UPCOMING INVESTIGATIONS
Tissue Chemistry
Plans are currently being developed for the collection
of tissue from lobster, finfish (flounder, tautog,
bluefish) and channeled whelk to assess the potential
bioaccumulation of contaminants in organisms at the
existing disposal sites and at non-disposal areas
within LIS. The assessment will include analysis for
metals, PCBs, pesticides, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate,
lipid content, water content, PAHs, dioxins/furans,
tributyltin, dioxin-like PCBs, and radiochemistry.
C. High (USAGE) readies equipment
for deployment. (Feb. 2000)
Physical
Oceanography
The EPA and the
Corps have
initiated the
collection and
analysis of physical
oceanographic data
(currents, waves,
temperature,
salinity, etc.) to
evaluate the
circulation patterns
and degree of water
movement in LIS.
Existing data,
including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Survey
(NOS) and the State University of New York
(SUNY), Stony Brook and the Disposal Area
Monitoring System (DAMOS) data sets from LIS are
being reviewed. The review will identify data gaps
so that any information needed for the EIS can be
collected during the calendar year 2000 field effort.
Fishing Resources and Activities
Fishing resources includes finfish and lobster
resources. Fishing activities include commercial and
recreational fishing activities. To collect finfish tissue
for analyses, we will accompany the Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) on
its planned Spring and Fall 2000 trawl surveys of LIS.
Since trawling is avoided in the vicinity of the WLIS
site, other sampling methods, including gill nets and
hook and line, are planned for that area. We will be
collecting lobsters from the Study Areas and conducting
tissue analysis.
We plan to interview commercial and recreational
fishermen in the Spring and Summer of 2000 to further
define the type and amount of fishing effort conducted
in LIS including gear used in the Study Areas. These
surveys will supplement the aerial surveys of lobster pot
buoys. The aerial surveys will be taken during the peak
season.
SCHEDULE
Since the October 1999 workshops, a field work
schedule has been developed, protocols drafted and
refined along with the associated laboratory analyses.
The field work for the open water disposal alternative
has been scheduled to take advantage of the LIS
resources during peak seasons.
• Winter 2000 - Sediment sampling (completed)
• Spring 2000 - Physical oceanographic data, finfish
collection
• Summer 2000 - Lobster collection, benthic tissue
bioaccumulation/community analysis
• Fall 2000 - Additional physical oceanographic data
(if needed) and additional finfish collection
This schedule will complete a full year of data to assist
in characterizing LIS.
An update on the status of the field program will be
provided at the April 2000 workshops.
J. Brochi (USEPA)
extracting
sediments from
the Ted-Young
grab sampler.
(Feb. 2000)
For more information, please contact Ann Rodney, US EPA, 1 Congress Street,
Suite 1100, CWQ, Boston, MA 02114-2023, 617-918-1538 (tel), 617-918-1505 (fax),
rodney.ann@epa.gov (email), or visit our Web Site at
www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lisdreg/.
SS2K001d
r/EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Fact Sheet #3- April 2000
US Army Corps
of Engineers
New England District
LONG ISLAND SOUND
DREDGED MATERIAL DISPOSAL EIS
Field Work
for Open Water Sites
BACKGROUND
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) are
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
that will consider the potential designation of one or
more dredged material disposal site(s) in the waters of
Long Island Sound (LIS), as required under Section
102 (c) of the Marine Protection, Research and
Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) and 40 CFR 230.80 of the
regulations of the EPA under Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act (CWA). The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR 1500 et. seq.).
To provide baseline information on LIS, the EPA and
the Corps reviewed and evaluated existing data to
determine data collection needs. Based on that review,
the EPA and the Corps are gathering data on all the
alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS, including open
water sites, beneficial use sites, upland disposal sites
and treatment technologies. As an early task of this
data collection effort, the EPA and the Corps identified
data gaps associated with open water disposal. As
reported at the October 1999 workshops and presented
in a fact sheet titled "Data Review and
Recommendations," data gaps associated with open
water disposal sites were identified in four priority
areas:
• Sediment chemistry - Distribution of contaminants
of concern in sediments at, and immediately
around, each active disposal site in LIS
• Tissue chemistry - Distribution of contaminants of
concern in tissue of shellfish (including lobsters),
finfish and benthic invertebrates, at and immediately
around, each active disposal site in LIS.
• Physical oceanography - Physical oceanographic
data from LIS that may be applicable to disposal site
designation, including general circulation, wave, and
current information relevant to each active disposal
site in LIS, and in proximity to those sites.
• Fishing resources and activities - Commercial and
recreational fisheries resources and activities in
proximity to the active disposal sites in LIS, including
any baseline fish, shellfish, and lobster data.
The field data collection effort is underway. The field
work is being coordinated with other federal and state
agency efforts scheduled for the calendar year 2000,
including finfish trawl surveys planned by the
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
(CTDEP). This fact sheet provides a status report on the
field work necessary to assist in the preparation of the EIS
baseline and impacts analyses.
SAMPLING
PROGRAM
OVERVIEW
The overall field
program associated
with the open water
disposal alternative
includes the collection
of sediment samples,
benthic samples, and
lobster and finfish
tissue samples within
LIS. It also includes
collection and analysis
of data regarding
currents, waves,
temperature, salinity
and other physical
Ted-Young grab sampler modified with
landing pads to facilitate sampling in
soft bottom conditions. (Feb. 2000)
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Long Island Sound
Disposal Sil«£
Sampling Stadons
^3 Orn^ii rt+pwi i«m
Figure 1. Long Island Sound Disposal Sites and Sampling Stations
oceanographic characteristics of LIS. This data
will be used in evaluating baseline conditions
within the open water of LIS, including the four
existing disposal sites, referred to as Study Areas.
The Study Areas are:
• Western Long Island Sound (WLIS)
• Central Long Island Sound (CLIS)
• Cornfield Shoals (CSDS)
• New London (NLDS).
As reported below, an extensive sediment sampling
effort was conducted during February 2000.
Planned for future seasons are the collection of
lobsters and finfish, physical oceanographic data
and additional sampling of benthic species in LIS.
WINTER 2000 FIELD SURVEY -
SEDIMENT SAMPLING
During the week of February 14, 2000, the EPA
and the Corps conducted sediment sampling for the
analysis of sediment chemistry and the
characterization of the local benthic communities at
the four Study Areas (see Figure 1). For each Study
Area, sediment samples were collected within each
of four distinct geographical areas:
• Historical - areas that received dredged material
prior to the onset of testing requirements in 1979
• Active - areas that have received dredged
material deemed suitable for open-water disposal
• No impact - areas that should have no
discernible impacts from the disposal of dredged
material, i.e., a "reference site" for each Study
Area
• Far field - areas outside of existing site
boundaries suitable for evaluating for any distant
effects of disposal of dredged material within LIS.
At each sampling station, five (5) discrete grabs (125
total grabs) were taken in order to obtain enough
material for the determination of physical, chemical,
and toxicological properties.
The sampling procedure is shown in Figure 2.
A grab sampler was deployed from the survey vessel
F/V Isabelle to retrieve bottom sediments.
Sediments from each grab were divided up for
different types of analyses. These included:
• Chemistry - the chemical analysis of the sediments.
• Toxicity - the exposure in the laboratory of a
benthic species to the collected sediments to
determine if the sediments are toxic to the species.
• Biology - the benthic species found within the
sediment sample to identify the composition of the
biological community to include diversity and
populations present.
In total, over 1,100 samples were collected and
delivered to laboratories for chemistry, grain size and
toxicity analyses.
During the collection of sediment samples in the Winter
2000 survey, provisions were made for the collection of
benthic invertebrates for potential analysis of tissue
samples for bioaccumulation. However, given the
season and associated water temperature, limited
invertebrates were collected during this survey.
Chemistry/Physical Testing
From the samples collected at each station, sediments
will be analyzed for a list of contaminants, including
metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides,
polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), acid volatile
sulfides/simultaneously extractable metals, bis(2-
Ethylhexyl)phthalate, dioxins/furans, dioxin-like PCBs,
tributyltin, total organic carbon (TOC), radiochemistry,
and for percent water and grain size. Sediments will be
tested in accordance with "Evaluation of Dredged
Material Proposed for Ocean Disposal, Testing Manual,
EPA-503/8-91/001, February 1991," commonly referred
to as the "Green Book" and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers New England District "Inland Testing Manual
SAMPLING PROCEDURE
A grab deployed from a
boat is used to retrieve
surface sediments
Sediments from
a given station
are divided up
for different
analyses
Figure 2. Sampling procedure
Recovering the 0.1m2 Ted-Young grab sampler. Feb. 2000
(ITM) for Dredged Material Disposal Activities" dated
July 7, 1998, as appropriate, and as supplemented by
additional guidance.
Toxicity Testing
From the samples collected at each station, a portion of
the sediment material was collected for toxicity
analysis. Following the procedures outlined in the
publication: EPA, 1994 "Methods for Assessing the
Toxicity of Sediment-associated Contaminants with
Estuarine and Marine Amphipods," EPA 600-R-94-025,
June 1994, toxicity testing will be performed with the
amphipod Ampelisca abdita. This amphipod will be
exposed in the laboratory to collected sediment as a
measure of the toxicity of the sediment to benthic
resources.
Benthic Community Analysis
Three additional grabs were performed at 21 stations to
collect materials for benthic community analysis. These
samples were transferred to a clean 5-
gallon plastic bucket where they were
rinsed with local seawater. After a
careful filtering and sieving of the
material, the consolidated sample was
then removed from the sieve and
transferred to sample bottles. Local
seawater was then added to the
sample, after which the sample was
preserved. The samples collected will
be identified and counted to
determine the diversity and
population of benthic invertebrates in
the existing marine ecosystem.
Chemistry
Chemical
analysis of
sediments
to identify
contaminants
Toxicity
Testing to
determine
if sediments
are toxic to
benthic species
Biology
Identification
of the type
and variety of
biological
community
living in the
sediment
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