xvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency | Update on the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Cleanup Volume 4, No. 1 River Cleanup Progress for Segment 1 and Segment 2 EPA has targeted certain areas for cleanup in both Segment 1 and 2. They are called Sediment Management Areas, or SMAs. In Segment 2, EPA has also targeted riverbanks for cleanup in stretches called Bank Management Areas, or BMAs. Segment 1 Work is nearly complete on Segment 1. EPA began the cleanup in 2012 and work continued this year. Segment 1 is the 3-mile stretch of the Tittabawassee River next to the Dow Chemical Co. plant in Midland. A big focus of the Segment 1 cleanup has been removing and treating dense non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL. DNAPL is a highly contaminated oily liquid that's heavier than water and does not dissolve. After the DNAPL is collected, it is sent to Dow s incinerator for disposal. In 2013, workers installed containment systems at three SMAs to isolate contaminated sediment. Sheet pile walls were used as part of the containment system to control and minimize the flow of water. After the sheet pile walls were installed, the contaminated material was covered with a cap to keep it in place. DNAPL was pumped out, collected and incinerated through November. So far more than 4,000 gallons of DNAPL have been pumped from areas in Segment 1. Segment 2 Segment 2 is the next stretch of the river to be cleaned up. EPA has studied Segment 2 extensively, taking many samples and evaluating sediment and riverbanks along this 4-mile stretch to see how they change or erode over time. EPA has Segment 1 Phase 2 Cleanup Work in 2013 Workers isolate contaminated sediment with sheet pile. Workers install a geosynthetic liner, a clay and fabric-like material. Machines are used to install an armor layer of the cap that is made up of rocks and stone. A sand layer of the cap is installed. Some of Segment 2's Previous Projects Reach J Capping Pilot Reach 0 Sediment Removal Reach J/K Bank Removal Reach M and O Riverbank Pilot Reach N Riverbank Project Capping areas covered 12,000 square feet of river bottom and promoted natural depositon of clean sediment. HfcBrTk v Temporary sheet pile was installed before 22,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed. Removed 32,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 300 mature trees, and reconstructed 1,800 feet of riverbank. Many technologies a "Green Wall" were used to stabilize the riverbanks. Erosion control measures were taken and the riverbank was reshaped at Reach N. See River Cleanup Progress on Page 2 1 ------- Winter 2014 OUR RIVERS TODAY River Cleanup Progress from Page I also been involved in studies to show how contaminants build up in the food chain. For more information on how contaminants build up in the food chain, see the Fall 2012 Our Rivers Today newsletter at www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/dowchemical/newsletters.htm. Dioxin is the main contaminant in Segment 2. Some areas have high levels of dioxin; in other areas the contamination is not as high. Since each area is different, EPA's cleanup plan calls for a combination of steps. In some areas, workers will cover or stabilize the contamination to stop it from moving. In other areas, workers will dig up and haul away contaminated sediment. Still in other areas, EPA will monitor and maintain work that has already been done. Segment 2 SMAs include sediment that contains higher levels of dioxin that built up over time. The BMAs have been identified by three criteria: • Banks were formed during the industrial age as floods deposited levees. • These banks are the least stable. • Erosion could be a significant way for dioxin to get back into the river. EPA has two main cleanup goals for Segment 2: • Reduce the spread of contaminated riverbank soil and sediment to keep dioxin levels low in Segment 2 and farther downstream. • Help keep dioxin from building up in fish. The cleanup plan for Segment 2 builds on previous cleanup work. Segment 2 cleanup will take about two years. Work in the river will start in spring of 2014 and is expected to be complete in fall of 2015. Plans are being developed now for the first phase of work. Future Floodplain Cleanup EPA expects to formally propose a cleanup plan in 2014 for the Tittabawassee River floodplain. The public will be able to comment on that plan before it is final. To ensure that EPA has as much infonnation as possible, the Agency reached out to property owners and others who may be affected. EPA held more than 20 meetings between March and September 2013. Almost 100 floodplain residents, farmers and business owners came to share information and offer feedback regarding the tentative plan. Floodplain Land Use EPA's goal was to share information and to learn what is important to floodplain residents and others for the future of Estimated current land use of the floodplain. the floodplain. Floodplain residents, farmers, business owners and others learned about current floodplain conditions and the effects of different cleanup options. EPA learned that people want to keep natural and undeveloped areas the same or make them an even more natural environment. Still others said they wanted to keep the floodplain as it is now. Cleanup Options and Tradeoffs EPA is considering soil removal and disposal or soil cover, combined with land-use management, as cleanup options. Each option protects people and the environment and each has some tradeoffs or impacts to consider. Those attending the meetings took part in an exercise to identify what was important to them when considering cleanup options. Here are the results: • Future land use Limiting building or other development in the floodplain, especially in areas where people and animals may be exposed to contamination, is slightly more important to the participants than flexibility in how the land is used in the future. • Impacts to existing ecosystems and habitats. Landowners are interested in preserving, protecting or improving the ecosystem during cleanup, and in concentrating the work in the most contaminated areas. • Amount of time to implement cleanup and achieve protection. Many want to see the cleanup work done as quickly as possible and asked EPA to give priority to cleaning up residential or recreational areas first. See Future Floodplain Cleanup on Page 3 Active agriculture Undeveloped/ low use/ natural 54% Shiawassee NWR 16% Commercial 4% Residential maintained 5% Public parks 3% 2 ------- Winter 2014 OUR RIVERS TODAY Future Floodplain Cleanup from Page 2 Taking more time to accomplish the cleanup could be acceptable if the cleanup plan is in line with what the community wants. • Reliance on monitoring and maintenance. The landowners are split in their beliefs about the effectiveness of a cleanup that relies on monitoring and maintenance. They believe that the most contaminated or most highly used areas should rely the least on monitoring and maintenance. • Short-term impacts to community. The participants agreed that the community and workers must be protected during the cleanup. Some short-term impacts like noise and truck traffic might be acceptable as long as the cleanup is what the community wants. • Cost of cleanup. Overall, participants agreed that cost should not be a limiting factor in the cleanup, especially in areas where there is more contamination. Common Questions and Comments Floodplain property owners had many questions and comments during the meetings. People were interested in details of how the floodplain cleanup would be done, the time it would take to do the cleanup and how the cleanup would affect them. People had questions about flooding, especially during the spring sessions. Many also had concerns about the risk of dioxin to them and their families. Next Steps The information from the meetings gives EPA a better understanding of local concerns about the tradeoffs and impacts of the cleanup options. It also shares insight into how the community would like to see the floodplain used in the future. The questions and comments will help EPA develop a cleanup plan for the Tittabawassee River floodplain and will guide EPA's efforts to continue to share information and receive feedback. A full report on this outreach effort will be provided in the spring at: www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/dowchemical. Could the Floodplain Become Contaminated Again? Here's a question many of you have asked, especially during EPA's floodplain outreach meetings: Is it possible for Tittabawassee floodplain property to become re-contaminated after cleanup? EPA shares that concern, so the Agency will design the final cleanup plan of the floodplain properties to avoid recontamination. Cleanups have started upstream in the sediment and riverbank soil of the Tittabawassee River. Once the upstream segment of the river is cleaned, there will be less contamination moving downstream affecting properties along the river. It's common sense to start the river cleanup upstream and continue downstream because this will lessen and eventually stop the recontamination of properties downstream. Floodplain properties will be cleaned up at the same time or shortly after the nearby river segment. Because cleanup of the entire Tittabawassee River and floodplain will take several years, EPA has taken - and will continue to take - action on properties that frequently flood and are actively used. These are called "interim actions." They are intended to limit contact with contaminated floodplain soil until the final cleanup is complete. Remembering Roosevelt Abraham Roosevelt Abraham, 80, an avid fisherman and local "River Walker," died June 7,2013. He reached out to fellow anglers and helped them learn about Michigan's Eat Safe Fish Guide. He was committed to the River Walkers program (see Our Rivers Today, Fall 2012) and was a trusted source of information on eating safer fish. Mr. Abraham's life was much more. His funeral was a testament of a life well lived, one full of family, fellowship and friendship. He raised nine children and had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was devoted to his family, friends, career and community. Born in 1933 in Marengo County, Alabama, Mr. Abraham moved to Mchigan in search of a career and a better life, which he found in Saginaw. He worked 30 years for General Motors Delphi Automotive. After retiring from GM in 2001, he was not satisfied with just fishing - he went back to work. He spent the past five summers working for the First Ward Community Center traveling along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers sharing his knowledge of safe fish consumption with anglers. He was a partner with the state of Mchigan and EPA and was a friendly and reliable source of public health information. Mr. Abraham's contribution to public health will be remembered by all the people he served and those who worked with him. 3 ------- ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION ... This is EPA's newsletter about the cleanup of the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River and Bay site. We welcome feedback and ideas for future articles. If you would like to receive this semi-annual newsletter, contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Patricia Krause, Superfund Division (SI-7J), 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. You may email krause.patricia@ epa.gov, or call toll-free, 800-621-8431, Ext. 69506, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays. Learn more about the cleanup You can see cleanup-related documents at www.epa.eov/region5/cleanup/dowchemical or at these information repositories: Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, 1710 W. Saint Andrews St., Midland; Hoyt Main Library, 505 Janes Ave., Saginaw; Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library, 500 Center Ave., Bay City. EPA's Saginaw Community Information Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 804 S. Hamilton St., Suite 3. Staff may be out doing site work, so please cail 989-401-5509 to make sure someone is available. Update on the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay Cleanup Using a combination of different stabilization methods stops the erosion of contamination from the riverbank in ReachN. jaded pspAoay uo psonpojds'tj se-o ON l!UJJ0d Vd3 pied S00j pue 96e;sod PIA| SSBIQ JSJIj 06SS-KJ909 II 'oBeajiio PAia uos*)er M LL (rz-is) uojSjAjQ punjjadns S uo|60y Aou06y UO!P0JOJd |B}U0UJUOJ!AU3 S0jB}s paijun Vd3« ------- |