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                     A newsletter about soil,  sediment, and ground-water characterization and remediation technologies
                       Issue 39
This issue of Technology News  and Trends highlights innovative strategies for
integrating ecological  restoration into intrusive cleanup remedies or applying
ecologically based approaches to passively treat contaminated media.

          Wetland Restoration and Creation Completes Remedy
                      Construction Near Ruzzards Ray
The U.S. EPA's Region 1, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration,
and Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
collaborated last year in implementing the
final phase of a three-phase remediation
project  at  the 48-acre Atlas Tack
Corporation Superfund Site in Fairhaven,
MA. Phases I, II, and III  involved
demolition, excavation, and offsite disposal
of  approximately  73,000  yd3  of
contaminated soil, sludge, and debris and
35,000 yd3 of contaminated marsh soil and
creek-bed sediment between  2005  and
early 2007. Phase III work also included
wetland restoration and creation that
began in June 2007 and ended three
months later, at which time the entire site
attained a "construction complete" status.
Approximately three acres of fresh-water
wetland had been created, and eight acres
of salt-water marsh were restored.

From 1901  until 1985,  the Atlas Tack
Corporation  used this   site  for
manufacturing small metal  products,
which involved electroplating, acid-
washing, and painting operations. From
the  1940s until the late  1970s, wastes
were discharged  into  a 10,000-ft2,
unlined, acid-neutralizing lagoon
adjacent to  a salt-water tidal marsh in
Buzzards Bay Estuary—a  federally
designated  estuary   of   national
significance. As a result, surrounding soil,
wetlands,  and  ground water were
contaminated with heavy metals, cyanide,
                                        volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
                                        polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
                                        pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls
                                        (PCBs). Cleanup goals for onsite soil were
                                        based primarily on the ecological risk posed
                                        by constituents such as copper, zinc, lead,
                                        antimony, cyanide and 4,4'-DDT. In a 10-
                                        acre commercial area, however,  human
                                        health-based cleanup levels also were
                                        used for PAHs, PCBs, lead, and arsenic.
                                        Ground-water interim cleanup levels were
                                        based on ecological risks for copper, nickel,
                                        zinc, cyanide, and toluene.

                                        The lagoon was partially remediated in
                                        1986, but additional efforts were required
                                        for contaminant source removal. A 2000
                                        record of decision called for excavating only
                                        a portion of the 30-acre marsh that served
                                        as acontaminant source. Results of a 2001-
                                        2004 bioavailability study, however,
                                        indicated that excavation  of a larger area
                                        was required to meet  cleanup goals.  For
                                        each marsh and onsite creek bed sediment
                                        sample,  metals concentrations were
                                        correlated to toxicity data to establish an
                                        effects range median  quotient (ERMQ);
                                        an  ERMQ higher than 1.0 indicated
                                        significant  toxicity and required
                                        remediation, while a value less than 1.0
                                        indicated little to no toxicity. Based on this
                                        threshold, a total sediment volume of
                                        35,430 yd3 was excavated instead of the
                                        16,000 yd3 originally estimated. The
                                        highest contaminant concentrations in the
                                        marsh were closest to the source areas (fill
                                        areas and the former lagoon), but hot spots
                                                      [continued on page 2]
                                                                                            December 2008
                                                                                         Contents
Wetland Restoration
and Creation
Completes Remedy
Construction Near
Buzzards Bay       page 1

Phytoremediation
with Innovative
Irrigation  Technique
Treats Arsenic-
Contaminated Soil  page 3

River Diversion,
Excavation, and
Ecorestoration
Collectively Achieve
Site Reuse         page 4
New EPA Tools
for Ecological
Restoration
page 6
    CLU-IN Resources
The EcoTbo/sweb page on
CLU-IN now offers technical
assistance to remedial
project managers with
questions about ecological
land reuse at Superfund
sites. The service focuses
on appropriate use of soil
amendments, selection of
native plants, avoidance of
invasive species, and
effective strategies for
revegetation. Questions
may be submitted online at
www.clu-in.org/ecotools/
sf.cfm.
           Recycled/Recyclable
           Printed with Soy/Canola Ink c*i paper tha?
           contains at least 53% recycled iiber

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[continued from page 1]
were identified at greater distances.
Approximately 1,500 yd3 of sediment also
were excavated from a creek onsite.

Design of the wetland called for
integrating both fresh-water wetlands
and salt-marsh areas, which were
challenged by invasive plant species.
In the early 1960s, a hurricane barrier
had  been constructed with an
undersized culvert that prevented
adequate tidal flow to the northern
marsh. As a  result, the marsh  had
decreased in size, and common reeds
(Phragmites australis) had invaded
the area over time. Following removal
of all Phragmites during  cleanup
activities, a three-acre, fresh-water
wetland and  a six=acre sustainable
salt-water marsh were constructed in
the newly remediated area, along with a
clay core earthen berm to separate the
two wetlands. Reinvasion of Phragmites
was prevented by designing the bottom
of the fresh-water wetland  to be at or
below ground-water level and to create
a 2:1 slope on all sides.

Site restoration involved installing
thousands of native  plants and
seeding of wildflower mixes. Trees
and  shrubs  installed  at  upland
locations included red maple, oak,
sweetgum, blackgum, pepperbush,
inkberry, bayberry, and elderberry.
Fresh-water  herbaceous plantings
included green ash, black gum,
swamp white oak, black  willow,
buttonbush, winterberry, marsh
elder,  sedges, soft rush, bullrush,
spatterdock, pickerelweed, wool grass,
and duck potato. Salt-water species
comprised mainly seashore saltgrass
(Distichlis spicata), saltmeadow rush
(Juncus gerardi}, and  salt  hay
(Spartinapatens) for high marsh areas
and salt-marsh cordgrass (Spartina
alterniflora)  for  low marsh areas
(Figure 1). Two acres on the opposite
side of the hurricane barrier also were
remediated and restored.
Nine 15-foot-diameter islands planted
with deciduous scrub and herbaceous
vegetation were created in the fresh-
water wetland to maximize habitat area
and variability. To further minimize
encroachment of invasive species
(primarily Phragmites), a sizable area
of marsh remediated downstream of the
hurricane barrier was  lowered 6-12
inches in elevation and vegetated with
salt-marsh cordgrass. Any remaining
stands were  treated with a synthetic,
non-selective aquatic herbicide. Plans
for using tree-based phytoremediation
were terminated after creation of the
fresh-water marsh; field  studies
indicated that tree plantings  would
significantly  reduce ground-water
infiltration to the marsh, consequently
risking reinvasion ofPhragmites.

The total cost of implementing all phases
of this project, including one year of
operations and maintenance (O&M),
was approximately $20.6 million.
Annual O&M costs for the first five
years are  estimated at $50,000.
Plantings  were  monitored  and
maintained by EPA for one year after
which responsibilities were transferred
to MassDEP. Ground-water monitoring
will be conducted by EPA for 10 years
and by MassDEP for another 20 years
or until cleanup goals are attained. Due
to contaminant source removal, natural
attenuation is expected to help achieve
ground-water cleanup goals within 10
years. The wetland  and marsh will
remain undeveloped in accordance with
federal  and state requirements  for
wetlands protection.

Contributed by Elaine Stanley, EPA
Region 1 (stanlev. elainet(a),epa. gov
or 617-918-1332)

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      Phytoremediation with Innovative Irrigation Technique Treats Arsenic-Contaminated Soil
Superfund removal actions were initiated
in early 2005 at the Crozet Orchard near
Crozet, VA, to address residential
properties exhibiting high concentrations
of arsenic in soil.  Cleanup activities
focused on excavation of contaminated
soil followed by construction of an in
situ phytoremediation system.  Plant
growth and consequential uptake of
contaminants were accelerated by
installing irrigation systems employing
onsite spring water. Passive gravity and
photovoltaic energy systems were used
to power the irrigation pumps during dry
spells. The initial plant harvest indicated
that phytoremediation had decreased
contaminant concentrations in soil of all
but one treatment plot. Projectresults also
demonstrated that renewable energy
provided sufficient energy for  the
irrigation system, consequently increasing
the rate of soil treatment while avoiding
utility  expenses  and  associated
greenhouse gas emissions.

Orchards once occupied much of this
property, which is situated in the Blue
Ridge Mountains. Application of lead-
arsenates and other pesticides was
common in the  1940s and 1950s. The
site currently encompasses numerous
properties of varying  sizes that  are
managed as  two cleanup areas: "Area
1", which is a residential development
comprising more than 100 properties, and
"Area 2," a single property covering 27
acres within a residential zone.

Ground-water sampling indicated no
contaminant concentrations above
background levels.  Soil sampling at
approximately 50 properties, however,
led to short-term removal actions at two
residential properties to prevent human
exposure to arsenic, lead, and pesticides.
Soil in one Area 1 residence contained
arsenic concentrations ranging from 50
to 103  ppm, lead at a maximum
concentration of 431 ppm, and pesticides
at levels above  3.4 ppm. At a second
residence of concern in Area 2, arsenic
and lead were present at levels reaching
111 ppm and 594 ppm, respectively, but
elevated concentrations of pesticides were
not found. As a result, arsenic served as
the driving risk factor for removal actions
within both residential areas.

Based on bioavailability assessment results,
the risk-based action level for arsenic was
set at 58 ppm; soil with concentrations
above this level required remediation.
Accordingly, excavation was conducted
on 12 Area 1  properties.  The top six
inches of soil were removed until one of
three conditions was attained: background
levels were encountered, a two-foot depth
was reached, or  the  clay pan was
reached. All excavated soil was disposed
offsite at  a  RCRA-regulated landfill.
Excavated areas subsequently were
backfilled with onsite soil taken from non-
contaminated areas and revegetated with
grass. A total  of 99 tons of soil was
removed from three plots at a cost of
approximately $18,000 per plot.
Phytoremediation was implemented in 27
of the 30 Area 2 plots where excavation
was infeasible due to difficult access,
significant erosion potential posed by
hillside terrain, or dense forestation. The
Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittatd) was
selected due  to earlier University of
Florida studies showing that the plant
could hyperaccumulate 200 times
more arsenic than other fern varieties.
Each plant also could extract 20-50
ppm of arsenic per growing season
from a square foot of soil. Subsequent
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tests on
a patented variety at the Spring Valley
formerly   used   defense  site  in
Washington,  DC, demonstrated the
plant's field success.

Approximately 20,000 Chinese brake
ferns of the  patented variety were
installed in the summer of 2005. Soil
preparation involved clearing and
tilling, light application of fertilizer,
and installation of landscape fabric.
First-year operations  included
        collection of baseline plant
        data and installation of
        moisture and light meters to
        guide irrigation and predict
        rates of contaminant uptake.
        Heavy tree canopies provided
        optimal growth conditions, as
        anticipated, but the compacted
        clay soil typical to the area
        was  found to slightly inhibit
        plant root development that in
        turn  reduced arsenic uptake.
                                                  [continued on page 4]

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[continued from page 3]
Different irrigation systems were installed
to take advantage of two onsite springs
with a combined production capacity of
5,000 gallons per day. One system relies
on a hilltop spring feeding water into a
4,000-gallon storage tank. When needed.
water is transferred by gravity to  17
plots in sloped non-residential areas of
the site (Figure 2).

The second system services seven of the
plots through use of solar-powered, low-
flow pumps that transfer water from a
hill-bottom spring to another storage tank
from which water is delivered to plots by
gravity-fed drip methods. Electricity to
power the pumps is generated by an off-
grid, 390-watt, solar array composed of
three 12-volt photovoltaic (PV) panels.
The PV system meets approximately 85%
of the energy needed for full-capacity
pump operation. Absence of a battery for
storage of excess electricity causes
overnight shutdown of  pumping
operations, consequently allowing water
replenishment in the storage tank.

Ferns planted during the first year of
the project (2005) were harvested in
November 2007, generating 12 yd3 of
material that was disposed offsite  as
hazardous waste. The ferns in several
 Figure 3. Over two years of
 implementation, phytoremedation at
 Crozet Orchard resulted in arsenic
 concentration reductions in soil ranging
 from 1 to approximately 80 ppm.
plots bioaccumulated more than 1,000
mg/kg of arsenic and in some cases
almost 1,900 mg/mg. Analysis of soil
collected from remediated plots indicated
reduced arsenic concentrations ranging
from  18 to 114  ppm; only one plot
exhibited no reduction. Seven of the 27
phytoremediation plots exhibited arsenic
concentrations below the action level of
5 8 ppm within approximately six months
of plant growth and required no further
action. With arsenic  concentrations of
58-68 ppm, five  additional plots are
nearing the action level (Figure 3).
Phytoremediation will continue until the
action level is met at the remaining plots,
and re-evaluation of the approach will be
conducted three years later. Soil sampling
at 55 residential properties in Area 1 shows
11 more properties qualify for removal
actions. Follow-on sampling  of
pesticides in soil  in non arsenic-
contaminated areas will be conducted
to determine the need for additional
actions. Removal  actions are not
anticipated in non-residential areas,
including remaining orchards.

Pending the results of current soil tests,
project closeout may occur at the end of
2008. EPA's initial action memorandum
required at least three years of plant
growth prior to final decision-making.
Projects costs total approximately $1
million, including $ 11,000 for each of the
24 irrigated phytoremediation plots.

Contributed by Myles Bartos,  EPA
Region 3 (bartos.mvles(a),epa.gov or
215-814-3342)
        neg    5 to    15 to  25 to  35 to   45 to   55 to   65 to  75 to
               9.99    19.99  29.99  39.99   49.99   59.99   69.99  79.99
           Arsenic Concentration Reductions by Plot (ppm)
            River Diversion, Excavation, and Ecorestoration Collectively Achieve Site Reuse
Discovery of an oily sheen  along  a
quarter-mile  stretch of the Cache la
Poudre (Poudre) River in 2002 led to
extensive site  remediation  and
revitalization efforts in downtown Fort
Collins, CO, which were completed last
year. Selection of an innovative remedy
was driven by the need for access to
the Poudre River (a popular recreational
waterway and federally designated wild
and historic river) and anticipated site
reuse involving anew community center
and recreational areas. Cleanup actions
included contaminated sediment removal,
upgradient plume control, and redirection
of the river in order to treat ground water.
Contamination resulted from past
activities conducted along the river. The
site contains a former 12-acre municipal
landfill that operated from the late 1930s
to the early 1960s, and an agricultural
machine shop is located on an adjacent
property.  Located a short distance
            [continued on page 5]

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[continued from page 4]
upgradient, a manufactured gas plant
(MGP) generated coal tar as  a major
byproduct from 1900-1930. Inlateryears,
portions of the former MGP property
were purchased by a gasoline supply
company and an energy utility company.

Site investigations indicated ground
water was contaminated with PAHs;
benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and
xylenes  (BTEX); total petroleum
hydrocarbons (TPH); methyl-ter?-
butyl ether; trichloroethene; and
tetrachloroethene. Subsurface soil and
river sediments remain impacted by
non-aqueous phase  liquid (NAPL)
containing PAHs, BTEX, and  TPH.
In-depth investigations in 2003-2004
determined that NAPL stemmed from
coal tar likely mixing with gasoline from
a leaking underground storage tank.
Mixture of  the  two changed the
chemical and physical nature of the
gasoline, in turn changing NAPL
mobility; contamination moved along
the sediment alluvium and ultimately
flowed through bedrock fractures  to
the river. As  a result, NAPL existed
in sediments along a 300-foot stretch
of the Poudre River as well as a 600-
foot stretch of bedrock under the river.
Coal tar existed at the river bottom.

EPA selected a combined remedy
involving excavation of contaminated
sediments, creation of a vertical sheet
pile barrier with hydraulic controls to
intercept NAPL before it reached the
river, redirection and treatment  of
ground water, and restoration of the
excavated area to restore the natural
appearance  and recreate wildlife
habitat. To  excavate contaminated
sediments,  the  Poudre River was
dammed and its flow was temporarily
rerouted through pipes. The dam was
completed in phases to gradually reduce
water in the contaminated stretch of
river while allowing fish to travel
downstream. Screens were placed on
pumps  as an additional measure to
protect fish.

The  U.S.  Fish and Wildlife  Service
assisted EPA in evaluating ecological
aspects of site cleanup. Concerns were
addressed through strategies  such as
bank undercutting in ways that mimicked
natural conditions, thereby providing fish
resting areas.  To provide  habitat,
boulders were incorporated into the
stream bank, and snags (dead  trees)
were preserved  and replaced on the
bank following excavation.

Principles  of low impact development
(LID) were used to reduce the impact
of built areas and promote  natural
movement  of  water  within  the
ecosystem and watershed. One LID
strategy involved careful selection of
sizes and  types  of stones and other
material to be placed in the riverbed, and
material  placement  in  manners
replicating the river's original contours
and flow pattern (Figure 4).
Invasive plant species such as Russian
olives and thistle brush were removed
during excavation whenever possible
and replaced by native species such
as coyote  willows and Colorado
sedges. One important lesson learned
was to establish an acceptable plant
survivability rate at the project
onset  to account for  plant die-offs.
Approximately half of the original tree
plantings were consumed or destroyed
by beavers; as a result, painted wire was
installed to protect the bottom 6-8 feet
of remaining and subsequent tree
plantings. Overall plant survival was
80% for trees and 75% for native plants.

Due to contaminant source material
left in place, the City operates an
extensive monitoring system. Wells for
analytical sampling were constructed
along the full length and beyond the
barrier wall. In addition, tubes with a
pulsed removal and hydraulic control
system were installed in the sheet pile
barrier to  address coal  tar as it
accumulates.  EPA will monitor the
system's performance indefinitely.

Contributed by Paul Peronard, EPA
Region 8 (peronard.paul(a),epa. gov
or 303-312-6808)

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                                           Solid Waste and
                                           Emergency  Response
                                           (5203P)
EPA 542-N-08-006
December 2008
Issue No. 39
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Presorted Standard
Postage and Fees Paid
EPA "
Permit No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
               New EPA Tools for Ecological Restoration
 EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) recently
 compiled a report entitled Ecological  Revitalization:  Turning
 Contaminated Properties Into Community Assets to highlight guidance
 documents for cleanup planning, outline important considerations, and provide
 site-specific case studies concerning ecological revitalization. The document
 covers wetlands, stream, terrestrial, and long-term stewardship  issues
 frequently encountered at Superfund, federal facility, RCRA correction
 action, brownfield, and underground storage tank sites. In January 2009, the
 full report (EPA 542-R-08-003) will be available on CLU-IN's EcoTools
 web page (www.clu-in.org/ecotools/sf.cfmy

 OSWER also is collaborating with EPA's Environmental Response Team
 (ERT) to research opportunities for terrestrial carbon sequestration on
 contaminated lands, as part of the Agency's strategy for addressing climate
 change. Analytical samples were collected in recent months at sites in Leadville,
 CO, Stafford, VA, and Sharon Steel, VA, where soil amendments were used
 in the past for remediation purposes. Project objectives include (1) developing
 a field and laboratory protocol for sequestration measurement and (2)
 identifying the amendment application techniques, plant types, and amendment
 or revegetation locations that maximized carbon sequestration. Study results
 will be available in 2009; for more information, contact Harry Compton, ERT
 (compton.harryfgiepa.gov or 732-321-6751).
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           welcomes readers' comments
            and contributions. Address
               correspondence to:
                  John Quander
         Office of Superfund Remediation
            and Technology Innovation
                    (5203P)
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                Ariel Rios Building
           1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
             Washington, DC 20460
              Phone:  703-603-7198
                Fax: 703-603-9135
EPA is publishing this newsletter as a means of disseminating useful information regarding innovative and alternative treatment techniques and
technologies. The Agency does not endorse specific technology vendors.

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