# Presentation: 911622

## Some Considerations for a Potential New Mercury Deposition Network Site at the Grand Bay NERR

**Some Considerations for a Potential New Mercury Deposition Network Site at the Grand Bay NERR**

**Possible Sites**
**Budgets for Different Options (approximate...)**
**Infrastructure, Equipment and Installation Needs / Options**

## 1. POSSIBLE

**SITES**

## MDN # 4 – in the vicinity of the Grand Bay NERR offices/labs

**MDN # 4 – in the vicinity of the Grand Bay NERR offices/labs**

**MDN sites #1, #2, and #3, and speciated atmospheric mercury measurement tower (see close up map on next page)**

## MDN # 2

**MDN # 2**

**MDN # 1**

**MDN # 3**

**Speciated **
**atmospheric **
**mercury **
**measurement **
**tower and trailer**

- Here are three possible sites near the tower/trailer. The location of sites #2 and #3 are approx. and may be wrong... Jake, Mark W., or Dave – can you confirm or correct the location of sites #2 and #3? Thanks!

## MDN Site #1: Somewhere near the edge of the gravel area, possibly overlapping the gravel but primarily in the vegetation area

**Overhead lines**

**Where is the property line?**

-  question: where is property line – this will determine how far away from the gravel we can be
-  question: how much traffic is there on the gravel, and on the nearby road, e.g., to the public boat ramp?
-  pro – more scientific value since closest to the tower (if speciated measurement tower stays where it is)
-  pro – convenience, easy power, relatively secure (gravel area is behind gate)
-  con – will there be too much traffic?
-  con – will have to meet siting criteria re: overhead lines, or may have to consider moving these lines

## MDN Site #2: On concrete pad about 1000 feet west of tower/trailer

- pro – concrete pad already in place
- pro – easier to satisfy siting criteria (might have to cut clear a little vegetation)
- con – distance from tower, less scientific value, how much less is debatable...
- con – access not quite as easy (road overgrown, etc)
- con – power an issue (may have to implement solar option)

- This view and views at right were taken standing on top of the concrete pad... Not sure of the directions...

## MDN Site #3: 700 feet northeast of tower, in cleared land owned by Fish and Wildlife Service

- pro – relatively large cleared area, relatively easy access (there is a road)
- pro – easier to satisfy siting criteria (might have to cut clear a little vegetation)
- con – distance from tower, less scientific value, how much less is debatable...
- con – power an issue (may have to implement solar option)
- con – potential impact of homes relatively nearby

## Shooting Range

- I-10

- 90

- Power Lines

- MDN Site #4 would be somewhere in this area, in the vicinity of the Grand Bay NERR offices and labs (existing trailers; new building complex almost completed).
- Due to risk of losing the site due to extreme weather at its existing location, we are considering moving the tower/trailer speciated atmospheric mercury measurement site somewhere near the NERR buildings

## 2. BUDGETS for DIFFERENT OPTIONS

## Slide 10

|  | Basic | Option A | Option B | Option C |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | basic MDN option – weekly mercury wet deposition | Marginal costs of adding monthly Methyl-Mercury wet deposition | Marginal costs of adding National Trends Network (NTN) major ion wet deposition (weekly) | Marginal costs of adding event-based mercury wet deposition |
| One-time purchase of precipitation collector | $4,700 | Not needed, uses MDN sample | $3,500 |  |
| One-time purchase of rain gauge | $5,640 |  | Not needed, uses same rain gauge as MDN |  |
| One-time site set-up costs | platform (??) 
electricity (??)
MDN training ($500) 
data acquisition PDA ($300)
~ $5,000 (?) |  | ~$1,000? (platform has to be bigger as the collectors and rain gauge all have to 5 meters apart) |  |
| Subtotal Approximate Initial Costs | ~ $15,500 | $0 | ~ $4,500 | $0 |
| Annual cost for sample analysis | $11,072 | $1,950 
($6240 for weekly methyl-mercury) | $5,836 | $17,211 |
| Annual shipping costs
 | ~$1,000 |  | ~$525 | ~2,000 |
| Annual Operator Costs
 | ~$3,500
(approx 2 hrs/week) |  | $2,500
(an additional 1-2 hrs per week) | $7,000
(approx 4 extra hours/wk) |
| Approximate Annual Operating Costs | ~ $15,500 | ~ $2,000 | ~ $9,000 | ~ $26,000 |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| Approximate Total First Year Costs | ~ $31,000 | ~$2,000 | ~$13,500 | ~$26,000 |

## 3. INFRASTRUCTURE,

** ****EQUIPMENT **
**and **
**INSTALLTION**
**NEEDS / OPTIONS**

## Some basic considerations - 1

- We need to obtain a precipitation collector for the mercury wet deposition sample (two models available)
- We need to obtain a precipitation gauge (two models available)
- If we want to measure major ions, too, we’ll have to add another precipitation collector (one model available).

- N‐CON Systems Co., Inc.
- Model 00‐125‐4

- Loda Aerochemetrics
- Model 2001

- ETI Instrument Systems, Inc.
- Model: NOAH IV

- Hach Environmental, Inc.
- Model: OTT NADP Pluvio

- LODA Electronics Co.,
- NADP Wet Deposition Collector

## Some basic considerations - 2

- Each piece of equipment needs to be 5 meters apart from each other.
- We’ll probably want and need to elevate the equipment on a platform to make it less vulnerable to flooding... How high we make it will determine how less vulnerable we are...
- One of the MDN collectors (N-Con) and both of the rain gauges can be mounted on a pole (see previous page). We may want to do this for extra stability, but even in this case, would still need a platform for the operator to access the equipment.

## Solar Power Option

- For our installation, a solar power option is likely feasible. This has been done in similar sites. The extra cost would be on the order of $1,000, and existing system designs and off-the-shelf equipment are available. We could also use batteries that are recharged each week.

## How high? 

- How high?
- 5 feet? 8 feet?

- One of the instruments

- We could have a platform for each instrument or have all the instruments on one platform
- (but in either case, each instrument has to be 5 meters from the other instruments...)

**Optional anchored pole to add extra stability (?)**

## Slide 16