbags around the spillway appeared
imminent, an emergency treatment system that could be placed
somewhere down-stream from the lake overflow was sought.
After consulting with Dr. Thompson by telephone, the state
DNR personnel began construction of an upflow filter in the
spillway chute by damming the chute, placing a surface baffle
upstream, and packing the section of the chute between the
dam and the baffle with 200 bags of activated carbon.
Lake water was directed into the emergency filter by siphon-
ing from the lake into the spillway. No meter or accurate
measurement of flow could be obtained, but the siphoning rate
was estimated at 200 gpm.
Before power was restored, the effluent pipe from the large
carbon filter was redirected and extended to run over the dam
and discharge below the emergency filter in the chute. The
turbidity in the lake subsided considerably by the time power
was restored, especially near the surface. Therefore, the
filter was re-started soon thereafter. High concentrations
of Endrin in the effluent were again measured at the start-up,
but were flushed out within the same three-hours' period as
before. Because of the apparent efficient performance of the
emergency filter and the need to lower the lake level rapidly,
both systems have been operative since that time, resulting
in a combined treatment rate of approximately 400 gpm. _The
corresponding draw-down of lake level has been about 4 inches
per day.
97
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NOTES ON OPERATION
OF CARBON FILTER PLANT
Pond Lick Reservoir
June 25, 1971
Prepared by:
Ken Axetell
Dave Stoltenberg
Section Contents
1 Routine Monitoring,
2 Start-up and Shut-down Procedures
3 Plant Operating Procedures
4 Emergency Procedures
5 Instructions for Recharging Filter
98
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Routine Monitoring
Routine monitoring will be primarily by gas chromatographic
analysis of samples for endrin and by fish bioassay. Monitoring
of lake water and discharge is primarily fish bioassay and gas
chromatographic analysis for endrin. The specific test for en-
drin requires about 1 1/2 hours analysis time. Results of fish
killed by the endrin are measured at 24 and 48 hours. These two
analyses are the only means being used to determine whether the
lake water is being treated adequately.
Filter Start-up Period - For the first 5 days of operation
(June 23 - June 21), samples should be taken at frequent inter-
vals. The recommended schedule is given below:
In the lake -
a) one vertical profile every other day on the north side
of the lake near the dam. Depths of O1, 3', 5', 7', and
15'
b) surface grid of lake every day at the following locations:
upper end of lake, center of lake, location of vertical
profile, and intake to filter plant
c) if concentration at intake has been varying significantly
(over 2 ppb), take a second intake sample during the day
d) when the lake level has receded about 1', take sediment
samples from the exposed bank to determine the need for
washing the shore line of deposited endrin
Effluents -
a) filter plant effluents at approximate 3-hour interval:;
around the clock
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b) two pilot plant samples per day, preferably morning and
evening
Stream samples -
a) daily samples at stilling basin, bioassay shed, and at
bridge over Pond Lick
b) one sample per day at other fish bioassay locations
Be certain not to contaminate samples by placing hands or
objects into the samples or their containers.
Normal Operation - After the filter system has reached equilibrium,
fewer samples will be required to monitor the unit. Upset in either
the filter or the lake or stream may necessitate a return to the
more frequent sampling schedule.
In the lake -
a) vertical profile as described above every fifth day
b) surface grid of the lake as described above every other
day
c) intake sample every day (this is included in surface grid
every other day)
Effluents -
a) filter plant effluents at 6-hour intervals
b) one pilot plant sample per day
Stream samples -
a) one sample per day at every bioassay location
b) sample every other day at stilling basin, bioassay shed,
100
-------
and bridge when there is no bioassay in progress at the
site
Start-up and Shut-down Procedure^
To Filter
A
By-pass
(3)
Check
Valve
(2) Meter
V
A
jtandby
Irilot
Ma In
Inlet
Start-up
Gate valve (1) should be closed.
Gate valve (3) should be open.
Gate valve (4) should be closed.
Gate valve (5) should be open.
1. Throw pump disconnect switch to "on" position.
2. Gradually open gate valve (1) to fully opened position.
3. Throttle gate valve (3) to obtain desired flow (check on flow
meter).
4. Step #3 should be done over a 1.5-30 minute period.
5. If possible, another person should be located on filter top to
observe possible velocity currents and/or bubbles.
Shut-down
1. Open by-pass valve (3) to fully opened position.
2. Close gate valve (1).
3. Shut off pump at disconnect switch on telephone pole.
101
-------
Plant Operating Procedures
1. Total flow readings should be taken periodically, preferably
at the times of effluent sampling. The readings should be
recorded in the table shown on the next page, and the other
values in the table filled in. Any noteworthy events which
occurred in the filter system should also be recorded in the
"REMARKS" column. One copy of these tables should be kept at
the filter site and others sent to the Division of Natural
Resources Columbus office and EPA Evansville office.
2. If operation at high flow rates continues to give effluent
concentrations exceeding 0.4 ppb of endrin, more carbon should
be injected into the filter by the same procedure used on
June 22. Additional injection points should be drilled at
the middle and inlet end of the filter.
3. Lake level should be recorded at the same time each day on a
separate data sheet to indicate lake drawdown rate.
4. The expected decrease in maximum flow rate caused by addition
of each 40 foot section of intake piping (fire hose) would be
15 to 20 gpm.
102
-------
FILTER OPERATION CHART
O
U)
Date
Time
Hours of
Operation
Large
Meter
Small
Meter
Flow,
Total
Gallons
Since Last
Reading
Flow
Rate,
gpm
Effluent
Endrin,
ppb
Remarks
-------
Emergency Contingencies
Emergency
Corresponding Action
1. turbidity increase
in lake
2. power loss
3. filter effluent
exceeds 0.20 ppb
endrin
a. shut down filter plant
b. if only moderate, keep pilot plant
in operation to determine fouling
effects
c. if excessive, shut down pilot
plant
d. operator contact Dave Stoltenberg
(EPA) or Jim Ryckman (RETA)
Dave Stoltenberg - (812) 423-6871,
X 264
Jim Ryckman - (513) 293-4353
a. as a precautionary measure, at-
tempt to seal the 2 exposed
couplings on the suction side of
the army surplus pump
b. turn off switch to submersible
pump
c. open by-pass valve
d. start gas-powered pump and regu-
late flow by shutting down by-pass
e. do not operate at a flow rate in
excess of 180 gpm or at which
bubbling occurs
f. shut off gate valve on pilot plant
inlet and remove electrical plug
a. laboratory immediately notifies
State operator
b. operator checks filter top for
channeling or other malfunction
and checks flow rate; check for
dead fish on filter top
c. consider slowing flow rate until
another effluent sample can be
analyzed
104
-------
filter effluent
exceeds 0.20 ppb
endrin (continued)
filter effluent
exceeds 0.40 ppb
endrin
inlet pipe failure
6. heavy rainfall
d. step up sampling schedule to once
every three hours with priority
given to analyses
a. divert effluent back into lake by
moving pipe from spillway to lake
b. continue monitoring effluent at
3-hour intervals
c. if experimentation with flow rate
reduction, sampling at inlet for
high endrin levels, and injection
of carbon slurry all fail to re-
duce the effluent level, the EPA
personnel listed under Id should
be contacted
d. preparation should be made for
recharging the filter per the
attached instructions
e. if effluent has exceeded 0.40 ppb
for more than 6 hours before pipe
is diverted, downstream samples
should be taken. If these also
exceed 0.4 ppb, water should be
released from Roosevelt Reservoir
at the rate of 5 MGD for 8 hours
a. shut off pump
b. if failure is in PVC pipe section,
attempt to keep split section in-
tact and drain filter through 1"
line. Replace PVC inlet piping
with the entire replacement sec-
tion available on site.
c. if leakage or failure in in metal
pipe, isolate with gate valver.,
remove and replace
a. check to see that lake by-pass
pumps are manned and that the
pumps can keep the water level in
the dammed-up area below dam top
105
-------
Emergency
Emergency Contingencies (continued)
Corresponding Action
6. heavy rainfall
(continued)
b. record rise in lake level on data
sheet
c. record rainfall gauge reading on
data sheet
d. if rainfall continues for long
period (more than a day), consider
possibility of using runoff flow
in Pond Lick for diluting some
untreated lake water which could
be released into spillway
Important Phone Numbers
EPA
Hugh Thompson
Dave Stoltenberg
^aron Rosen
(bioassays)
Office (703) 557-7663
Home (703) 560-6491
Office (812) 423-6871, Ext. 264
Home (812) 477-3239
Office (513) 684-4375
OHIO
Tom Stewart
Home
(614) 882-3706
RETA
Jim Ryckman
St. Louis Office
(Cecil Lu-Hing,
Joe Dieterman)
Ken Axetell
Number at lab
Office
Home
(513)
(513)
(314)
229-3847
293-4353
862-3424
Office
Home
(703)
(703)
893-8410
560-0218
(614) 858-5950
106
-------
Instructions for Recharging Filter
1. Follow standard shut-down procedure.
2. Drain filter through 1" line.
3. While filter is draining, remove filter top by removing lateral
braces, prying 2x4 strips away from side walls, and sliding
screen and its support member out the overflow-end of filter.
4. Contact Calgon representative (Al Gaber, Calgon Center, P. 0.
Box 1346, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15230, (412) 923-2345) concerning
trucking arrangements for return of carbon.
5. Line dump truck bed and walls with muslin and pull truck to
side of filter.
6. Shovel the moist carbon into the truck bed, taking care that
the workers minimize contact with the carbon. All should be
protected with waterproof boots, long-sleeved shirts, and glover,
7. Do not disturb gravel underflow system and keep workers off
the top of PVC pipe inlet manifolds.
8. Refill the tank with lake water.
9. Add carbon by the same method used for originally filling the
tank.
10. Draw water level down to height of screen frame bottom and
level the carbon bed using the water surface as a guide.
11. Replace filter top and use standard start-up procedure-
107
-------
APPENDIX F
FIELD DATA
There are 7 sections of data presented in this Appendix.
This data was collected by Federal, State and RETA personnel
and transmitted to St. Louis for incorporation in this re-
port. This is all the data received by RETA.
Section 1 contains a map sketch of Pond Lick Lake with sampling
locations in the lake shown. The symbols shown there match
fish bioassay, temperature profile and gas chromatography
analysis tables throughout this Appendix.
Section 2 is gas chromatography data run at Taft Center,
Section 3 contains results of early fish bioassay tests to
determine the extent of kill. These data depict a gradual
decrease of Endrin concentration with increasing depth.
When compared with the temperature data in Section 4, the
figures show that the temperature gradient was at least part-
ly responsible. Section 5 shows a biological survey of the
watercourse conducted by EPA.
Section 6 shows pilot plant data and notes which were used to
design the prototype plant.
Section 7 contains notes on operation of the prototype as
well as the effluent concentrations of the filter. These
analyses were the quality control on the filter and were used
to determine if discharge of the effluent was possible or if
it needed to be recycled to the lake until the filter operation
improved.
108
-------
SECTION 1
SAMPLE LOCATION MAP
109
-------
Figure /*?
Lick
-------
SECTION 2
GAS CHROMATOGRAPH ANALYSIS
Taft Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Date 6/15/71
No.
Sample Location
RIGHT DAM
Surface
5'
10'
14'
MID DAM
Surface
5'
10'
15'
LEFT DAM
Surface
5'
10'
15'
POWER LINE
Surface
5'
RIGHT CENTER
Surface
5'
10'
LEFT CENTER
Surface
5'
10'
•
Cone . ppb
•>>BIWlH«*W_«—»^_^M—M-M»a>IIM^^»-WH«>
6.8
6.9
2.1
0.1
7.0
6.5
0.7
0.3
6.7
6.5
0.8
0.1
6.3
7.0
7.4
7.0
0.5
7.5
7.1
0.3
1_-
Remarks
••••••••^^••••••-•••••••••i. .— . ••Hi- " --"•-.. . —i
After pumping stillinq
well into right dnm
J
111
-------
OTHER ENDRIN SAMPLES
DATE
TIME
SAMPLE #
LOCATION DEPTH
5-10
6-18
6-16
6-19
19
18
19
19
20
19
21
21
22
22
23
23
„
__
__
_ _
__
__
_ _
H .
_ _
_ _
— _
__
1800
1800
1800
1800
1800
1800
1730
1730
1730
1730
1730
1730
C22
B23
B24
B25
28
3k
B36
B37
B46
C47
B67
B68
B69
B70
B71
C72
B84
B85
B86
B87
B88
C89
B102
B103
B104
BIOS
B107
C108
. - *
9.6
3.565
__
4.050
_ _
0.375
3.665
0.667
9.083
7.200
5.950
7.050
9.050
6.900
0.750
8.200
7.400
6.200
6.100
0.500
6.100
6.150
7.100
7.300
7.200
7.300
4./+00
0.600
7.300
rjr —
30' below spillway
H/3
LS
LS
LS
bottom near center
of dam
Intake
LS
LS
LS
H/3
LS
LS
LS
LS
LS
H/3
LS
LS
LS
LS
LS
H/3
LS
H/3
5'
15'
5'
15'
5'
7'
3'
5'
5'
3'
5'
7'
15'
0'
1'
0'
3'
15'
7'
5'
0'
0'
3'
5'
7'
15'
0'
112
-------
ENDRIN CONCENTRATION AT INTAKE
DATE
TIME
SAMPLE #
[ENDRIN]
PPB
6-17
6-18
6-19
6-20
6-21
6-22
6-23
0030
0300
7
?
1605
1615
1030
1630
0800
1130
Al
16
A19
31
27
40
77
76
82
92
98
8.795
3.100
3.450
3.800
10.750
5.333
7.800
7.650
6.150
6.850
6.900
Initial lake sample
run at lab
In surge tank
113
-------
SECTION 3
FISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
First set of samples
Time Test Set Up 16;30
L = lethal D = distress A = active
Date 6/13/71
C = calm
No-
LS
H/3
Sample Location
Spillway off
drainpipe
3:1 dilution
5'
10'
15'
H/3 @ power line
center
Surface
5'
Center - 25'
below earth dam,
turbid
0-4
Hours
3C
2L,1D
3C
3C
4-8
Hours
3C
3L
3C
3L
3L
3L
8-12
Hours
1L,2A
12 - 24
Hours
1L,2D
3C
Remarks
3L 30+ hrs.
ZL 24+ hrs
3C 96+ hrs.
114
-------
PISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
Date 6/13/71
Time Test Set Up 22:30
L = lethal D = distress A = active C = calm
NO.
LS
H/3
Sample Location
Spillway off
drainpipe
Surface 2:1
dilution
Surface undilut-
ed
51
10'
15'
Center line
Surface
5'
Inflow above
earth dam
Dilution water
upstream 200'
from earth dam
Spillway etfluen
after carbon
0-4
Hours
3D
ID
3L
ID
4-8
Hours
3L
2L
3L
8-12
Hours
3L
3L
3L
1L
1L
12 - 24
Hours
1D,2L
3C
2C
3L
Remarks
115
-------
FISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
Time Test Set Up 10:30
Date 6/14/71
L = lethal D = distress A = active C = calm
No.
Sample Location
Below stillwell
approx, 200'
Below stillwell
approx. .8 mile
downstream
(ballfield)
. 6 mile logging
road
Note : Fry in
good cond. at
1 mile
Turkey Creek
Seepage 200 to
300' below dam
0-4
Hours
1L
4-8
Hours
8-12
Hours
2L,1D
3C
1C,2L
2D,1L
3C
12 - 24
Hours
3L
3C
Remarks
Minnows in
bait bucket
were dying
readily, sug-
gesting a
poor lot of
fish
3L @ 48 hrs.
116
-------
FISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
Time Test Set Up 18;25
Date 6/14/71
L = lethal D = distress A = active C = calm
NO.
LS
LCS
RCS
RS
LC
CC
RC
i
Sample Location
Surface
5'
10'
15'
Surface
51
10'
15'
Surface
5'
10'
15'
Surface
5'
10'
15'
Surface
51
10'
Surface
5'
10'
Surface
5f
10'
.
0 - 4
Hours
3L
3L
2D
1D,2L
1D,2L
3D
3C
3C
1D,1L
1D,2L
3C
3C
2D.1L
3L
2C,1L
3C
2D,1L
2D,1L
3C
2D,1L
c
1D,2L
2L
._....
4-8
Hours
,
8-12
Hours
3L
3L
12 - 24
Hours
3L
1D,2L
3L
3L
2C,1L
3L
3L
3L
1A,3L
3L
3L
2C,1L
3C
3L
3lj
2C,1L
3L
3L
1D,2L
2C.1L
1 " •••
Remarks
3L @ 38 hrs.
3L @ 38 hrs.
Stillbox
pumped to RS
aefore sampl*
taken
3L @ 38 hrs.
3L @ 38 hrs.
•• '— i— - i H - • — •
117
-------
FISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
Time Test Set Up 18 :25 Date 6/14/71
L = lethal D = distress A = active C = calm
No.
H/3
LH
RH
Sample Location
Surface
5'
Surface
5'
Surface
5'
25' from crest
after stillwell
was pumped
Drainage through
carbon
Sample from
above earth
diversion dam
5 minnows left
in bucket, sur-
vived 18 hours
0-4
Hours
2D,1L
2D,1L
3L
1D,2L-
3L
2D,1L
3L
4-8
Hours
8-12
Hours
14 hours
2D,1L
12 - 24
Hours
3L
3L
3L
1C,2L
16 hours
3L
3L
Remarks
3L @ 20 hrs.
118
-------
L = lethal
FISH BIOASSAY ANALYSIS
11:00
- 4T T. B
D = distress A = active
Reruns
Time Test Set Up
Date 6/16/71
C = calm
NO.
Sample Location
Dilution water
of 6/13/71
Above diversion
dam 6/13/71
LH 5' - 6/14/71
Dam seepage at
crest
0-4
Hours
3C
3C
3L
4-8
Hours
8-12
Hours
12 - 24
Hours
3C
3C
3C
Remarks
3L @ 69 hrs.
2L @ 69 hrs.
3C @ 69 hrs.
119
-------
SECTION 4
TEMPERATURE PROFILE
POND LICK LAKE
Date 6/16/71
Total Depth Temperature C
Station at Station Surface 5' 10' 15
LS 15'
LCS 17'
RCS 16'
RS 15'
LC 11'
CC 11'
RC 10'
H/3 8'
LH 5'
RH 6'
Note: Temperatures determined with thermistor probe
27.
27.
27.
28.
27.
27.
26.
27.
27.
27.
5
5
5
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
25
25
25
25
24
25
25
24
25
25
.0
.0
-0
.5
.5
.0
.5
.5
.0
.5
16
16
16
17
16
18
15
.5
.0
.5
.0
.0
.0
.5
10
11
11
10
.5
.0
.0
.5
120
-------
SECTION 5
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY
121
-------
•i-n
BIOLOGICAL 8UHVET
. Bo.
Hour6,79 Biologist
:r«aa Location t
Qjt
tfk of fond L
>o
County
tncral Station Description:
Width: Ave. /<"" Depth: Ava.
****• 20'
Color:
letimated Current (fpa): /yj"/
Bottoa: (%) Rock $" r C. Soul
Rubblo
F. Sat4
C. Grevoiyo Silt
?. Gravel *e
Data:
Good.
PH
D. 0.
Other
lologioal ColLectloot:
uspler
Qual.
L M
Eck.
L M R
Pet.
L M R
Surbor
L 11 R
M R
3. Of
unplea
I I
spth
f
"
Be .Remarks on back of card
Unproductive area. Frog, crayfish, water-
penny, minnows and fingerlings observed.
122
-------
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY
L / c fc /?
,,
sta<
Hour
Blologlot
Stresa Location:
Stata
County
'
0
. y/-n30Loa/0
Oeneral Station Description:
Width: ATS. /£ Dapth: Ave. 3^
Kax. ~~7
Color:
Eatieated Current (fpa):
-------
OOBO-20
BIOLOGICAL SURVHf
Stream
T^Y
A
Sta. No.
L//(/.7l— Hour/47 TO Biologist
Stream Location: 2
Bottom:
Rock
C. Sand
Rubble JO F. Sabd^
C. Gravelj£__Sllt
F.
Data:
Cond.
D. 0.
Other
biological Collections
Jampler
Qual.
L M R
Eck.
L M R
Pet.
L M R
M R
fo. of
templeo
icpth
lee Remarks on bock of card
Unproductive area. Frog, crayfish, water-
penny, minnows and fingerlings'observed.
124
-------
BIOLOGICAL SUETS?
Stress
n Sta. I*'o.
Biolojjlst
Stresa Location:
State
Coun'ov
/ w'^»
Q«jscral Station Etescr
Width i Are. ?
Copth: Avo.
Mas."
Color:
Estiiaat«d Current (fps): L
Bottoa: () Rock -TO C.
Bubble /o
p. S£c
C. Gravel IO Silt
F.
Dhenlcal Datai Tesp, Corid.
PH
D. 0.
Other
Jloloslcal Collectioaos
Jaapler
lo. of
isnplea
>epth
Qual.
L H R
Eck.
L H R
S^Hfe%L M R
y ;•
J" 3"
Rcaaraa oa oacs of cara
Shale in substrate. Caddis fly, waterpenny,
elmidae, isopid, mayfly, crayfish.
125
-------
BIOLOGICAL SURVE3T
Btresa
/
Sta. No.
Btologigt
Date W/A/7) Hour/ 7.'
Stream Location: /?'i?//'f/eAJ •*"*!
Stcto ^yV;j County
General Station Description:
Width: Ave. tf I>spth: AVQ.
Kax. I Max."
Color:
Current (fps): ^'7
Bottoa: ($ Rock /P C. Sand /°
Rubble iT P. Sand
C. GravelJfjSilt_
T. GravQi_2f"'Clay
Chemical Data: Teop.
Cond.
D. 0.
Other
Biological Collectiona :
Soapier
Ho. of
Samples
Dopth
Qual.
L 21 B
Eck.
L II R
Pet.
L M R
Surber
L II it-
1
^
C M R
See Rcaar&o on baca of cara
Shale dominant, poor substrate) no organisms,
126
-------
o-n
BIOLOGICAL
73.
f 0*J LfCK
Sta. Ho.
Blolc^ict
;rcsm
?nouf A
State
County
Color:
Current (fps):
Xjpth
3ce
on cacx 01' card
Salamander, mayfly, waterpenny, minnows
observed.
127
-------
SECTION 6
PILOT PLANT DATA
128
-------
POND LICK LAKE PILOT PLANT
Activated Carbon Sorption of Endrin
Carbon Volume: 10.25 Cu.Ft.
Raw Endrin: 8.7 & 9.5 (Local)
Date:
Time:
6-16-71
11:30 pro
6.6ppb (Taft)
DATE
6/16/71
6/17/71
5/17/71
6/18/71
•••••••^1 fc 1 U , •!!
TIME
11:30 P
12:30 A
10:30 A
3:30 P
5:50 P
7:50 P
10:00 P
-. . —
RUNNING
HOURS
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
40
42
44
46.5
- - —
FLOW
METER
GALLONS
33290
33312
33332
33377
33421
33428
33468
33501
33546
33590
33632
33674
34665
34782
34889
35002
- — "—
FLOW
LAST
HOUR
GALLONS
120
220
200
450
440
70
400
330
450
440
420
420
9910
1170
1070
1130
• --— ~~
FLOW
GPM
Fill
3.7
3.3:
7.5
7.3
1.1
6.7
5.5
7.5
7.5
7.0
7.0
5.7
8.3!
8.9
7.5
fmu "•
ENDRIN
ppb
TAFT
Up Op
-
LOCAL
sratior
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.050
0.050
•I. • '
s
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Increase flow to 7.5 gpm
Carbon loss
Repair Filter
sss s£Jss n
repaired; rate reduced to 7.5 gpm
129
-------
POND LICK LAKE PILOT PLANT
Activated Carbon Sorption of Endrin
Carbon Volume: 10.25 CtuFt.
Raw Endrin: 8.5
Date: 6-19
Time:
DATE
6/19/71
6/20/71
6/21/71
6/22/71
TIME
3:05 A
8:00 A
12:00 A
3:25 P
7:30 P
1:00 A
4:00
7:30 P
9:30 A
10:30 A
2:00 P
4:30 P
7:30 P
8:00 P
8:30 A
9:10 A
RUNNING
HOURS
51.5
56.5
59
62.5
66.5
72
90.5
106.5
109
111.5
111.5
112
124.5
125
FLOW
METER
GALLONS
35162
35375
35478
35613
35775
35993
36728
37361
37459
37558
37558
37580
37981
3S014
FLOW
LAST
HOUR
GALLONS
1600
2130
1030
1350
1620
2180
7350
6330
980
990
220
4010
330
FLOW
GPM
5.3
7.3
6.9
6.6
6.8
6.6
6.7
6.6
6.5
6.6
7.3
5.4
3.2
ENDRIN
ppb
TAFT
LOCAL
0.050
0.050
0
0
0
0.2
1
1,2
1. Small carbon loss in effluent catch.
1,2. At 10:00 am shut down plant to fix gasket; restarted
at 11:30 am. Diverted pilot Clow to spillway side of
dam.
3. No problems experienced with operation, system is in
equilibrium.
4. Shut down to remove sand filter from system; start up
at 7.5 gpm.
5. Flow rate adjusted to 7.5 gpm--valve had been changed
during night.
130
-------
POND LICK LAKE PILOT PLANT
Activated Carbon Sorption of Endrin
Carbon Volume:
Time:
10.25 Cu0Ft.
°n 6/22/71> raw
increased to 7.6ppb
DATE
5/22/71
6/23/71
6/24/71
6/25/71
TIME
11:00 A
1:30 P
4:30 P
8:00 A
8:30 A
11:00 A
11:30 A
1:30 P
7:00 P
8:00 P
10:00 P
3:00 A
2:00 P
10:00 A
11:00 A
RUNNING
HOURS
127
129.5
132.5
148
148.5
151
153.5
159
159
171
177
197
198
FLOW
METER
GALLONS
38102
38222
38370
38882
38897
38995
39012
39093
39308
39308
39358
39654
39896
40728
40770
FLOW
LAST
HOUR
GALLONS
880
1200
1480
5120
150
980
980
2150
0
3460
2420
8320
420
FLOW
GPM
8.0
8.0
8.2
5.5
5.0
6.5
6.5
6.5
4.8
6.7
6.9
7.0
ENDRIN
ppb
TAFT
LOCAL
0
0
0.100
0
0
1
2
3
4
1. Reduced flow to 6 gpm.
2. Increased flow to 7 gpm.
3. Power plant down for I hour at 7:00 pm to wire, in the
electric motor. Restarted at 5.0 gpm.
4. Increased to 7.0 gpm at 8:00 am.
131
-------
ACTIVATED CARBON LOADING RATES
PILOT PLANT 20" dia. x 7'0"
15.25 ft3 2.18 ft2
Flow rate, gpm Volumetric loading Surface loading
gpm/ft3 gpm/ft2
8* 0.52 3.7
7 0.46 3.2
6 0.39 2.8
5 0.33 2.3
* Lift out of carbon occurred at this flow rate.
(Design value 0.5gpm/ft3 = 7.5gpm)
PROTOTYPE PLANT 18' x 4' x 5'2" = 373 ft3
72 ft2
Flow rate, gpm Volumetric loading Surface loading
gpm/ft3 gpm/ft2
220 0.59 3.1
210 0.56 2.9
200 0.54 2.8
190 0.51 2.6 , . ,
y design value
180 0.48 2.5
170 0.46 2.4
160 0.43 2.2
150 0.40 2.1
140 0.38 1.9
130 0.35 1.8
120 0.32 1.7
110 0.30 1.5
100 0.27 1.4
132
-------
SECTION 7
PROTOTYPE PLANT DATA
133
-------
CARBON FILTER PLANT
Gallons
Hours of Large Small Since Last
Date Time Operation Meter Meter Total Reading
6-19 1400
1430
1710 0
1830
1930 2 1/2
2000 3
w 2030 3 1/2
2045 3 3/4
2100 4
2130 4 1/2
2300 6
6-20 0130 8 1/2
0405
000
7700
7700
8300 ?
14750
16200
18800
21000
21000
25300
33800
47500
0
7700
0
7050
1450
2600
2200
0
4300
8500
13700
Flow Effluent
Rate, Endrin,
GPM ppb Remarks
Fill tank and wash
gravel; load with
carbon
0.00 Start of operations
(5:30 p
sample )
0 Sample 32
47 0
48 Full flow operation
87 0 Sample 35
147 Shut down to reprime
pump
Restart
144
95
92 0 Sample 38
0
0630
13 1/2
74800
27300
91
Rate increase*! to
210 gpm. Filter top
failed, operation ceased
shortly thereafter
-------
- 2 -
CARBON FILTER PLANT
Date Time
6-20 1315
1330
1600
1700
1910
2200
6-21 0000
(-•
£ 0400
0800
1030
1300
1600
2000
2330
6-22 0200
0500
Hours of Large Small
Operation Meter Meter
15
17 1/2
18 1/2
20 1/2
23 1/2
25 1/2
29 1/2 211300 14300
33 1/2
36 248500 16800
38 1/2
41 1/2
45 1/2
49 353:33 22650
51 1/2
54 1/2
Gallons Flow Effluent
Since Last Rate, Endrin,
Total Reading GPM ppb Remarks
74800
75400
93600
106200
129400
165000
197000
225600
252100
265300
282490
303400
332000
355650
373040
393980
0
600
18200
12600
23200
35600
32000
28600
26500
13200
17200
20900
28600
23650
17400
20900
40 gpm, restart
operation
40
202 0 Sample 48
210 0.150 210 gpm 50
194 0.160 52
198 0.063 54
266 ? Questionable flow read-
ing; sample 56
119 0.055 57-cut down flow be-
cause of high endrin/
bubbles
111 0.050 Sample 58
88 0.084 62
115 0.100 65
116
119 73
113
116
116
-------
- 3 -
CARBON FILTER PLANT
Date Time
6-22 0800
0905
1100
1330
6-23 2015
2045
w 2200
6-24 0000
0120
0235
0300
0600
0845
0900
1150
Hours of Large Small
Operation Meter Meter
57 1/2
58 1/2
60 1/2
63
63
63 1/2
64 1/2
66 1/2
68
69
69 1/2
72 1/2
75 1/2
75 1/2
73 1/2 576390 38000
Total
415430
423000
437000
454700
458160
474500
494070
508900
520920
526110
555400
9
585480
614400
Gallons
Since Last
Reading
21600
7600
14000
17700
-
16300
19600
14800
12000
5200
29300
30100
28900
Flow
Rate,
GPM
120
117
122
118
155
164*
185*
160*
208*
163*
167
170
Effluent
Endrin,
ppb
0.65
0.914
0.925
0.102
0.055
0.105
0.140
0.030
Remarks
Sample 74
Sample 78
Shut-down because of
high endrin concent.
Restart with electric
motor % 50,75 gpm
Reach full flow of
169 gpm; sample 106
Sample 111
@ front end of tank
top
Av. = 168 gpm which is pump cpy.
-------
CARBON FILTER PLANT
(continued)
Date Time
6-24 1300
1330
1440
1445
2030
2245
6-25 0030
w 0200
0500
0800
1015
Hours of Large Small
Operation Meter Meter
79 1/2 586400 38800
79 1/2
80
81
•*- 20 min. shut-down
86 1/2
89
90 1/2
92 705800 45650
95 735500 47350
98 763800 48980
100
Gallons Plow Effluent
Since Last Rate, Endrin,
Total Reading GPM ppb Remarks
625200
626300
631800
640100
697900
719080
736740
751450
782850
812780
836590
10800
-
5500
8300
57800
21200
17700
14700
31400
29900
23800
155
183
185
178 0.203
157 0.350
169 0.283
163
174
166 0.060
177 0.093
Stop pump to remove
section of fire hose
Restart @ 185 gpm
Reduced pump rate
because of high endrin
Increased flow rate to
180 gpm at 8 a.m.
-------
APPENDIX G
NEWS RELEASES
Included as follows is a chronological selection of news
releases pertaining to the hazardous spill emergency at
Pond Lick Lake,, These articles appeared in newspapers
within the State of Ohio and in newspapers throughout the
country, including the New York Times.
138
-------
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1971
NEW PUMP. A new pump, capable of moving more of the poisoned water from Shawnee
Lake through the filtered charcoal bin, is in opsration today. The pump, assembled in Salem
and flown here by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is shown (foreground) mounted
on steel barrels. The pump itself, capable of pushing 169 gallons of water a minute through the
filler (background) is beneath the surface of the lake. The new pump was installed by Rvck-
man Edgerley Tomlinson & Associates of St. LDUIS, under the direction of Tom Stewart of the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Gary D. Hiles, 24, of 411 Sinton St., has been charged
with putting poison in the lake. (Times photo by Billy Graham.)
139
-------
Bypass Built At Poisoned Lake
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Special) —
Ohio Department of Natural Re-
sources workmen were construct-
ing a dam and bypass Sunday to
reroute fresh water around the
pesticide-poisoned Pond Lick Res-
ervoir in nearby Shawnee State
Park.
Everett Ridge, wildlife supervi-
sor for the District Four Depart-
ment of Natural Resources, said at
5 p. m. Sunday that the dam was
partially built, but would not be
completed before sunset Sunday as
Department of Natural Resources
officials had hoped.
Ridge said that about 7200
pounds of activated carbon have
been dumped into the lake in an
attempt to absorb the-pesticides, a
mixture of Endrin and strychnine.
Robert Redett, chief of forestry
and reclamation for the Depart-
From the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, June 14, 1971
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1971
Water Samples
Studied As Fish
Die In State Lake
More than 4,000 fish have died
in Shawnee Lake during the last
few days and state officials are
trying to determine the cause.
Larry Rine, state game pro-
tector, said water samples are
being .sent to Columbus. He said
several fish were seen floating
on the surface of the water last
Thursday. More and more fish
surfaced and now officials fear
all species in the lake may be
dead.
Rine said a strong smell from
;he dead fish is keeping people
away from the lake.
ment of Natural Resources said
workmen were installing several
large pumps to pump fresh incom-
ing water around the reservoir. Re-
dett said workmen also were in-
stalling 2400 feet of 20-inch pipe
through which the incoming water
will be pumped.
Redett said very little water was
coming into the reservoir. He said
most of the incoming water was
seepage.
BUT JOHN BARRETT, assistant
chief engineer for the Natural Re-
sources Department, said state
workers had begun building a huge
filter in the spillway of the lake in
case a heavy rain raises the water
level.
Nelson Thomas, a biologist for
the federal Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, said it is too early to
determine if the carbon treatment
will be a complete success in puri-
fying the water, but said he was
optimistic it would.
Gary D. Hiles, 24, of Forts-
mouth, is being held in the Scioto
County jail on five charges in
connection with poisoning the lake.
He is accused of dumping a gal-
lon of corn soaked with strychnine
and a hall gallon of Endrin into
the lake. No motive has been giv-
en.
The poison killed all acquatic
wildlife in the lake, including
about 3400 fish and a large number
of frogs, crawfish and snakes.
-------
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1971
City Man Is
Charged In
Poison Case
A 24-year-old Portsmouth man
is in the Scioto County jail in
lieu of bonds totaling $3,300 on
charges of poisoning fish in
S'hawnee Lake.
The man, Gary D. Hiles, 24,
of 411 Sinton St., pleaded inno-
cent today in Municipal Court to
killing fish in Shawnee Lake by
posioning. Bond was set at $100.
He entered no plea to a charge
of destruction of property and
bond was set at $1,000.
He also entered no plea to a I
charge of putting poison in a
reservoir and bond was set at
$2,000.
He pleaded innocent to two
charges cf prohibition against
placing deleterious substances in
the waters of the state. No date
has been set for hearing and
bond was set at $100 on each
count. He is to return to court
June 17 on the other charges.
Hiles was arrested at 9:10 p.m.
Wednesday by Sheriff John P.
Knauff and Ohio Division of
Wildlife officers after an in-
tensive investigation into the
poisoning of thousands of fish
in the lake.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 fish
have died in the lake during the
last few days and state officials
are attempting to determing the
cause.
Hiles is accused of putting
poison in the lake on June 2.
Water samples are being
checked by the State Depart-
ment of Health.
Officials have asked the pub-
lic not to use the lake until any
possible danger can be deter-
mined. The lake is near the
former Shawnee Honor Camp.
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO
THURSDAY, JUNE 17,
1971
Hiles Denies Guilt!
On Two Charges;
Hearing Slated
Gary D. Hiles, 24, of 411 Sinton
St., entered innocent pleas this
morning in Municipal Court to
two felony charges in connection
with the poisoning of Shawnee
Lake June 2.
He entered the pleas o n
charges of destruction of prop-
erty by destroying about 3,400
fish and putting poison in a
reservoir. Hiles remains in the
county jail in lieu of $2,000 bond
on the poison charge and $1,000
on the destruction of property
charge. A preliminary hearing
is set June 30.
Hiles entered innocent pleas
last week to three misdemeanor
charges and went to jail in lieu
of $100 bond on each count. One
charge was poisoning fish in
the lake, and two other charges
were placing deleterious sub-
stances in the waters of the
state.
141
-------
From the PORTSMOUTH TIMES, Friday, June 11, 1971
NJ
Teams Continue Sampling
Trace Poison Spread
By PAUL NELSON
Times Staff Writer
Federal Environmental Pro-
tection Agency officials from
Cincinnati took samples from
SUawnee Lake today in an effort
to determine the concentration
of poison that has killed thou-
sands of fish in and near the
lake.
Working in the lake area and
downstream in portions of Tur-
key Creek were Loys Parrish, a
biologist; Darrell DeRuiter, san-
i t a r y engineer, and Richard I
Johnston, aquatic sampler.
Parrish said the team had been
instructed by their office in
Cincinnati to determine what
has poisoned flic lake and how
much of the poison was used.
He said a high concentration of
the suspected poison, Endrin,
which is a pesticide, could af-
fect the Ohio River if a flash
flood or heavy rains drench the
area.
'Our concern is the Ohio
River and that's why we're
here," Parrish said. He said
Endrin will dilute in water but
it could take a long time. He
added that the problem could
be more serious if a gallon of
the substance actually was put
in the lake.
Everett Ridge, district super-
visor of Ohio Department of Na-
tural Resources Division of
Wildlife said he has contacted
medical experts in Columbus
and Cincinnati and they have
estimated that a large con-
centration of Endrin could take
as long as 10 years to disperse.
Without rain, the substance
could remain in the lake for
some time, Parrish said. A
stench surrounds the area and
little aquatic life is visible.
Warning signs have been posted
around the lake but no guards
were noticed when Times news-
men visited the area this morn-
ing. Children were observed
playing on the banks of Turkey
Creek further downstream.
Sheriff John Knauff had dep-
uties and special deputies knock-
ing on doors of nouses along
Turkey Creek Thursday night
warning them of ttie possible
danger.
Parrish said the results of
the analysis of the samples
taken will be sent to state of-
ficials in Columbus.
The man charged with causing
the poisoning of some 3.400 fish,
Gary D. Hiles, 24, of 411 Sinton
St., is being held in the Scioto
County jail under bonds totaling
$3,300. on five charges in con-
nection with the poisoning of
the lake.
Dale Roach, enforcement su
pervisor for ihe Ohio Depart-
ment of Natural Resources wild-
life division said, "There is no
known method of diluting En-
drin and there is no way to
isolate it."
Officials are guessing that
about a half-gallon of the pesti-
cide and possibly as much or
more strychnine was dumped
into the lake. Hiles reportedly
gave no reason.
Roach said Endrin is one of
the more toxic of the chlorinat-
ed hydrocarbon pesticides and
is used for mouse control in
orchards during the winter. He
said that Endrin "is the most
toxic compound for aquatic life.
Tests have shown that .003 parts
per million in water will kill
fish. By contrast, .01 parts per
million are harmful to humans."
Merl DeVoe, state game pro-
tector, may have suffered a re-
action from the poison when the
retrieved a jug from the lake
for tests, Roach said.
Very little water has moved
over the dam so far into Turkej
Creek. Dead fish have been
sighted about a half-mile below
the dam.
Roach said no one, including
health officials and Shell Chem-
ical Co., which makes Endrin.
has' any idea how to counteracl
or, dissipate it.
Roach said there was no truth
to earlier reports that the drink-
ing water in Shawnee State
Park comes from the lake. He
said he did not know if any of
the people living downstream
iuse the water for drinking.
Authorities have not given a
motive for the lake poisoning.
They reportedly arrested Hiles
after receiving a tip from some-j
one who works with h;m at a'
Portsmouth pesticide firm.
The Endrin had been in the
jug that was recovered, but
Roach said he did not know how
ful it was when emptied into
the lake. The strychnine was
| found in shelled corn, a com-
jmon method for controlling
j sparrow s.
-------
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1971
Officials Try Charcoal To Trap
Poison Dumped In Shawnee Lake
Ditching Is
Started To
Divert Flow
Teams direc-ted by state and
federal officials continued work
today to neutralise a deadly
pesticide dumped into Shawnee
Lake June 2. and prevent a
spill into Turkey Creek, an Ohio
River tributary.
Activated charcoal is being
dumped into the Pond Lick res-
ervoir to absorb the poison,
Endrin, which has killed more
than 2.500 fish and frogs, and a
ditch is being dug to rechannel
Pond Lick around the three-acre
lake.
Gary D. Miles. 24. of 411 Sin-
ton St., who is charged with
poisoning the reservoir, has
pleaded innocent to three of the
five charges filed in the case.
-------
Portsmouth, Ohio, June 12, 1971, pg. 2
4-
David Meeker, assistant di
rector of the Ohio Departmen
of Natural Resources, said fed-
eral charges may be brought
against Miles, who was formerly
employed by a firm that uses
pesticides.
Everett Ridge, district super-
visor of the wildlife division of
the state department of natural
resources, said work would
continue through the weekend
to contain the polluted water
and deactivate the poison.
This morning's rain wasn't
expected to create any problem
since the water level was about
four indies below the top of
the spillway which has been
sandbagged for additional pro-
tection.
Water samples are being
checked regularly to determine
the effectiveness of charcoal
purification. The poison's streng-
th was estimated Friday to be
13 times the federal guideline
maximum for safe drinking wa-
ter.
The lake holds an estimated
15,000 gallons of water and this
may have to be pumped out and
filtered and the poison-laden
charcoal and mud dredged from
the bottom of the reservoir.
During their investigation, of-
ficials recovered a jug which
they said had contained Endrin,
and strychnine impregnated
corn, which is often used for
killing sparrows.
Dead crawfish have been
found along the creek a half-
mile below the reservoir and
area residents have been warn-
ed not to use water from the
stream.
Meeker said in Columbus re-
channeling should take only one
day and would clear the way for
pumping the lake dry and dredg-
ing the charcoal and the absorb-
ed pesticide from the bottom.
Loys Fairish, a federal En-
viromental Protection Agency
biologist, said a high concentra-
tion of Endrin would take up to
10 years to disperse.
POISONED LAKE. Thousands of fish have been killed as the
result of the poisoning of waters of Shawnee Lake* (top). Officials
believe the three-acre lake was contaminated by a strong pesti-
cide known as Endrin and also with strychnine. Representatives
of the Federal Environment Protection Agency office at Cin-
cinnati (bottom) check samples of water and aquatic life which
may cause poisoning of the Ohio River. Left to right are Loys
Parrish, biologist; Darrell DeRuiter, sanitary engineer, and
Richard Johnston, aquatic sampler. (Times photos by Billy
Graham.)
-------
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1971
145
-------
^__ \ L _r ,__,,,_,„,,, mllu , -_•! •! _ | . _
State Continues To Fight Poison
In Shawnee Recreational Lake
By ROBERT BASS
Times Staff Writer
Simulated laboratory tests in
Memphis, Tenn., may develop
a method to clear the poison
from Shawnee Lake.
Samples of the poisoned water
have been sent to Memphis for
the tests to be conducted by con-
sultants of the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency.
William B. Nye, Ohio Natural
Resources director, said Tues-
day any decision on methods of
clearing the lake of the poison
will have to await results of the
tests.
He said the 7;200 pound of car-
;bon spread over the three-acre
[lake in Shawnee State Forest
'has failed to reduce the lake's
poison level substantially.
The state had hoped the
activated carbon would dilute
the poison spilled into the lake
June 2. The gallon of Endrin,
a pesticide, and strychnine, the
poison, killed tine lake's aquatic
life.
The measured poison level of
from eight to nine parts per
billion in the lake Sunday had
decreased to from six to seven
parts by Tuesday, Nye said.
The amount remains highly
poisonous, he said.
The state's natural resources
director said it is felt that steps
already taken to isloate the pois-
oned water and preventing its
spread are sufficient.
Nye said the following three
alternatives for clearing Shaw-
nee Lake are under study:
Using a system of controlled
carbon filtration, similar to
ter to water suitable for drink-
ing. Under this proposal, the
lake water would be pumped j
through carbon, rather than
soreading the carbon on water,
as was done last weekend.
Converting the lake into a
biological lagoon of the type
used for sewage treatment.
Using clay or some other com-
pound to absorb the poison.
Nye returned to Shawnee Lake
Tuesday for renewed consulta-
tion with state and federal per-
sonnel attempting to find a solu-
tion to the problem of the lake
poisoning.
Poisoning of the lake is re-
ported to have resulted in an
official count of 3,400 dead fish.
This probably is about half the
total kill, Larry G. Rine, Scioto
County game protector, said.
For safety's sake, the lake
has been isolated.
The spillway from Shawnee
Lake to Pond Lick and Turkey
Creek is sandbagged and sealed.
To prevent seepage, additional
sandbags and plastic sheets
have been placed there. A bed
of carbon to filter any water
seepage has been set up.
! Beyond the dam, a catch bas-
in has been created, and any
water getting through is being
returned by pump to the lake.
A cofferdam has been estab-
lished at the rear of the lake,
and any rainwater running off
is being diverted around the
lake.
Officials had feared the pois-
oned water might flow into the
Ohio River and cause problems
with water systems downstream.
The lake, located about 10
miles west of Portsmouth, had
been a popular recreation area
for picnickers, fisherman and
sunbathers.
Accused on five counts in con-
nection with the poisoning, Gary
D. Hiles remains in Scioto Coun-
ty Jail in lieu of $3,300 bond.
He is scheduled to appear i n
Municipal Court Thursday morn-
ing.
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16,1971
-------
The Cincinnati Enquier, June 11, 1971
Poison Threatens
Ohio River Water
By BOB ROTHE
Enquirer Environment Reporter
PORTSMOUTH — The dumping
of poison into Shawnee Lake in a
state park near here has killed all
of the aquatic life in the lake and
poses a continuing threat to Ohio
River water.
THE POISON dumped into the
three-acre lake was a combination
of Endrin, a powerful pesticide,
and strychnine, S c i o t o County
Sheriff John Knauff said. He esti-
mated that about a half gallon of
each entered the lake.
"There is no known method of
diluting the compound and there
is no way to isolate it," said Dale
Roach, enforcement supervisor for
the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources' wildlife division.
There is also some concern on
the part of the federal Environ-
mental Protection Agency officials
that the poison could be carried
from the lake along the Turkey
Creek tributary to the Ohio Kiver,
thereby possibly threatening water
supplies of those communities -
which get their water supply from
the Ohio.
The poisoning apparently oc-
curred June 2, Knauff said.
Garry D. Hiles, 24, Portsmouth,
has been named in five charges in
connection with the incident,
Knauff said.
Endrin is one. of the more toxic
of the chlorinated hydrocarbon
pesticides and is use;' for mouse
control in orchards during the win-
ter.
ROACH EXPLAINED that En-
drin is the most toxic known com-
pound for aquatic life. (Tests have
shown that .003 parts of Endrin to
a million parts of water will kill
fish; by contrast .01 parts per mil-
lion is harmful to humans.)
Efforts are being made to pre-
vent persons from having direct
contact with the poisoned lake,
Roach said.
One of the wildlife division's
game protectors, Merl DeVoe, may
have suffered a reaction from the
poison when he recovered a jug
from the lake, Roach said.
He also noted concern that
some persons may be using the
12-mile stretch of Turkey Creek be-
low the lake for water supply.
It is hoped that if the com-
pound gets into the Ohio River the
dilution from the large volume of
water will decrease the poison be-
low harmful levels.
For the present the poisoned
water is contained in the man-
made lake with the exception of
small amounts that the wind has
lifted over the dam. In these in-
stances there have been fish killed
as far as a half mile below the
dam.
The total fish kill has been esti-
mated at 3400.
Hiles, who is being held in the
county jail in lieu of $3300, faces
charges of destruction of property,
administering of poison and three
counts of killing fish. Entry of a
plea will be heard next Thursday
in municipal court in Portsmouth.
-------
THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDA Y, JUNE 27, 1971
Pesticide Poisons Lake in Ohio
By GEORGE VECSEY
Special to The Xe\v York Timss
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, June
22 — Until three weeks ago,
Shawnee Lake was just an-
other quiet fishing hole in
the southern Ohio hill coun-
try. Then somebody with
half a gallon of pesticide
turned it into five acres of
death.
Within two days, all 3,400
sunfish and carp and blue-
gill in the man-made lake
floated dead on the surface,
along with numerous frogs
and snakes.
Since then, officials from
Federal, state, local, college
and private sectors have
worked around the clock to
prevent damage to humans,
to the water downstream and
to the total environment of
Shawnee State Park.
They say they will save the
lake by August, but at a
cost of at least $30,000, not
to mention man-hours lost
from other jobs.
A suspect, 24-year-old
Gary D. Hiles of Portsmouth,
has been arrested and held
in $3,000 bail on charges of
destroying state property and
wildlife. Officials say there
are witnesses who saw Mr.
Hiles throw a jug into the
lake and there is a report
that Mr. Hiles was upset af-
ter being dismissed by a com-
pany that distributes the
pesticide, Endrin. Mr. Hiles
has pleaded not guilty to the
charges.
I A "Restricted" Chemical
Endrin is similar to DDT,
according to William Nye,
director of the Ohio Depart-
ment of Natural Resources.
The chemical is "restricted"
by the state for limited use
as a rodent killer but it is
sold to any private citizen.
Mr. Nye said that Endrin was
dangerous at one part per bil-
lion and lethal at that dos-
age "in prolonged usage."
The manufacturer says
that Endrin breaks down in
three months, but Mr. Nye
insists that the process often
takes two years.
Associated Press
Officers of the Environmental Protecting Agency check
for signs of aquatic life in the waters, poisoned by a
chemical, of Pond Lick Reservoir, near Portsmouth, Ohio.
148
-------
New York Times, June 27, 1971, p. 2
"If a drug is dangerous
for 'human consumption, you
need a prescription for it,"
Mr. Nye said. "But if a chem-
ical is not for human con-
sumption, it's available with-
out a prescription. Yet it can
go into the food chaan by
clinging to a plant for two
years and being eaten by
cattle and passed on to in-
fants in milk."
Because Endrin is not
broken down by water, the
officials felt obliged to re-
move it from Shawnee Lake
before it floated through
seven miles of creeks and in-
to the Ohio River. But there
was no simple, established
procedure for the job.
While Mr. Nye summoned
his staff from all over Ohio,
a young graduate micro-biol-
ogist from Ohio State Univer-
sity, David Howard, brought
down a chromatograph,
which tests water samples
but had never been trans-
ported outside the laboratory
in Columbus. The chromato-
graph soon indicated that
the toxic level was eight
parts per billion throughout
the lake,
Stream and Spillway Shut
Meanwhile, the feeding
stream above the lake and
the spillway below were
closed off, and a cleaning
system was devised by Mr.
Nye, Dr. Hugh Thompson of
the Environmental Protection
Agency in Washington and
Dr. S. James Ryckman of a
St. Louis and Dayton water
consulting firm.
The men set up a model
system, pumping water from
the lake into a small tank,
then running the water
through a carbon chemical,
"filtrasorb," which had been
rushed, at cost, by the Cal-
gon Company from its plant
at Catlettsburg, Ky. Filtra-
sorb drew the pesticide from
the water—"adsorbed" is the
technical word—and passed
the purified water out the
other side.
Dr. Ryckman demonstrated
the purity of the water. He
drank some of it.
Then Dr. Thompson called
for a cypress-board tank with
a capacity of 24,000 pounds
from the Environmental A-
gency's Cincinnati office.
Pumps and hoses were assem-
bled from various sources,
including the local fire
department. Calgon delivered
600 sixty-pound bags of Fil-
trasorh. The pumps pushed
Tht New York Times Jimt27,1971
water upward at 500 pounds
per minute throughout the
chemical in the cypress -tank.
And clean water began to
flow downstream again.
The scientists say it will
take them 21 days to lower
the lake by 10- feet. If the
water is clean at that level,
they will cleanse the sides of
the lake and refil it. They feel
they will be finished by Au-
gust, when the lake will be .
restocked with fish from
state hatcheries.
"I think this is a classic ex- ;
ample of forgetting the bu- j
reaucracy and just getting j
the job done," Dr. Thompson i
said. "Everybody cooperat- |
ed — particularly the local
workmen who have worked
late every night. We're just
sorry it happened in the first
place."
149
-------
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1971
Filters Will Clear Lake
By ROBERT BASS
Times Staff Writer
An active carbon filtration
plant may extract the poison
from Shawnee Lake waters.
Representatives of a water re-
source consultants firm expres
sed confidence the procedure,
being initiated for a trial period,
will work.
That trial period was begun
Wednesday afternoon with a
pilot plant set up and placed in
operation at the lake by Ryck-
man-Edgerley-Tomlinson and
Associates of St. Louis.
This firm of consultants in wa-
ter, solids and air resources has
been engaged for the Shawnee
Lake project under contract
with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
The pilot plant is to be in op-
eration for a trial period of 24
hours a day for several days.
If it suceeds, a larger, prototype
plant will be set up at the lake.
1 Dr. Cecil Lue-Hing, a vice
president of the St. Louis firm,
said the prototype plant would
be the equivalent of a small
water treatment plant of the
type the Army might set up at
an advanced base.
It would be the equivalent, too,
of a water treatment plant a
small city of perhaps 10,000 per-
sons would use, he added.
"We do feel confident the poi-
son can be removed by activat-
ed carbon filtration and absorp-
tion," another spokesman for the
St. Louis firm said.
The pilot activated carbon ab-
sorption plant was set up at the
lake and placed in operation by
Dr. Lue-Hing; Joseph Dieter-
man, senior associate, and Wil-
liam (Bill) Anderson, senior en-
vironmental engineer, with the
St. Louis firm.
The portable pilot plant uses
a pressure pump and hoses, a
swimming pool filter, and a tall
metal activated carbon column.
Water pumpd from the lake
is filtered and absorbed in acti-
vated carbon. Surfaces of the
activated carbon particles will
pick up the poison from the wa-
ter. Hopefully, clean, filtered
water then can be returned to
the lake.
"We'll keep this portable plant! ficer, and all work at Shawnee
in operation for two, possibly
three, days, depending upon
what we find out," Dr. Lue-Hing
said.
Marvin Katz, Ohio Depart-
ment of Natural Resources chief
of public information, said the
pilot carbon alteration plant
Lake is being coordinated under
his supervision.
The complex problem of ex-
tracting the Endrin, a pesticide,
and strychnine, the poison, from
Shawnee Lake is the first proj-
ect in which the federal Environ-
mental Protection Agency's Di-
project will determine which is vision of Hazardous Spill Pro-
the more effective method of'tection ever has been involved.
removing poison from the t'ke This division was founded only
—the controlled carbin filtration nine months ago.
procedure, or the method d Redebt said Wednesday there's
spreading carbon on the water, I, a possibility a gas chromatl
as was done last weekend.
He added that tests of Shaw-
nee Lake water samples being
conducted in the federal Envir-
onmental Protection Agency la-
boratories in Memphis, Tenn.,
will have an influenceing effect
graph can be brought to the
Shawnee Lake project for quick,
on-tbe-scene analysis of lake
water samples.
He said the apparatus would
make it unnecessary to send
further samples to Taft Lab-
on any ultimate decision in co- . fa c"iocinnati or to the
ping with the problem of the laboratories in Memphis.
poisoned water. Dieterman added that the gas
"But, we do want to take a chromatigraph cauld analyze
close look at all possible van- water saniples in about an hour.
ables — even the variables on Effectiveness of the pilot act-
the alternatives." ivated carbon filtration and ab-
Alternatives under consider- sorption plant project could be
ation are the possibilities ot d€terrain^ at the scene> he sadd.
converting the lake into a biolo- The lake and its poisoned wa-
gical lagoon of the type used for ter are isolated and Contained;
sewage treatment; or **>•*£ the problem of removing, or ex-
other type of compound to ab- ^^g the isfln is ^t to be
sorb the Ppison. solved, Redett said.
Katz said that if the pilot plant Shawnee Lake has been a pop-
project ig successful, the pos-
sibility of setting up the larger
prototype plant downstream in
the area of the causeway, will
be considered.
i Robrt Redett, assistant chief
of the Ohio Department of Re-
sources of Forestry, said the
prototype plant would be larger,
modified version of the pilot
i plant.
Katz said no decision yet has
been made on funding of the
total project, nor is it yet known
how much the total project ul-
timately will cost.
The bulk of the costs involv-
ed so far has been taken care
of by state funds.
Work at Shawnee Lake is a co-
f operative project of the Ohio De-
partment of Natural Resources
and the U.S. Envimmental Pro-
tection Agency.
Dr. Hugh Thompson of the
federal Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, is the project of-
ular recreation area for fisher-
men, picnickers and sunbathers.
Even before the poisoning, swim-
ming at the lake had been pro-
hibited.
Aquatic life in the lake has
been killed by the poison. "It,
therefore, must be considered
highly toxic." Redett said.
150
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Portsmouth, Ohio, June 17, 1971, pg. 2
PILOT PLANT. A portable pilot plant for activated carbon filtration and absorption was set
up and placed in operation at poisoned Shawnee Lake Wednesday afternoon by representatives
of Ryskman-Edgerley-Tomlinson and Associateof St. Louis, Mo., employed under contract for
the poison removal project by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In top photo, William
(Bill) Anderson, (left), senior environmental engineer, and Joseph Dieterman, senior associate,
with the St. Louis firm, activate the portable plant's pressure pump. In bottom photo, Dr. Cecil
Lue-Hing, (extreme left), a vice president of the firm, Dieterman and Anderson make final ad-
justments before starting the plant on its approximate three-day trial period. If the trial plant
succeeds, a larger prototype will be set up at Shawnee Lake. (Times photos by Billy Graham.)
(Another photo on Page 16.)
151
-------
Portsmouth, Ohio, June 19, 197L, pg. 2
however, the period may be
longer, depending upon how oft-
en the treatment plant's tons
of filtering charcoal will have
to be changed.
Total costs of the complicated
and involved project of remov-
ing the poison from Shawnee
Lake are expected to exceed
$100,000, William B. Nye, direc-
tor of the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources, said. j
It has been estimated that ap-
proximately $50,000 has been
spent on the project since the
poison, spilled into the lake June
2, was discovered June 4.
Katz said it isn't yet known
how cost will be apportioned inj
this joint project of the Ohio
Department of Natural Resour-
ces and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
The new treatment plant is
capable of filtering 230,000 gal-
lons of water a day from the 15-
million-^ailon Shawnee Lake.
Dr. Thompson, the project of-
ficer at the site, said, however,
it will handle water flow at ap-
proximately the same rate as
that handled by the successful
pilot plant.
Built of hastily-assembled
available materials, the proto-
type plant is to be operated on
the "fail safe design concept,"
Dr. Thompson said.
The water is to be filtered
from the upstream side of the
dam, so that any leakage or
drainage will go back into Shaw-
nee Lake — or Pond Lick Res-
ervoir, he said.
Water is being pumped from
the lake and into the filtering
tons of activated charcoal par-
ticles in the big cypress board
box, then released into the spill-
way on the other side of the
dam.
From there, it's to flow down
Pond Lick and into Turkey
Creek, and, eventually, into the
Ohio River.
"It's a shame, really, that
the clean, filtered water is go-
ing into the spillway. Once it's
filtered in the treatment plant,
it's cleaner than most drinking
water," Dr. Thompson said.
The project officer said the
prototype plant would more
than meet the water treatment
needs of a community of 10,000
persons.
The water filtration system is
to be in operation until the con-
centration remaining in the lake
is infinitesimal, and the water
is unquestionably safe, the pro-
ject officer said.
Samples taken from the lake
before and after filtration are
analyzed in the gas chromato-
graph operated in a former
Shawnee Honor Camp building
by a young Ohio State University
graduate student — David How-
ard of Dayton.
Howard, working on his doc-
torate in OSU's Department of
Microbiology, said the precision
chromatograph can analyze a
water sample in 45 minutes.
"Once a sequence of samples
is started in the chromatograph
any sample in the sequence can
jbe analyzed in 15 minutes," he
said.
The OSU graduate student
said the little pilot water treat-
ment plant set up on the dam
'at Shawnee Lake by the St.
Louis firm of Ryckman-Edgerly
Tomlinson and Associates "did
indeed do the job."
He said the water that came
out of the filter system in the
old submarine ballast tank was
pure — "cleaner perhaps than
most of the water we drink."
In the first 11 hours after the
little experimental water treat-
ment plant was placed in oper-
ation, it filtered 14,000 gallons
of water. A total of 17,000 gal-
lons of water had been filtered
through the pilot plant by 2
p.m. Friday.
Thirty-nine samples had been
analyzed in the chromatograph
by 2 p.m. Friday. Results of the
tests left little doubt the experi-
mental plant was filtering the
Endrin, strychnine and other
sediment from the water with
great efficiency.
Once this was established, the
little pilot plant was taken off
its 24-hour schedule, and work
started immediately on con-
struction of the larger prototype
plant.
Technicians of the St. Louis
firm had set up the pilot plant
under construction with aofrd
under contract with the federal
Environmental Protection Agen-
cy.
Dr. Thompson flew to Cincin-
nati to get the big box for the
prototype plant. It had ben
part of a large-scale water treat-
ment plant operating at the
Taft Center laboratories in Cin-
cinnati
Under Dr. Thompson's super-
vision, employes of the Ohio
Division of Forestry in Shawnee
:Forest helped construct the pnf-
totype in the garage near the
Division of Forestry's headquar-
ters.
The box was moved to the site
of the lake's dam by flatbed
truck and lowered into place
by massive hooks.
The prototype system, enhan-
ced by the ready availability
of the chromatograph, not only
is to work with water samples.
lit also is to test sediment taken
ait intervals from the lake bot-
tom.
There was no need for a plan
to drain the lake if there is no
toxic content in the sediment,
Howard said.
The OSU graduate student is
to remain here until the poison
: removal project at the lake is
complete. Dr. Thompson plans
to return to Washington, D.C.
in a "day or so," he said.
Katz and motion picture and
still camera crews from the
Ohio Department of Natural Re-
sources were at the lake site
Friday. Among others at the
site was S. James Ryckman.
vice president of the Ryckman-
Edgerley-Tomlinson firm of wa-
ter and air resources consul-
tants.
Assistant ranger at Pond Lick
Reservoir, Frank Tackett, said
that since the development of
the new Turkey Creek Lake
and the improvement program
at Roosevelt Lake, "We've been
attempting to encourage the pub-
lic to use those facilities."
He said there's no lifeguard
at Pond Reservoir, or Shawnee
Lake, and swimming isn't per-
•mitted there.
j "It is a shame, though, be-
cause some retired, older peo-
ple had been coming out to
Shawnee Lake on weekends and
would spend a whole day fish-
ing, Tackett said.
Poison removal work at the
lake has increased the number
of visitors to Pond Lick Reser-
voir, and Tackett says he flunks
the next few weekends could
bring between 300 and 400 peo-
ple out here to look around." i
152
-------
Portsmouth, Ohio, June 17, 1971, pg. 3
PIPELINE. Part of the cofferdam system set up at poisoned Shawnee Lake is this pipeline
which Robert Redett, assistant chief of the Forestry Division of the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources, says has done a highly-effective job of diverting recent rain run-off around the
lake. The pipeline has kept rainwater run-off from causing an overflow of poisoned water from
th.e lake.
153
-------
PORTSMOUTH. OHIO, SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1971
Outlook Is
^GoocF For
Clear Lake
By ROBERT BASS
Times Staff Writer
Shawnee Lake should be clear-
ed of its poison by early Aug-
ust.
"Guesstimates" that the com-
plex poison removal project
should be completed within 45
days were made by conserva-
tionists who set up a larger,
prototype water filtration plant
at the lake late Friday.
Its operation begun this morn-
ing, this prototype plant replac-
es the smaller pilot, or experi-
mental plant set up at the lake
last Wednesday.
Decision to build and to use
the larger, but more compact
prototype plant came after it
was discovered that the little
experimental plant was working
with watch-charm efficiency.
The portable pilot plant, with
its precision pressure pump and
hoses, its swimming pool filter,
and its old submarine ballast
tank filled with activated char-
coal, has been disassembled.
Now operating in its place is
the prototype plant with huge,
rectangular box; 15,000 pounds
of activated carbon, and pres-
sure pump capable of pumping
500 gallons of water a minute.
Samples of Shawnee Lake wa-
ter, before and after they're fil-
tered through the big box of
activated charcoal particles, are
to be analyzed in a gas chroma-
tograph brought to Shawnee
Lake late Thursday from Ohio
State University's Department
of Microbiology.
This sophisticated instrument
is to give almost instant analy-
sis to Shawnee Lake water sam-
ples, making it unnecessary to
send those samples either to the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency laboratories in Mem-
phis, Tenn., or to Taft Central
laboratories in Cincinnati.
The new water treatment
plant, with its system of water
filtration and absorption by ac-
tivated carbon particles, is to
be in operation until water re-
maining in the lake tests out
absolutely safe, Dr. Hugh C.
Thompson of the federal En-
vironmental Protection Agency,
said.
The consensus is that thir
should occur within 45 days.
Marvin Katz, Ohio Depart-
ment of Natural Resources chief
of public information, said,
154
-------
Portsmouth, Ohio, June 19, 1971, pg. 3
PROTOTYPE. Success of the little pilot, or experimental
water treatment plant at poisoned Shawnee Lake resulted Fri-
day in quick development of the larger, more compact proto-
type plant, which is to use about 250 bags of activated charcoal
granules in its filtration system inside the huge box. In top
photo, S. James Ryckman, vice president of the St. Louis firm
of water and air resources consultants that developed and set
up the successful pilot plant; and Dr. Hugh C. Thompson of the
federal Environmental and Protection Agency, the poison re-
moval project officer, finalize plans for setting up the prototype
plant, upon which employes of the Ohio Division of Forestry
(background) are working. In center and bottom photos, David
Howard, graduate student in the Ohio State University De-
partment of Microbiology, uses the precision gas chromato-
graph, brought in from OSU Thursday night, in analysis of
water samples taken from the poisoned lake. The recorded
peaks in the graph in center photo are the Endrin content in un-
filtered waler samples: the long, firm straight lines are the
pure analysis of the filtered samples. In bottom photo, Howard
uses a hyperdemic syringe to inject a watc: sample into the
machine.
155
-------
For 119 Years A Dependable Portsmouth Institution
Published daily except Sunday
by Thomson-Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc.
Member Associated Press
Established March 23, 1852
Monday, June 21, 1971
Page 6
A First We Didn't Need
Some of our records are such that we may be
proud of them in a constructive sort of way.
Some records are such that we'd rather not
think of them, and others are such that we
can be proud, despite the fact that perhaps
we'd rather the need never had come up.
Of course we would have preferred that the
poisoning of Shawne Lake never had occurred.
We would have preferred to have left it alone,
filled with fish and circled by fishermen.
Unfortunately, this didn't happen. The lake
was poisoned and thousands of fish were killed.
Many fishermen were deprived of their pleas-
ures, and many other people were worried be-
cause of the potential threat if the poison had
escaped the lake's confines.
We can be proud of none of these.
We can take great pride in the response of
the many agencies concerned with clearing the
lake of the poison. We can take pride in the fact
that the discovery came early enough to pre-
vent harm to persons who use the lake. We can
take pride in the efforts of every individual
concerned with the action in any way.
Since we had the problem, we also can take
pride in the fact that this is the place where
the recently created United States Environmen-
tal Protection Agency got its first real test.
The agency, not yet a year old, was called
into the case early, and this action perhaps is
to be credited for quick decisions on steps to
take in fighting poisons.
It has been more than two weeks since first
signs of the poison were reported, but the re-
searchers have had complete cooperation from
everything, including the weather, in striving
to overcome the problem.
Now it appears that success is only a matter
of time. Experiments have proved that the pois-
on can be eliminated by mechanical-chemical
processes, and the potential danger to the lake
and to the waters which get the lake overflow
will not be endangered.
Early estimates were that a natural clearing
of the lake would take up to 10 years were no
less than frightening, especially in considera-
tion of the current growth and development in
Shawnee State Forest. Now, with estimates that
the lake will be cleared within as little as 45
days, it appears that we can stamp "success"
on the project.
Expense has been no problem. Every agency
concerned has gone all the way, setting no limit
on efforts to clear poison. Such cases are rare,
but this- has been an unusual case from the be-
ginning.
If there is any pride to be had in such a case,
we are proud that the first real test of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, with its al-
allied agencies, found its first success here.
We hate to think of what could have happen-
ed had this case been a failure.
156
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