ResponsestoEPARegionIIICommentsontheFinalEffluentPondSludgeSamplingandAnalysisPlanBWXTechnologies,Inc.Mt.AthosSite,Lynchburg,VirginiaNovember3,2004CommentsfromDavidM.Friedman,DelistingCoordinator,August19,2004Comment1:DataValidation-BasedonourcommentletterdatedFebruary12,2004,BWXTrevisedtheS/APlantoindicatethattheanalyticaldatawillbevalidatedinaccordancewithEPARegionIII,InnovativeApproachestoDataValidation(June1995).Thisdocumentcontainsseveralvalidationlevelswhichweredesignedtobeappropriateforvariousdatauses.Therefore,theplanshouldspecifythevalidationlevelfororganicsandinorganicsappropriateforthisproject.WerequestthatdataofthistypebevalidatedataminimumlevelofM-2fororganicsandIM-1forinorganics.Response1:ThefollowingsentencewillbeaddedtotheendofthefirstparagraphinSectionVIItoreferencetherequestedvalidationlevels:“OrganiccompoundswillbevalidatedatlevelM-2andinorganiccompoundsatlevelTM-i.“Comment2:Dioxin/Furananalysis-Table4,AnalyticalMethods,SampleContainers,andPreservationRequirements,listsSW-846Method8280Aastheanalyticalmethodtobeusedfortheanalysisofdioxinsandfurans.WerequestthatthemoresensitiveSW-846Method8290orEPAOfficeofWaterMethod1613beused,sincethedatafromthisanalysiswillbeusedinariskassessment.Response2:TheanalyticalmethodlistedfordioxinsandthransonbothTable4andTable10willbechangedtothemoresensitiveSW-846Method8290asrequested.Comment3:TCLPanalysis-OnpageloftheS/APlan,inthenexttolastparagraph,theplanstates,“NotethatorganicsthatarenotdetectedinthetotalanalysesdonotneedtobeanalyzedintheTCLPandmultiplepHextracts.”Werequestthattheorganicconstituentslistedunder40CFR§261.24beanalyzedintheTCLPleachate,eveniftheyarenotdetectedabovethereportinglimitinthetotalanalysis.IntheEPADelistingProgramGuidanceManualforthePetitioner,March23,2000,Exhibit2(AnalysesforConstituentsofConcernandHazardousWasteKN4\BWXTFEP\SAP\Exh7\1I-04\PJC-EPAFEPSAPII-4-04.doc\I1/8/2004(4:30:49PM)1Characteristics),thenexttolastbulletinthistableincludestotalconstituentandTCLPanalysesfortheorganicconstituentslistedunder40CFR§261.24.ItisthelastbulletinthisexhibitwhichaddressesthetotalconstituentandTCLPforanyotherorganicconstituentsofconcernthatcouldpotentiallybepresentinthewaste[emphasisadded]wheretheguidancestatesthat,“YoudonotneedtoconductTCLPanalysesiftheconstituentisnotdetectedinthetotalconstituentanalyses...”Response3:ThetextofthereferencedparagraphwillbemodifiedtoincludeanalysisofTCLPleachatefororganiccompoundslistedunder40CFR§261.24asrequested.Changestotheparagraphinquestionareshownbelowinboldfont:“TheTCLPextractionsandthemultiplepHextractionswillbeanalyzedforallconstituents,excepttotalsulfide,totaloilandgrease,andtheResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)characteristicsofignitabilityandcorrosivity.Notethattheextractswillnotbeanalyzedforpesticidesandherbicides,whichareexcludedbasedonwasteprocessknowledge.Alsonotethatorganicsthatarenotdetectedinthetotalanalyses,exceptthoselistedunder40CFR§261.24,donotneedtobeanalyzedintheTCLPandmultiplepHextracts.InPhase1,however,organicslistedunder40§CFR261.24(exceptpesticidesandherbicides)willbeanalyzedintheTCLPandmultiplep11extractions,eveniftheyarenotdetectedinthetotalanalyses.”OtherChangestotheTextandTablesDuringtheprocessofrevisingtheSamplingandAnalysisPlan(SAP)andpreparingfortheupcomingsamplingevent,additionalchangesweremadetotheplantoclarifyambiguitiesorcorrectminorinconsistenciesinthedraftversionoftheplan.Thesechangesarenotedbelow:TheFEPsludgeisatwo-phasematerial(i.e.,isamixtureofsolidsandwater)andtheSAPdidnotspecifywhetherthesampleswouldbetreatedasasolidorliquidmatrixforsamplepreparationandanalysis.WhilethisquestionisnotatissuefortheTCLPormultiplepHextractiontests,thereisambiguityconcerningthepreparationofsamplesforanalysisoftotalchemicalconcentration.Inordertoclarifythispoint,thetextonpage1andfootnotesonTables1and4havebeenmodifiedtoindicatethatthesamplesfortotalconcentrationanalysiswillbepreparedandanalyzedasasolidmatrix(i.e.,asforasoil).Thisselectionwasmadeasapracticalmatter,asthelargesamplevolumesnecessarytoprepareandanalyzethesamplesasaliquidmatrixwouldmakeitimpracticaltocompletethePhaseIfieldeventusingtheproposedsamplingtechnique,giventhewiderangeofKN4\BWXT\FEP\SAP\Exh7\1I-04\RTC-EPAFEPSAPI1-4-O4doc\11/8/2004(4:30:49PM)2chemicalconstituentsselectedforanalysis.Accordingly,thedetectionlimitslistedinthe“Solid”columnofTables5,7,8,9and10willapplytotheanalysesfortotalchemicalconcentration.2.TheSAPidentifiedtwoalternateextractionsolutionsforthemultiplepHextractiontests.InordertoremoveanyambiguityabouttheexactpHofthesecondextractfluid,thealkalinesolutionofsodiumhydroxidebetweenpH10and12hasbeenreplacedwithasodiumbicarbonateandsodiumcarbonatesolutionwithapHof10.Thesodiumbicarbonate/carbonatesolutionisidentifiedincurrentEPAdelistingguidanceasanacceptableextractfluidforthisprocedure.Thischangeisnotedonpage1ofthetextandinthefootnotestoTables1and4.3.Althoughorganicsthatarenotdetectedinthetotalanalyses(exceptthoselistedunder40CFR§261.24)donotneedtobeanalyzedintheTCLPandmultiplepHextracts,thenotationsontheanalyticaltablesdidnotextendthisexemptionbeyondVOCsandSVOCstoPCBs,dioxins,furans,andformaldehydeaswasclearlyintendedinthetext.Therefore,theappropriatenotationshavebeenaddedtoTables1and4toremedythisinconsistency.4.Page2ofthetextstatedthat“Eachpondwillbedividedintofourapproximatelyequalsurfaceareas,andthecenterofeachareawillbesampled.”Basedonearlierin-situmeasurementsoftheFEPsludgedepthsin1993,itisclearthatthereareareaswithinbothpondswherethesludgelayerissothinthatsamplingthoseareaswouldnotbeproductive.Therefore,thetextinthissectionhasbeenmodifiedtostatethat(changesinboldfont)“Eachpondwillbedividedintofourapproximatelyequalsurfaceareas,andtheapproximatecenterofeachareawillbesampled.Samplelocationssomewhatoffthecenterofasubsectionmaybeselectedtoimprovetheefficiencyofsamplecollectionbyavoidingareaswherethesludgeislessthan2feetdeep.”5.TheunitsfordetectionlimitsandreportinglimitsformetalsonTable5wereincorrectlylistedas1g/LforwaterorTCLPextractsandig!kgforsolids.Theunitsarecorrectlylistedontherevisedtableasmg/LforwaterorTCLPextractsandmg/kgforsolids.6.TheholdingtimefortotalanalysisofAppendixIXdioxinsandfuransonTable4wascorrectedfrom14/40daysto28/40days(numberofdaysuntilTCLPextraction/numberofdaysfromTCLPextractionuntildeterminativeanalysis).7.Thepreviousdraftoftheplanstatedthatallcorescollectedfromsamplelocationswouldbefrozen.Itisanticipatedthatmultiplecoreswillbecollectedfromeachsamplelocation,particularlyinPhase1,toprovideadequatesamplematerialtoperformalltheanalyseslistedonTable1oftheplan.Therefore,itisnecessarytofreezeonlyonecorefromeachPhase1samplelocation,thecorefromwhichtheVOCsampleiscollected.TheremainingunfrozencoresfromeachsamplelocationKN4\BWXT\FEP\SAP\Exh7\11-O4RTC-EPAFEPSAPII-4-04.doc\I1/8/2004(4:30:49PM)3willbecompositedandhomogenizedpriortoplacementinsamplecontainers.SeerevisedtextinSectionsII.A,II.B.l,andIII.G8.AttherecommendationoftheBWXTlaboratory,therequirementfortemperatureblankswasremovedfromtheplan(SectionV).Typically,samplescollectedonsitearedeliveredtothelaboratorythesamedayastheyarecollected,beforethesampleshavehadenoughtimetobecooleddownto4degreescentigrade.Therefore,thetemperatureofthesamplecoolersupontheirreceiptatthelaboratoryisnotausefulindicationofwhetherthesampleshavebeenproperlypreserved.Incaseswhensamplesareheldovernightpriortosubmittaltothelaboratory,theyarekeptinalargerefrigeratoronsite,socoolingofsamplesisnotaconcernSeetextrevisionsinSectionsIII.GandV.9.ThefrequencyofthefieldblankcollectionwasrewordedinSectionV.Ctostatethat“Onefieldblankwillbecollectedpersourceofwaterusedforequipmentcleaningoronepersamplingevent,whicheverisgreater.Thefieldblank(s)willbeanalyzedfortotalconcentrationsofallthechemicalparameters.10.Duetothelargenumberofsamplecontainers(greaterthan100forPhase1),therequirementforchain-of-custodysealsonindividualsamplecontainerswasremovedfromtheplan.SeerevisedtextinSectionIII.G.ExperienceinperfonriingthePhase1samplinghasledtothefollowingchangestomakethePhase2samplingimplementationmorepractical:11.IfVOCsamplingisneededinPhase2,thepreviousversionoftheplanwouldhavehadVOCsamplesbeingcollectedfrom52locationsatthetwoponds,with52coresbeingfrozen,whichwouldhavebeenimpractical.Therefore,intheeventthatVOCanalysesareneededinPhase2,onlyoneVOCsamplewillbecollectedfromeach10,000-square-footsection.TheVOCsamplewillbecollectedfromthelocationwiththethickestsludge.Basedonthe1993sludgedepthmap,thelikelylocationofthethickestsludgeineachsectioncanbeidentified.NewExhibits7-Fand7-Gshowthesamplinglocationsrelativetosludgethickness,andtheyidentifywhichlocationineachsectionwouldbeusedtocollectaVOCsample,shouldthatbenecessary.AnalyzingVOCsfromthethickestsludgeinsixorsevenlocationsperpondwillprovideasufficientlyrepresentativesamplingofthesludge.SeerevisedtextinSectionII.B.l.12.TherandomsamplinglocationsinPondFEP1Section7andPondFEP2Section2havebeenrevisedtoprovidemoresamplingfromareasofthickersludge.Theoriginalrandomsamplingpointsfortheseareaswerelocatedtooclosetothepondsides,wherethesludgeisprobablythin.Samplingonlyinareasofthinsludgecouldpotentiallyposepracticalproblemsforobtainingasufficientquantityofsludge.Therefore,newsetsofrandomnumberswereusedtorevisethesamplinglocationsinthesesections.TherevisedsetsofrandomnumbersareshowninKN4\BWXT\FEP\SAP\Exh7\1l-O4RTC-EPAFEPSAP1-4-04doe\11/8/2004(4:30:49PM)4Exhibit7-E.Exhibits7-Cand7-D,thesamplingsectionlayouts,havebeenrevisedaccordingly.SeeSectionII.C13.Becausethesludgeiscommonlyseveralfeetthick,collectingsamplesfromareasofthinsludgeisnotworthwhile.Accordingly,SectionIII.Fhasbeenrevisedtosaythatsludgesampleswillnotbecollectedfromlocationswherethesludgeislessthanone-halffootthick.Nootherlocationswillbesubstitutedforplaceswherethesludgeistoothintosample.Forexample,ifonelocation(outoffour)inasamplingsectionistoothintosample,thenthecompositeanalyticalsamplesforthatsectionwillbecomprisedfromjusttheremaining3samplinglocations.KN4\BWXT\FEP\SAP\Exh7\11-04\RTC-EPAFEPSAP11-4-04.doc\11/8/2004(4:30:49PM)5