Air and Water Pollution - Exam 3

Clean Water Act

dredged and filled material are regulated

• by Army Corps of Engineers permit

wetlands

• must avoid “unnecessary alteration or destruction”

Summary of CWA Priorities

toxic pollutants

nonpoint sources

accidental spills

watershed improvement

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

authorizes EPA to track 80,000+ chems

• produced or imported

• EPA can require testing/can ban manufacture or import

*tracking system

excludes

• food, drugs, cosmetics, pesticides

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)

mandate that a publicly accessible toxic chemical database be developed and maintained by TRI

Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)

mandate that a publicly accessible toxic chemical database be developed and maintained by TRI

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

mandated by congress

chemical database

companies must report how much each chemical is

• recycled

• combusted for energy recovery

• treated for destruction

• disposed of/released on/off site

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

sets PELs

• permissible exposure limits

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)

under OSHA

Site Characterization

identify

• source

• type

• concentration

• extent of contamination\

identifies pathways and effects

use history, field sampling, analysis

*phase I

Three Stages of Site Characterization (Phase I)

• history

  • helps develop site plan

  • prospective buyers protection

Three Stages of Site Characterization (Phase II)

site investigation

lab analysis

evaluate data

Three Stages of Site Characterization (Phase III)

determine extent of contamination

identify cleanup alternatives

implement cleanup activities

EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant

Chattanooga - Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency

200k

• inventory

• perform phase I/II

• facilitate community involvement

• develop cleanup/redevelopment plans

Stage I

detective work

• maps, interviews, records, GIS, etc

protects buyer

sources of records

• fire department, EPA, state records, etc

• surrounding property

freedom of information (FOI)

can provide an “innocent purchaser defense”

Phase II

develop a comprehensive sampling plan

health and safety plan

• site specific

• HAZWOPER training

• decontamination

• emergency response

field team

• site specific

• EPA mandated

community relations plan

Sampling Plan

details all plans necessary for the job

• history, objectives, regulations, sampling protocols, health/safety pla, etc

• legally required for EPA regulated actions such as

  • EIS

  • CERCLA - remedial actions

  • RCRA - corrective actions

Sampling Questions to Address

types of samples

sampling locations

how many samples

how to collect

Sampling Protocol

collecting, packaging, labeling, preserving, transporting, stroing, documenting

RCRA - remedial activity at current site

CERCLA - remedial activity at uncontrolled site

Field Sampling Plan

site history

objectives - based on history (site specific)

sampling location and frequency

naming system

equipment

handling and analysis

QA/QC Description

sampling procedure

sample chain of custody

• sample id, receipts, log books

calibration procedures

analytical procedures

data review

laboratory QC procedures

*QA = approved method

*QC = verify

Types of Samples

biased

• is there any contamination?

unbiased sampling

• how wide spread is contamination?

grab

• single samples

• measure temporal/spatial variability

composite

• mixed samples

• can’t detect very low concentrations/specific location

Types of Samples (cont’d)

media

• air, water, biota, soil

waste sample

• drum, effluent, waste piles

homogenous

• toxicants uniform

• simple random sampling

heterogeneous

• toxicants stratified

Obtaining Representative Samples

grid size determined by needs

• precision

• price

minimum numbers needed to statistically characterize

• method SW-846

  • EPA doc

• need preliminary samples

  • mean, variance, regulatory threshold

• random points then chosen

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

used to ensure accuracy, precision, completeness

QC accuracy/precision check

• collocated/split samples

  • precision

• blanks

  • rinsate

  • field

  • trip

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) (cont’d)

matrix spikes

• air, water, soil can interfere with sample analysis

• add a known amount of pure contaminant to matrix

• added in field or lab

background samples

• collected outside of contaminated zone

• anthropogenic or natural

Equipment and Sample Preparation

EPA SW-846

• gear list

• do practice run through

• batteries?

• proper labels?

• safety equipment?

• drinking water/food/shelter

Tennessee Watersheds

approach to water quality monitoring

watersheds divided into 5 groups

• 5 year cycle

Water Quality Monitoring 5 Year Plan

1. planning/data review

2. monitoring

3. assessment

4. tmdl development

5. permitting

Reports

303d

• published every even year

• list of all reservoirs, rivers and streams out of attainment/not meeting standards

• “naughty list”

305b

• report on general water quality of surface waters

• annual

• info about water quality, assessment process, use support, causes/sources pollution, water bodies posted due to human health risks

7 Uses (Waterbody Segment)

domestic water supply

industrial water supply

fish and aquatic life

irrigation

navigation

recreation

livestock watering

Recreation Sampling

pathogen sampling

• e. coli to indicate fecal pollution

fish tissue sampling

• fish flesh

Fish and Aquatic Life Sampling

habitat assessment

macroinvertebrate sampling

• biorecon

• semi quantitative single habitat (SQSH)

Exception Tennessee Waters (ETW)

waters within state/national parks, wildlife refugees, forests, wilderness areas/natural areas

state scenic rivers or federal wild and scenic rivers

federally designated critical habitat; federally listed threatened or endangered aquatic/semi aquatic species

waters within areas designated as lands unsuitable for mining

waters with naturally reproducing trout

waters with exceptional biological diversity

other waters with outstanding ecological/recreational value

Biology Sampling

used to assess fish and aquatic life

Biorecon

quick, broad scale

used when no previous data/assumed unchanging conditions present

4 habitats sampled

• riffle, run rock, pool rock, woody debris, leaf packs, sediment, undercut banks, tree roots, macrophytes

• 0.5 m of each habitat sampled

• unique taxa collected and preserved in ETOH

• identify to genus/family at lab

Semi Quantitative Single Habitat (SQSH)

more precise/thorough

used to de list streams

used for permitting process

Biorecon Scoring

3 metrics

• 1, 3, 5

measures

• taxa richness

• ept richness

• intolerant taxa (based on NCBI score)

<5 = impaired

7-9 = ambiguous (SQSH required)

>11 = non-impaired

Tennessee Waters

reference condition sbased on level 4 ecoregions

Main Metrics

taxa richness

ept richness

%ept - cheum

History of Foundries

60+ found historically

locate in 8 neighborhoods

Foundry Sand

12 different metals associated

• lead, arsenic, etc

mixed in soil

potential exposure pathways

• ingestion

• inhalation

• dermal contact

Lead Basics

naturally found in earths crust

naturally occurring in soil

especially harmful to children

BLL

• blood lead level

visually:

• resembles coffee grounds

Potential Health Effects of Lead

in children

• decreased mental development

  • learning, intelligence, behavior

• physical growth decrease

child who swallows lead:

• amenia, severe stomachache, muscle weakness, brain damage

in adults

• high blood pressure

• brain, kidney and reproductive health issues

What Prompted Investigations?

2011

• man went to ER; elevated blood lead levels

potential sources investigated

• lead paint, dust, air, drinking water, soil

elevated lead levels in soil at patients residence

• prompted additional investigations at nearby residences

Objectives of Site Investigation

establish urban lead background levels

identify sampling locations

collect data to support decisions

• identify need for time critical removal

• determine eligibility for NPL via HRS

• rule “in or out” each area for further response

utilize SI data for emergency response, risk assessment, future remedial investigations

use best practices in sample collection, preparation, analysis

Study Area Selection

tdec data

epa data from previous studies

historical figures; foundries

DoH blood lead info

demographic/census data

Sampling Method (SSCL)

incremental sampling method (ISM)

• derives unbiased estimate of mean concentration of given area

Sampling Analysis (SSCL)

x-ray fluorescence (XRF)

• can be used to screen large numbers of soil/sediment sample to minimize number of samples sent to lab

• calibrated with earlier lab results

xrf device

• handheld scanner

Site Specific Lead Concentrations

national level = 400ppm (8 ug)

*360 based on this

<360 ppm

• no action needed

>360 but <1200ppm

• action needed

>1200 ppm

• action needed (priority)

• time critical

Remediation Process

dig and haul

• soil excavated up to depth of two feet (deepest)

• most properties dug to 18 inches

• xrf device used for confirmation screening of soil

• lead bearing soil transported and disposed at EPA approved landfill

High Child Risk Locations

priority

• schools, playgrounds, etc

What is a Wetland?

“… areas inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions”

Wetland Criteria

wetland hydrology

prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation

hydric soils

*wetland must exhibit all three attributes under normal conditions

Who Regulated Wetlands

Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act 1899

• oldest federal environmental law in US

• makes it a misdemeanor charge to refuse matter of any kind into navigable waters/tributaries of US without a permit

• misdemeanor to excavate, fill, or alter course, condition, capacity of any port, harbor, channel/other areas within reach without permit

Who Regulates Wetlands (cont’d)

Clean Water Act (CWA)

• primary federal law in the US governing water pollution

• objective is to restore/maintain chemical, physical, biological integrity of nations waters by preventing point/nonpoint pollution sources

• all waters with “significant nexus” to “navigable waters” covered

Wetland Mitigation Banks

former prior converted wetland

restored to a functioning wetland

permitted through regulatory agencies

establishes credits that can be sold

replace loss of natural resources for other wetland impacts