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NRMRL MONTHLY REPORT FOR JANUARY 2006
Stephen G. Schmelling, Division Director
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Maryland Sand, Gravel, & Stone Site, Region 3: On December
9, John Wilson (GWERD) provided RPM Debra Rossi with a
review of a natural attenuation report for the Maryland Sand,
Gravel, & Stone Site in Elkton, MD. Although no significant
errors were found in the report, a number of comments were
offered including the level of oxygen when ground water should be
considered reduced, chloride concentrations resulting from
reductive dechlorination, calibration of BIOCHLOR, and estimated
degradation rates. In general, the review agreed that naturally
occurring processes appear to be able to contain the plume within
the study area.
(J. Wilson(GWERD)580-436-8534)
Savannah River Site, L-Area Southern Groundwater (LASG)
Operable Unit, Region 4: On January 11, Robert Ford and
Steven Acree (GWERD) and Daniel Pope (Dynamac) provided
RPM Turpin Ballard with review comments on documents
concerned with monitored natural attenuation (MNA) at the
Savannah River Site, L-Area Southern Groundwater (LASG)
Operable Unit in Aiken, SC. The review focused on the technical
adequacy of the reported evaluations of a MNA remedy in light of
existing guidance. In general, the review indicates that certain site
conditions do not appear to be optimal for implementation of
MNA. The conditions, however, would not necessarily preclude
the implementation of MNA, but do indicate the need for a
comprehensive performance monitoring program to ensure that
remedial action objectives are met within the desired time frames.
(R. Ford(GWERD)580-436-8872)
Chem Dyne Superfund Site, Region 5: On January 17, Randall
Ross (GWERD), Milovan Beljin (Dynamac), and Mingyu Wang,
Noman Ahsanuzzaman, and Rob Earle (Shaw Env.) provided RPM
Lolita Hill with review comments on a memorandum titled "Chem-
Dyne Site - Proposal for the Experimental Shutdown of
Intermediate Extraction Well IE-01" prepared for the Chem Dyne
Superfund Site in Hamilton, OH. Since there are currently two
conflicting hypotheses related to the potential contaminant
distribution associated with the intermediate aquifer extraction
Well IE-01, it was recommended that the installation of additional
monitoring points be considered. Given the advancements in
monitoring well installation technologies since the site was
identified and characterized more than 20 years ago, it may be
possible to install appropriate monitoring wells using direct-push
technologies without incurring excessive costs.
(R. Ross(GWERD)580-436-8611)
AT&SF Albuquerque Superfund Site, Region 6: On January
12, David Burden (GWERD) and Rob Earle, Mingyu Wang, and
Noman Ahsanuzzaman (Shaw Env.) provided RPM Katrina
Coltrain with a review of a treatability study evaluation report for
the AT&SF Albuquerque Superfund Site in Albuquerque, NM.
The review focused on the technical adequacy of development of a
ground-water flow model and soundness of the conclusions. The
review offered a number of detailed comments concerning topics
such as ignoring the shallow aquifer, an assumption of
homogeneity of hydraulic conductivity, boundary conditions,
calibration errors, model validation, and recharge.
(D. Burden(GWERD)580-436-8606)
Ogden Railyard Site, Region 8: On December 19, Steven Acree
(GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided RPM Erna
Waterman with comments concerning the proposed locations of
monitoring wells at the Ogden Railyard Site in Ogden, UT. In
general, relatively few wells were designated to monitor some
aspects of the performance of monitored natural attenuation which
may increase the future assessment of performance and necessitate
additional well installations. Also discussed was the frequency of
sampling to adequately monitor and define the plume. The
location of additional wells was also suggested.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Del Amo Superfund Sites, Region 9: In a continuing technical
assistance effort at the Montrose and Del Amo Superfund Sites in
Torrance, CA, Steven Acree (GWERD) and Noman
Ahsanuzzaman, Mingyu Wang, and Rob Earle (Shaw Env.)
provided RPM Jeff Dhont with review comments concerning an
interim modeling memorandum. The January 4 comments noted
that a major issue is a negative simulated concentration of benzene
near the sources. As mentioned in the memo, the negative
concentration resulted from a numerical phenomenon known as
oscillation, which means the numerical solution is unstable and
cannot converge. Several options were discussed to resolve the
problem, and it was suggested that selected calibration methods
will likely produce acceptable results.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Solid Waste Management Unit D Installation Restoration
Program Site 5 Air Force Plant 44, Region 9: On December 14,
Chunming Su (GWERD) provided RPM Matt Jefferson with
comments on a document titled "Draft Work Plan for in-situ
Remediation Pilot Testing at Solid Waste Management unit D
Installation Restoration Program Site 5 Air Force Plant 44, Tucson,
Arizona." It is proposed to use in-situ chemical reduction of
hexavalent chromium (CR(VI) to trivalent chromium (Cr(III) and
geochemical fixation of Cr(III) using calcium polysulfide (CaSx),
and enhanced in-situ bioremediation of TCE and DCE using CaSx
alone or in combination with an organic substrate. Zerovalent iron
and a chemical oxidant are also proposed to treat the residual
chlorinated solvents. It was noted that the work plan is generally
adequate with clear objectives and proven technologies for treating
Cr(VI); however, the use of CaSx alone is not expected to work for
chlorinated solvents based on literature and the technology
evaluation tests.
(C. Su(GWERD)580-436-8638)
BSB Diversified RCRA Facility, Region 10: On January 13,
Ralph Ludwig (GWERD) provided Howard Orlean (Region 10)
and Hideo Fujita (WA State Dept. of Ecology) with review
comments on the "Focused Remedial Investigation
Summary/Feasibility Study" for the BSB Diversified RCRA
Facility in Kent, WA. It was suggested that the report was very
well prepared and technology sound. It was also agreed that the
proposed slurry wall should be effective in containing
contaminants at one part of the site, and that a zero-valent iron
PRB is well suited to treat contaminants exiting another part of the
site. Concerns were expressed with respect to the continuity and
integrity of the low-permeability layer into which the slurry wall
would be keyed.
(R. Ludwig(GWERD)580-436-8603)
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
Faulkner, B.R., V.A. Murray (Shaw Environmental), and S.R.
Hobson (Oklahoma State University). 2005. Use of electrical
resistivity probe for determination of hyporheic flow, in
Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association 2005
Annual Water Resources Conference, edited by C. Steward,
American Water Resources Association, Middleburg, VA, CD--OM, TPS--5--3.
NRMRL-ADA-05223
(B. Faulkner(GWERD)580-436-8530)
Lin, Zhixun and Greg Jungclaus (Shaw Env.) and Scott Huling
(GWERD). "Determination of Chlorophenols, Nitrophenols and
Methylphenols in Ground-Water Samples Using High Performance
Liquid Chromatography." 2005 Hydrologic Science and
Technology Journal, (20)1-4, 101-110.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
On January 10, Paul Mayer (GWERD), with an invitation from Mike Foreman, Chair of the Virginia Stream Alliance, spoke to the alliance in Charlottesville, VA, about the research he and Elise Striz (GWERD) are conducting on stream restoration at Minebank Run, Baltimore, MD. The VA Stream Alliance was formed by Executive Order of the Governor of Virginia in order to facilitate and coordinate efforts to restore streams throughout Virginia. The 33+ member group consists of representatives from State and Federal natural resource agencies, engineering/consulting firms, and NGOs including Chesapeake Bay Program, The Nature Conservancy, and Canaan Valley Institute.
Stephen Schmelling and Dominic DiGiulio (GWERD) attended the NRMRL Strategic Plan Meeting in Cincinnati January 11-12.
Cynthia Paul (GWERD) gave an oral presentation titled "Groundwater Monitoring and Sampling: Multilevel Versus Traditional Methods - What's What?" at the 2006 North American Environmental Field Conference and Exposition January 12 in Tampa, FL.
On January 18, Roger Cosby (GWERD) attended the EPA 35th Anniversary Awards Ceremony as a charter member of the Agency. Carolyn Taylor is the second charter member from GWERD. During this trip he also met with OARM and Management Services Division staff to discuss two building and facilities related projects.
Stephen Kovash (GWERD) traveled to RTP on January 31 to kick off his role as the APPCD National Extramural Management Specialist.
SPECIAL EMPHASIS PROGRAM NEWS
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, the GWERD Special Emphasis Program department showed the video "I Have a Dream" on January 12. The massive march on Washington was made to dramatize President John F. Kennedy's proposed civil rights bill that would put teeth into the drive to secure equal protection of the laws for African Americans. On August 28, 1968, 300,000 people, a fifth of them white, gathered near the Lincoln Memorial to rally for "jobs and freedom." Dr. King was ending his speech when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson told him to tell the audience about his dream. The speech was drawn upon from some of his past talks. He said the struggle should be conducted with grace and dignity, with no physical fight. "I Have a Dream" became the landmark statement of the civil rights movement, that people of all races and backgrounds share in an American society marked by freedom and democracy.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Tour Coordinator Linda Jackson and Ken Jewell (GWERD)hosted Dr. Doug Weirick of East Central University and students from his "Introduction to Environmental Science" classes on January 26. The tours began with an introductory video, followed by a demonstration by Ken Jewell of the equipment used to collect soil and water samples. In the laboratories the scientists explained some of the research and how it is conducted. Dr. Weirick uses these tours to encourage his students to apply for work-study hours at GWERD through the ERAP and McNair Programs at ECU.