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NRMRL MONTHLY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2003
Stephen G. Schmelling, Division Director
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
ReSolve Superfund Site, Region I: On October 22, 2003, Scott
Huling (GWERD)and Bruce Pivetz (Dynamac) provided RPM
Joseph F. Lemay with review comments concerning a proposal to
heat and insulate Bio-Filter/Phytobed trenches for a
phytoremediation field pilot study at the ReSolve Superfund Site in
Dartmouth, MA. It was pointed out that enhancements at pilot
scale must also be considered reasonable at full scale and would
tend to make modeling results less applicable. With respect to
insulating ability, the use of additional soil cover appeared to be
more feasible than using tarps.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
PGG Industries RCRA Site, Region II: On November 12, 2003,
Ann Keeley and Randall Ross (GWERD) provided RPM Luis
Negron with comments on a work plan for additional sampling at
the PGG Industries RCRA Site in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico.
Specifically, the comments addressed questions regarding the
continued technical feasibility of monitored natural attenuation
(MNA) of VOCs at the site. A primary concern was if the two
proposed rounds of sampling would be sufficient to statistically
demonstrate the occurrence of MNA. Although VOC
concentrations appeared to be decreasing over time, there remain
questions as to whether this is attributable to source removal or
natural attenuation. Additional concerns were the lack of an
adequate number of monitoring points in light of the area's
complex hydrogeology and tidal influences.
(A. Keeley(GWERD)580-436-8890)
Camp Lejeune, Region IV: On November 6, 2003, Scott Huling
(GWERD), Bruce Pivetz and Mark Paddack (Dynamac) provided
RPM Gena D. Townsend with technical review comments and
recommendations on a draft pilot study work plan at Camp
Lejeune, NC. The plan proposed in-situ chemical oxidation using
air sparging followed by air and ozone from a horizontal well to
remediate chlorinated contaminants (primarily TCE) in ground
water. It was suggested that air sparging and in-situ ozonation not
be used at this site. As an alternative, it was recommended that in-
situ permanganate oxidation be investigated as it is further
developed, better documented, and has fewer limitations than the
proposed technologies.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Southern Solvents Superfund Site, Region IV: In a continuing
technical assistance effort at the Southern Solvents Superfund Site
in Tampa, FL, Scott Huling (GWERD) and Bruce Pivetz
(Dynamac) provided RPM Galo Jackson with the results of tests to
determine the total permanganate oxidate demand in aquifer cores taken from the site.
On November 21, 2003, a description of the methods and materials
used as well as the final results of the tests were provided in the
report. Recommendations and details of a conceptual work plan to
implement a pilot-scale in-situ permanganate oxidation study were
provided.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Forest Waste Disposal Site, Region V: On November 14, 2003,
Scott Huling (GWERD), Bruce Pivetz and Mark Paddack
(Dynamac) provided RPM Richard Boice with review comments
on a revised treatability work plan for the Forest Waste Disposal
Site in Otisville, MI. In general, the work plan adequately outlined
the steps needed to conduct a permanganate oxidation bench-scale
study. Comments and recommendations were offered in a number
of areas including differences between bench and field studies in
terms of determining the effective concentration of oxidant
required for treatment, site characterization information, oxidant
delivery design, using MNA for portions of the dissolved-phase
plume, and the possibility that KMnO4 could be discharged into a
downgradient lake.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
Delatte Metals Superfund Site, Region VI: During November
18-20, 2003, Ralph Ludwig, Rick Wilkin, Chunming Su, Ann
Keeley, Frank Beck (GWERD), and Patrick Clark (NRMRL)
visited the Delatte Metals Superfund Site in Ponchatoula, LA, to
collect ground-water samples and cores. Water samples were
collected from monitoring well transects as part of a performance
evaluation of two pilot-scale PRBs and one full-scale PRB. The
PRB systems consisting of combinations of cow manure,
limestone, and wood chips were designed to remove metals from
ground water primarily through a process of sulfate reduction and
subsequent metal sulfide precipitation. Ground-water samples
were analyzed for various field parameters and will be analyzed in
the laboratory for pertinent geochemical and microbiological
parameters. Cores collected from within the PRB systems, as well
as from upgradient and downgradient locations, will similarly be
analyzed for relevant geochemical and microbiological parameters.
The samples will be used to evaluate the short and long term
performance of the PRB systems in removing lead, cadmium,
nickel, arsenic, and iron from ground water.
(R. Ludwig(GWERD)580-436-8603)
Montrose and Del Amo Superfund Sites, Region IX: In a
continuing technical assistance effort at the Montrose and Del Amo
Superfund Sites in Torrance, CA, Steven Acree (GWERD),
Noman Ahsanuzzaman, Rob Earle, and Mingyu Wang (Shaw
Environmental, Inc.) provided RPM Jeff Dhont with review
comments concerning a work plan for the development of a
ground-water model for remedial design. The October 27, 2003,
comments suggested that the work plan is comprehensive,
however, further clarification and improvements for some
components are warranted. Additional comments addressed steady
state and transient flow conditions, validation of calibrated flow
and solute transport models, data gaps, and expected uncertainty in
model predictions.
(S. Acree(GWERD)580-436-8609)
Cooper Drum Company Site, Region IX: On November 4,
2003, Scott Huling (GWERD), Mark Paddack and Bruce Pivetz
(Dynamac) provided RPM Eric Yunker with review comments on
a pilot-scale treatability work plan for the Cooper Drum Company
Site in South Gate, CA. In general, the work plan appeared
satisfactory and does not require significant corrections or
clarifications. Areas of discussion included ground-water velocity
and time of travel, possible contamination of those portions of the
subsurface undergoing treatment from a perched aquifer as a
continuing source of downward migrating contaminants, and
aerobic biodegradation of the less chlorinated compounds.
(S. Huling(GWERD)580-436-8610)
McInnes, Daniel (ECU) and Don H. Kampbell (GWERD).
"Bubble stripping to determine hydrogen concentrations in ground
water: a practical application of Henry's Law." Journal of
Chemical Education. Vol. 80, No. 5. May 2003.
(D. Kampbell(GWERD)580-436-8564)
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2003/May/index.html
Mravik, Susan C., A. Lynn Wood (GWERD), Guy W. Sewell
(ECU), and Randall K. Sillan (LFR-Levine Fricke). "Field
Evaluation of the Solvent Extraction Residual Biotreatment
Technology." Journal of Environ. Sci. Technol. Vol. 37, No. 21.
Nov. 2003.
(S. Mravik(GWERD)580-436-8553)
http://pubs.acs.org/journals/esthag/
Mary Gonsoulin (GWERD) attended the fall ORD HRC Meeting held at NHEERL-AED in Narragansett, RI on October 28-29, 2003. The purpose of the meeting was to assess progress of current projects, explore opportunities for supporting significant EPA and ORD strategic human resource and management initiatives, and establish work priorities for the next six months, with action plans to address each of them.
GWERD staff Robert Ford and Richard Wilkin attended the Geological Society of America National Meeting in Seattle, Washington, November 2, 2003. Dr. Ford co-chaired the session "Geochemical Modeling of Arsenic Speciation, Transformation, and Reactive Transport in Groundwater", and gave a presentation entitled "Rates of Iron Oxidation and Arsenic Sorption During Ground Water-Surface Water Mixing at a Hazardous Waste Site."
GWERD staff Stephen Schmelling, Randall Ross, and Ann Keeley attended the 24th Annual Governor's Water ConferenceNovember 4, 2003 in Oklahoma City, OK. Randall Ross was a co-presenter at the Arbuckle Simpson Symposium: Study Overview and Technical Challenges. His presentation focused on aspects of the interactions between ground water and surface water of the Arbuckle Simpson aquifer.
GWERD staff Dominic DiGiulio, Mary Gonsoulin and David Jewett attended the NRMRL Leadership Development Program (LDP) fall meeting in Washington, D.C., November 5-7, 2003. The meeting included group discussions on personal leadership vision, management case studies, and rotational assignment experiences. ORD personnel from OSP and ORMA also provided leadership presentations. Additionally, participants visited the Brookings Institute to learn more about the Institute's Leadership Development Forum and Congressional Fellows Program.
David Jewett (GWERD) was invited to participate in the USDA Forest Service's Ecosystem Management program review on November 12, 2003, at the Rocky Mountain Research Station's (RMRS) headquarters in Ft. Collins, CO. The purpose of the program review was to give RMRS senior management an opportunity to evaluate the goals, performance, and products of ecosystem research units located at the station's satellite laboratories. Dr. Jewett has been participating in the Great Basin Ecosystem Management (GBEM) project to maintain and restore structure and function of riparian ecosystems in central Nevada, led by researchers at the RMRS Reno Laboratory. Dr. Jewett provided a presentation on the EPA's Ecosystem Restoration Program and discussed how the goals of the EPA's EcoRes and USDA Forest Service's Ecosystem Management programs are being met by the multi-agency, multi-disciplinary GBEM project.
Randall Ross (GWERD) attended the Ground Water Foundation Conference in Las Vegas, NV, November 14, 2003. Dr. Ross made a presentation, co-authored by Stephen Schmelling (GWERD), entitled "Implications of New Arsenic Standards on Local Water Resources in Oklahoma." The talk addressed the impact of pending arsenic standards on existing water supplies for several Oklahoma communities and their efforts to provide an adequate supply of water to a growing population.
GWERD staff Mary McNeil and Stephen Kovash attended the Acquisition Training Conference in Las Vegas, NV, November 18-20, 2003.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL/ACTIVITIESRobert Puls traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland at the end of October to plan for the First International Symposium on Permeable Reactive Barriers to be held there next spring. Dr. Puls is part of the organizing committee and a keynote speaker for the symposium. The organizing committee (members from Northern Ireland, Wales, England, and the United States, including Dr. Puls) met for two days to plan and organize the symposium. It will be a two and one-half day conference with over sixty oral and poster presentations with anticipated attendance of 150-200 environmental scientists from around the world. Abstracts were selected for different sessions and themes were decided upon for the various sessions. Dr. Puls spent one day in discussions with Queens University scientists regarding research being conducted by both organizations and possible research collaborations. These discussions will be followed up with email and teleconference discussions over the next few months to explore the potential for mutually beneficial collaborative research.
ONGOING RESEARCHGWERD staff David Jewett and Kyle Jones conducted field
work near Austin, NV, November 17-21, 2003 as part of the Great
Basin Ecosystem Management (GBEM) project. Dr. Jewett is
responsible for the hydrologic component of the GBEM research
project which focuses on maintaining and restoring riparian
ecosystems in the central Great Basin. Dr. Jewett and Kyle Jones
collected stream discharge and ground-water level data at
numerous locations at the Big Creek and Kingston Canyon sites.
These data are being used to better understand the ground and
surface water regimes, and their interactions, within alpine riparian
corridors.
(D. Jewett(GWERD)580-436-8560)
Ken Jewell (GWERD) gave a second invited presentation to East Central University's Environmental Science Department on November 7, 2003. He spoke of sampling protocols using various types of field analyses, and showed the students a variety of equipment that EPA utilizes regularly. During a tour of the lab on November 18, 2003, the students were exposed to laboratory research by seeing that equipment in use.