Coastal Hazardous Waste Site

REVIEWERS

Chris Beaverson1, Berit Bergquist2, Bejurin Cassady2,

Robert N. Dexter2

, Tom Dillon1, Ken Finkelstein1, 

Gayle Garman1

, Ron Gouguet1, Peter Knight1, 

and Lisa Rosman1

GRAPHICS

Kimberly L. Stewart2

1

NOAA/HAZMAT/Coastal Resource Coordination Branch

2

EVS Environment Consultants

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOS

National Ocean Service

ORCA

Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment

HAZMAT

Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division

7600 Sand Point Way NE 

Seattle, Washington 98115
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOS

National Ocean Service

ORCA

Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment

HAZMAT

Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division

7600 Sand Point Way NE 

Seattle, Washington 98115

December 1997

EDITORS

Gayle Garman and Lori Harris

NOAA/HAZMAT/Coastal Resource Coordination Branch

AUTHORS

Berit A. Bergquist, Garrett Gray,Lisa M. Mill, 

Susan E. McGroddy, James E. Starkes, and

Robert E. Stuart

EVS Environment Consultants
Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................................i

Sites reviewed since 1984 ................................................................v

Acronyms and abbreviations used in waste site reviews.....xviii

1 Beede Waste Oil.............................................................................................................1

Plaistow, New Hampshire

2 V&M/Albaladejo Farms....................................................................................11

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

3 Fort George G. Meade...................................................................................19

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Norfolk Naval Base...............................................................................................31

Norfolk, Virginia

Salford Quarry.............................................................................................................43

Lower Salford Township, Pennsylvania

4 Brunswick Wood Preserving............................................................51

Brunswick, Georgia

MRI Corporation.......................................................................................................61

Tampa, Florida

Terry Creek Dredge Spoil/Hercules Outfall........71

Brunswick, Georgia
4 (cont.)

Tyndall Air Force Base.................................................................................81

Bay County, Florida

6 Madisonville Creosote Works........................................................91

Madisonville, Louisiana

10 Oeser Company.........................................................................................................101

Bellingham, Washington
PLEASE CITE AS:

Garman, Gayle, and Lori Harris, editors. 1997. Coastal Hazardous Waste

Site Reviews, December 1997. Seattle: Hazardous Materials Response and

Assessment Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

138 pp.

Introduction • i

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • i

Introduction

This report identifies uncontrolled hazardous

waste sites that could pose a threat to natural

resources for which the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acts as a

trustee. NOAA carries out responsibilities as a

Federal trustee for natural resources under the

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution

Contingency Plan. As a trustee, NOAA identifies

sites that could affect natural resources, determines the potential for injury to the resources,

evaluates cleanup alternatives, and carries out

restoration actions. NOAA works with the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to

identify and assess risks to coastal resources from

hazardous waste sites, and to develop strategies to

minimize those risks.

NOAA regularly conducts evaluations of hazardous waste sites proposed for addition to the

National Priorities List1 (NPL) by EPA. The

waste sites evaluated in this report are drawn

from the list of all sites, including Federal facilities, proposed for inclusion on the NPL on

December 23, 1996 and April 1, 1997.

The sites of concern to NOAA are located in

counties bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific

Ocean, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico, or are

near inland water bodies that support anadromous fish populations. Not all sites in coastal

states will affect NOAA trust resources. To select

sites on the National Priorities List for initial

investigation, only sites in coastal counties or

sites bordering important anadromous or catadromous fish habitat are considered to have

potential to affect trust resources. This initial

1997

Coastal Hazardous

Waste Site Reviews
ii • Introduction

ii • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

selection criterion works better in some states

than in others, depending on topography, hydrography, and the nature of political subdivisions.

These reports are an overall guide to the potential

for injury to NOAA trust resources resulting from

a site. NOAA uses this information to establish

priorities for investigating sites. Sites that appear

to pose ongoing problems will be followed by a

NOAA Coastal Resource Coordinator (CRC) in

the appropriate region. The CRC communicates

concerns about ecological impact to EPA, reviews

sampling and monitoring plans for the site, and

helps plan and set objectives for remedial actions

to clean up the site. NOAA works with other

trustees to plan a coordinated approach for

remedial action that protects all natural resources

(not just those for which NOAA is a steward).

Other Federal and state trustees can use the

hazardous waste site reports to help determine

the risk of injury to their trust resources. EPA

uses the site reports to help identify the types of

information that may be needed to complete an

environmental assessment of the site.

These coastal site reports are often NOAA’s first

examination of a site. Sites with potential to

impact NOAA resources may also have a more indepth assessment of potential injury to environmental receptors, called a Preliminary Natural

Resource Survey (PNRS). EPA may request a

PNRS early in the remedial process to document

the rationale for adding a site to the National

Priorities List.

Eleven coastal sites were identified in 1997 using

this selection method and coastal hazardous waste

site reports completed for them. The current

reporting brings the total number of sites considered by NOAA to 747. Defense Installation

Natural Resource Assessment Guidance Reports,

similar to PNRSs, were completed under a

cooperative agreement with the U.S. Air Force in

1994. NOAA has completed a total of 303

coastal hazardous waste site reviews since 1984

(published in April 19842

, June 19853, April

19864

, June 19875, March 19896, June 19907,

September 19928

, December 19939, June 199510,

September 199511, July 199612, and this report).

NOAA has completed 140 PNRSs and 3 U.S. Air

Force reports since 1988 (see table below).

Several sites have had multiple reviews or PNRSs;

these multiples are reflected in the total numbers

above. Three hundred sites have been reviewed

Year NPL

Reports

PNRS USAF

Reports

1984 74

1985 20

1986 15

1987 33

1988 17

1989 71 33

1990 24 32

1991 16

1992 8 15

1993 18 8

1994 8 3

1995 21 6

1996 8 1

1997 11 4

Total 303 140 3
Introduction • iii

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • iii

(three sites more than once), and 140 sites have

had PNRSs (three more than once).

The 1997 Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Reviews

contain four major sections. “Site Exposure

Potential” describes activities at the site that

caused the release of contaminants, local topography, and potential contaminant migration pathways. “NOAA Trust Habitats and Species”

describes the types of habitats and species at risk

of injury from releases at the site. The life stages

of organisms using habitats near the site are

discussed, as are commercial and recreational

fisheries. “Site-Related Contamination” identifies contaminants of concern to NOAA, the

partitioning of the contaminants in the environment, and the concentrations at which the

contaminants are found. “Summary” cogently

recaps this information.

Tables and

Screening Values

Most of these reports contain tables of contaminants measured at the site. These tables were

formulated to highlight contaminants that

represent a potential problem, and to focus our

concerns on only a few of the many contaminants

normally present at a waste site. Data presented

in tables were screened against standard comparison values, depending on the source of the

sample. Screening values used are ambient water

quality criteria14, soil averages15,16, and Effects

Range Low (ERL) values17. Because releases to

the environment from hazardous waste sites can

span many years, we are concerned about chronic

impacts. Therefore, we typically make comparisons with the lower standard value (e.g., chronic

vs. acute AWQC, and ERL vs. ERM). No

criteria similar to the AWQC are available for

sediment. Thus, sediment concentrations were

screened by comparison with the ERL reported

by Long et al.17 The ERL value is the sediment

concentration corresponding to the lowest 10-

percentile of biological measurements reported as

effects. As such, it represents the low end of the

range of concentrations at which effects were

observed in the studies compiled by the authors.

Soil samples were compared to selected averages

reported in Element concentrations in soils and

other surficial materials of the coterminous United

States (Shacklette and Boerngen 1984), except

for cadmium and silver which are compared to

concentrations reported in Hazardous Waste

Land Treatment (EPA 1983). These values were

averaged from a data set from soil throughout

the entire U.S. Ideally, reference values for soil

would be calculated on a regional basis, from a

data set large enough to give a value representative of the area. In the absence of such data, the

national average values were used as a reference

for comparison purposes only.

All of the hazardous waste sites considered by

NOAA in this review are contained in the Table

of Contents, including the name and location of

the site and the beginning page number of the

site report. Table 1 lists all of the sites at which

NOAA has been involved that could potentially

affect trust resources, as of December 1997.

Table 2 lists acronyms, abbreviations, and terms

commonly used in these waste site reports.
iv • Introduction

iv • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

1

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 CFR Part 300.

2

Ocean Assessments Division. 1984. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review April 13, 1984.

NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington.

3

Pavia, R., and L. Harris, eds. 1985. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review June 30, 1985.

NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington

4

Pavia, R., and L. Harris, eds. 1986. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review: Site Reports April

1986. NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington.

5

Pavia, R., and L. Harris, eds. 1987. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review: Site Reports June

1987. NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington.

6

Pavia, R., and L. Harris, eds. 1989. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review: Site Reports March

1989. NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington.

7

Hoff, R., and L. Harris, eds. 1990. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Review: Site Reports June

1990. NOAA/OAD, Seattle, Washington.

8

Beckvar, N., and L. Harris, eds. 1992. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Reviews September 1992.

NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

9

Beckvar, N., and L. Harris, eds. 1993. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Reviews December 1993.

NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

10Beckvar, N., G. Garman, and L. Harris, eds.

1995. Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Reviews

June 1995. NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

11Garman, G., and L. Harris, eds. 1995. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Reviews September 1995.

NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

12Garman, G., and L. Harris, eds. 1996. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Reviews July 1996.

NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

13Garman, G., and L. Harris, eds. 1997. Coastal

Hazardous Waste Site Reviews December 1997.

NOAA/ORCA, Seattle, Washington.

14U.S. EPA. 1993. Water quality criteria.

Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division. 294 pp.

15U.S. EPA. 1983. Hazardous waste land

treatment. EPA/530/SW-83/874. Cincinnati:

Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory.

702 pp.

16Shacklette, H.T., and J.G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States. USGS

Professional Paper 1270. Washington, D.C.: U.S.

Geological Survey.

17Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1):81-97.
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • v

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 2 (cont.)

NJ NJD000606442 Quanta Resources

NJ NJD986589190 Raritan Arsenal

NJ NJD980529713 Reich Farms

NJ NJD070415005 Renora, Inc.

NJ NJD980529739 Ringwood Mines/Landfill

NJ NJD073732257 Roebling Steel Co. 1984 1990

NJ NJD030250484 Roosevelt Drive-In 1984

NJ NJD980505754 Sayreville Landfill 1984 1990

NJ NJD070565403 Scientific Chemical Processing 1984 1989

NJ NJD980505762 Sharkey Landfill 1990

NJ NJD002365930 Shieldalloy Corp.

NJ NJD980766828 South Jersey Clothing Co. 1989

NJ NJD041743220 Swope Oil & Chemical Co.

NJ NJD064263817 Syncon Resins 1984 1992

NJ NJD980761357 Tabernacle Drum Dump

NJ NJD002005106 Universal Oil Products (Chemical Division) 1984

NJ NJD980761399 Upper Deerfield Township Sanitary Landfill

NJ NJD980529879 Ventron/Velsicol 1984

NJ NJD002385664 Vineland Chemical Co., Inc. 1990

NJ NJD054981337 Waldick Aerospace Devices, Inc. 1990

NJ NJD001239185 White Chemical Corp. 1984

NJ NJD980529945 Williams Property 1984 1992

NJ NJD980532824 Wilson Farm

NJ NJD045653854 Witco Chemical Corp. (Oakland Pit)

NJ NJD980505887 Woodland Route 532 Dump

NJ NJD980505879 Woodland Route 72 Dump

NY NYD980780829 93rd Street School

NY NYD072366453 Action Anodizing, Plating, & Polishing 1989

NY NYD980506232 ALCOA Aggregation Site

NY NYD002066330 American Thermostat Co.

NY NYD001485226 Anchor Chemicals

NY NYD980535652 Applied Environmental Services 1985 1991

NY NYD980507693 Batavia Landfill

NY NYD980768675 BEC (Binghampton Equipment Co.) Trucking 1990

NY NYD980768683 Bioclinical Laboratories, Inc.

NY NYD980652275 Brewster Well Field

NY NY7890008975 Brookhaven National Laboratory (USDOE) 1990

NY NYD980780670 Byron Barrel & Drum

NY NYD981561954 C & J Disposal Leasing Co. Dump 1989

NY NYD010968014 Carrol & Dubies Sewage Disposal 1989

NY NYD981184229 Circuitron Corp. 

NY NYD002044584 Claremont Polychemical

NY NYD000511576 Clothier Disposal

NY NYD980768691 Colesville Municipal Landfill

NY NYD982276933 Cornwall Landfill

NY NYD980528475 Cortese Landfill

NY NYD980508048 Croton Point Sanitary Landfill

NY NYD980780746 Endicott Village Well Field

NY NYD981560923 Forest Glen Mobile Home Subdivision

NY NYD091972554 General Motors (Central Foundry Division) 1989

NY NYD002050110 Genzale Plating Co.
 vi • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 2 (cont.)

NY NYD980768717 Goldisc Recordings, Inc.

NY NY4571924451 Griffiss Air Force Base

NY NYD980785661 Haviland Complex

NY NYD980780779 Hertel Landfill

NY NYD980506810 Hooker (102nd Street)

NY NYD002920312 Hooker Chemical/Ruco Polymer Corp.

NY NYD980763841 Hudson River PCBs 1989

NY NYD000813428 Jones Chemicals, Inc.

NY NYD980534556 Jones Sanitation 1987

NY NYD980780795 Katonah Municipal Well

NY NYD002041531 Lawrence Aviation Industries, Inc.

NY NYD986882660 Li Tungsten Corp. 1992 1993

NY NYD053169694 Liberty Heat Treating Co., Inc.

NY NYD000337295 Liberty Industrial Finishing 1985 1993

NY NYD000606947 Love Canal

NY NYD013468939 Ludlow Sand & Gravel

NY NYD980535124 Malta Rocket Fuel Area

NY NYD010959757 Marathon Battery Corp. 1984 1989

NY NYD000512459 Mattiace Petrochemical Co., Inc. 1989 1990

NY NYD980763742 MEK Spill - Hicksville

NY NYD002014595 Nepera Chemical Co., Inc.

NY NYD000514257 Niagara County Refuse

NY NYD980664361 Niagara Mohawk Power Co. (Saratoga Springs)

NY NYD980762520 North Sea Municipal Landfill 1985 1989

NY NYD991292004 Pasley Solvents & Chemicals, Inc.

NY NY6141790018 Pennsylvania/Fountain Ave. Landfill3

NY NYD000511659 Pollution Abatement Services

NY NYD980654206 Port Washington Landfill 1984 1989

NY NYD980768774 Preferred Plating Corp.

NY NYD002245967 Reynolds Metals Co.

NY NYD980507735 Richardson Hill Road Landfill/Pond

NY NYD981486954 Rowe Industries Ground Water Contamination 1987 1991

NY NYD980507677 Sidney Landfill 1989

NY NYD980535215 Sinclair Refinery 

NY NYD980421176 Solvent Savers

NY NYD980780878 Suffern Village Wellfield 

NY NYD000511360 Syosset Landfill

NY NYD980509285 Tri-Cities Barrel Co., Inc.

NY NYD002059517 Tronic Plating Co., Inc.

NY NYD980509376 Volney Municipal Landfill

NY NYD980535496 Wallkill Landfill

NY NYD980506679 Warwick Landfill

NY NYD980652259 Wide Beach Development

NY NYD000511733 York Oil Co.

PR PRD090416132 Clear Ambient Services Co. 1984

PR PRD980640965 Frontera Creek 1984 1991

 

3Formerly Pennsylvania Avenue Landfill
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • vii

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 2 (cont.)

PR PRD090282757 GE Wiring Devices

PR PRD980512362 Juncos Landfill

PR PR4170027383 Naval Security Group Activity 1989 1991

PR PRD980301154 Upjohn Facility

PR PRD987366101 V&M/Albaladejo Farms 1997

PR PRD980763775 Vega Alta Public Supply Wells

VI VID980651095 Island Chemical Corp./V.I. Chemical Corp. 1996

VI VID982272569 Tutu Wellfield 1993

Federal Region 3

DE DED980494496 Army Creek Landfill 1984

DE DED980704860 Coker’s Sanitation Service Landfills 1986 1990

DE DED980551667 Delaware City PVC Plant 1984

DE DED000605972 Delaware Sand & Gravel 1984

DE DE8570024010 Dover Air Force Base 1987 1989

DE DED980693550 Dover Gas and Light Company 1987

DE DED980555122 E.I. Du Pont, Newport Landfill 1987 1991/1992

DE DED980830954 Halby Chemical 1986 1990

DE DED980705727 Kent County Landfill 1989

DE DED980552244 Koppers Co. Facilities Site 1990

DE DED043958388 NCR Corp., Millsboro 1986

DE DED058980442 New Castle Spill Site 1984 1989

DE DED980705255 New Castle Steel Plant 1984

DE DED980704894 Old Brine Sludge Landfill 1984

DE DED980494603 Pigeon Point Landfill 1987

DE DED981035520 Sealand Ltd. 1989

DE DED041212473 Standard Chlorine Co. 1986

DE DED980494637 Sussex Co. Landfill #5 1989

DE DED000606079 Tybouts Corner Landfill 1984

DE DED980705545 Tyler Refrigeration Pit 

DE DED980704951 Wildcat Landfill 1984

MD MDD069396711 Allied Chemical Corp. Baltimore Works

MD MDD980705057 Anne Arundel County Landfill 1989

MD MDD980504195 Bush Valley Landfill 1989 1993

MD MDD980555478 Chemical Metals Industries

MD MDD030324073 Dundalk Marine Terminal

MD MDD000731356 Hawkins Pt./Md. Port Admin.

MD MDD030321178 Joy Reclamation Co. 1984

MD MDD980923783 Kane & Lombard Street Drums

MD MDD064882889 Mid-Atlantic Wood Preservers

MD MD7170024684 Naval Surface Warfare Center 1997

MD MDD985397256 Naval Training Center Bainbridge

MD MDD982364341 Ordnance Products, Inc. 1995

MD MDD980705164 Sand Gravel & Stone Site 1984 1990

MD MDD980704852 Southern Maryland Wood Treating 1987

MD MDD000218008 Spectron Inc. 1997

MD MD0120508940 U.S. Agricultural Center Beltsville (2 tenants) 1995

MD MD2210020036 USA Aberdeen - Edgewood 1986

 Bush River Watershed 1994

 Gun Powder River Watershed 1994
 viii • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 3 (cont.)

MD MD3210021355 USA Aberdeen - Michaelsville 1986

 Romney Creek Watershed 1994

MD MD9210020567 USA Fort George Meade 1997

MD MD0570024000 USAF Andrews Air Force Base 19944

MD MD7170024536 USN Patuxent Naval Air Station 1996

MD MDD980504344 Woodlawn Co. Landfill 1987

PA PAD004351003 A.I.W. Frank

PA PAD000436436 Ambler Asbestos Piles

PA PAD009224981 American Electronic Lab., Inc.

PA PAD980693048 AMP, Inc.

PA PAD987341716 Austin Avenue Radiation Site 1993

PA PAD003053709 Avco Lycoming - Williamsport Division

PA PAD061105128 Bally Ground Water Contamination

PA PAD047726161 Boarhead Farms 1989

PA PAD980508402 Bridesburg Dump 1984

PA PAD980691760 Brodhead Creek

PA PAD980831812 Brown’s Battery Breaking 1991

PA PAD980508451 Butler Mine Tunnel 1987

PA PAD980419097 Crater Resources/Keystone Coke/Alan Wood 1993

PA PAD981035009 Croydon TCE Spill 1986

PA PAD981038052 Delta Quarries/Stotler Landfill

PA PAD002384865 Douglassville Disposal 1987

PA PAD003058047 Drake Chemical

PA PAD981740004 Dublin Water Supply

PA PAD987323458 East Tenth Street Site

PA PAD980830533 Eastern Diversified Metals

PA PAD980539712 Elizabethtown Landfill 1989

PA PAD980552913 Enterprise Avenue 1984

PA PAD980714505 FMC Marcus Hook 1996

PA AD077087989 Foote Mineral Co. 1993

PA PAD987332541 Hamburg Playground Site

PA PAD002338010 Havertown PCP Site

PA PAD002390748 Hellertown Manufacturing Co. 1987

PA PAD009862939 Henderson Road Site 1989

PA PAD980508493 Industrial Drive Site

PA PAD980508493 Jack's Creek/Sitkin Smelting 1989

PA PAD981036049 Keyser Ave. Borehole 1989

PA PAD980508931 Lord Shope Landfill

PA PAD014353445 Malvern TCE Site

PA PAD046557096 Metal Bank of America 1984 1990

PA PAD982366957 Metropolitan Mirror & Glass Co., Inc.

PA PAD980538763 Middletown Air Field

PA PAD980539068 Modern Sanitation Landfill

PA PAD980508766 Moyers Landfill

PA PAD980691372 MW Manufacturing

PA PAD107214116 National Vulcanized Fiber

PA PAD096834494 North Penn-Area 1

PA PAD002342475 North Penn-Area 2

 

4 U.S. Air Force report.
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • ix

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 3 (cont.)

PA PAD980692693 North Penn-Area 5

PA PAD980926976 North Penn-Area 6

PA PAD002498632 North Penn-Area 7

PA PAD057152365 North Penn-Area 12

PA PAD079160842 Novak Sanitary Landfill

PA PAD980229298 Occidental Chem./Firestone 1989

PA PAD002395887 Palmerton Zinc Pile

PA PAD980692594 Paoli Rail Yard 1987 1991

PA PAD981939200 Publicker/Cuyahoga Wrecking Plant 1990

PA PAD039017694 Raymark 1996

PA PAD002353969 Recticon/Allied Steel 1989

PA PAD051395499 Revere Chemical Co. 1986

PA PAD091637975 Rohm and Haas Landfill 1986

PA PAD980693204 Salford Quarry 1997

PA PAD980830889 Shriver's Corner Site

PA PAD014269971 Stanley Kessler

PA PA6143515447 Tinicum National Environmental Center 1986

PA PAD980692024 Tysons Dump #1 1985

PA PAD980539126 UGI Corp. Gas Manufacturing Plant 1995

PA PA6170024545 USN Naval Warfare Center

PA PA417002241 USN Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

PA PA3170022104 USN Ships Parts Control Center 1996

PA PAD980539407 Wade (ABM) 1984

PA PAD980537773 William Dick Lagoons

VA VAD980551683 Abex Corp. 1989

VA VAD042916361 Arrowhead Associates/Scovill 1989

VA VAD990710410 Atlantic Wood Industries, Inc. 1987 1990

VA VAD049957913 C & R Battery Co., Inc. 1987

VA VAD980712913 Chisman Creek 1984

VA VAD007972482 Clarke L.A. & Son

VA VAD980539878 H & H Inc.-Burn Pit

VA VAD988197133 Hampton Roads Welders Site

VA VA1170024722 Marine Corps Combat and Development Command 1995

VA VA2800005033 NASA-Langley Research Center5 1995 1997

VA VA7170024684 Naval Surface Warfare Center - Dahlgren 1993

VA VA8170024170 Naval Weapons Station - Yorktown 1993 1997

VA VAD071040752 Rentokil Inc., Virginia Wood Preserving Division

VA VAD020312013 Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad 1994

VA VAD003117389 Saunders Supply Co. 1987

VA VAD980917983 Suffolk City Landfill 

VA VA3971520751 U.S. Defense General Supply Center

VA VA6210020321 USA Fort Eustis 1996

VA VA7210020981 USA Woodbridge Research Facility

VA VA4570024477 USAF Langley Air Force Base5 1997

VA VA5170022482 USN Naval Amphibious Base/Little Creek

VA VA1170024813 USN Naval Shipyard Norfolk

VA VA6170061463 USN Norfolk Naval Base 1997

 

5 USAF Langley Air Force Base and Langley Research Center have been combined into one

CERCLA site: Langley Air Force Base/NASA Langley Research Center.
 x • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

VA VA9170022488 USN Radio Transmitting Facility

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 4

WV WV0170023691 Allegany Ballistics Laboratory

WV WVD004336749 Follansbee Site

AL ALD058221326 Alabama Wood Treating Corp., Inc.

AL ALD001221902 Ciba-Geigy Corp. (McIntosh Plant) 1990

AL ALD000604249 Gulf Oil Co.

AL ALD041906173 Interstate Lead Co. (Ilco)

AL ALD008188708 Olin Corp. (McIntosh Plant) 1990

AL ALD980844385 Redwing Carriers, Inc. (Saraland) 1989

AL ALD095688875 Stauffer Chemical Co. (Cold Creek Plant) 1990

AL ALD008161176 Stauffer Chemical Co. (Lemoyne Plant)

AL ALD007454085 T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition (Montgomery)

AL AL0570024182 USAF Maxwell Air Force Base

AL AL2170024630 US Naval Outlying Barin Field

FL FLD980221857 Agrico Chemical Co. 1989

FL FLD004145140 Airco Plating Co.

FL FLD008161994 American Creosote Works (Pensacola Plant) 1984 1989

FL FLD020536538 Anaconda Aluminum Co./Milgo Electronics

FL FLD981014368 Anodyne, Inc.

FL FLD004574190 B&B Chemical Co., Inc.

FL FLD088783865 Bay Drum

FL FLD980494660 Beulah Landfill

FL FLD052172954 BMI-Textron

FL FLD981930506 Broward County-21st Manor Dump 1992

FL FLD980709356 Cabot/Koppers

FL FLD080174402 Chemform, Inc. 1990

FL FLD004064242 Chevron Chemical Co. (Ortho Division)

FL FLD991279894 Coleman-Evans Wood Preserving Co.

FL FLD980602288 Davie Landfill

FL FLD000833368 Dubose Oil Products Co.

FL FL984184127 Florida Petroleum Processors

FL FLD050432251 Florida Steel Corp.

FL FLD000602334 Harris Corp. (Palm Bay Plant) 1986 1990

FL FLD053502696 Helena Chemical Co. (Tampa Plant) 1993

FL FLD980709802 Hipps Road Landfill

FL FLD004119681 Hollingsworth Solderless Terminal 

FL FLD980727820 Kassouf-Kimerling Battery Disposal

FL FLD981019235 Madison County Sanitary Landfill

FL FLD088787585 MRI Corporation 1997

FL FLD084535442 Munisport Landfill 1984

FL FLD004091807 Peak Oil Co./Bay Drum Co.

FL FLD984259374 Peele-Dixie Wellfield Site

FL FL9170024567 Pensacola Naval Air Station 1990

FL FLD032544587 Pepper Steel & Alloys, Inc.

FL FLD980556351 Pickettville Road Landfill 1984 1990

FL FLD004054284 Piper Aircraft/Vero Beach Water & Sewer

FL FLD984169763 Pleasant Grove Landfill

FL FLD000824888 Reeves SE Corp. Southeastern Wire Division

FL FLD000824896 Reeves SE Galvanizing Corp.

FL FLD980602882 Sapp Battery Salvage 1989

FL FLD062794003 Schuylkill Metals Corp.
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • xi

FL FLD043861392 Sherwood Medical Industries

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 4 (cont.)

FL FLD980728877 Sixty-Second Street Dump 1984 1989

FL FLD004126520 Standard Auto Bumper Corp. 1989

FL FLD004092532 Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tampa Plant) 1993

FL FLD010596013 Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tarpon Springs) 1993

FL FLD000648055 Sydney Mine Sludge Ponds 1989

FL FLD980494959 Taylor Road Landfill

FL FL2800016121 USAF Cape Canaveral Air Force Base

FL FL7570024037 USAF Homestead Air Force Base

FL FL1570024124 USAF Tyndall Air Force Base 1997

FL FL6170022952 USAF NAS Key West (Boca Chica)

FL FL2570024404 USAF Patrick Air Force Base

FL FL1690331300 USCG Station Key West

FL FL5170022474 USN Air Station Cecil Field 1990

FL FL6170024412 USN NAS Jacksonville 1990

FL FL6800014585 US NASA Kennedy Space Center

FL FL9170024260 USN Naval Air Station Mayport

FL FL2170023244 USN Naval Air Station Whiting Field Site 5 1996

FL FL8170023792 USN Naval Coastal Systems Center

FL FLD980602767 Whitehouse Oil Pits

FL FLD041184383 Wilson Concepts of Florida, Inc.

FL FLD981021470 Wingate Road Municipal Incinerator Dump

FL FLD004146346 Woodbury Chemical Co. (Princeton Plant) 1989

FL FLD049985302 Zellwood Ground Water Contamination

GA GAD095840674 Cedartown Industries, Inc.

GA GAD980495402 Cedartown Municipal Landfill

GA GAD990741092 Diamond Shamrock Corp. Landfill

GA GAD981024466 Brunswick Wood Preserving 1997

GA GAD008212409 Escambia Wood - Camilla

GA GAD990855074 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. (Albany Plant)

GA GAD004065520 Hercules, Inc.

GA GAD980556906 Hercules 009 Landfill

GA GAD000827444 International Paper Co.

GA GAD099303182 LCP Chemicals Georgia, Inc. 1995

GA GAD980838619 Mathis Brothers Landfill

GA GAD001700699 Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant)

GA GAD980495451 New Sterling Landfill

GA GAD982112658 Terry Creek Dredge Spoil /Hercules Outfall 1997

GA GAD042101261 T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition (Albany)

GA GA1570024330 USAF Robins Air Force Base (Landfill/Sludge lagoon)

GA GAD003269578 Woolfolk Chemical Works, Inc.

MS MSD008154486 Chemfax, Inc. 1995

MS MSD098596489 Gautier Oil Co., Inc. 1989

MS MS2170022626 US Naval Const. Battalion Center

NC NCD024644494 ABC One Hour Cleaners 1989

NC NCD980840409 Charles Macon Lagoon & Drum Storage

NC NC1170027261 Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station

NC NCD980840342 Dockery Property
 xii • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 4 (cont.)

NC NCD981475932 FCX , Inc. (Washington Plant) 1989

NC NCD981927502 Geigy Chemical Corp. (Aberdeen Plant)

NC NCD079044426 General Electric Co./Shepherd Farm

NC NCD003200383 Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant)

NC NCD991278953 National Starch & Chemical Corp.

NC NCD981021157 New Hanover County Airport Burn Pit 1989

NC NCD986186518 Old ATC Refinery

NC NCD981023260 Potter’s Septic Tank Service Pits 1989

NC NC6170022580 USMC Camp Lejeune 1989

SC SCD987581337 Calhoun Park/Ansonborough Homes/Scegco 1993

SC SCD980558316 Carolawn, Inc.

SC SCD980846034 Charleston Landfill

SC SCD980711279 Geiger (C&M Oil) 1984

SC SCD058753971 Helena Chemical Co. Landfill 1989

SC SCD055915086 International Paper Co.

SC SCD094995503 Kalama Specialty Chemicals

SC SCD980310239 Koppers Co., Inc. (Charleston Plant) 1993

SC SCD991279324 Leonard Chemical Co., Inc.

SC SCD980558043 Lexington County Landfill Area

SC SC0170022560 Naval Shipyard - Charleston

SC SC8170022620 Naval Weapons Station - Charleston

SC SCD037398120 Palmetto Recycling, Inc.

SC SCD002601656 Para-Chem Southern, Inc.

SC SC6170022762 Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot 1995

SC SC1890008989 US DOE Savannah River Site 1990

SC SCD987572674 US DOI Charleston Harbor Site 1993

SC SCD037405362 Wamchem, Inc. 1984

Federal Region 5

IL ILD000802827 Outboard Marine Corporation

MI MID006007306 Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River

MI MID980678627 Cannelton Industries

MI MID980679799 Deer Lake

MI MID006014906 Hooker Montague Plant

MI MID981192628 Manistique River/Harbor Area of Concern

MI MID072569510 Muskegon Chemical Co.

MI MID980901946 Torch Lake

MN MND039045430 St. Louis River - USX Duluth

OH OHD980614572 Fields Brook

WI WID006136659 Fort Howard Paper Co. Sludge Site

WI WID006141402 Fort Howard Steel Incorporated

WI WID006073225 Kohler Co. Landfill

WI WID039052626 Moss-American Kerr-McGee Oil Co.

WI WID980996367 Sheboygan Harbor & River

Federal Region 6

AR ARD980496723 South 8th Street Landfill

LA LAD000239814 American Creosote Works, Inc. (Winnfield)

LA LAD980745632 Bayou Bonfouca

LA LAD981916570 Bayou D'Inde

LA LAD980745541 Bayou Sorrell Site 1984
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • xiii

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 6 (cont.)

LA LAD985195346 Bayou Verdine

LA LAD980501423 Calcasieu Parish Landfill

LA LAD985202464 Devil's Swamp Lake

LA LAD985169317 GSU (North Ryan St.)/Utilities Yard

LA LAD981522998 Madisonville Creosote Works, Inc. 1997

LA LAD057482713 Petro-Processors of Louisiana, Inc.

LA LAD062644232 Ponchatoula Battery Co.

LA LAD008086506 PPG Industries, Inc.

LA LAD008149015 Southern Shipbuilding, Inc.

TX TXD008123168 ALCOA (Point Comfort)/Lavaca Bay 1995

TX TXD980864649 Bailey Waste Disposal 1985 1989

TX TXD980625453 Brio Refining , Inc. 1989 1989

TX TXD990707010 Crystal Chemical Co. 1989 1989

TX TXD089793046 Dixie Oil Processors, Inc. 1989 1989

TX TXD980514814 French Ltd. 1989 1989

TX TXD980748453 Geneva Industries/Fuhrmann Energy 

TX TXD980745582 Harris (Farley Street)

TX TXD980514996 Highlands Acid Pit 1989

TX TXD980625636 Keown Supply Co.

TX TXD980629851 Motco, Inc. 1984

TX TXD980873343 North Cavalcade Street

TX TXD980873350 Petro-Chemical Systems (Turtle Bayou)

TX TXD062132147 Sheridan Disposal Services

TX TXD980513956 Sikes Disposal Pits 1989

TX TXD980873327 Sol Lynn/Industrial Transformers

TX TXD980810386 South Cavalcade Street

TX TX0001407444 Sprague Road Groundwater

TX TXD062113329 Tex-Tin Corp. 1989

TX TXD055143705 Triangle Chemical Company

Federal Region 9

AS ASD980637656 Taputimu Farm 1984

CA CAD980358832 Aerojet General Corp.

CA CA2170023236 Alameda Naval Air Station 1989

CA CA2170023533 Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base 1990 1992

CA CAD009114919 Chevron USA Richmond Refinery

CA CAD063015887 Coast Wood Preserving 1984

CA CA7170024528 Concord Naval Weapons Station 1989/1993 1990

CA CAD055753370 Cooper Drum Co. 1993

CA CAD980498455 Crazy Horse Sanitary Landfill

CA CAD009212838 CTS Printex, Inc. 1989

CA CAD029544731 Del Amo Facility 1992

CA CAD000626176 Del Norte Pesticide Storage 1984

CA CA6170023208 El Toro Marine Corps Air Station 1989

CA CAD981159585 Farallon Islands 1990

CA CA7210020676 Fort Ord 1990 1992

CA CAD980636914 Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill

CA CAD980498562 GBF & Pittsburg Dumps 1989/1993

CA CA3570024288 Hamilton Air Force Base

CA CAD980884209 Hewlett-Packard (620-640 Page Mill Road) 1989

CA CAD058783952 Hexcel Corp. 
 xiv • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 9 (cont.)

CA CAD041472341 Intersil Inc./Siemens Components 1989

CA CAD980498612 Iron Mountain Mine 1989 1989

CA CAD000625731 J.H. Baxter & Co.

CA CAD009103318 Jasco Chemical Corp. 1989

CA CA9800013030 Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA)

CA CAD008274938 Kaiser Steel Corp. (Fontana Plant)

CA CAD981429715 Kearney - KPF

CA CA3170024381 Lemoore Naval Air Station

CA CAT000646208 Liquid Gold Oil Corp. 1984

CA CA2170023194 Long Beach Naval Station

CA CAD065021594 Louisiana-Pacific Corp.

CA CA7170024775 Mare Island Naval Shipyard

CA CAD009106527 McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Co. 1993

CA CAD982463812 M-E-W Study Area

CA CAD000074120 MGM Brakes 1984

CA CAD981997752 Modesto Ground Water Contamination

CA CA2170090078 Moffett Naval Air Station 1986

CA CAD008242711 Montrose Chemical Corp. 1985

CA CA1170090483 Naval Shipyard Long Beach

CA CA0170090021 Naval Supply Center Pt. Molate Site

CA CAD981434517 Newmark Ground Water Contamination

CA CA7170090016 North Island Naval Air Station

CA CA4170090027 Oakland Naval Supply Center

CA CAD980636781 Pacific Coast Pipe Lines 1989

CA CA9170027271 Pacific Missile Test Center

CA CA1170090236 Point Loma Naval Complex

CA CA6170023323 Port Hueneme Naval Construct. Battalion Center

CA CAD982462343 Redwood Shore Landfill

CA CAT000611350 Rhone-Poulenc, Inc./Zoecon Corp. 1985

CA CA7210020759 Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant 1989

CA CAD009452657 Romic Chemical Corp

CA CA0210020780 Sacramento Army Depot

CA CA0170024491 Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station

CA CAD009164021 Shell Oil Co. Martinez 

CA CAD980637482 Simpson-Shasta Ranch

CA CAD981171523 Sola Optical USA, Inc. 1989

CA CAD059494310 Solvent Service, Inc.

CA CAD980894885 South Bay Asbestos Area 1985

CA CAD009138488 Spectra-Physics, Inc.

CA CAD980893275 Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine

CA CAD990832735 Synertek, Inc. (Building 1)

CA CAD000072751 Tosco Corp. Avon Refinery

CA CA5570024575 Travis Air Force Base 1990

CA CA1170090087 Treasure I. Naval Station - Hunters Pt. Annex 1989 1989

CA CAD009159088 TRW Microwave, Inc. (Building 825)

CA CAD981436363 United Heckathorn Co.

CA CA9570025149 Vandenberg Air Force Base 19946

GU GU6571999519 Andersen Air Force Base 1993

GU GU7170027323 Naval Air Station Guam

 

6 USAF Report.
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • xv

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 9 (cont.)

HI HID033233305 ABC Chemical Corp.

HI HI3570028719 Bellows Air Force Station

HI HID981424138 Chemwood Treatment Co., Inc.

HI HID980637631 Del Monte Corporation (Oahu Plantation) 1995

HI HID981581788 Hawaiian Western Steel Limited

HI HI8570028722 Hickam Air Force Base

HI HI0000768382 Honolulu Skeet Club

HI HI4210090003 Johnston Atoll

HI HI6170090074 Kahoolawe Island

HI HID980497184 Kailua-Kona Landfill

HI HID980497176 Kapaa Landfill

HI HID980497226 Kewalo Incinerator Ash Dump

HI HI6170022762 MCAS Kanehoe Landfill

HI HI3170024340 Naval Submarine Base

HI HID980585178 Pearl City Landfill 1984

HI HI2170024341 Pearl Harbor Naval Complex 1992 1993

HI HI2170024341 Pearl Harbor Naval Station

HI HID982400475 Waiakea Pond/Hawaiian Cane Products Plant 1990

MQ MQ6170027332 Midway Island Naval Air Station

TT TTD981622285 PCB Wastes (15 Saipan)

WQ WQ0570090001 Wake Island Air field

Federal Region 10

AK AK4170024323 Adak Naval Air Station 1993

AK AKD009252487 Alaska Pulp Corp. 1995

AK AK6214522157 Fort Richardson (US ARMY) 1995

AK AK6210022426 Fort Wainwright

AK AKD980978787 Standard Steel & Metals Salvage Yard (USDOT) 1990 1990

AK AK9570028705 USAF Eareckson Air Force Station

AK AK8570028649 USAF Elmendorf Air Force Base 1990 1990/19947

AK AK0131490021 USDOC NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

ID IDD980725832 Blackbird Mine 1995 1994

ID IDD980665459 Stibnite/Yellow Pine Mining Area

OR ORD009051442 Allied Plating, Inc. 1987 1988

OR ORD987185030 East Multnomah County Groundwater

OR ORD095003687 Gould, Inc. 1984 1988

OR ORD068782820 Joseph Forest Products

OR ORD052221025 Martin-Marietta Aluminum Co. 1987 1988

OR ORD009020603 McCormick & Baxter Creosote Co. (Portland) 1995 1995

OR ORD980988307 Northwest Pipe & Casing Co. 1993

OR ORD009412677 Reynolds Metals Co.

OR ORD009025347 Rhone Poulence Inc. Basic Chemicals Division 1984

OR ORD009042532 Taylor Lumber and Treating, Inc. 1991

OR ORD050955848 Teledyne Wah Chang 1985 1988

OR ORD009049412 Union Pacific Railroad Tie Treatment 1990 1990

WA WAD009045279 ALCOA (Vancouver Smelter) 1989 1989

WA WAD057311094 American Crossarm & Conduit Co. 1989 1988

WA WA5170027291 Bangor Naval Submarine Base 1990 1991

 

7 USAF Report.
 xvi • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

Report Date

State Cerclis Site Name Review PNRS

Federal Region 10 (cont.)

WA WA7170027265 Bangor Ordnance Disposal 1991

WA WA1891406349 Bonneville Power Admin. Ross (USDOE) 1990 1990

WA WAD009624453 Boomsnub/Airco

WA WAD980836662 Centralia Municipal Landfill 1989 1989

WA WAD980726368 Commencement Bay , Near Shore/Tide Flats 19848 1988

WA WAD980726301 Commencement Bay , South Tacoma Channel 19848

WA WA5210890096 Hamilton Island Landfill (USA/COE) 1992 1991

WA WA3890090076 Hanford 100-Area (USDOE) 1989 1988

WA WAD980722839 Harbor Island (Lead) 1984 1989

WA WA3170090044 Jackson Park Housing Complex (USNAVY) 1995

WA WA5170090059 Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (Ault) 1986 1989

WA WA6170090058 Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (Seaplane) 1986 1989

WA WA1170023419 Naval Undersea Warfare Station (4 Areas) 1989

WA WAD027315621 Northwest Transformer (South Harkness St.) 1989 1988

WA WAD008957243 Oeser Company 1997

WA WA8680030931 Old Navy Dump/Manchester Lab (USEPA/NOAA) 1996 1995

WA WAD009248287 Pacific Sound Resources 1995 1992

WA WAD009422411 Pacific Wood Treating

WA WA0000026534 Palermo Groundwater Contamination

WA WA4170090001 Port Hadlock Detachment (USNAVY) 1989/1995

WA WA2170023418 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Complex 1995

WA WAD980639215 Quendall Terminals 1985

WA WAD980639462 Seattle Municipal Landfill (Kent Highlands) 1989 1988

WA WAD980976328 Strandley/Manning Site 1992

WA WAD980639256 Tulalip Landfill 1992 1991

WA WA2170023426 USN Fuel Depot Naval Support Center Puget Sound

WA WAD988519708 Vancouver Water Station #1 Contamination

WA WAD980639280 Washington Natural gas - Seattle Plant 1996

WA WAD009487513 Western Processing Co., Inc. 1984

WA WAD009041450 Weyerhaeuser Co.

WA WAD009248295 Wyckoff Co./Eagle Harbor 1986 1988

 

8 Evaluated in a single Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review.
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • xvii

Table 2. Acronyms and abbreviations used in Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Reviews

AST above-ground storage tank

AWQC Ambient water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life

bgs below ground surface

BHC benzene hexachloride

BNA base, neutral, and acid-extractable organic compounds

BOD biological oxygen demand

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 

Information System

cfs cubic feet per second

cm centimeter

COC contaminant of concern

COD chemical oxygen demand

COE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

CRC Coastal Resource Coordinator

DDD dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane

DDE dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

DNT dinitrotoluene

DOD U.S. Department of Defense

DOI U.S. Department of the Interior

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ERL effects range - low

ERM effects range - median

ETAG Ecological and Technical Assessment Group

ha hectare

HMX cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine

HRS Hazard Ranking System

IRM Immediate Removal Measure

kg kilogram

km kilometer

L liter

LNAPL light, non-aqueous phase liquid

LOEL lowest observed effects level

m meter

m3/second cubic meter per second

μg/g micrograms per gram (ppm)

μg/kg micrograms per kilogram (ppb)

μg/L micrograms per liter (ppb)

μR/hr microroentgens per hour

mg milligram

mg/kg milligrams per kilogram (ppm)

mg/L milligrams per liter (ppm)

mR/hr milliroentgens per hour

NAPL non-aqueous phase liquid

NFA no further action

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

NPL National Priorities List

OU operable unit

PAH polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon

PA/SI Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation

PCB polychlorinated biphenyl
 xviii • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction

PCE perchloroethylene (aka tetrachloroethylene)

Table 2 (cont.)

PCP pentachlorophenol

PNRS Preliminary Natural Resource Survey

ppb parts per billion

ppm parts per million

ppt parts per thousand

PRP Potentially Responsible Party

PVC polyvinyl chloride

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RD/RA Remedial Design/Remedial Action

RDX cyclonite

RI/FS Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

ROD Record of Decision

SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986

SVOC semi-volatile organic compound

TCA 1,1,1-trichloroethane

TCE trichloroethylene

TCL Target Compound List

TNT trinitrotoluene

TPH total petroleum hydrocarbons

TSS total suspended solids

USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

UST underground storage tank

VOC volatile organic compound

< less than

> greater than
Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction • xix

PLEASE CITE AS:

Garman, Gayle, and Lori Harris, editors. 1997. Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Reviews,

December 1997. Seattle: Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 130 pp.
 xx • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Introduction
Region 1 • 1

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil • 1

1

Beede Waste Oil

Site Exposure Potential

The Beede Waste Oil site comprises two parcels

of land on about 16 ha in Plaistow, New Hampshire (Figure 1). Kelly Brook flows through the

site for about 0.6 km and then flows into the

Little River approximately 1.5 km downstream

from Parcel 1 (Figure 2). From the confluence

with Kelly Brook, the Little River flows about 7

km before entering the Merrimack River, which

enters the Atlantic Ocean approximately 35 km

downstream.

The site was a waste oil recycling and virgin fuel

oil storage and distribution facility from 1926

until 1994. Parcel 1 was used for petroleum and

waste storage and handling, and Parcel 2 was

Plaistow, New Hampshire

CERCLIS #NHD018958140

used primarily for commercial sand and gravel

operations (Figure 2). There are numerous

localized areas on the site where wastes were

stored or disposed. The most contaminated areas

include a former surface lagoon where waste oils

were deposited, surface-water runoff pits where

releases of petroleum products were documented,

and two interceptor trenches (SH&A 1995;

Figure 2). By 1978, 86 aboveground storage

tanks (ASTs) with a total capacity of 4.9 million

liters were in use; 38 of these tanks are documented to have contained waste oil, sludge, or

water contaminated with PCBs and trace elements. There are numerous piles of contaminated soil and debris, with an estimated total
2 • Region 1

2 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil

volume of 15,000 m3, at the site. Although

most of the contaminated soils are located on

Parcel 1, PCB-contaminated soils are stockpiled

on Parcel 2, also (SH&A 1995). In 1992, the

New Hampshire Department of Environmental

Services began maintaining oil-absorbent booms

in Kelly Brook because free product oil was

observed discharging into the brook east of the

older site building. Free product oil samples

analyzed from groundwater at the site contain

combinations of lubricating oil, kerosene, weathered gasoline, light fuel oil, Fuel Oil No. 2, and

diesel oil (SH&A 1995).

Groundwater and seeps of waste oils appear to be

the primary pathways for migration of contaminants from the site to Kelly Brook. The available

site documents did not discuss any drainage

ditches on-site that lead to Kelly Brook, although

this is a possible migration pathway. The topography of Parcel 1 is relatively flat but the northeastern portion slopes towards Kelly Brook. The

Newburyport

Plaistow

Atlantic

Ocean

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

495

95

N

Beede Waste 

Oil site

0 2.5 5

 kilometers

Merrim a ck Riv e r

Figure 1. Location of Beede Waste Oil site in Plaistow, New Hampshire.

Prepared from USGS Boston, MA; NH; CT; RI; ME 1;250,000 scale map 1956, revised 1970

NY

CT RI

NH ★

MA

VT

Atlantic Ocean

Little River

Ke lly Brook
Region 1 • 3

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil • 3

N

Surface water 

runoff pit no. 1

Former AST

storage area

Former 

lagoon

Former

40,000-

gallon UST

Interceptor

trench

Surface 

water runoff 

pit no. 2

Kelly Brook

SW-3

SW-2

SW-5 SW-6

SW-7

SW-8

SW-4

Waste oil

tanks

Fuel oil

tanks Drum storage

Existing

building

(newer)

area

AST 

containment

structure

Old County Road

Fran Avenue

Kel yl Road

Figure 2. Detail of the Beede Waste Oil site in Plaistow, New Hampshire.

0 25 50

 meters

Kel yl Brook

nnU de ma

keer C

Sediment and surface

 water sampling locations

SH&A 1995

PARCEL 2

PARCEL 1

Existing 

building 

(older)
4 • Region 1

4 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil

topography of Parcel 2 varies as a result of sand

and gravel mining operations (SH&A 1995).

The overburden geology in the region is characterized as primarily marine sand containing a few

beds of silt and clayey silt with some surficial

deposits of glacial sand and gravel, and till.

Bedrock has been encountered at 20 to 23 m

below the ground surface (bgs). Groundwater is

typically found at depths ranging from approximately 1 to 7m bgs; aquifer thicknesses at the

site range from approximately 15 to more than

25 m. Groundwater beneath Parcel 1 generally

flows east and northeast. The principal zone of

discharge for overburden groundwater flowing

from the site is Kelly Brook. The average volumetric discharge of groundwater from the site to

Kelly Brook is an estimated 240 m3

/day, or

approximately 4% of the average stream flow

(SH&A 1995).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

riffle stretches of the stream with finer sands in

pool environments. The Little River is a moderate-sized, short stream originating in Bayberry

Pond, approximately 3 km upstream of the

confluence of Kelly Brook, and discharging to the

Merrimack River approximately 7 km downstream of the confluence. The Little River is

lower gradient with a primarily warm-water fish

assemblage. Substrates are likely composed of

sands with finer sediments in ponded areas

(Ingham personal communication 1997).

Kelly Brook and the Little River have populations

of catadromous American eel throughout both

streams. Anadromous species do not use these

streams.

The Little River discharges into Reach I of the

lower Merrimack River. Reach I is the lower 50

km of the river from the Essex Dam, in Lawrence,

Massachusetts, to the mouth. The river in this

reach is large, generally between 200 and 400 m

wide with pools of 7 m or deeper. Sediments

range from large rubble to silts with 65% of the

bottom substrate classified as sand and gravel, and

14% as fine silts (USFWS 1982). The confluence

of the Little and Merrimack rivers is near the

transition between freshwater riverine and tidal

estuarine habitat (Ingham pers. commun. 1997).

The Merrimack River has runs of seven anadromous species: Atlantic sturgeon, Atlantic salmon,

American shad, alewife, blueback herring, rainbow smelt, and striped bass. In addition, the

river is within the known distribution of the

shortnose sturgeon, but verified collections of this

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are

surface water, stream channel bottom, and

associated riparian zones of Kelly Brook, the

Little River, and the Merrimack River. Anadromous and catadromous fish species that use the

three streams are the resources of concern to

NOAA (Table 1).

Kelly Brook is a small, spring-fed stream that

flows from its headwaters for approximately 7 km

to the Little River. The stream is high-gradient,

cold-water with typical riffle-pool habitats for

most of its length. Gravel substrates dominate
Region 1 • 5

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil • 5

Table 1. Major NOAA trust species that use Kelly Brook, Little River, and lower Merrimack River near the site.

protected species have not been made. The

catadromous American eel and the anadromous

and parasitic sea lamprey are also found in the

river. Atlantic sturgeon, rainbow smelt, and

striped bass use non-tidal, freshwater segments of

Reach I as a primary spawning ground and

nursery area. Alewife, blueback herring, and

American shad also spawn in Reach I and migrate

above the Essex Dam. Atlantic salmon use

Reach I as a migratory corridor to spawning

grounds in the upper watershed (USFWS 1982).

In 1981, the States of Massachusetts and New

Hampshire, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and

the U.S. Forest Service formed the Policy and

Technical Committees for Anadromous Fishery

Management of the Merrimack River. The goals

of the committees are restoring anadromous fish

populations within the basin and restoration of

spawning habitat by developing fish passage

facilities at key dams. Atlantic salmon and

American shad are the target species; the other

anadromous species also would benefit from this

management program. Since the inception of

the program, several formerly impassable dams

upstream of the site have had fish passage facilities installed. A major stocking program of

juvenile Atlantic salmon and American shad is

underway, planting fish in several tributaries and

the mainstem Merrimack upstream of the site

(USFWS 1982).

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS SPECIES

Kelly Brook/Little River

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

Merrimack River

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus ♦ ♦♦

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

American shad Alosa sapidissima ♦ ♦♦

Atlantic salmon* Salmo salar ♦

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus ♦ ♦♦

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis ♦ ♦♦

Rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus ♦ ♦

Striped bass Morone saxatilis ♦ ♦♦ ♦

* Atlantic salmon use the lower Merrimack River near the site as a migratory corridor to upstream

spawning grounds
6 • Region 1

6 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil

There are no plans to stock the Little River with

anadromous fish because of its small size. However, the New Hampshire Department of Fish

and Game stocks and manages the river for

recreational taking of brook trout, a non-NOAA

trust species. Kelly Brook also contains a selfsustaining population of brook trout (Ingham

pers. commun. 1997).

The habitat type and the presence of a recreational brook trout fishery in the Little River

indicate that blueback herring and alewife could

inhabit the river, although they have not been

observed there. These species could use the

Little River in the future if restoration activities

on the Merrimack River enhance their overall

populations in the watershed.

Site-Related Contamination

concentrations, although their presence on- and

off-site indicates that contaminants have migrated

from the site. VOCs can facilitate environmental

transport of other, less soluble organic contaminants, such as PCBs, but this is undocumented at

the site. Petroleum hydrocarbons may pose a risk

to trust resources but screening guidelines are

not available for these compounds.

Soil and groundwater data indicate potential

sources of contaminants to Kelly Brook and

NOAA trust resources. VOCs and TPH in or

near the water table were highest in soils near the

former lagoon and Surface Water Runoff Pit No.

2 (up to 440 mg/kg total non-chlorinated

aromatic VOCs, up to 210 mg/kg total chlorinated VOCs, and up to 35,000 mg/kg TPH)

(SH&A 1995). Maximum concentrations of

trace elements and PCBs detected in soils are

presented in Table 2. Limited data were available

for trace elements in soils. During the Site and

Waste Characterization, total PCBs were detected

in 10 of 14 soil samples at concentrations of 0.4

to 1.4 mg/kg. In earlier studies, total PCBs

were typically detected in soils at concentrations

of approximately 5 mg/kg or less, although PCB

concentrations as high as 1500 mg/kg were

reported (U.S. EPA 1994, as cited in SH&A;

NHDES 1995, as cited in SH&A 1995).

A light, non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL)

floating on the groundwater at ten monitoring

wells affects an estimated 0.4 to 0.8 ha. PCBs

have been detected in all LNAPL samples, at

concentrations of 11 to 80 mg/kg. LNAPL

thicknesses typically range from 0.3 to 1.5 m,

with the greatest thicknesses found at the former

Data on site-related contamination for this report

were obtained from the Site and Waste Characterization (SH&A 1995), which reported results

from sampling conducted as part of the characterization in 1995, and briefly reviewed results from

previous investigations. Based on the Site and

Waste Characterization, PCBs and trace elements

are the primary contaminants of concern to

NOAA. VOCs and petroleum hydrocarbons

reported as total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)

were detected at elevated concentrations in soil

and groundwater on-site, and in surface water

and sediment of Kelly Brook. However, VOCs

are of limited concern to NOAA at their detected
Region 1 • 7

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil • 7

Table 2. Maximum concentrations of contaminants of concern to NOAA detected in soil and groundwater at

the Beede Waste Oil site compared to NOAA screening guidelines.

lagoon and near the interceptor trenches (SH&A

1995).

Total non-chlorinated aromatic VOCs and total

chlorinated VOCs were detected in groundwater

at concentrations up to 4.4 and 7.2 mg/L,

respectively (SH&A 1995). Table 2 presents

maximum concentrations of trace elements

detected in groundwater. Elevated concentrations of trace elements were correlated with the

presence of LNAPL. PCBs were not analyzed in

groundwater during the Site and Waste Characterization. During a previous investigation

conducted by Haley and Aldrich in 1994,

samples analyzed for PCBs were all non-detect,

but detection limits were not reported

(SH&A 1995).

In general, the highest concentrations of contaminants in surface water and sediment were

found in samples collected from between the

interceptor trench and Kelly Brook (colocated

samples SW-2 and SS-2; see Figure 2). This area

was flooded in April 1990. VOCs were detected

in surface water at 9 μg/L in sample SW-2 and at

10 μg/L in Kelly Brook. The highest concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons were detected

in samples SW-2 and SS-2 (88 mg/L in surface

water and 1600 mg/kg in sediment). Petroleum

hydrocarbons were not detected within Kelly

Brook in 1995, although discharges of free

product into the brook had been observed in

1992.

Soil

mg/kg

Avg. U.S.a

mg/kg

Groundwater

μg/L

Freshwater

Chronic AWQCb

μg/L

Trace Elements

Arsenic N/A 5.2 90d 190

Cadmium N/A 0.06c 27d 1.1

Lead 189e 16 2,600d 3.2

Organic Compounds

Aroclor 1242 1.0d NA NDf NA

Aroclor 1260 0.4d NA NDf NA

Total PCBs 1,500e NA NDf 0.014

N/A: Not analyzed

NA: Not available

a: Shacklette and Boerngen (1984)

b: U.S. EPA 1993

c: Lindsay (1979; cadmium represents average concentrations in the earth’s crust)

d: SH&A (1995)

e: NHDES (1995); U.S. EPA (1994)

f: Haley and Aldrich 1994; detection limit not reported.
8 • Region 1

8 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil

Table 3 presents maximum concentrations of

trace elements and PCBs detected in surface

water and sediment. Trace elements were not

detected in sediment during the Site and Waste

Characterization, but both the specific trace

elements analyzed and the detection limits were

unclear. Concentrations of arsenic and lead

exceeded their respective ERLs in sediment

samples collected from a location in the floodplain of Kelly Brook during a previous study

(NHDES 1995, as cited in SH&A 1995). During the Site and Waste Characterization, the only

samples in which PCBs were detected were SW-2

(15 μg/L) and SS-2 (2.2 mg/kg). In previous

studies, PCBs were detected at concentrations of

up to 25 mg/kg in sediment and 3300 μg/L in

surface water; elevated concentrations were found

primarily in the floodplain of Kelly Brook. Contaminants were not detected at concentrations of

concern in Kelly Brook at SW-8; however, sampling has not been conducted in depositional

areas downstream of SW-8.

Summary

For nearly 70 years, the Beede Waste Oil site was

used to store and handle petroleum products and

waste oils. Kelly Brook flows through the site to

the Little River which discharges to the

Merrimack River. Catadromous American eel is

the only NOAA trust resource observed in Kelly

Table 3. Maximum concentrations of contaminants of concern to NOAA detected in Kelly Brook and

associated floodplain during investigations at the Beede Waste Oil site compared to NOAA

screening guidelines.

Surface Water

μg/L

Freshwater Chronic

AWQCa

μg/L

Sediment

mg/kg

ERLb

mg/kg

Trace Elements

Arsenic NDc 190 51d 8.2

Cadmium 1

c 1.1 1.7d 1.2

Lead NDc 3.2 130d 46.7

Organic Compounds

Aroclor 1260 15c NA 2.2c NA

Total PCBs 3,300e 0.014 25e 0.0227

NA: Not available.

ND: Not detected; detection limits not available.

a: U.S. EPA 1993

b: Effects range-low (Long et al. 1995)

c: SH&A 1995

d: NHDES 1995

e: Detected during a previous investigation, not identified but reported in SH&A 1995.
Region 1 • 9

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil • 9

Brook and the Little River. However, alewife

and blueback herring may use the Little River in

the future if anadromous fish restoration activities

on the Merrimack River succeed at enhancing

their populations in the watershed. Oily free

product has been observed discharging into Kelly

Brook from the site; and LNAPL floating on the

groundwater contained elevated concentrations

of PCBs. Very high concentrations of PCBs have

been detected in Kelly Brook surface water.

References

Haley and Aldrich. 1994. (As cited in SH&A

1995). Underground storage tank program,

Phase II environmental site assessment, Beede

Waste Oil Site, Seven Kelly Road, Plaistow, New

Hampshire.

Ingham, B., Biologist, New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game, Concord, personal

communication, May 5, 1997.

Lindsay, W.L. 1979. Chemical Equilibria in Soils.

New York: Wiley and Sons. 449 pp.

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

New Hampshire Department of Environmental

Services (NHDES) 1995. (As cited in SH&A

1995). Site Inspection Report for Beede Waste

Oil, Plaistow, New Hampshire.

Sanborn, Head & Associates (SH&A). 1995.

Site and waste characterization, Beede Waste

Oil/Cash Energy Site, Plaistow, New Hampshire.

Concord: The State of New Hampshire, Department of Environmental Services, Water Supply

and Pollution Control Division, Groundwater

Protection Bureau. 113 pp. + appendices.

Shacklette, H.T. and J.G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States. USGS

Professional Paper 1270. Washington, D.C.: U.S.

Geological Survey.

U.S. EPA. 1983. Hazardous waste land treatment. EPA/530/SW-83/874. Cincinnati:

Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory.

702 pp.

U.S. EPA. 1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Office of Water, Health and Ecological

Criteria Division. 294 pp.

U.S. EPA. 1994. (As cited in SH&A 1995).

Beede Waste Oil - PCB Testing Results. Memorandum from Peter Philbrook and Dick Siscanaw

to Dorothy Girten dated November 23, 1994.
10 • Region 1

10 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Beede Waste Oil

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1982. Special

report, anadromous fish: Water and land resources

of the Merrimack River Basin. Laconia, New

Hampshire: The Policy and Technical Committees for Anadromous Fishery Management of the

Merrimack River.
Region 2 • 11

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms • 11

2

V&M/Albaladejo Farms

Site Exposure Potential

The V&M/Albaladejo Farms site is in the

Almirante Norte Ward of the municipality of

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, 1.6 km west of Route

160. The site consists of four zones (Zones 1

through 4), four burned areas (Burned Areas I

through IV), and two suspected burned areas

(Figures 1 and 2). The Río Indio flows north

approximately 650 m northwest of the site (CDM

1996). About 5 km north of the site, the Río

Indio joins the Río Cibuco, which discharges to

the Atlantic Ocean about 14 river km north of

the site (USGS 1982a & b). The area covered by

the site includes two farms located in the limestone uplands characterized by landforms typical

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

CERCLIS #PRD987366101

of karst terrain, including heavily vegetated, steep

hills surrounded by small valleys, sinkholes,

subsurface channels, and caves (CDM 1996).

Zone 1 (280 m2

) cuts directly into the hillside at

the end of a vehicular path and is littered with

scrap, wire, and ash. Portions of the site have soil

stained green, and surface contamination is

estimated to vary in depth from 0.3 to 1 m

below the surface (CDM 1996).

Zone 2 covers an area of 186 m2 and is north of

Zone 1. A hand-dug pit is coated with metal

shavings and is surrounded by scrap metal. A

steep, vehicular path from the site provides a
12 • Region 2

12 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms

0 0.5 1

 kilometers

N

Rio Cibuco

Rio Indio

160

2

Rio Cibuco

V&M/Albaladejo 

Farms site

Figure 1. Location of V&M/Albaladejo Farms site in Puerto Rico.

Atlantic Ocean Boca del 

Cibuco

Adapted from USGS Vega Alta, Puerto Rico 1:20 000 scale map 1969, photorevised 1982

V&M site

Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea

Puerto Rico

Vieques

Culebra

San Juan
Region 2 • 13

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms • 13Figure 2. Detail of the V&M/Albaladejo Farms site.

N

Not to scale

Suspected burned area

Burned Area III

Zone 2

Burned Area I

Burned Area IV

Zone 1

Zone 1A

Burned Area II

Zone 4

Suspected burned area

Dirt road

Dirt road

Paved road

Zone 3

Entrance

Karst

Hill

Karst

Hill

Karst

Hill

Karst

Hill

Karst Hill

Karst Hill

Field

Field

Adapted from unscaled, hand-drawn map in CDM 1996

Sinkhole
14 • Region 2

14 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms

direct route for surface water runoff to flow

towards sinkholes located approximately 180 m

east of the site (CDM 1996).

Zone 3 is heavily vegetated and is located within

a large sinkhole that occupies the center of the

site, and reportedly consists of two burn areas.

Two smaller sinkholes are located within the large

sinkhole. The areal extent of soil contamination

at Zone 3 is unknown (CDM 1996).

Zone 4 is located east of Zone 1 across a heavily

vegetated ridge. Scrap and wire remnants cover

this cleared area of approximately 370 m2

. The

hillside east of Zone 4 is believed to have been

tilled in the past, possibly introducing contamination deeper into the soil (CDM 1996).

The V&M site was used for dumping plasticcoated electric cables, electrical equipment, and

car batteries. The wastes were burned to recover

copper, aluminum, and lead. It is believed that

open burning without containment was used

during the burning and recovery process. It is

not known when the burning activity began on

either the V&M or the Albaladejo farm properties. Beginning in 1985, trucks that were allegedly working for the Puerto Rico Telephone

Company and the Puerto Rico Electric and

Power Authority were observed carrying wastes

onto the site. Burning reportedly ceased in 1986

when the V&M farm was purchased by its current

owner, but continued into 1988 on the

Albaladejo farm. The total quantity of waste

disposal at the site is unknown (CDM 1996).

Groundwater movement is believed to be the

primary mechanism of contaminant transport

from the site. The Aymamon and Aguada Formations together form one of the primary sources

of groundwater within the region, comprising the

upper, unconfined aquifer system. On a regional

scale, groundwater in the Aymamon-Aguada

Formation flows northward towards the Atlantic

Ocean. Local groundwater flow direction near

the site may be to the north-northwest, possibly

discharging to the Río Indio (CDM 1996).

Direct infiltration of precipitation on outcrop

areas and surface runoff into sinkholes is the

primary source of recharge to the water table

aquifer. The bedrock/soil interface is probably

part of a highly irregular, well-developed karst.

This implies that recharge, be it percolation

through soil or into sinkholes, follows a complex

path of least resistance influenced by joints,

bedding planes, and open or sediment-filled

solution channels. Hydraulic conductivity estimates of the upper aquifer range from about 150

m/day to more than 450 m/day.

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

Habitats of concern to NOAA are surface water

and bottom substrates of the Río Indio, the Río

Cibuco, and their tributaries. Riparian zones,

estuaries, and wetlands associated with these
Region 2 • 15

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms • 15

rivers, including mangrove swamps located at the

mouth of the Río Cibuco, also are NOAA trust

habitats potentially threatened by the transport

of contaminants from the site.

Most of the native fish and shrimp species in

Puerto Rico are compulsory migrators, either

catadromous or amphidromous, and thus NOAA

trust species (Oland 1997; Yoshioka 1997; Table

1). The term amphidromous refers to predominantly freshwater species in which the life cycle

includes a larval phase in marine or estuarine

water. These fish and shrimp mature and reproduce in freshwater, releasing either eggs or larvae

which are carried downstream. These species are

iteroparous (they do not die after spawning) and

can spawn several times during their life cycle.

For shrimp, the first-stage larvae are non-feeding

and must reach waters containing salinities of

approximately 15 ppt in order to molt to a

feeding-stage larvae (Oland 1997).

The gobies and most of the shrimp species are

capable of passing large obstacles (high waterfalls, and dams with surface water overflow) in

their migrations upstream; they are found in the

headwaters, up to the point where flow becomes

intermittent (Oland 1997).

The mountain mullet is a popular native game

fish that can sustain swimming speeds similar to

trout, is very active, and is sensitive to disturbance. High dams and reservoirs have eliminated

the mullet from many upland streams. The fat

sleeper and spiny-cheeked sleeper are usually

restricted to the lower portions of the river near

the estuary. Larval sirajo gobies, known as setí,

are collected during their upstream migration

and eaten as a local delicacy. The catadromous

American eel is occasionally taken by fishermen

and likely used as bait (Oland 1997).

Bigmouth sleepers and the river goby are found

in most rivers as well as some reservoirs. Both

are believed to pass part of their life cycle in saltwater, but may be capable of completing their

life cycles in freshwater. Although both species

are taken as a food fish, little is known about the

life history of the river goby (Oland 1997).

Shrimp are diverse and abundant, and are often

the predominant predators, herbivores, and

detritivores found in these streams. Shrimp of

the genus Macrobrachium provide a popular

fishery for both food and bait. Macrobrachium

can grow quite large; for example, the big claw

river shrimp is over 50 cm long with claws.

Shrimp of the genus Atya are also large, and are

commonly fished throughout the Caribbean

(Oland 1997).

No information was found regarding dams or

barriers on either Río Indio or Río Cibuco that

might prevent migration of NOAA trust resources along the river near the site.

An extensive wetland system exists at the mouth

of Río Cibuco. This wetland system includes

extensive estuarine mangrove forests and herbaceous wetlands. It is listed by the Puerto Rico

Department of Natural and Environmental

Resources as a Critical Coastal Wildlife Area

(Oland 1997).
16 • Region 2

16 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms

Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name Spawning

Nursery/

Juvenile

Rearing

Adult

Forage Comm. Recr.

AMPHIDROMOUS/CATADROMOUS FISHES

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦♦ ♦

Big-mouth

sleeper1

Gobiomorus dormitor ♦♦♦♦♦

Fat sleeper Dormitator maculatus ♦♦♦

Mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola ♦♦♦ ♦

River goby1 Awaous tajasica ♦♦♦♦♦

Sirajo goby Sicydium plumieri ♦♦♦♦

Spiny-cheek

sleeper

Eleotris pisonis ♦♦♦

CRUSTACEANS

Big Claw River

shrimp

Macrobrachium carcinus ♦♦♦♦♦

Cascade River

prawn

Macrobrachium

heterochirus

♦♦♦♦♦

Cinnamon River

shrimp

Macrobrachium

acanthurus

♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Atya innocous ♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Atya lanipes ♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Atya scabra ♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Jonga serrei ♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Macrobrachium

crenulatum

♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Macrobrachium

faustinum

♦♦♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Micratya poeyi ♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Potimirrim americana ♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Potimirrim glabra ♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Potimirrim mexicana ♦♦♦

Shrimp2 Xiphocaris elongata ♦♦♦

1: There are some reports of populations located in reservoirs; may not be an obligate migrator.

2: No common name provided by USFWS or found in Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates of

the United States and Canada published by the American Fisheries Society.

Table 1. Target species of commercial and recreational interest likely to be found in Río Indio, Río Cibuco,

and the estuary. (This table is not a complete listing of NOAA trust resources found in lower Río

Cibuco and the estuary.)
Region 2 • 17

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms • 17

Site-Related Contamination

Aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium, and silver were reported in soils from the

site at concentrations exceeding their mean

concentrations in soils of the earth’s crust (U.S.

EPA 1983). Groundwater, surface water, and

sediment samples have not yet been collected at

the site or from off-site areas near the site. These

data will be collected following completion of a

planned removal of the most contaminated soils

(Kwan 1997).

Surface soil samples collected during the 1989

site investigation were reported to have elevated

concentrations of copper (403,000 mg/kg),

antimony (633 mg/kg), and dioxins (110 ng/kg

TCDD TEQ). Mercury, silver, toluene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and 4,4’-DDD were also reported

in soil samples. Soil samples collected from burn

areas during November 1994 had the following

average trace element concentrations: aluminum

(24,356 mg/kg), antimony (1,363 mg/kg),

cadmium (329 mg/kg), copper (57,697 mg/

kg), lead (16,410 mg/kg), and silver (20 mg/kg;

CDM 1996). Table 2 presents results of a soil

study conducted in 1994.

In a study conducted by the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency in March 1996, more than

230 soil samples were collected along grids set

out in Zones 1, 2, and 4 and analyzed for copper

and lead. The maximum reported copper concentration was 214,000 mg/kg, while that for

lead was 116,000 mg/kg (CDM 1996).

Table 2. Maximum concentrations of trace elements detected in soils at the V&M/Albaladejo Farms Site in

1994 (CDM 1996) compared to their mean concentrations in U.S. soils (Lindsay 1979; Shacklette

and Boerngen 1984).

Trace Element

Maximum

Concentration,

mg/kg

Frequency of

Detection Location

Mean Conc. in U.S.

Soilsa, mg/kg

Antimony 2,600 16/16 Zone 2 0.5

Arsenic 250 16/16 Zone 4 5.2

Cadmium 40 16/16 Zone 2 0.06b

Chromium 170 16/16 Zone 2 37

Copper 240,000 16/16 Zone 1 17

Lead 68,000 16/16 Zone 4 16

Manganese 2,100 16/16 Zone 2 330

Mercury 0.36 14/16 Zone 4 0.06

Selenium 8.2 14/16 Zone 4 0.3

Silver 20 15/16 Zone 2 0.05b

a: Shacklette and Boerngen (1984)

b: Lindsay (1979; cadmium and silver represent average concentrations in the earth’s crust)
18 • Region 2

18 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / V&M/Albaladejo Farms

Shacklette, H.T. and J.G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States.

USGS Professional Paper 1270. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1983. Hazardous waste land treatment. EPA/

530/SW-83/874. SW-874. Cincinnati: Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory. 702

pp.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1982a.

Manatí Quadrangle, Puerto Rico. 7.5 minute

series (topographic). Reston, Virginia: U.S.

Government Printing Office.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1982b. Vega

Alta Quadrangle, Puerto Rico. 7.5 minute series

(topographic). Reston, Virginia: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Williams, A.B., L.G. Abele, D.L. Felder, H.H.

Hobbs, Jr., R.B. Manning, P.A. McLaughlin,

and I. Pérez Fartante. 1988. Common and

scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the

United States and Canada: Decapod crustaceans.

American Fisheries Society Special Publication

17. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda,

Maryland. 77 pp.

Yoshioka, B., Field supervisor, Caribbean Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boqueron,

Puerto Rico, personal communication, January 6,

1997.

Summary

Studies at the V&M site indicate that site soils are

contaminated with trace elements, particularly

antimony, arsenic, cadmium, silver, copper, and

lead. No investigations examined contamination

in on-site groundwater or in surface water and

sediments of Río Indio, 650 m northwest of the

site (and the nearest identified habitat that could

support NOAA trust resources). Groundwater

migration is the primary mechanism for potential

transport of contaminants off-site to NOAA trust

resources, although no studies have yet been

conducted to verify this.

References

CDM Federal Programs Corporation. 1996.

Draft work plan: remedial investigation/feasibility study, V&M/Albaladejo Farms site, Vega

Baja, Puerto Rico. New York: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2.

Kwan, Caroline, Remedial Project Manager, EPA

Region 2, New York, personal communication,

July 11, 1997.

Lindsay, W.L. 1979. Chemical Equilibria in Soils.

New York: John Wiley & Sons. 449 pp.

Oland, J.P., Field supervisor, Caribbean Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boqueron,

Puerto Rico, personal communication, January 7,

1997.
Region 3 • 19

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 19

3

Fort George G. Meade

Site Exposure Potential

Fort George G. Meade occupies approximately

5,500 ha in Anne Arundel County, Maryland,

between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (Figure 1). The Patuxent River, which drains the

area, flows along the southern border of the

facility. A tributary stream, the Little Patuxent

River, flows through the facility and receives

runoff from several waste sites (Figure 2). The

Patuxent River enters the Chesapeake Bay approximately 100 km from Fort Meade.

In 1917 Congress authorized Fort Meade as a

training facility. In 1988, the U.S. Army Base

Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) mandated

the closure and/or realignment of approximately

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

CERCLIS #MD9210020567

3,600 ha encompassing the southernmost twothirds of the installation (Figure 2). In 1991 the

U.S. Army transferred 3,300 ha of the BRAC

parcel to the Department of the Interior’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for use as a wildlife

refuge (ICF Kaiser 1997).

Table 1 lists waste sites that have been evaluated

at Fort Meade, along with information about the

dates of use and types of waste disposed at each

site (ICF Kaiser 1997). The sites include six

landfills, the Helicopter Hangar Area, the Defense Reutilization and Management Office

(DRMO) Salvage Yard, the Fire Training Area,

and the Ordnance Demolition Area. Materials
20 • Region 3

20 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade

Figure 1. Location of Fort George G. Meade in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Washington,

D.C.

Maryland

Virginia

C h e s a p e a k e B

a

y

Patuxent River

Occoquan River

0 5 10 15

 kilometers

N

Site boundary

Washington, D.C. border

Prepared from Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer, Virginia, 1989, and AAA Road Atlas, 1989.

P o t o m a c R iv e r

VA

MD

PA

DE

95

301

495

95

95

270

295

Little 

Patuxent 

River

Fort George 

G. Meade
Region 3 • 21

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 21Figure 2. Detail of waste sites at Fort George G. Meade.



 











0 1000 2000 meters

N

DRMO

 Salvage

Yard

Inactive

Landfill

No. 4

Inactive

Landfill

No. 3

Ordnance

Demolition

Area

Inactive

Landfill

No. 2

Inactive

Landfill

No. 1

Fire

Training

Area

Helicopter

Hangar

Area

Active 

Sanitary 

Landfill

Clean Fill

Dump

Lake

Allen

Ba tl mi ore W- ash ni gton Par wk

ay

Little Patuxent River

Patuxent River

South Road

Telegraph Road

BRAC PARCEL

Fort Meade

Cantonment

Area

Prepared from ICF Kaiser 1997

295

175

198

198

Midway

Branch

Fort Meade reservation boundaryWaste site



Dam
22 • Region 3

22 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade

Table 1. Description of hazardous waste sites at FGGM.

Site Name Dates History of Use Potential Migration Pathway

Inactive Landfill 1 1950-1964 Used as an unlined sanitary landfill. No information

has been found regarding the types of material

disposed.

Drainage is towards the Little Patuxent

River. Eastern portions of the site are

wetlands in the 100-year floodplain of the

river. Shallow groundwater discharges to the

wetlands and Little Patuxent River.

Inactive Landfill 2 1950s to

1980s

Operated as an unlined rubble-disposal facility. Border of the landfill is approximately 75 m

from the LIttle Patuxent River and drainage

is towards the river. The area between IAL2

and the river includes wetlands within the

100-year floodplain. Groundwater flows

radially from the site, following topography,

and then towards the Little Patuxent River.

Inactive Landfill 3 Late

1940s and

1950s

Used as a sanitary and “leaf-dump” landfill. The

Tipton Army Airfield was constructed over the fill

area in 1963.

Runoff is conveyed from the site by

drainageways towards the Little Patuxent

River. An extensive stormwater collection

system beneath the airfield directs water to

french drains that lead to the Little

Patuxent River. Groundwater flow is generally

southwest towards the river.

Inactive Landfill 4 1950s to

1970s

Used primarily as a rubble disposal area. A low-gradient drainage swale runs through

the center of the site, conducting surface

water runoff towards the Little Patuxent

River. Groundwater flows to the west and

southwest towards the Little Patuxent River. 

Clean Fill Dump 1972 to

1985

Used for disposal of miscellaneous debris such as

stumps, trees, logs, concrete, construction debris,

old appliances, and soil. Other materials that may

have been disposed here include garbage, food

wastes, cans, bottles, ash, and possible hazardous

materials. Uncontrolled dumping continued in

marshy areas outside the main dump perimeter

after 1985.

Landfill is drained by several unnamed

streams and drainage swales, generally

toward the Little Patuxent River, about 

350 m to the south. Groundwater flows

towards the river.

Active Sanitary Landfill 1958 to

present

Used for disposal of sanitary wastes as well as

petroleum wastes, pesticide wastes, and sewage

sludges in three unlined cells.

Most of the landfill’s surface water runoff

flows into two retention ponds at the

western boundary. These ponds discharge

into a small stream that enters a tributary

to the Little Patuxent River about 4 km from

the landfill. Groundwater flow follows the

topography of the site.

Helicopter Hangar Area NA Materials used or stored in this area include JP-4

fuel, hydraulic and lubricating oils, detergents, and

solvents.

The Little Patuxent River is about 20 m

northwest of the site. There are two outfalls

from the HHA into the Little Patuxent River. 

Groundwater flows to the northwest.

Defense Reutilization and

Management Office

(DRMO) Salvage Yard 

NA Used as a storage area for a variety of equipment,

including discarded vehicles, electrical transformers,

electronic equipment, heating and cooling units,

pipes, dumpsters, and scrap metals. 

Located about 500 m from a tributary to

Lake Allen, and about 1 km from the Little

Patuxent River. Information on surface water

runoff was not available. Groundwater flows

from the site to the east and northeast. 

Fire Training Area 1979 to

present

Used for fire training. Fires are set using aviation

fuel or gasoline and extinguished with either water

or aqueous foam composed primarily of pressurized

biological proteins.

Information on surface runoff or groundwater

flow pathways from the site was not

available. The site is located about 400 m

from the Little Patuxent River.

Ordnance Demolition

Area

NA Used for demolition of obsolete ordnance. A stream near the eastern berm of the site

flows southward for about 750 m to the

Patuxent River. Direction of groundwater flow

is to the southwest.
Region 3 • 23

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 23

used or disposed at these sites included municipal

and domestic waste, pesticides, electrical transformers, solvents, PCBs, inert material, and waste

oils and lubricants.

Surface water and groundwater are potential

pathways for contaminant migration from the

site. The Little Patuxent River flows southeast

across Fort Meade along a broad, flat river valley

with extensive wetlands. In general, much of the

terrain at Fort Meade is low-lying. Approximately

half of the BRAC parcel has been identified as

wetlands, including portions of Inactive Landfill 1

(IAL1), Inactive Landfill 2 (IAL2), and the Clean

Fill Dump. The Little Patuxent River flows near

the borders of the Helicopter Hangar Area,

IAL1, IAL2, and the Clean Fill Dump. Several

unnamed tributaries also flow across Fort Meade.

Table 1 describes surface water pathways for each

of the identified waste sites.

There are groundwater aquifers at Fort Meade

within several geologic formations consisting of

unconsolidated sands, clays, and silts. There are

three distinct aquifers at the site (the upper

Patapsco, the lower Patapsco, and the Patuxent)

separated by confining layers. Because the

underlying formations dip towards the east and

are progressively exposed, the surficial deposits

vary. The regional groundwater flow is to the

southeast, but local flow in the surficial deposits

generally mirrors the topography. Soils within

the BRAC parcel are primarily loamy and clayey

underlain by an unstable clay of low permeability.

Groundwater studies at the site indicate that the

shallow sands aquifer is probably discharging to

the Little Patuxent River (ICF Kaiser 1997).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are

surface water, stream bottom, and associated

riparian zones of the Little Patuxent River, its

tributaries, and the Patuxent River. Anadromous

and catadromous fish species that use the streams

are the resources of concern to NOAA (EA

Engineering 1992; Table 2).

The Little Patuxent River is a medium-sized,

warmwater stream with a warmwater resident fish

population dominated by river chub, shiners, and

sunfish. The stream is typically 15 to 23 m wide

and 0.6 to 2.5 m deep as it traverses Fort Meade.

Slow-flowing runs dominate this portion of the

stream with smaller areas of riffle/pool habitat.

Sediments range from cobble to silty sands.

Extensive hardwood wetlands are located along

the river on the Fort Meade property. Overcup

oak stands dominate in areas submerged for most

of the year, while red maple, sweetgum, and red

ash are prevalent in areas that are seasonally

flooded (EA Engineering 1992).

Several anadromous species use the Little Patuxent River during their spawning runs in the

spring, including white perch, hickory shad,

alewife, and blueback herring. Before 1991, the
24 • Region 3

24 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade

Fort Meade Dam, located on the facility, was the

upstream extent of migratory runs in the river.

In 1991, fish passage facilities were constructed,

allowing passage to areas upstream of Fort

Meade. The catadromous American eel is a

common, year-round resident of the Little

Patuxent River. In a 1992 fish survey, eels were

collected at all Fort Meade stream stations (EA

Engineering 1992).

The Patuxent River is a large, warmwater stream

typically about 30 m wide and 0.6 to 3 m deep.

The river at the site is low-gradient, dominated

by slow-flowing runs; bottom substrates range

from sands to silts with a few areas of cobble.

The riparian zone of the Patuxent River near Fort

Meade is dominated by hardwood wetlands of

the type seen on the Little Patuxent (EA Engineering 1992). The anadromous species that

spawn in the Little Patuxent River are also found

in the Patuxent River next to the site during

Table 2. Major NOAA trust species that use the Little Patuxent River and Patuxent River near Fort Meade.

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS SPECIES

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus ♦ ♦

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis ♦ ♦

Hickory shad Alosa mediocris ♦ ♦

Striped bass Morone saxatilis ♦∗ ♦∗ ♦∗ ♦

White perch Morone americana ♦♦ ♦

* Striped bass are found in the lower Patuxent River and estuary approximately 30 km downstream of

FGGM. They are not found near the site.

spawning runs. Striped bass, another anadromous species, is abundant in the lower Patuxent

River, but is restricted to tidal portions, 30 km or

more downstream of the site. American eel are

found throughout the Patuxent and Chesapeake

basins (Stone et al. 1994).

There are extensive recreational and commercial

fisheries in the lower Patuxent River and estuary,

but not adjacent to the site. Recreational fisheries

in several ponds and small impoundments on Fort

Meade are stocked with catfish, bluegill, and

largemouth bass. No Federal threatened or

endangered aquatic species are present in the

Little Patuxent and Patuxent rivers near Fort

Meade. There are no consumption advisories for

the basin (EA Engineering 1992).
Region 3 • 25

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 25

Site-Related Contamination

This report summarizes results from the most

recent sampling conducted at each of the hazardous waste sites at Fort Meade. At IAL1, IAL2,

IAL3, and the Clean Fill Dump, the most recent

sampling was conducted in 1996 as part of a

remedial investigation for those areas (ICF Kaiser

1997). A 1995 site inspection contained the

most recent results for the Helicopter Hangar

Area, the DRMO Salvage Yard, the Fire Training

Area, and the Ordnance Demolition Area (Arthur

D. Little 1995). The most recent sampling at the

Active Sanitary Landfill was conducted in 1993

for the remedial investigation (Arthur D. Little

1994). For IAL4, the most recent sampling

results were presented in a 1992 site inspection

study (EA Engineering 1992).

Table 3 presents the maximum concentrations of

contaminants detected in groundwater and soils

throughout Fort Meade during the investigations, along with the areas where the maximum

concentrations were detected.

The highest concentrations of trace elements in

groundwater were in samples collected from the

Helicopter Hangar Area, the Active Sanitary

Landfill, and the Clean Fill Dump. Groundwater

seep samples collected from the Active Sanitary

Landfill contained elevated concentrations of a

number of trace elements. Soils containing the

highest concentrations of trace elements were

collected from IAL3 and the Clean Fill Dump.

In general, soil and groundwater samples exceeded screening guidelines for trace elements at

Fort Meade areas so infrequently and sporadically

that gradients of contamination were not apparent.

Pesticides were most frequently detected in soils

and groundwater at the landfill areas. Explosive

compounds were detected in groundwater but

not in soils at the Ordnance Demolition Area and

at IAL3. PCBs are the primary contaminants of

concern at the DRMO Salvage Yard. Aroclor

1260 was detected in five of six soil samples

collected at the salvage yard in 1993 at concentrations ranging from 0.27 to 4 mg/kg (Arthur

D. Little 1995). During a previous investigation

in 1991, total PCBs were detected at a maximum

concentration of 93 mg/kg in the southernmost

area of the DRMO Salvage Yard, an area that was

not sampled in 1993 (Arthur D. Little 1995).

PCBs were not detected in groundwater at the

salvage yard, but detection limits were not available.

Surface water and sediment samples have been

collected from drainages and tributaries associated with the following areas: IAL1, IAL2, IAL3,

IAL4, the Active Sanitary Landfill, the Clean Fill

Dump, the Helicopter Hangar Area, and the Fire

Training Area (EA Engineering 1992; Arthur D.

Little 1994; ICF Kaiser 1997). In addition,

during the 1996 RI (ICF Kaiser 1997), sediment

and surface water samples were collected from the

Little Patuxent River along a stretch from the

Helicopter Hangar Area to the Clean Fill Dump.

Maximum concentrations of contaminants in

surface water and sediment detected during those

studies are shown in Table 4, along with the areas
26 • Region 3

26 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade

Table 3. Maximum concentrations of contaminants in groundwater and soils detected during recent

investigations, locations of maximum concentrations, and water and soil screening guidelines.

Groundwater Location AWQCa Soils Location Mean U.S.b

 Trace Elements (μg/L or mg/kg)

 Arsenic 270 HHA 190 14 IAL3 5.2

 Cadmium 35 HHA 1.1c 3.0 CFD 0.06

 Copper 380 HHA 12c 70 CFD 17

 Lead 220 HHA 3.2c 1,000 CFD 16

 Mercury 1.2 ASL 0.012 1.2 IAL3 0.06

 Nickel 1,100 ASL 160 40 CFD 13

 Silver ND -- 0.12 3.3 IAL3 0.05

 Zinc 8,200 CFD 110c 750 CFD 48

 PCBs

 Total PCBs ND -- 0.014 93 DSY NA

 Pesticides (μg/L or μg/kg)

 Gamma chlordane 0.0085 IAL1 0.0043d 0.21 CFD NA

 Alpha chlordane 0.012 IAL1 0.0043d ND -- NA

 DDT 0.12 IAL1 0.001 1.2 CFD NA

 DDE ND -- NA 0.26 CFD NA

 DDD 0.029 IAL1 NA 0.68 IAL3 NA

 Endosulfan II 0.01 CFD 0.056e 0.015 CFD NA

 Endrin 0.039 IAL1 0.0023 0.082 CFD NA

 Other Organic Compounds (μg/L or μg/kg)

 RDX 84 ODA NA ND -- NA

 HMX 9.1 ODA NA ND -- NA

 1,3,5-Trinitrobenzene 0.68 IAL3 NA ND -- NA

 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene 7.8 IAL3 NA ND -- NA

 2,4-Nitrotoluene 0.62 ODA NA ND -- NA

 4-Nitrotoluene 2.2 IAL3 NA ND -- NA

 2-Amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene 0.52 IAL3 NA ND -- NA

 4-Amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene 32 IAL3 NA ND -- NA

 a: Ambient water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic organisms. Freshwater chronic criteria presented (EPA

1993).

 b: Shacklette and Boerngen (1984), except for cadmium and silver which represent average concentrations in the earth’s

crust from Lindsay (1979).

 c: Hardness-dependent criteria; 100 mg/L CaCO3 assumed.

 d: Chlordane value used.

 e: Endosulfan value used.

 ND: Not detected; detection limit not available.

 NA: Screening guidelines not available.

 ASL: Active Sanitary Landfill

 CFD: Clean Fill Dump

 HHA: Helicopter Hangar Area

 IAL1: Inactive Landfill 1

 IAL3: Inactive Landfill 2

 ODA: Orndance Demolition Area
Region 3 • 27

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 27

Table 4. Maximum concentrations of contaminants in surface water and sediment detected during recent

investigations; locations of maximum concentrations; and water and sediment screening

guidelines.

Surface Water

μg/L Location

AWQCa

μg/L

Sediment

mg/kg Location

ERLb

mg/kg

 Trace Elements

 Arsenic 2.6 ASL stream 190 14 AL4 drainage swale 8.2

 Cadmium ND -- 1.1c 1.8 IAL3d 1.2

 Chromium 47 CFD tributary 11 24 HHA Little Patuxent R. 81

 Copper 36 CFD tributary 12c 70 IAL4 drainage swale 34

 Lead 37 CFD tributary 3.2c 170 IAL4 drainage swale 46.7

 Mercury ND -- 0.012 0.51 IAL4 drainage swale 0.15

 Silver 0.149 IAL1 east marsh 0.12 4.8 CFD tributary 1.0

 Zinc 145 CFD tributary 110c 180 CFD tributary 150

 PCBs

 Aroclor 1260 ND -- 0.014 0.51 IAL4 drainage swale 0.0027

 Pesticides

 Chlordane ND -- NA 0.15 CFD tributary NA

 DDD ND -- NA 2.0 IAL4 drainage swale 0.0016e

 DDE ND -- NA 0.14 IAL4 drainage swale 0.0022

 DDT ND -- 0.001 0.15 IAL4 drainage swale 0.0016e

 Dieldrin ND -- NA 0.015 IAL4 drainage swale NA

 Endosulfan II 0.0065 IAL2 marsh NA 0.072 CFD tributary NA

 Endrin ND -- 0.0023 0.022 CFD tributary NA

 Endrin ketone 0.0093 IAL2 marsh 0.0023f ND -- NA

 a: Ambient water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic organisms. Freshwater chronic criteria 

presented (EPA 1993).

 b: Effects range-low; the concentration representing the lowest 10 percentile value for the data in which effects

were observed or predicted in studies compiled by Long and MacDonald (1995).

 c: Hardness-dependent criteria; 100 mg/L CaCO3 assumed.

 d: Sampling location at IAL3 was not available.

 e: Total DDT value used.

 f: Endrin value used.

 ND: Not detected; detection limit not available.

 NA: Screening guidelines not available.

 ASL: Active Sanitary Landfill

 CFD: Clean Fill Dump

 HHA: Helicopter Hangar Area

 IAL1-4: Inactive Landfills 1-4
28 • Region 3

28 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade

where the maximum concentrations were detected.

For trace elements in surface water, most of the

AWQC exceedances were detected in a tributary

near the Clean Fill Dump. Concentrations of

trace elements in surface water of the Little

Patuxent River did not exceed AWQCs. For

sediment, the highest concentrations of trace

elements were primarily found in a drainage swale

at IAL4 and in a tributary near the Clean Fill

Dump. In the Little Patuxent River, concentrations of arsenic (12 mg/kg) and silver

 (3.4 mg/kg) exceeded their respective ERL

concentrations.

Pesticide screening guidelines for surface water

and sediment were occasionally exceeded in

drainages or tributaries but, overall, pesticides

were infrequently detected. Pesticides that

exceeded their sediment screening guidelines in

the Little Patuxent River were DDD

(0.012 mg/kg) and DDE (0.0079 mg/kg).

Sediment samples collected from IAL4 and CFD

contained the highest concentrations of pesticides

relative to ERL concentrations. Gradients of

contamination were not apparent. PAHs were

not detected at concentrations above screening

guidelines in surface water or sediment. Concentrations of PCBs in sediment infrequently exceeded the screening guidelines.

Summary

Several waste sites at Fort Meade have drainage

pathways leading directly to the Little Patuxent

River. Concentrations of a variety of contaminants in streams and wetlands associated with

waste sites have been found to exceed screening

guidelines, although exceedances were infrequent

and sporadic. The Little Patuxent River and

Patuxent River near the site are used by several

anadromous fish, including white perch, hickory

shad, alewife, and blueback herring. These

species may be exposed to contamination from

waste sites at Fort Meade.

References

Arthur D. Little, Inc. 1994. Draft Remedial

Investigation Addendum, Fort Meade Feasibility

Study and Remedial Investigation/Site Inspection. Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland:

U.S. Army Environmental Center.

Arthur D. Little, Inc. 1995. Final Site Inspection Addendum, Fort Meade Feasibility Study

and Remedial Investigation/Site Inspection.

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland: U.S.

Army Environmental Center.
Region 3 • 29

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade • 29

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.

1992. Final Fort George G. Meade Base Closure

Parcel Site Inspection Study. Aberdeen Proving

Ground, Maryland: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency.

ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc. 1997. Remedial

Investigation Report, Inactive Landfills 1, 2, 3

and Clean Fill Dump, Fort George G. Meade

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. Baltimore: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lindsay, W.L. 1979. Chemical Equilibria in

Soils. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 449 pp.

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

Shacklette, H.T. and J.G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States.

USGS Professional Paper 1270. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey.

Stone, S.L., T.A. Lowry, J.D. Field, C.D. Williams, D.M. Nelson, S.H. Jury, M.E. Monaco,

and L. Andreasen. 1994. Distribution and

abundance of fishes and invertebrates in midAtlantic estuaries. ELMR Rept. No. 12. Silver

Spring, Maryland: NOAA/NOS Strategic

Environmental Assessments Division. 280 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division.

294 pp.
30 • Region 3

30 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Fort Meade
Region 3 • 31

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 31

3

Norfolk Naval Base

Site Exposure Potential

Norfolk Naval Base, part of the Sewells Point

Naval Complex, occupies approximately 1900 ha

directly northwest of Norfolk, Virginia (Figure

1). Mason Creek borders the area along the

base’s eastern boundary; the junction of the

Elizabeth and James rivers (Hampton Roads)

borders the site on the west; and the remnants of

Bousch Creek and a network of ditches drain the

central portion of the facility (Figure 2).

Willoughby Bay forms the northern border of the

site and enters Chesapeake Bay approximately 1.5

km northeast of Norfolk Naval Base.

Norfolk Naval Base began operating in 1917 as a

support base for World War I activities. The base

Norfolk, Virginia

CERCLIS #VA6170061463

provides fleet support for the U.S. Atlantic fleet,

shore facilities and support for U.S. military

vessels and aircraft, and service and maintenance

for ships and aircraft. Many hazardous substances

have been used, generated, and discarded at the

property. These substances include various

chlorinated organic solvents, sludges from metal

plating processes, parts cleaning and paint stripping wastes, acids, heavy metals, and pesticides

(Baker Environmental, Inc. 1994).

Under the Department of Defense Installation

Restoration Program, 22 sites on the base were

identified as potentially contaminated. Data were

available for four source areas: the Camp Allen
32 • Region 3

32 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base 0 1 2 3 kilometers

J a m e s

R i v e r

H a m p t o n

R o a d

s

N

Bridge Tu

Ha

nnel

mpton Roads

Prepared from Delorme Mapping Co. Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer 1989

Elizabeth River

N

a n s e m o n d R i v e r

NEWPORT

NEWS

NORFOLK

PORTSMOUTH

Chesapeake

Bay

Norfolk

Naval Base

Figure 1. Location of Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia.

Willoughby

Bay

Virginia

NC

MD

PA

DE

460

64

Mason

Creek
Region 3 • 33

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 33

0 500 1000

 meters

N Willoughby Spit

Q Area

Drum Storage

Yard

CD Landfill

Camp Allen

Landfill Area

Willoughby

Bay

Chesapeake

Bay Hampton

Roads

Elizabeth

River

Building 

LP-20 site

Maso

n

Cre

e

k

Prepared from USGS Norfolk North, VA 1:24 000 scale map 1965, photorevised 1986; CH2M Hill Federal Group, Ltd. 1996

564

64

Bay Avenue

337

Figure 2. Detail of Norfolk Naval Base

Norfolk Naval Base property boundary
34 • Region 3

34 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base

Landfill, the Q Area Drum Storage Yard

(QADSY), the CD Landfill, and the Building LP20 site. Table 1 lists the dates of use, types of

wastes disposed, and remediation activities for

these sites. The limited information available for

the remaining sites indicated that cleanup was

completed on five sites, while ten areas were

determined to require no cleanup action (CH2M

HILL Federal Group, Ltd. 1996).

Surface water runoff and groundwater migration

are the potential pathways for contaminant

transport from site areas to NOAA resources and

associated habitats. Norfolk Naval Base is located

on a nearly level plain, with surface elevations

ranging from sea level to about 5 m above sea

level at the central portion of the facility. The

principal surface drainage feature at the site is the

network of drainage ditches rerouting and replacing the Bousch Creek system that once covered

most of the base. The outfalls from this drainage

system end in Mason Creek, the Elizabeth River,

and Willoughby Bay. No diagrams of this drainage system were found in any of the reviewed

reports, although Table 1 lists the specific surface

water pathways that were identified for each

source area.

Groundwater at the base is present at 2 to 2.5 m

bgs in the unconfined Columbia aquifer, which

consists of thin, discontinuous layers of heterogeneous sand and shell lenses. The underlying

Yorktown aquifer is confined by beds of silt and

clay, which may be breached or absent in localized areas of the site due to erosion by meandering streams and rivers. Area groundwater is

tidally influenced. In the central and northern

portions of the base, groundwater flows generally

east and northeast. On the east side of the base,

groundwater appears to flow west and northwest

toward the main drainage culvert. In the southwestern quarter of the base, groundwater flows

south and southeast, again toward surface drainage features (Baker Environmental, Inc. 1995a).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

Habitats of primary concern to NOAA are surface

waters and associated bottom substrates of the

lower Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads, an

estuarine area where the Elizabeth, James, and

Nansemond rivers meet Chesapeake Bay.

Anadromous fish, estuarine fish, and invertebrates

use the estuary and are the resources of concern

to NOAA (Table 2). Estuarine waters of this area

range from extensive shallow flats generally less

than 3 m deep to trenches up to 30 m deep

(USGS 1964, 1965). Salinities range from 15 to

20 ppt and sediments range from silts to sands

(Majumdar et al. 1987).

The estuary provides nursery and adult habitat for

many estuarine and marine fish. Estuarine

residents include bay anchovy, oyster toadfish,

sheepshead minnow, killifishes, silversides, pipefish, gobies and hogchoker. These species spend

all life stages within the estuary; several are highly

abundant. Species such as bluefish, mullet,

pinfish, butterfish, and the sciaenids (croaker,
Region 3 • 35

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 35

Site Name Dates History of Use Contaminants of Concern Potential Migration Pathway

Camp Allen Landfill early 1940s

- 1974

Unlined landfill used to dispose of

municipal, solid, and hazardous wastes. 

Soil removal completed and long-term

groundwater pump and treatment being

implemented. Most of area capped and

revegetated to minimize surface erosion.

Chlorinated organic sovents,

metals, pesticides, and an

estimated 150 kg metals plating

sludge, 230 kg parts cleaning

sludge, and 1,500 kg paint

stripping residue.

Surface water runoff is channelled into

Willoughby Bay by drainage ditches

surrounding the site. Groundwater flows

north and northeast towards Willoughby

Bay and Mason Creek. The Camp Allen

Landfill is 1.5 km south of Willoughby Bay.

Q Area Drum

Storage Yard

1950s -

present

Storage of 55-gallon steel drums

including an area for damaged and leaking

drums.

Petroleum products (oil

lubricants, hydraulic fluid),

chlorinated organic solvents,

paint thinners, pesticides,

formaldehyde, and acids.

Surface runoff is directed into numerous

open storm drains that lead directly to

the Elizabeth River to the west and

Willoughby Bay to the north. Groundwater

discharge also flows to the Elizabeth

River and Willoughby Bay. QADSY is about

350 m from both the Elizabeth River and

Willoughby Bay.

CD Landfill 1974 - 1987 Unpermitted landfill from 1974 to 1979,

used for disposal of ash residues,

sandblasting grit, and spent rice hulls. 

Permitted landfill from 1979 to 1987 for

disposal of demolition wastes and nonputrescible wastes. Closure plan

submitted in 1988. Capped with thin

layer of soil and vegetation.

Cadmium- and leadcontaminated sandblasting grit

and rice hulls. Possibly,

additional chemicals were

disposed.

Two unlined drainage ditches surrounded

by wetlands border the site to the north

and south. They flow eastward into

culverts beneath the Naval Air Station

that convey surface water runoff to

Willoughby Bay. Groundwater flow is

northwest towards the Elizabeth River

and Willoughby Bay. CD Landfill is about 

1 km east of the Elizabeth River and 1.8 km

south of Willoughby Bay.

Building LP-20

Site

(Buildings LP-20,

LP-22, LP-24, and

U-132)

early 1940s

- present

Aircraft paint shops, testing facilities,

blasting booths, cleaning shop, repair

shops, hazardous waste storage, and

metal plating shops.

Heavy metals, acids, chlorinated

solvents, VOCs, and petroleum

products.

Storm sewers are used to drain the area

to Willoughby Bay. Groundwater

movement in this area is northeast

towards Willoughby Bay, although the

Bousch Creek culvert beneath the base

may affect groundwater flow patterns. 

The Building LP-20 site is about 750 m

southwest of Willoughby Bay.

Table 1. Description of hazardous waste sites at Norfolk Naval Base.
36 • Region 3

36 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base

Table 2. NOAA trust fish and invertebrate species that use the Elizabeth River, Hampton Roads and

Chesapeake Bay.

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus ♦

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

American shad Alosa sapidissima ♦

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus ♦ ♦

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis ♦

Striped bass Morone saxatilis ♦♦ ♦

White perch Morone americana ♦ ♦

MARINE/ESTUARINE FISH SPECIES

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ♦♦ ♦

Atlantic herring Clupea harengus ♦ ♦

Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus ♦ ♦

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ♦ ♦

Black drum Pogonias cromis ♦ ♦

Black sea bass Centropristis striata ♦ ♦

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix ♦♦ ♦

Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus ♦ ♦

Cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus ♦ ♦

Gobies Gobiosama spp. ♦ ♦♦

Hogchoker Trinectes maculatus ♦ ♦♦

Killifish Fundulus spp. ♦ ♦♦

Mullets Mugil spp. ♦

Northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus ♦ ♦♦

Northern searobin Prionotus carolinus ♦

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ♦ ♦

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ♦♦ ♦

Red hake Urophycis chuss ♦

Oyster toadfish Opsanus tau ♦ ♦♦

Scup Stenotomus chrysops ♦

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ♦ ♦♦

Silversides Menidia spp ♦ ♦♦

Skates Raja spp. ♦ ♦

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ♦♦ ♦

Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus ♦♦ ♦

Summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus ♦♦ ♦

Tautog Tautoga onitis ♦ ♦

Weakfish Cynoscion regalis ♦♦ ♦

Windowpane flounder Scophthalmus aquosus ♦ ♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Bay shrimp Crangon septemspinosa ♦ ♦♦

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦

Blue mussel Mytilus edulis ♦ ♦♦

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ♦ ♦♦ ♦

1

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ♦ ♦♦

Northern quahog Mercenaria spp. ♦ ♦♦ ♦

1

1

: Bivalve harvests in Hampton Roads are restricted in areas surrounding the Naval Station.
Region 3 • 37

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 37

weakfish, seatrout, spot, drum) are coastal spawners; eggs and larval stages drift offshore and later

juvenile stages migrate into the estuary. Because

many of these species are long-lived, juveniles may

spend several years in the estuary. Adults of

several of the species also use the estuary seasonally. Bluefish, spot, and Atlantic croaker are

particularly abundant in the area (Stone et al.

1994).

Several anadromous fish use the estuary as a

migratory corridor, juvenile nursery, and adult

habitat. Juvenile and adult white perch are

abundant in the estuary. The adults spawn in

freshwater upstream of the base, and both juveniles and adults reside in the estuary. Striped

bass, particularly juvenile stages, are common in

the estuary. Adults may spend time in the area as

well, but many move seaward. American shad,

blueback herring, and alewife spawn in the freshwater upstream of the base. Juveniles use the

estuary as a nursery but usually migrate seaward as

adults. Atlantic sturgeon are considered rare near

the base and in Chesapeake Bay. The catadromous American eel is found throughout the

Chesapeake basin, and juvenile life stages are

present near the site (Stone et al. 1994).

Several invertebrates use the estuary, including

blue crab, grass shrimp, eastern oyster, and

northern quahog. Juvenile and adult blue crab

are abundant; mating and larval stages are also

seen in the estuary, although females usually

migrate to coastal waters to brood and release

eggs. Grass shrimp, oyster, and quahog spend all

life stages in the estuary (Stone et al. 1994).

There are substantial commercial and recreational

fisheries in the Hampton Roads portion of

Chesapeake Bay. Popular recreational catches

include bluefish, croaker, spot, weakfish, flounder, blue crab, oyster, and quahog (Majumdar et

al. 1987). The total landings for 1996 for the

Elizabeth River were over 100,000 kg. The bulk

of the commercial harvest is for blue crab, but

American eel and striped bass also support substantial commercial fisheries (O’Reilly 1997).

Bivalves are harvested in other areas of Hampton

Roads, but are restricted surrounding the base

because of industrial runoff (Wright 1997).

Site-Related Contamination

Data collected during several site investigations

indicate that soils, groundwater, surface water,

and sediments at the Norfolk Naval Base are

contaminated in varying degrees with trace

elements, pesticides, and organic compounds,

including PAHs, VOCs, and SVOCs. Separate

investigations were conducted for each source

area. The most recent data used to determine

maximum contaminant concentrations for each

area came from remedial investigations in 1990-

1993 for the QADSY (Environmental Science &

Engineering, Inc. 1994), in 1992-1993 for the

Camp Allen Landfill (Baker Environmental, Inc.

1994), in 1993-1994 for the CD Landfill (Baker

Environmental, Inc. 1995a), and 1994-1995 for

the Building LP-20 site (Baker Environmental,

Inc. 1995b). Table 3 summarizes maximum
38 • Region 3

38 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base

Table 3. Maximum concentrations of contaminants in soils, groundwater, surface water, and sediments at Norfolk Naval Base.

Soils

(mg/kg) Location Mean U.S.a (mg/kg)

Groundwater

(μg/L) Location

Surface Water (μg/L)

Location AWQCb

(μg/L)

Sediment

(mg/kg) Location ERL c (mg/kg)

Trace Elements

Arsenic 270 QADSY 5.2 340 QADSY 64 CAL 36 590 CAL 8.2

Cadmium 89 CAL 0.06 96 QADSY N A -- 1.1 180 CAL 1.2

Chromium 1,000 CDL 37 1,100 QADSY 300 CDL 11 3,000 CAL 81

Copper 3,100 CDL 17 380 CAL 450 CAL 12 500 CDL 34

Lead 3,200 CDL 16 1,000 CAL 800 CAL 3.2 1,000 CAL 46.7

Mercury 0.84 CDL 0.058 3 CAL 3.9 CAL 0.012 3 CAL 0.15

Nickel 520 CDL 13 430 CAL 250 CDL 8.3 340 CDL 20.9

Silver 180 CDL 0.05 12 LP20 12 CAL 0.12 110 CAL 1.0

Zinc 6,200 CDL 48 1,600 QADSY 2,600 CDL 86 700 CDL 150

Pesticides/PCBs

Dieldrin 0.051 CDL N A 0.04 CDL 0.035 CDL 0.002 0.12 CDL N A

4,4’-DDE 0.035 CDL N A ND -- ND -- 14d 0.18 CDL 0.0016e

4,4’-DDT 0.010 CDL N A 0.02 CDL ND -- 0.001 0.11 CDL 0.0016e

Total PCBs 3.4 CAL N A ND -- ND -- 0.014 1.5 CAL 0.023

Other Organic Compounds

Benzene 0.25 CAL NA 860 LP20 12 CAL 700d ND -- NA

1,1-dichloroethene 0.42 CAL NA 3,600 LP20 3 CAL NA ND -- NA

1,2-dichloroethene 1.5 QADSY NA 28,000 LP20 46 CAL NA ND -- NA

Toluene 3,000 CAL NA 4,400 LP20 ND -- 5,000d ND -- NA

Trichloroethene 3.1 CAL N A 54,000 LP20 45 CAL 2,000d 0.013 CDL N A

Vinyl chloride ND -- NA 15,000 LP20 22 CAL NA ND -- NA

Acetone 5.4 LP20 NA 1,300 QADSY ND -- N A 0.27 CDL N A

Dibenzofuran 1.7 CAL N A 7 CAL ND -- N A 8.4 CDL N A

Xylene (total) 340 CAL NA 180 LP20 3 CAL N A 0.002 CDL N A

Total PAHs 55 LP20,CAL NA 110 LP20, CAL, CDL ND -- N A 540 CDL 4.0

a:

b:

c:

d:

e:

ND:

NA:

CAL:

CDL:

LP20

QADSY:

Shacklette and Boerngen (1984), except for cadmium and silver which represent average concentrations in the earth’s crust from Lindsay (1979).

Quality Criteria for Water (EPA 1993). Lowest value was chosen from fresh and marine water criteria because stream is tidally influenced.

Effects range-low; the concentration representing the lowest 10 percentile value for the data in which effects were predicted in studies compiled by Long et al. (1995).

Lowest Observed Effect Level (EPA 1993).

ERL for total DDT.

Not detected; detection limit not available.

Screening guidelines not available; data not available.

Camp Allen Landfill.

CD Landfill.

Building LP-20 site.

Q Area Drum Storage Yard.
Region 3 • 39

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 39

greater than ten times the AWQC, and concentrations of DDT and DDE in sediments exceeded

the ERL guidelines. PCBs were found at elevated concentrations in soil and sediment

samples taken from the Camp Allen Landfill area.

Values for total PCBs represent the sum of

Aroclors 1242, 1254, and 1260. The maximum

concentration of total PCBs in sediment exceeded the ERL guideline; there is no screening

guideline for total PCBs in soils.

A variety of other organic compounds were

detected in all media. Total PAH results represent the sum of acenaphthene, anthracene,

benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b) and/or

(k)fluoranthene, chrysene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene.

The highest concentrations of PAHs in soils were

found at the Building LP-20 site and the Camp

Allen Landfill. Maximum concentrations of

other organic compounds in soils were from the

Camp Allen Landfill, the QADSY, and the

Building LP-20 site. There are no screening

guidelines for any of the organic compounds

detected in soils. Elevated concentrations of

organic compounds were detected in groundwater samples from the Building LP-20 site, the

QADSY, and the Camp Allen Landfill. Few

organic compounds were detected in surface

waters; those detected were found at the Camp

Allen Landfill. Existing LOEL concentrations for

organic compounds other than pesticides and

PCBs were not exceeded in surface water, but

were exceeded in groundwater by more than ten

times for one contaminant, trichloroethene.

Total PAH concentrations exceeding ERL

guidelines were found in sediments from the CD

concentrations of contaminants, as well as the

source area where each contaminant was found in

the greatest concentration, along with applicable

screening guidelines.

Not all media were analyzed in all of the remedial

investigations. No surface water samples were

taken in the QADSY investigation, and no surface

water or sediment samples were collected at the

Building LP-20 site. All surface water and

sediment data reported in Table 3 were collected

from the Bousch Creek drainage system near the

Camp Allen Landfill.

The highest concentrations of trace elements in

soils were from the CD Landfill, except for

arsenic and cadmium, which were found at the

highest concentrations at the QADSY and Camp

Allen Landfill, respectively. In groundwater, the

highest concentrations were found at the

QADSY, Camp Allen Landfill, and the Building

LP-20 site. Maximum concentrations in surface

water and sediments were detected at the Camp

Allen Landfill and the CD Landfill. Maximum

on-site concentrations of trace elements were

greater than all screening guidelines for soils,

surface water, and sediments. Groundwater

concentrations were greater than ten times the

AWQC for all reported inorganic substances

except arsenic.

Maximum concentrations of pesticides in all

media were found at the CD Landfill. Dieldrin

concentrations exceeded AWQC guidelines by

more than ten times in groundwater and surface

water. DDT concentrations in groundwater were
40 • Region 3

40 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base

Landfill source area. All other PAH compounds

detected in sediments were also from the CD

Landfill, although no screening guidelines exist

for these constituents.

Summary

Baker Environmental, Inc. 1995a. Draft final

remedial investigation, CD Landfill, Naval Base,

Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk: Department of the

Navy, Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

Baker Environmental, Inc. 1995b. Draft final

remedial investigation report and baseline risk

assessment, Building LP-20 site, Naval Base,

Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk,: Department of the

Navy, Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

CH2M HILL Federal Group, Ltd. 1996. Draft

final work plan and sampling and analysis plan,

post remediation ecological monitoring, Camp

Allen Landfill. Norfolk: Department of the

Navy, Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

Environmental Science & Engineering, Inc.

1994. Final remedial investigation report, Q Area

Drum Storage Yard, Norfolk Naval Base, Norfolk,

Virginia. Norfolk: Atlantic Division, Naval

Facilities Engineering Command.

Lindsay, W.L. 1979. Chemical Equilibria in

Soils. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 449 pp.

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

Elevated concentrations of trace elements, PAHs,

chlorinated solvents, pesticides, and PCBs have

been detected in soils, groundwater, surface

water, and sediments to varying degrees at Norfolk Naval Base. Several of these contaminants

were detected at concentrations that far exceed

their screening guidelines. NOAA trust habitats

bordering the site include the lower Elizabeth

River and Hampton Roads, both of which support many anadromous fish, estuarine fish, and

invertebrate species. The resources of concern

use the waterways as migratory corridors, juvenile

nurseries, and adult habitats.

References

Baker Environmental, Inc. 1994. Draft final

remedial investigation report, Camp Allen Landfill, Norfolk Naval Base. Washington, D.C.:

Department of the Navy, Chesapeake Division,

Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
Region 3 • 41

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base • 41

Majumdar, S.K., L.W. Hall, Jr., H.M. Austin.

1987. Contaminant problems and management

of living Chesapeake Bay resources. Easton,

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Academy of Science.

573 pp.

O’Reilly, R., Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Newport News, Virginia, personal

communication, August 7, 1997.

Shacklette, H.T. and J.G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States.

USGS Professional Paper 1270. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey.

Stone, S.L., T.A. Lowrey, J.D. Field, C.D.

Williams, D.M. Nelson, S.H. Jury, M.E. Monaco, and L. Andreasen. 1994. Distribution and

abundance of fishes and invertebrates in MidAtlantic estuaries. ELMR Rept. No. 12. Silver

Spring, Maryland: NOAA/NOS Strategic Environmental Assessments Division. 280 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Office of Water, Health and Ecological Criteria

Division. 294 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1964. Newport News South Quadrangle, Virginia, 7.5

minute series (topographic-Bathymetric).

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1965. Norfolk

North Quadrangle, Virginia, 7.5 minute series

(topographic-Bathymetric).

Wright, M., Virginia Department of Health,

Division of Shellfish Sanitation, Newport News,

Virginia, personal communication, August 7,

1997.
42 • Region 3

42 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Norfolk Naval Base
Region 3 • 43

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry • 43

3

Salford Quarry

Site Exposure Potential

The Salford Quarry site covers about 1.2 ha in

Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County,

Pennsylvania (Figure 1). The quarry is excavated

into the side of a hill about 100 m east of the

West Branch Skippack Creek, which joins the

mainstem Skippack Creek about 1 km downstream (Figure 2). Perkiomen Creek receives

flow from Skippack Creek approximately 13 km

downstream from the site and then flows an

additional 4 km to the Schuylkill River (Figure

2). The Schuylkill River extends another 45 km

to tidal portions of the lower Delaware River,

which flows into the Atlantic Ocean approximately 160 km farther downstream.

Lower Salford Township, Pennsylvania

CERCLIS #PAD980693204

The site was a shale quarry in the early 1900s. In

the 1950s, the quarry was used to dispose of two

to five truckloads per day of industrial, commercial, and residential wastes from the Ludwig &

Son waste disposal business. In 1963, American

Olean Tile (AOT) purchased the quarry to

landfill waste from its Lansdale, Pennsylvania

plant, and began accumulating waste sludges onsite in two 10,000-gallon fuel oil storage tanks

(ENVIRON 1990). In 1973, AOT started

bringing most of their lead-containing slurries to

the quarry. During this time, an undetermined

amount of fly ash cinders from a coal-fired power

plant also were disposed at the site (Brown et al.

1992). AOT stopped using the quarry for waste
44 • Region 3

44 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry

Figure available in hard copy
Region 3 • 45

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry • 45

Figure available in hard copy
46 • Region 3

46 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry

disposal in about 1980, and reported that about

6,500 tons of waste had been discarded at the site

(Brown et al. 1992). In 1982, a clay cap was

installed to reduce infiltration.

Wastes brought to the site include glaze wash-up

sludge, settling pond sediment, and fired and

unfired scrap tiles. These wastes contain trace

elements and boron oxides (ENVIRON 1990;

Brown et al. 1992).

Groundwater is the primary pathway of contaminant transport from the site to NOAA resources

and associated habitats. Soils around the quarry

are generally 0.6 to 1.8 m deep. Soils are underlain by the Brunswick Formation, which consists

of shale, siltstone, and mudstone. The

Lockatong Formation underlies the Brunswick

Formation, and has a similar lithology and structure. The two formations are hydraulically

connected, but groundwater within the two

formations is restricted to secondary openings

such as joints and fractures. As a result, waterbearing properties may vary greatly across the

formations. At the site, hydraulic gradients of

0.01 to 0.03 (vertical/horizontal) to the southwest (Brown et al. 1992) indicate that groundwater flows toward the West Branch of Skippack

Creek. Groundwater migration in the Brunswick

and Lockatong formations is estimated at 0.003

to 0.55 m/day.

There is no surface water pathway from the site to

the West Branch Skippack Creek. A small,

standing-water body observed 30 m east of the

West Branch may actually be a partially dried-up

stream channel (Figure 2; ENVIRON 1990).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are

the surface waters, bottom substrates, and

associated riparian zones of the Skippack Creek

drainage and Schuylkill River. The Skippack

Creek drainage is composed of the West Branch

of Skippack Creek, the mainstem Skippack

Creek, and Perkiomen Creek.

The West Branch of Skippack Creek is a small

stream, averaging about 4.6 m wide and less than

1.5 m deep. The mainstem is a considerably

wider stream, generally between 17 and 20 m

wide and between 0.5 and 2 m deep. Both

streams have moderate gradients with typical

riffle-pool habitats. Gravel substrates dominate

the riffles with finer sands and silts in pool

environments. The streams have both warm and

coldwater resident fish assemblages; the mainstem is fairly diverse with trout, largemouth bass,

smallmouth bass, and panfish populations.

Perkiomen Creek near the confluence with

Skippack Creek is a lower-gradient warmwater

stream approximately 30 m wide and 2.5 m deep

(Kaufmann 1997a).

The only NOAA trust resource now in the

Skippack Creek drainage is American eel. Eel

have been documented in Perkiomen and the

mainstem Skippack Creek. They have not been

documented in the West Branch, but do have

access to the smaller stream. There are no other

NOAA trust resources found in the two streams

because of impassable dams below the confluence
Region 3 • 47

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry • 47

of Skippack Creek and the Schuylkill River

(Kaufmann 1997a).

The Schuylkill River near the Skippack Creek

drainage is a large, low-gradient stream, generally

about 100 m wide and 1 to 2 m deep. Substrates

are predominantly gravel and cobble in riffles,

and finer sands and silts in pool environments.

Although its upper portions are classified as a

scenic river, the Schuylkill receives considerable

amounts of agricultural runoff and wastewater,

and is generally considered to have low water

quality. There are heavy aquatic plant beds

throughout the river, with the dominant species

being the non-indigenous and nuisance Eurasian

milfoil (Kaufmann 1992; Arnold 1993;

Kaufmann 1997b).

Four dams on the Schuylkill River downstream of

the Skippack Creek drainage prevent anadromous

fish from migrating into this reach of the river.

The Norristown, Plymouth, Flatrock, and

Fairmount dams are respectively located 10, 16,

24, and 36 km downstream of Skippack Creek

drainage. A fish passage has been added to the

Fairmount Dam. Fish passage construction on

the remaining three dams has been delayed by

legal and financial complexities, but is planned to

begin by the year 2000. Dam restoration would

allow alewife and blueback herring to use the

Skippack Creek drainage to spawn. American

shad also would increase their range, but probably would not migrate beyond the Schuylkill

River because of their preference for large streams

(Kaufmann 1997a).

A fish consumption advisory is now in effect for

the Schuylkill River because of high concentrations of PCBs, chlordane, and DDT. This

advisory does not affect the Skippack Creek

drainage, and the mainstem of Skippack Creek is

managed as a recreational trout fishery.

Site-Related Contamination

The Remedial Investigation Site Operations Plan

presents results from sampling conducted by

NUS in 1983 and by ENVIRON in 1989

(ENVIRON 1990). These data are compared to

NOAA screening guidelines in Table 1. Reported sample analyses indicate that boron and

other inorganic substances are the contaminants

of concern to NOAA.

In 1983, the highest measured boron concentration in groundwater was 374,000 μg/L (NUS

1986, as cited in ENVIRON 1990). In 1989,

the maximum boron concentration in groundwater was 241,000 μg/L. A groundwater plume

contaminated with boron extends from the

quarry approximately 1.2 km southwest from the

site and may be 120 to 300 m wide (Figure 2;

Brown et al. 1992). The extent of this plume is

consistent with the probable range of hydraulic

characteristics at the site area (Brown et al.

1992). No other inorganic substances were

detected in groundwater at concentrations

greater than ten times their respective AWQCs.
48 • Region 3

48 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry

Water collected from the spring west of the

quarry contained concentrations of boron as high

as 139,000 μg/L. An AWQC for boron has not

been developed. However, data collected by

Birge and Black (1977, as cited in Eisler 1990)

indicate that concentrations ranging from 1 to

100 μg/L may cause a reduction in the reproductive potential of rainbow trout, and concentrations greater than 200 μg/L may impair the

survival of other fish species. Maximum boron

concentrations in the creek and spring were 480

μg/L in surface water and 53 mg/kg in sediment. There are no ERLs or similar sediment

screening guidelines for boron in sediment.

Other contaminants that exceeded NOAA screening guidelines are lead in surface water and

arsenic in sediment.

Table 1. Maximum concentrations of contaminants of concern to NOAA detected in groundwater, surface

water, and sediment during investigations at the Salford Quarry site compared to NOAA screening

guidelines.

Summary

From 1963 to about 1980, wastes from a tile

manufacturing company were discarded into

Salford Quarry, about 100 m east of the Skippack Creek West Branch. Data indicate that

trace elements, particularly boron, have migrated

through the groundwater to the West Branch at

concentrations that may pose a threat to NOAA

trust resources. American eel is now the only

trust species using the Skippack Creek drainage.

However, if fish passage facilities are opened on

the Schuylkill River, alewife and blueback herring

may use Skippack Creek and its tributaries for

spawning.

Water (μg/L) Sediment (mg/kg)

Trace

elements Groundwater

Spring

Water

Creek Surface

Water

Freshwater

Chronic

AWQCa

Spring

Sediment

Creek

Sediment ERLb

Arsenic 12c ND ND 190 6d 12d 8.2

Boron 374,000d 139,000d 480c NA 53d ND NA

Cadmium ND ND ND 1.1+ 2.2d 0.3d 1.2

Lead 16c 4c 6d 3.2+ 120d 26d 46.7

Zinc 344d 43d 36d 110+ 380d 81d 150

NA: Not available.

ND: Not detected; detection limits not available.

a: U.S. EPA 1993.

b: Effects range-low (Long and MacDonald 1995).

c: ENVIRON 1990.

d: NUS 1986 as cited in ENVIRON 1990.

+: Hardness-dependent criteria: 100 mg/L CaCO3 assumed.
Region 3 • 49

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry • 49

References

Arnold, D., fisheries biologist, Pennsylvania Fish

Commission, Revere, Pennsylvania, personal

communication, May 4, 1993.

Birge, W.J. and J.A. Black. 1977. Sensitivity of

vertebrate embryos to boron compounds. U.S. EPA

Report 560/1-76-008. 66 pp. Cincinnati: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

Brown, K.W., J.B. Robertson, E. Meyer, L.R.

Shull, and D.I. Rubin. 1992. Expert report for

Salford Quarry site, Lower Salford Township,

Pennsylvania. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement

Section. 87 pp.

Eisler, R. 1990. Boron hazards to fish, wildlife,

and invertebrates: A synoptic review. Biological

Report 85(1.20). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service.

ENVIRON Corporation. 1990. Remedial

investigation site operations plan and RI/FS

work plans, Salford Quarry site, Montgomery

County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: U.S. EPA

Region III. 100 pp.

Kaufmann, M., area fisheries manager, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Revere, Pennsylvania,

personal communication, March 13, 1992.

Kaufmann, M., area fisheries manager, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Revere, Pennsylvania,

personal communication, May 21, 1997a.

Kaufmann, M., area fisheries manager, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Revere, Pennsylvania,

personal communication, July 9, 1997b.

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

NUS Corporation. 1986. Site inspection of

Salford Quarry. Philadelphia: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hazardous Site Control

Division).

U.S. EPA. 1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Office of Water, Health and Ecological

Criteria Division. 294 pp.
50 • Region 3

50 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Salford Quarry
Region 4 • 51

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood • 51

4

Brunswick Wood

Preserving

Site Exposure Potential

The Brunswick Wood Treaters facility covers

approximately 20 ha, 5 km northwest of

Brunswick, in Glynn County, Georgia (Figure 1).

Burnett Creek flows along the western boundary

of the site and then continues southwest for 5.5

km before discharging into Cowpen Creek

(Figure 2). Cowpen Creek continues 0.75 km to

join the Turtle River, which joins the Brunswick

River 16 km downstream. The Brunswick River

is the major tributary to St. Simons Sound on the

Atlantic Ocean. Tidal influence extends into

Burnett Creek. Approximately 11 km of wetlands

border Burnett Creek, and 27 km of wetlands are

present from Cowpen Creek to St. Simons

Sound.

Brunswick, Georgia

CERCLIS #GAD981024466

The Brunswick facility was opened in 1958,

under the name Escambia Treating Company, to

preserve roundwood for utility poles and marine

pilings. Logs were originally treated with creosote and PCP dissolved in diesel oil. Wood

treatment with chromated copper arsenate (CCA)

was added sometime between 1968 and 1970

(Woodall 1991). In 1986, the property was sold

to Brunswick Treating Company, which continued the wood treating operations until the facility

was closed in March 1991 (Black & Veatch

Special Projects Corp. 1996).

Escambia-Brunswick Wood has a documented

history of waste releases and spills. Large
52 • Region 4

52 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood

GEORGIA

Health

Advisory

Area

Brunswick River

Turtle River

St. Simons

Sound

Atlantic

Ocean

Cowpen

Creek

Burnett

Creek

Dixon Swamp

Blythe

Island

St. Simons

Island

Purvis

Creek

Gibson

Creek

Andrews

Island

Prepared from USGS 1:100 000 topographic of Brunswick, Georgia

EscambiaBrunswick

Wood site

N

Figure 1. Location of the Escambia-Brunswick Wood site in Brunswick, Georgia.

0 1000 2000

 meters

MacKay

River

LCP 

Chemicals

site
Region 4 • 53

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood • 53

BurnettC re e k

O ld Jesup R oad

 Escambia-Brunswick Wood property boundary Contaminated soil Drainage ditch or stormwater drain Direction of surface water flow Railroad Wetland Area drained by subsurface storm sewer scale is approximate

Figure 2. Detail of Escambia-Brunswick Wood site in Brunswick, Georgia.

CCA

Treatment

Area

Dixon

Swamp

Dixon

Swamp

PCP/Creosote

Treatment Area

Prepared from Woodall 1991 and Black & Veatch Special Projects. Corp. 1996

CSX Railroad

Lagoon

Lagoon

N

0 50 100

 meters

Pe rry Lane R oad  
54 • Region 4

54 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood

amounts of diesel oil were released to Burnett

Creek on two separate occasions in 1969; one

spilling 1100 to 1500 L and the other spilling

3800 to 7600 L. Other incidents include a 2300

to 3000-L spill of PCP solution, of which approximately 100 to 200 L reached Burnett Creek.

In 1989, more than 76,000 L of PCP solution

was released to a storm sewer leading directly into

Burnett Creek.

Following a fire in 1991, EPA began investigating contamination at the site. Several soil samples

were found to have extremely high levels of PAHs

and dioxins. In response, EPA excavated contaminated soil from the southern portion of the

site down to groundwater for on-site containment. A groundwater pump and treating system

was also installed. The Georgia Environmental

Protection Division is removing the excavated soil

(Farrier 1997).

Surface-water runoff and groundwater are the

potential pathways of contaminant transport to

NOAA trust resources and associated habitats.

The general topography at the site drains to the

west. A storm sewer system and a drainage

ditch, both of which empty directly into Burnett

Creek, collect contaminated runoff from the

western portion of the site. Runoff from the

northern portion of the site also enters Burnett

Creek through a drainage ditch. Runoff from the

southern and eastern portions of the site is

collected and discharged to Dixon Swamp, which

also drains to Burnett Creek (Figure 2).

Surface soils at the Brunswick Wood facility are

poorly-drained to moderately-permeable sand

and sandy loam. The unconfined surficial aquifer

is composed of very-fine to fine sands, gravel,

thin limestone, and thin clay beds, and extends

to about 58 m deep. Recharge comes from

direct infiltration of precipitation. There is a

slight groundwater gradient to the west, which is

altered intermittently by tidal influences and

withdrawals from nearby wells.

The Brunswick Wood Treaters site lies within the

100-year floodplain.

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are

surface water, bottom substrates, riparian zones,

and wetlands associated with Burnett Creek,

lower Cowpen Creek, and the Turtle River.

Estuarine fish, invertebrate species, and anadromous fish are the resources of concern to NOAA

(Table 1).

Burnett Creek is a small, tidally influenced, lowgradient stream with widely fluctuating salinities

ranging from freshwater to about 20 ppt, depending upon the season and the amount of

runoff discharging to the stream. Its width varies

from less than 10 m near the site to 100 m near

its confluence with Cowpen Creek. Depths are

generally less than 1 m throughout the stream.

Lower Cowpen Creek and the Turtle River also

are low-gradient estuarine streams with salinities

generally ranging from 15 to 20 ppt. Lower
Region 4 • 55

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood • 55

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS SPECIES

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

American shad Alosa sapidissima ♦ ♦

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus ♦ ♦

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis ♦ ♦

MARINE/ESTUARINE SPECIES

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ♦ ♦

Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus ♦

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ♦♦♦

Black drum Pogonias cromis ♦♦ ♦

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix ♦

Ladyfish Elops saurus ♦

Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus ♦♦♦

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ♦ ♦

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ♦ ♦

Sheepshead Archosargus

probatocephalus

♦♦ ♦

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ♦♦♦

Silversides Menidia spp. ♦ ♦

Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma ♦♦ ♦

Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus ♦

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus ♦

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ♦♦ ♦

Spotted sea trout Cynoscion nebulosus ♦♦ ♦

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus ♦♦ ♦

Summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus ♦

Weakfish Cynoscion regalis ♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ♦♦♦♦

Brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus ♦♦♦♦

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ♦♦♦

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ♦♦♦♦♦

Pink shrimp Penaeus duorum ♦♦♦♦

White shrimp Penaeus setiferus ♦♦♦♦

Table 1. NOAA trust species using habitats associated with Burnett Creek, Cowpen Creek, and the Turtle

River near the Escambia Brunswick Wood site.

Cowpen Creek is generally 100 to 150 m wide

and 1 to 5 m deep. The Turtle River is 600 m to

1 km wide and 1 to 11 m deep (USGS 1993).

The extensive tidal marsh wetlands along the

banks of all three streams are largely composed of

saltmarsh cord grass (Spartina alterniflora) and

salt hay grass (S. patens). Sediments range from

high organic silts to sands (Weston 1991).
56 • Region 4

56 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood

A fish survey conducted in 1991 found killifish

and blue crab in Burnett Creek (Weston 1991).

Sheepshead minnow, Atlantic silversides, and

striped mullet are periodically found both in low

salinities and tidal freshwaters within the estuary

and in Burnett Creek . Anadromous species have

not been found in Burnett Creek (Nelson et al.

1991).

Lower Cowpen Creek and the Turtle River

provide deeper, larger, more marine-influenced

habitats for numerous estuarine fish and invertebrates. Estuarine fish that commonly use these

two waterways for juvenile rearing and adult

residence include Atlantic menhaden, spotted sea

trout, weakfish, Atlantic croaker, southern kingfish, black drum, spot, sheepshead, pinfish, and

southern flounder. Anadromous species that use

the Turtle River as a migratory corridor and

juvenile nursery include Atlantic sturgeon, blueback herring, and American shad. The catadromous American eel is found throughout the basin

and uses lower-salinity portions of the Turtle

River as a nursery. Invertebrates found in Lower

Cowpen Creek and the Turtle River include

American oyster, hard clam, brown shrimp, grass

shrimp, and blue crab (Nelson et al. 1991).

Five aquatic species that may occur near the site

are listed as threatened or endangered under the

Federal Endangered Species Act. The endangered West Indian manatee (not a NOAA trust

species) frequently forages in the Turtle River

during the spring and fall. Four species of sea

turtle—loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, leatherback,

and green—have been regularly sighted in St.

Simons Sound, but sightings in the Turtle River

have not been confirmed. On the other hand,

Atlantic bottlenose dolphin are commonly

sighted in the Turtle River. Though not threatened or endangered, dolphins are afforded certain

protections under the Federal Marine Mammal

Protection Act (DOI 1995; NOAA 1995).

Bait shrimp and blue crab are commercially

harvested from Burnett Creek below the Highway 341 bridge, approximately 1 km south of the

site. Both finfish and shellfish are recreationally

harvested for local consumption on all parts of

the stream. There are also commercial and

recreational fisheries in the Turtle River (Weston

1991).

A Georgia Department of Natural Resources

health advisory cautions against consumption of

recreationally captured seafood for Purvis Creek,

Gibson Creek, and the Turtle River extending

approximately 800 m upstream and downstream

of the mouth of Purvis Creek. Commercial

fisheries are prohibited in this area. The advisories and closures posted in the area are the result

of mercury and PCB contamination associated

with the LCP Chemicals National Priorities List

site (Weston 1991). In addition, the harvest of

bivalves is restricted in the Turtle River estuary

because of contamination from urban runoff

originating in the city of Brunswick (NOAA

1995).
Region 4 • 57

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood • 57

Site-Related Contamination

The initial data collected in 1991 were supplemented in 1993 with additional soil and groundwater samples and eleven sediment samples from

Burnett Creek. Data collected in the 1991 and

1993 site evaluations show elevated concentrations of trace elements, PAHs, dioxins, and furans

in surface water, groundwater, soils, and sediments at the facility (Weston 1991; B&V Waste

Science and Technology Corp. 1994). Table 2

lists maximum concentrations of the major

contaminants at the site along with the appropriate screening guidelines for each medium. Data

in Table 2 were obtained from the 1993 study,

except for surface water data, which were not

collected in 1993. Surface water data presented

in this table were collected in 1991. Although

surface water samples were analyzed for metals,

PCP, and creosote compounds, only arsenic,

chromium, copper, PCP, and fluoranthene

concentrations were reported (Weston 1991).

Various trace elements were detected in surface

soils at concentrations exceeding average U.S. soil

concentrations; and levels of arsenic, chromium,

and copper were greater than 100 times their

respective screening guidelines. The highest

concentrations of trace elements in surface soil

samples came from near the CCA treatment area

in the center of the site. Of the trace elements

measured in subsurface soils, only silver exceeded

the average U.S. concentration. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury and nickel concentrations

in subsurface soil samples were not reported.

All trace elements measured in groundwater were

more than ten times the AWQC. The data

reported here for inorganic substances in groundwater were collected as background data, although the sampling location was on-site, and

concentrations were higher than at any other

sampling location reported for the site. Concentrations of chromium and copper in surface water

samples from Burnett Creek were both above

freshwater AWQC concentrations. Arsenic and

copper in sediment samples taken in Burnett

Creek downstream from the site were found to

exceed ERL screening guidelines.

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were found at

high concentrations in both surface and subsurface soil samples, although no screening guidelines exist for these contaminants in soil.

Groundwater samples exceeded AWQC or LOEL

concentrations by at least 85 times for naphthalene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene. Surface

waters contained PCP, although there is no

screening guideline for this compound in water.

For all PAH compounds with sediment screening

guidelines, except for naphthalene, measured

concentrations were substantially higher than

ERLs.

Dioxins and furans were both found in surface

soils, and a total toxic equivalency value was

calculated. Subsurface soils, groundwater, and

surface water were not analyzed for dioxins or

furans. 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF were

found in sediments. The total TCDD toxicity

equivalents in sediments greatly exceeded the
58 • Region 4

58 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood

Table 2. Maximum concentrations of selected contaminants in groundwater, surface water,

soils, and sediments detected on and near the Escambia Brunswick Wood facility.

Water Soil Sediment

Groundwater

(μg/l)

Surfacea

Water

(μg/l)

AWQCb

(μg/l)

Surface 

Soils

(mg/kg)

Subsurface

Soils

(mg/kg)

Mean

U.S. c

(mg/kg)

Sediment

(mg/kg)

ERLd

(mg/kg)

 Trace Elements 

 Arsenic 420 12 36 8800 NA 5.2 9.5 8.2

 Cadmium 79 NA 1.1 1.3 NA 0.06 ND 1.2

 Chromium 570 62 11 4000 9 37 24 81

 Copper NA 23 12 9800 NA 17 53 34

 Lead 47 NA 3.2 41 5.8 16 11 46.7

 Mercury NA NA 0.012 0.64 NA 0.058 ND 0.15

 Nickel 760 NA 8.3 ND NA 42 ND 20.9

 Silver NA NA 0.12 ND 5.4 0.05 ND 1.0

 Zinc 1200 NA 8 6 160 8.4 48 36 150

 Organic Compounds 

 Naphthalene 39000 NA 620 e 0.17 1800 NA 0.14 0.16

 2-Methylnaphthalene 14000 NA NA 180 480 NA 0.18 0.07

 Acenaphthylene 370 NA NA 0.31 NA NA ND 0.04

 Acenaphthene 560 NA 520 e 460 720 NA 0.62 0.02

 Dibenzofuran 9800 NA NA 440 600 NA 0.61 NA

 Fluorene 12000 NA NA 510 740 NA 1 0.02

 Pentachlorophenol 11000 5 NA 5000 650 NA 0.57 NA

 Phenanthrene 33000 NA 4.6p 1200 1800 NA 3.10 0.24

 Anthracene 4000 NA NA 3600 340 NA 2.90 0.09

 Fluoranthene 14000 7 16 e 490 870 NA 3.70 0.60

 Pyrene 7800 NA NA 320 380 NA 1.60 0.67

 Chrysene 1700 NA NA 100 96 NA 0.69 0.38

 Benzo(b,k)fluoranthene 1200 NA NA 64 67 NA 0.73 NA

 Benz(a)anthracene 2400 NA NA 95 62 NA ND 0.26

 Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene NA NA NA 1.20 NA NA ND NA

 Tetrachlorophenol 2000 NA NA 200 NA NA ND NA

 Dioxins/Furans 

 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin NA NA NA 4.6x10-6 NA NA 3.8x10-5 NA

 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo -furan NA NA NA 2.7x10-5 NA NA 1.0x10-5 NA

 Total Equivalency Value NA NA NA 1.1x10-2 NA NA 4.9x10-4 6.0x10-5 f

a:

b:

c:

d:

e:

f:

ND:

NA:

p:

Weston (1991). All other data from B&V Waste Science and Technology Corp. (1994).

Quality Criteria for Water (EPA 1993a). Lowest value was chosen from fresh and marine water 

criteria because stream is tidally influenced.

Shacklette and Boerngen (1984), except for cadmium and silver which represent average 

concentrations in the earth's crust from Lindsay (1979).

Effects range-low ; the concentration representing the lowest 10 percentile value for the data in which 

effects were observed or predicted in studies compiled by Long, et al. (1995).

Lowest Observed Effect Level (EPA 1993a).

EPA toxic equivalency guideline for low-risk to fish from sediment exposure (1993b).

Not detected; detection limit not available.

Screening guidelines not available; data not available.

Proposed criteria.
Region 4 • 59

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood • 59

may be present near the site include four species

of sea turtle.

References

EPA toxic equivalency guideline for risk to fish

from sediment exposure (EPA 1993b).

Remedial Investigation data were provided to

NOAA in August 1997, before release of the RI

report. These new data indicate maximum

concentrations of all trace elements exceeding

respective sediment ERLs, except nickel and

silver. These data also indicate higher sediment

concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents

(1.2 μg/kg), individual PAHs (1600 mg/kg),

and PCP (2900 mg/kg) than previous studies

(which are shown in Table 2). The RI data

indicate maximum concentrations of PCP

(78 μg/L), arsenic (96 μg/L) and zinc (160 μg/

L) above their chronic AWQCs (Farrier 1997).

Summary

Results from site investigations indicate that

previous activities at the Brunswick Wood Treaters site have contaminated soil, groundwater,

surface water, and sediments with trace elements,

PAHs, dioxins, and furans. Surface runoff and

groundwater discharge flow directly into Burnett

Creek adjacent to the site. Primary habitats of

concern to NOAA include surface water, bottom

substrates, wetlands and riparian areas of Burnett

Creek, Cowpen Creek, and the Turtle River.

These water bodies support estuarine, anadromous, and catadromous fish species, and numerous invertebrates. Federally listed threatened or

endangered species of concern to NOAA that

B&V Waste Science and Technology Corp.

1994. Draft expanded site inspection: Escambia

Brunswick Wood, Brunswick, Glynn County,

Georgia. Atlanta: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Region 4, Waste Management Division.

44 pp.

Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. 1996.

HRS documentation record for Brunswick Wood

Preserving. Atlanta: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4.

DOI. 1995. Preliminary natural resource survey,

Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Site, Glynn County,

Brunswick, GA. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental

Policy and Compliance.

Farrier, B., Remedial Project Manager, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta,

personal communication, August 5, 1997.

Long, E. R., D. D. MacDonald, S. L. Smith, and

F. D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments.

Environmental Management 19:81-97.
60 • Region 4

60 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Escambia-Brunswick Wood

Nelson, D.M., E.A. Irlandi, L.R. Settle, M.E.

Monaco, and L.C. Coston-Clements. 1991.

Distribution and abundance of fishes and invertebrates in southeast estuaries. ELMR Rept. No.

19. Rockville, Maryland: NOAA/NOAA Strategic Environmental Assessments Division. 177

pp.

NOAA. 1995. Preliminary natural resource

survey, LCP Chemicals, Inc. Findings of fact.

Seattle: Hazardous Materials Response and

Assessment Division, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993a. Water quality criteria. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Office of Water, Health and Ecological Criteria

Division. 294 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993b. Interim report on data and methods for

assessment of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

risks to aquatic life and associated wildlife. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Office of Research and Development.

USGS. 1993. Brunswick West, Georgia. 7.5

minute series quadrangle. Reston, Virginia: U.S.

Government Printing Office.

Weston. 1991. Final report, preliminary assessment, Brunswick Wood Preserving site, Brunswick,

Georgia. Atlanta: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Region 4.

Woodall, S. 1991. RCRA facility assessment:

Escambia Treating Company, Inc., Brunswick

facility. Atlanta: Georgia Department of Natural

Resources, Environmental Protection Division,

Hazardous Waste Management Program. 47 pp.
Region 4 • 61

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation • 61

4

MRI Corporation

Site Exposure Potential

The MRI Corporation site occupies 2.5 ha in an

industrial area of Tampa, Hillsborough County,

Florida. Drainage from the facility flows 0.35 km

southeast to Sixmile Creek. Sixmile Creek flows

approximately 2 km to the Palm River, which

travels approximately 4.5 km to the west before

reaching McKay Bay. McKay Bay extends about

5 km before joining Hillsborough Bay, an

embayment of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of

Mexico (Figure 1).

From 1971 until 1986, the MRI Corporation

operated a scrap metal reclamation and chemical

detinning facility, which is now inactive and listed

for sale. The detinning process included physical

Tampa, Florida

CERCLIS #FLD088787585

and chemical treatment of tin-coated scrap steel.

The scrap metal was submerged in a series of four

heated alkali baths and then sent to washing

tanks. Chemical treatment and wash solutions

were stored in on-site lagoons to settle solids and

collect residual tin. The liquids from the alkali

baths were filtered and electrowinned before acid

treatment and additional settling in the lagoons.

Stormwater runoff also collected in these lagoons.

The lagoon bottoms containing mud and process

sludges have neither been removed nor contained

(Figure 2; NUS 1990).

Waste products generated at the site included

scrap metal, process sludges, and treated effluent.
62 • Region 4

62 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation

TAMPA

Sixmile

Creek

Hillsborough

Bay

Palm River

Alafia River

McKay

Bay

Tampa Bay

0 1 2

 

 kilometers

Seaboard Coast Line

Tampa Bypass Canal

MRI

Corporation

Figure 1. Location of MRI Corporation in Tampa, Florida.

N

Hillsborough River

676

41

301

45

43

400 4 574

60

60

FLORIDA

●

Gulf of Mexico

Tampa

Prepared from USGS St. Petersburg, Florida, 1:100000 scale topographic map 1981 and Delorme Mapping Company Florida Atlas & Gazetteer 1989 

Sixmile Cr eek
Region 4 • 63

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation • 63

Figure 2. Detail of MRI Corporation site.

N

0 50 100

 meters

Scale is approximate

Sludge

ponds

NPDES Outfall ditch

Structure

Drainage

Railroad

Sixmile Creek

301

43

Stannum Street

Adapted from EPA 1996, NUS Corporation 1990, and Delorme Mapping Company, Florida Atlas & Gazetteer 1989
64 • Region 4

64 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation

The scrap metal was compressed into 180-kg

bales for off-site reuse. Process sludges were

filtered, accumulated on-site, and sold for metal

reclamation. Approximately 91,000 kg/year of

process sludges were reclaimed and sold out of

state. In 1974, waste sludge sampling detected

copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, sodium, tin,

zinc, oil, and grease (NUS 1990).

Wastewater, treated with chlorine to oxidize

cyanides, was discharged to an on-site drainage

ditch. Discharges to the ditch at rates of up to

19,000 L/week were allowed under a NPDES

permit (NUS 1990). However, this facility had a

documented history of NPDES violations. During 1984, for example, effluent monitoring

indicated that zinc and mercury exceeded permit

limits during January; oil and grease and both

total and free cyanide exceeded permit limits

during February; and total cyanide and cadmium

permit limits were exceeded during March (NUS

1990).

Surface-water transport and groundwater discharge are the potential pathways of contaminant

migration from the site to NOAA trust resources

and associated habitats. Surface runoff from the

site reportedly flows into Sixmile Creek, but no

detailed information was available on surface

flow. Groundwater at the site migrates to the

southwest. The two principal aquifers in the area

are the surficial and the Upper Floridan aquifers,

which are hydraulically connected near the site.

Site groundwater is encountered 2.4 m bgs.

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

Habitats of primary concern to NOAA are

estuarine surface waters and associated bottom

substrates of the lower Palm River and McKay

Bay, a shallow embayment within the Tampa Bay

estuary. Many estuarine fish and invertebrates

use the embayment and are the resources of

concern to NOAA (Table 1).

McKay Bay is generally less than 8 m deep and

salinities generally range from 22 to 25 ppt,

fluctuating throughout the year depending upon

rainfall, saltwater intrusion, and runoff (Estevez

1989). Silty sands dominate bottom substrates

(Dial and Deis 1986).

The Palm River has low water quality; between

1980 and 1983, annual average dissolved oxygen

varied from 1.8 to 3.2 mg/L. In addition,

coliform counts, nutrient concentrations, and

biological oxygen demand all were elevated.

Water-quality conditions tend to worsen toward

McKay Bay, where urbanization is greater and

more point sources are present (Wolfe 1990).

The lower Palm River and McKay Bay provide

nursery and adult habitat for numerous fish and

invertebrate species (Kunneke and Palik 1984;

Nelson et al. 1992). Most of the estuarine

species spawn offshore or in coastal waters. Tidal

currents carry the larvae inshore to estuarine

water. Juveniles remain in protected estuaries

until sexual maturity (Kunneke and Palik 1984).

For example, snook and red drum juveniles are
Region 4 • 65

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation • 65

Table 1. NOAA trust fish, invertebrate, and reptile species that use McKay Bay and the Palm River.

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

MARINE/ESTUARINE FISH SPECIES

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ♦

Atlantic thread

herring

Opisthonema oglinum ♦ ♦

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ♦ ♦

Black drum Pogonias cromis ♦ ♦

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix ♦ ♦

Crevalle jack Caranx hippos ♦ ♦

Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus ♦

Gray snapper Lutjanus griseus ♦

Gulf flounder Paralichthys albigutta ♦ ♦

Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis ♦ ♦♦

Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus ♦♦ ♦

Lady fish Elops saurus ♦ ♦

Pigfish Orthopristis chrysoptera ♦ ♦

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ♦ ♦

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ♦♦ ♦

Sand seatrout Cynoscion arenarius ♦ ♦

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Silver perch Bairdiella chrysoura ♦ ♦♦

Snook Centropomus undecimalis ♦♦ ♦

Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma ♦ ♦

Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus ♦

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus

maculatus

♦ ♦

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ♦♦ ♦

Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus ♦♦ ♦ ♦

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus ♦♦ ♦

Tarpon Megalops atlanticus ♦ ♦

Tidewater silverside Menidia peninsula ♦ ♦♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Bay squid Lolliguncula brevis ♦ ♦♦

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Common rangia Rangia cuneata ♦ ♦♦

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ♦ ♦♦

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ♦ ♦♦

Hard shell clam Mercenaria spp. ♦ ♦♦

Pink shrimp Penaeus duorarum ♦ ♦

MARINE REPTILES

Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas ♦

Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmocheyls imbricata

Kemp’s Ridley sea

turtle

Lepidocheyls kempi ♦

Leatherback sea

turtle

Dermochelys coriacea ♦

Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta ♦
66 • Region 4

66 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation

commonly found in brackish streams and canals

and tidal freshwater streams, and may be found in

the lower Palm River (Gilmore et al. 1983; Peters

and McMichael 1987).

Highly abundant finfish species in the Tampa Bay

Estuary include Gulf menhaden, sheepshead

minnow, tidewater silversides, striped mullet, red

drum, bay anchovy, spot, and pinfish (Nelson et

al. 1992).

Blue crab are abundant in the estuary. Both

juveniles and adults use the estuary, and mating

may occur in tidal portions of the Palm River.

After mating, the females return to full seawater

to brood eggs while the males usually remain in

low-salinity waters. Crab larvae are released in full

seawater zones, such as upper Tampa Bay, and are

transported by currents to McKay Bay and other,

lower -salinity portions of the estuary. The larvae

settle and metamorphose to juveniles in the lowsalinity estuary (Nelson et al. 1992).

Grass shrimp are abundant and spend their entire

life cycle in the estuary. The bivalves rangia, hard

shell clam, and oyster are also commonly found in

the estuary (Nelson et al. 1992).

Commercial and recreational fishing activities

concentrate in the outer estuaries of Tampa Bay

and Old Tampa Bay. Commercial and recreational fisheries are not extensive in either McKay

Bay or the lower Palm River. However, blue

crab, Gulf menhaden, mullet, pink shrimp, spot,

and spotted seatrout are commercially harvested

in nearby Hillsborough Bay.

Recreational anglers occasionally fish available

species in McKay Bay. Species typically sought

are red drum, sheepshead, snook, and spotted

seatrout. There are no restrictions on these

fisheries other than general regulations regarding

take limit and minimum size. Periodically, blue

crab are also harvested from McKay Bay

(McMichael 1992).

The surface waters of Hillsborough and Tampa

bays provide habitat for several threatened and

endangered species. A non-NOAA trust species,

the federally endangered West Indian manatee

(Trichechus manatus) uses these bays as seasonal

habitat. Several federally protected species of

turtles also are found in the area. These include

the threatened green and loggerhead sea turtles,

along with the endangered hawksbill, Kemp’s

Ridley, and leatherback sea turtles (McMichael

1992).

Site-Related Contamination

1990 and 1992 site inspections documented

elevated concentrations of trace elements in soil,

groundwater, and sediment at the site (NUS

1990; EPA 1992). Surface-water samples were

not collected in either of these site inspections.

Consequently, groundwater concentrations are

compared to EPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria (Table 2).
Region 4 • 67

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation • 67

 Table 2. Maximum concentrations of selected contaminants detected at the MRI Corporation site.

Maximum concentrations of the major contaminants are listed in Table 2 along with the appropriate screening guidelines for each medium.

Data reported here for soil and sediment are from

the 1992 inspection. None of the samples from

the 1990 or 1992 investigations were analyzed

for tin.

During the 1990 site inspection, soil and sediment samples were analyzed for VOCs, pesticides,

PCBs, and PAHs. In 1990, Aroclor 1254 was

detected in one surface soil sample at a concentration of 1.4 mg/kg. In addition, dieldrin was

detected in one groundwater sample at a concentration of 0.028 μg/L, which exceeds the AWQC

for this compound.

Summary

Limited site investigations indicate that previous

activities at the MRI site caused trace element

contamination of site soils, groundwater, and

sediments. Surface water has not been sampled.

Surface runoff and groundwater are potential

transport pathways from the site to Sixmile

Creek, which flows into the Palm River. Habitats

of primary concern to NOAA are estuarine

surface waters and associated bottom substrates

of the lower Palm River and McKay Bay. These

habitats support numerous estuarine fish and

invertebrate species, as well as threatened and

endangered sea turtles.

Soil (mg/kg) Water (μg/L) Sediment (mg/kg)

 Inorganic 

 Substance

Surface

Soils

SubSurface

Soils

 

Mean U.S. a

 

Groundwater

AWQCb

(μg/L)

On-site

Sediment

 

ERLc

 

 

 Chromium 71 38 37 930 11 41 81

 Copper 370 90 17 NA 12 69 34

 Lead 8700 3800 16 340 3.2 1700 46.7

 Mercury 2 ND 0.06 1.4 0.012 2.6 .15

 Nickel 80 20 13 160 8.3 21 209

 Zinc 1800 590 48 750 8 6 500 150

 Cyanide 1.5 1.5 NA 52,000 5.2 0.84 NA

a:

b:

c:

ND

NA

Shacklette and Boerngen (1984) 

Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Water (U.S. EPA 1993); data presented are lowest chronic marine or 

freshwater criteria. 

Effects range-low; the concentration representing the lowest 10-percentile value for the data in which 

effects were observed or predicted in studies compiled by Long et al. (1995).

Not detected; detection limit not available.

Screening guidelines not available.
68 • Region 4

68 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation

Nelson, D.M., M.E. Monaco, C.D. Williams,

T.E. Czapla, M.E. Pattillo, L. Coston-Clements,

L.R. Settle, and E.A. Irlandi. 1992. Distribution

and abundance of fishes and invertebrates in Gulf

of Mexico estuaries. Volume I: Data summaries.

Rockville, Maryland: NOAA/NOS Strategic

Environmental Assessments Division. 273 pp.

NUS Corporation. 1990. Screening Site Inspection Report, Phase II, MRI Corporation, Tampa,

Hillsborough County, Florida. Atlanta: Waste

Protection Division, U.S. EPA.

Peters, K.M. and R.H. McMichael, Jr. 1987.

Early life history of the red drum, Sciaenops

ocellatus (Pisces: Sciaenidae), in Tampa Bay,

Florida. Estuaries 10:92-107.

Shacklette, H. T. and J. G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States. U.S.

Geological Survey Professional Paper 1270.

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing

Office.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1992. Supplemental Site Inspection Report -

MRI Corporation, Tampa, Hillsborough County,

Florida. Atlanta: EPA Region 4.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division.

294 pp.

References

Dial, R.S., D.R. Deis. 1986. Mitigation options

for fish and wildlife resources affected by port and

other water-dependent developments in Tampa Bay,

Florida. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological

Report 86(6). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service. 150 pp.

Estevez, E.D., ed. 1989. Tampa and Sarasota

Bays: issues, resources, and management. NOAA

Estuary-of-the-Month Seminar Series No. 11. St

Petersburg, Florida: Estuarine Programs Office,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Gilmore, G.R., C.J. Donohoe, and D.W., Cooke.

1983. Observations on the distribution and

biology of east-central Florida populations of the

common snook, Centropomus undecimalis

(Bloch). Florida Scientist 46:313-336.

Kunneke, J.T. and T.F. Palik. 1984. Tampa Bay

environmental atlas. U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service Biological Report 85(15). Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 73 pp.

Long, E. R., D. D. MacDonald, S. L. Smith, and

F. D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments.

Environmental Management 19: 81-97.

McMichael, R. Fisheries Biologist, Florida

Department of Fish and Wildlife, Tallahassee,

personal communication, September 21, 1992.
Region 4 • 69

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation • 69

Wolfe, S.H., and R.D. Drew, eds. 1990. An

ecological characterization of the Tampa Bay

watershed. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Biological Report 90(20). Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 334 pp.
70 • Region 4

70 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / MRI Corporation
Region 4 • 71

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall • 71

4

Terry Creek Dredge Spoil/

Hercules Outfall

Site Exposure Potential

The Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules

Outfall site is located on coastal estuarine marshlands approximately 1 km northeast of downtown

Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia. The site is

bordered by Dupree Creek, Terry Creek, and the

Back River (Figure 1). Dupree Creek flows south

along the western edge of the site into Terry

Creek, which continues approximately 2 km east

until it merges with the Back River. The Back

River then flows 3 km southeast and enters St.

Simons Sound approximately 5 km from the site.

St. Simons Sound joins the Atlantic Ocean about

5 km farther downstream.

Brunswick, Georgia

CERCLIS #GAD982112658

From 1948 to 1981, the principal product of

Hercules, Inc. (formerly Hercules Powder Plant),

located on Dupree Creek, was the pesticide

toxaphene. From 1966 to 1972, Hercules

discharged 100-140 kg of toxaphene daily to

Dupree Creek via a wastewater outfall (Figure 2).

In 1972, installation of a wastewater treatment

system reduced toxaphene discharges to less than

0.5 kg per day. By 1975, Hercules had obtained

an NPDES permit for its Dupree Creek outfall

that restricted discharge to a daily maximum of

about 0.5 kg of toxaphene, and a monthly average of about 0.2 kg toxaphene per day. Subsequent permit renewals gradually reduced permitted discharges. The current permit allowance is
72 • Region 4

72 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall

GEORGIA

Back River

Terry Creek

site

River

Little Frederica River

Wetlands

Escambia

Brunswick

Wood site

LCP 

Chemicals

site

Brunswick River

Turtle River

Saint Simons

Sound

Atlantic

Ocean

Blythe

Island

Saint Simons

Island

Andrews

Island

Prepared from U.S.G.S. 1:100 000 topographic of Brunswick, Georgia

Terry Creek

N

Figure 1. Location of the Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall Superfund site in Brunswick, Georgia.

0 1000 2000

 meters

MacKay

River
Region 4 • 73

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall • 73Figure 2. Detail of Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall site.

N

0 100 200 meters

Source: Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. 1997

B a c k

R i v e r

Boat Docks

Dredge spoil area 2 

Hercules 

Dock

Hercules 

001 NPDES

Discharge

Dredge spoil area 3 

Dredge spoil area 1

T e r r y

C r e

e k

Torras Causeway

WetlandsDischarge weir1st-generation dike2nd-generation dikeArea of suspected toxaphene contamination

Catwalk

Dupree Creek
74 • Region 4

74 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall

an average of about 0.025 kg per day. There

were six documented violations of the NPDES

permit between 1988 and 1993 (Black & Veatch

Special Projects Corp. 1997).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

began dredging Terry Creek in 1938. Three

tracts of land were set aside to accommodate the

dredge spoils; these areas are identified as

Dredge Spoil Area 1 (29 ha), Area 2 (23 ha), and

Area 3 (3 ha; Figure 2). In 1972, Hercules,

EPA, and the Georgia Environmental Protection

Division agreed to restrict future disposal of

dredge spoils to Area 1 following a spill of an

unknown quantity of toxaphene into Dupree

Creek from a barge at the Hercules dock. While

Area 1 continues to receive dredge spoils, Areas 2

and 3 have been converted to residential property. Maintenance dredging of Terry Creek

occurred in 1940, 1942, 1946, 1972, 1978,

1982, 1986, 1987, and 1988 (Black & Veatch

Special Projects Corp. 1997).

Surface runoff, direct discharge to surface waters,

and tidal transport are the contaminant pathways

of primary concern to NOAA. When dredged

sediments and water are placed into Dredge Spoil

Area 1, solids settle out, and the excess water

drains into Dupree Creek via three weirs on the

north and west sides. Although the dredge spoils

are contained by a two-generation, 7-m high

dike, the second-generation dike was constructed

using contaminated dredge material. Aerial

photos of the impoundment show many complete and partial breaches of the dike, and contaminated water and sediments flowing into

Dupree and Terry creeks (Bionetics 1991). Tidal

currents have carried toxaphene upstream 1.2 km

to the origin of Dupree Creek (U.S. EPA

1997a). There is an unmapped pipeline that

extends from inside the southwest corner of the

dike to Terry Creek (Taylor 1995).

Areas 2 and 3 have no features restricting surface

runoff and associated contaminants from entering the waterways. Runoff from Dredge Spoil

Areas 2 and 3 flows northeast and north to the

Back River and Terry Creek, respectively (U.S.

EPA 1997a).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

The habitats of concern to NOAA are surface

water, bottom substrates, wetlands, and riparian

zones associated with Dupree Creek, Terry

Creek, the Back River, and St. Simons Sound.

Estuarine fish, anadromous fish, and invertebrate

species are the primary resources of interest to

NOAA (Table 1).

Dupree and Terry Creeks are low-gradient, tidal

streams of intermediate salinities (15-30 ppt).

Both streams are typically 50 to 70 m wide and

less than 1 m deep. Near the site the lower Back

River is between 200 and 500 m wide and up to

9 m deep, with salinities generally ranging from

20 to 30 ppt. Sediments range from organically

enriched silts to fine sands. Vast salt marsh

wetlands are next to all three tidal streams. The

wetlands near the site are dominated by smooth
Region 4 • 75

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall • 75

Table 1. NOAA trust species using habitats associated with Dupree and Terry creeks, the lower Back River,

and St. Simons Sound near the site.

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS FISH

American eel Anguilla rostrata ♦ ♦

American shad Alosa sapidissima ♦ ♦

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus ♦ ♦

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis ♦ ♦

MARINE/ESTUARINE FISH

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ♦ ♦

Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus ♦

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ♦♦♦

Black drum Pogonias cromis ♦♦ ♦

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix ♦

Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus ♦♦♦

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ♦ ♦

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ♦ ♦

Sheepshead Archosargus

probatocephalus

♦♦ ♦

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ♦♦♦

Silversides Menidia spp. ♦ ♦

Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma ♦♦ ♦

Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus ♦

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus ♦

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ♦♦ ♦

Spotted sea trout Cynoscion nebulosus ♦♦ ♦

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus ♦♦ ♦

Summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus ♦

Tarpon Megalops atlanticus ♦

Weakfish Cynoscion regalis ♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ♦♦♦♦

Brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus ♦♦♦♦

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ♦♦♦

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ♦♦♦♦♦

Pink shrimp Penaeus duorum ♦♦♦♦

White shrimp Penaeus setiferus ♦♦♦♦

MARINE REPTILES

Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas ♦

Kemp’s Ridley sea

turtle

Lepidocheyls imbricata ♦

Leatherback sea

turtle

Dermochelys coriacea ♦

Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta ♦

MARINE MAMMALS

Atlantic bottlenose

dolphin

Tursiops truncatus ♦

West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus ♦
76 • Region 4

76 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall

cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and needlerush

(Juncus roemerianus; U.S. DOI 1995). St.

Simons Sound is a small, shallow (generally less

than 20 m) coastal embayment that empties into

the Atlantic Ocean (USGS 1993).

A variety of estuarine, anadromous, and catadromous fish species and several invertebrates use

Dupree and Terry creeks, the lower Back River,

and St. Simons Sound.

Species of fish known to use the Terry Creek site

and associated salt marsh habitats include Atlantic

croaker, red drum, spotted sea trout, tarpon,

striped mullet, Atlantic menhaden, killifish, and

American eel. Most of these species use the salt

marsh and tidal stream habitats as a nursery.

Invertebrates include American oyster, panaeid

shrimp, and blue crab (U.S. DOI 1995).

Compared to the tidal streams, the lower Back

River and St. Simons Sound provide deeper,

larger, more saline habitats for numerous estuarine fish and invertebrates. Common estuarine

fish that use the area for juvenile rearing and adult

residence include Atlantic menhaden, spotted sea

trout, weakfish, Atlantic croaker, southern kingfish, black drum, spot, sheepshead, pinfish, and

southern flounder. Anadromous species that use

the Back River as a migratory corridor and juvenile nursery include Atlantic sturgeon, blueback

herring, and American shad. The catadromous

American eel is found throughout the basin using

lower-salinity portions of the river as a nursery.

Invertebrates found in the area include American

oyster, hard clam, brown shrimp, white shrimp,

grass shrimp, and blue crab (Nelson et al. 1991).

Five aquatic species that may occur near the site

are listed as threatened or endangered under the

Federal Endangered Species Act. The endangered West Indian manatee, which is not a

NOAA trust resource, has been observed feeding

on smooth cordgrass near Terry Creek. Four

species of sea turtle—loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley,

leatherback, and green—have been regularly

observed in St. Simons Sound, but sightings in

the Back River have not been confirmed. In

addition, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin has

been reported near the site. Dolphins are not

listed as threatened or endangered, but are

protected under the Federal Marine Mammal

Protection Act (DOI 1995).

Commercial crab pots have been observed in

both Dupree and Terry creeks (U.S. DOI 1995).

There are commercial fisheries for blue crab and

bait shrimp, and recreational fisheries for several

finfish and crab throughout the estuary. Bivalve

harvest is closed in the estuary, prompted by

potential contamination from industrial discharges and urban non-point source contamination from Brunswick (NOAA 1995).

Site-Related Contamination

Field data collected since late 1995 indicate that

soils, surface water, sediments, and biota near the

Hercules outfall and the dredge spoil areas
Region 4 • 77

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall • 77

contain elevated concentrations of site-related

contaminants (Black &Veatch Special Projects

Corp. 1997, U.S. EPA 1997b). The primary onsite contaminants of concern to NOAA are

toxaphene and other pesticides, although trace

elements and PAHs also were detected in elevated

concentrations. Maximum concentrations of

these contaminants are summarized in Table 2

along with the appropriate screening guidelines.

Blue crab, mummichog, and larger fish captured

in the spring of 1997 for a screening risk assessTable 2. Maximum concentrations of selected contaminants detected at the Terry Creek Dredge Spoil

Areas/Hercules Outfall.

Soil Water Sediment

On-site

soils

(mg/kg)

Community

soils

(mg/kg)

Mean U.S. a

(mg/kg)

Surface

water

(μg/L)

AWQCb

(μg/L)

On-site

sediment

(mg/kg)

ERLc

(mg/kg)

 Trace Elements 

 Arsenic 16 19 5.2 13 36 19 8.2

 Chromium 43 150 37 11 11 55 81

 Copper 84 22 17 79 12 69 34

 Lead 97 89 16 3 3.2 70 46.7

 Mercury 0.32 0.21 0.058 1.8 0.012 0.59 0.15

 Silver 7.3 NA 0.05 NA 0.12 <3 1.0

 Zinc 73 120 48 NA 86 160 150

 Pesticides

 Endrin NA NA NA 0.11 0.002 <5.7 NA

 4,4' DDD NA NA NA 0.89 0.6e <5.7 NA

 4,4' DDE 0.18 0.008 NA <0.1 NA 0.10 0.0022

 4,4' DDT 1.5 NA NA 0.09 0.001 <5.7 0.0016t

 Toxaphene 330d 37d NA <5 0.0002 230d NA

 Organic Compounds

 Total PAHs 0.42 27 NA 5 NA 3 4.02

 

a:

b:

c:

d:

e:

t:

ND:

NA:

Shacklette and Boerngen (1984), except for silver which represents average concentration in the

earth's crust from Lindsay (1979).

Quality Criteria for Water (U.S. EPA 1993). Lowest value was chosen from fresh and marine water 

criteria because stream is tidally influenced.

Effects range-low; the concentration representing the lowest 10 percentile value for the data in which 

effects were observed or predicted in studies compiled by Long, et al. (1995).

Toxaphene analyses performed by EPA - ESD per method determined by EPA Toxaphene Task Force 

June 4, 1993.

Lowest Observed Effect Level (U.S. EPA 1993).

DDT total

Not detected; detection limit not available.

Screening guidelines not available; data not available.
78 • Region 4

78 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall

ERL guidelines in sediment samples taken from

Terry Creek and the Hercules outfall area.

Sediment samples from wetlands to the east of

Area 1 contained arsenic, copper, lead, and

mercury concentrations at least twice the ERL

guideline (Long et al. 1995).

Toxaphene and 4,4’-DDE were detected in both

on-site and community soils, with the highest

concentrations in on-site soils. Screening guidelines are not available for these pesticides in soil.

Toxaphene was not detected in groundwater or

surface water samples. Detection limits for

toxaphene in surface water were not stated in the

1995-96 investigation, but a 1987 study reported

a detection limit of 0.3 μg/L, far exceeding the

AWQC chronic guidelines of 0.0002 μg/L

(Costello 1987). On-site sediments contained

concentrations of 4, 4’-DDE over 45 times the

ERL. Toxaphene was measured at 29 mg/kg in

on-site sediments and 31 mg/kg in wetland

sediments from the upper reaches of Dupree

Creek. A screening guideline for toxaphene in

sediment was not available. In a 1995 study,

toxaphene was measured at concentrations of 19

and 27 mg/kg in tissues from two fish samples

collected in Terry Creek (Parsons and Auwarter

1997). Concentrations above 0.4 to 0.6 mg/kg

wet weight may be hazardous to fish (Eisler and

Jacknow 1985).

Concentrations of PAHs, including acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene,

fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene,

chrysene, benzo(b and/or k) fluoranthene,

benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene, and

ment also show evidence of contamination.

Maximum toxaphene concentrations (27 ppm)

were found in forage fish collected near the

Hercules outfall. In larger fish, contaminants that

appear to be toxaphene were found in all samples,

with fish from Dupree Creek most affected at

concentrations of 3.9 ppm (U.S. EPA 1997b).

All “on-site” soil samples were collected from

within the boundaries of Areas 1, 2, and 3 (Figure

2). Additional soil samples were collected from

nearby areas (some residential) and labeled as

“community” soils. These samples were mainly

collected to the west and northwest of Area 1 on

the opposite side of Dupree Creek and northwest

of Area 2. Groundwater samples were collected

from three wells in Area 3. Surface water and

sediment samples were retrieved from the Back

River, Terry Creek, and Dupree Creek, and

wetland sediment samples were collected near the

banks of these waterways (Black & Veatch 1997).

The trace elements arsenic, lead, mercury, and

zinc in on-site soils, and in soils from the community surrounding the site, were found to exceed

average U.S. soil concentrations. Copper and

silver were also detected at elevated concentrations in on-site soils, while chromium exceeded

the mean U.S. soil concentration in community

soil samples. However, mercury was the only

inorganic substance detected in groundwater

samples at concentrations exceeding the AWQC

by a factor greater than 10. In surface water,

copper exceeded its AWQC in Terry Creek, as did

mercury in Dupree Creek. Arsenic, copper, lead,

mercury, and zinc concentrations all exceeded
Region 4 • 79

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall • 79

benzo(g,h,i)perylene, were detected in both onsite and community soils, but screening guidelines for PAHs in soils have not been developed.

No organic compounds were detected in groundwater samples. PAHs were detected in surface

water, but an AWQC guideline for total PAHs

has not been developed. Total PAHs were also

measured in sediment samples, but did not

exceed the ERL.

Summary

Bionetics Corporation. 1991. Site analysis, Terry

Creek Dredge Spoil Area, Brunswick GA. Las

Vegas: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory,

Office of Research and Development. 16 pp.

Costello, J. O. 1987. Screening site inspection

report, Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Area. Atlanta:

Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

DOI. 1995. Preliminary natural resource survey,

Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Site, Glynn County,

Brunswick, GA. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental

Policy and Compliance.

Eisler, R. and J. Jacknow. 1985. Toxaphene

hazards to fish, wildlife, and invertebrates: a

synoptic review. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Biological Report 85(1.4). 26 pp.

Lindsay, W. L. 1979. Chemical Equilibria in

Soils. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 449 pp.

Long, E. R., D. D. MacDonald, S. L. Smith, and

F. D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments.

Environmental Management 19: 81-97.

Nelson, D.M., E.A. Irlandi, L.R. Settle, M.E.

Monaco, and L.C. Coston-Clements. 1991.

Distribution and abundance of fishes and invertebrates in southeast estuaries. ELMR Rept. No. 19.

Rockville, Maryland: NOAA/NOA Strategic

Environmental Assessments Division. 177 pp.

Terry Creek, Dupree Creek, the lower Back

River, and St. Simons Sound provide important

nursery and adult forage habitat for numerous

trust species in the area of the Terry Creek

Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall site. Soils,

surface water, sediments, and fish are contaminated to varying degrees with trace elements,

pesticides, and PAHs. Surface water and sediments contain contaminants at concentrations

that pose a threat to NOAA trust resources.

References

Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. 1997.

Final expanded site inspection, Hercules Terry

Creek Dredge Spoil Area, Brunswick, Glynn

County, GA. Atlanta: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Waste Management Division,

Region 4. 68 pp.
80 • Region 4

80 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Terry Creek/Hercules Outfall

NOAA. 1995. Preliminary natural resource

survey, LCP Chemicals, Inc. Findings of Fact.

Seattle: Coastal Resources Coordination Branch,

Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment

Division.

Parsons, M. and A. Auwarter. 1997. Characterization and spatial distribution of contaminants

in surface water, sediments and fish within the

tidal reaches surrounding Brunswick, Georgia.

Athens, Georgia: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Region IV, Science and Ecosystem

Support Division.

Shacklette, H. T., and J. G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other surficial

materials of the conterminous United States. U.S.

Geological Survey Professional Paper 1270.

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing

Office.

Taylor, W. R. 1995. Terry Creek Dredge Spoil

site Preliminary Natural Resource Survey. Atlanta: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Chief of State Program Section.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division.

294 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1997a. Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall, Brunswick, GA. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State,

Tribal, and Site Identification Center, National

Priorities List. 1 p.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1997b. Terry Creek ecological screening evaluation, Brunswick GA. Athens, GA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Science and Ecosystem Support Division, Ecological Assessment

Branch. 14 pp. + appendices.

USGS. 1993. Brunswick East, Georgia. 7.5

minute series quadrangle. Reston, Virginia: U.S.

Government Printing Office.
Region 4 • 81

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB • 81

4

Tyndall Air Force Base

Site Exposure Potential

Bay County, Florida

CERCLIS #FL1570024124

remaining 13 CERCLA sites. Table 1 describes

the 16 sites requiring further action; Figure 1

shows their locations.

Tyndall Air Force Base was added to the National

Priorities List based on the presence of DDT and

its breakdown products in sediments of Shoal

Point Bayou, also known as Fred Bayou (EPA

1995). The bayou, designated Site OT-29, is

next to the Old Pesticide Building, where DDT

and other pesticides were stored, and possibly

discarded. Documentation for the start of DDT

use at the base has not been found. About 80

drums containing approximately 45 metric tons

of DDT were removed from the Old Pesticide

Tyndall Air Force Base occupies 11,650 ha at the

end of a 26-km peninsula in Bay County, western

Florida (Figure 1). The site is surrounded by

East Bay, St. Andrew Bay, St. Andrew Sound, and

the Gulf of Mexico.

Tyndall Air Force Base is an Air Combat Command facility activated in 1941. Many operations

at the site involved the use of hazardous substances. Of the 29 CERCLA sites identified

during the base-wide Installation Restoration

Program (IRP), 16 require further action (Rust

E&I 1997). EPA and Florida DEP approved

determinations of no further action for the
82 • Region 4

82 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB

Figure 1. Location of Tyndall Air Force Base and IRP sites in Bay County, Florida.

0 1 2 3

 kilometers

N

Prepared from Rust E&I 1997 

Tyndall AFB boundary

East Bay

Gulf of Mexico

IRP site location

S t . A n d r e w

S o u n d

Crooked

 Island

Shell

 Island

98

98

LF-09

LF-10 LF-03

LF-02

LF-05

SS-26

FT-17

OT-27

OT-21

OT-24

LF-12

LF-07

LF-06

OT-04

LF-01

OT-25 OT-29

Shoal 

Point

Bayou

Pearl

Bayou

Freshwater

Bayou

Florida

AL GA

Gulf of Mexico

St. Andrew Bay

St. Andrew Bay

Building in the mid-1970s. An unspecified

number of these drums were leaking. Somewhat

later, the Old Pesticide Building either burned

down or was demolished, and the remaining

debris was buried on the facility at an unspecfied

location (EPA 1995). DDT also may have been

discarded in two landfills on the facility; the 6000

Area Landfill (Site LF-05) and a waste disposal

area near the sewage treatment plant (Site LF-06;

EPA 1995).

Surface water runoff and groundwater discharge

are potential contaminant migration pathways to

NOAA trust resources. The topography of
Region 4 • 83

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB • 83

IRP Number Description Disposed Materials 

Date of

Operation Site Status

LF-01 Wherry Landfill General refuse and mess hall

waste landfill.

1943-1948 SI Required

LF-02 Sabre Drive Landfill General refuse landfill. 1943-1965 SI Required

LF-03 Beacon Beach Road

Landfill

General refuse landfill. 1952-1965 SI Required

OT-04 Southeast Runway

Extension Burial Site

Containers, drums, batteries, and

parts.

1945-1965 RI Required

LF-05 6000 Area Landfill Containers, drums, batteries, and

parts.

1945-1965 RI Required

LF-06 Sewage Plant Vicinity

Landfill

Main sanitary landfill. Also

concrete-encased asbestos,

wrecked drones, and receptacles

containing waste oils and

solvents.

1965-1973 RI Required

LF-07 Spray Field Vicinity Landfill Main sanitary landfill. Also, other

unidentified materials.

1973-1977 RI Required

LF-09 Capehart Burial Site Buried rubble and burned debris

from about 40 houses destroyed

in the 1962 tornado.

1962 SI Required

LF-10 Capehart Marina Rubble

Storage

Concrete rubble stored above

ground.

1962 SI Required

LF-12 Highway 98 Burial Site Building rubble and debris from

burial of demolished base housing.

1960s SI Required

FT-17 Highway 98 Fire Training

Area

Waste petrroleum, oil , and

lubicants stored in two 20,000-

gallon tanks and later burned in

the burn pit area. Leaks from

stored PCB transformers.

1952-1968 RI/FS In Progress

OT-21 Explosive Ordnance Range

Burn/Burial Pits Site

Buried residue from incineration

or detonation of unused

ordnance.

1950s1980sIRA In Progress

OT-24 9700 Area Batch Asphalt

Plant

Asphalt production waste. 1975-1988 RI Required

OT-25 Small Arms Repair Area Waste paints and solvents poured

into an open pit and then covered

with soil.

1965-1972 RI Required

SS-26 Vehicle Maintenance Area Two 10,000-gallon fuel USTs,

hazardous waste accumulation

area, waste oil tank, and oil/water

separators. Small spills

associated with normal vehicle

maintenance.

1950spresentRI/FS In Progress

OT-29 Shoal Point Bayou DDT and breakdown products in

bayou sediments.

1970s RI/FS In Progress

IRA: Interim Remedial Action

RI: Remedial Investigation

SI: Site Investigation

Table 1. Sixteen CERCLA sites at Tyndall Air Force Base requiring further action.
84 • Region 4

84 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB

Tyndall Air Force Base is relatively flat with a

maximum elevation of approximately 9 m. No

detailed information on surface water flow from

each of the sites was available. In general, runoff

from areas on the north side of U.S. Highway 98

flows into East Bay and St. Andrew Bay, and

runoff from the south and west sides of U.S.

Highway 98 flows into St. Andrew Sound, St.

Andrew Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico (CH2M

Hill 1981).

The surficial aquifer near the base is composed of

highly transmissive, well-sorted, fine- to mediumgrained sands, extending to 34 m deep, where

clayey-sand strata are encountered (Rust E&I

1997). No information was available regarding

the continuity of this unit. Groundwater depths

typically range from 0.3 to 0.9 m bgs. The water

table is relatively flat throughout Tyndall Air

Force Base, but fluctuates up to 1.5 m in response to seasonal rainfall and tidal cycles. A

groundwater divide beneath Highway 98 separates areal flows to the northeast and southwest,

but shallow groundwater flows toward nearby

bayous, streams, and ditches. The surficial

aquifer is the principal concern with regard to

contaminant transport because it is both highly

permeable and shallow (Rust E&I 1997).

NOAA Trust Resources and Habitats

Andrew Bay, and St. Andrew Sound are next to

the base. Of particular concern are several tidal

bayous and associated wetlands that receive

drainage from the base. The Gulf of Mexico lies

beyond St. Andrew Bay and St. Andrew Sound.

The many estuarine fish and invertebrates that

use the embayments and nearshore Gulf are the

resources of concern to NOAA. Table 2 lists

those species most abundant in the area.

East Bay and St. Andrew Bay are protected,

shallow embayments generally less than 15 m

deep with moderate salinities of 20 to 30 ppt.

Shoal Point Bayou, Pearl Bayou, and Freshwater

Bayou, which drain from Tyndall Air Force Base

into East Bay, range from less than 1 m deep to

4 m deep, with highly variable salinities depending upon precipitation and runoff. St. Andrew

Sound is predominantly shallow, with a maximum depth of 10 m, and more marine salinities

of 32-35 ppt (USGS 1982a; USGS 1982b;

Schafer 1997).

Sediments in the estuary range from fine sands to

silts. Quartz sand sediments predominate next

to the beach and dune areas of St. Andrew

Sound and lower St. Andrew Bay. Sandy silts to

silts predominate in East Bay, particularly in

Shoal Point Bayou (Rust E&I 1993; Schafer

1997). There are large salt-marsh wetlands,

dominated by Spartina spp., along the East Bay

shore of the base (CH2M Hill 1981).

Over 120 species of finfish and invertebrates have

been reported in the St. Andrew Bay estuary near

the base (Geraghty & Miller, 1991). Table 2

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are

surface water and bottom substrates of the St.

Andrew Bay estuary, of which East Bay, St.
Region 4 • 85

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB • 85

Table 2. NOAA trust species that use the St. Andrew Bay estuary next to Tyndall Air Force Base.

presents the NOAA trust species considered

abundant in the estuary. The smaller species of

fish, such as bay anchovy, code goby, sheepshead

minnow, silversides, and silver perch, spend their

entire lives within the estuary. Most of the other

fish found in the bay spawn in coastal areas and

use East Bay, St. Andrew Bay, and St. Andrew

Sound as juvenile nurseries. Non-spawning

adults use the estuary seasonally (Nelson et al.

1992).

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

MARINE/ESTUARINE FISH

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ♦♦ ♦

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ♦♦♦

Blue runner Caranx crysos ♦♦ ♦

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix ♦♦ ♦

Code goby Gobiosoma robustum ♦♦♦

Gulf flounder Paralichthys albigutta ♦♦ ♦

Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus ♦ ♦

Hardhead catfish Arius felis ♦♦♦

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ♦ ♦

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ♦♦ ♦

Sand seatrout Cynoscion arenarius ♦♦ ♦

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ♦♦♦

Silver perch Bairdiella chysoura ♦♦♦

Silversides Menidia spp ♦♦♦

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus ♦♦ ♦

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ♦♦ ♦

Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus ♦♦ ♦

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus ♦♦ ♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Bay scallop Argopecten irradians ♦♦♦♦♦

Bay squid Lolliguncula brevis ♦♦♦

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ♦♦♦♦♦

Brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus ♦♦♦♦

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ♦♦♦♦♦

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ♦♦♦

Pink shrimp Penaeus duorum ♦♦♦♦
86 • Region 4

86 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB

Both adult and juvenile blue crab are highly

abundant in the St. Andrew Bay estuary. Crab

mate in low-salinity areas, such as the bayous of

East Bay. After mating, the males remain in lowsalinity waters, while the females migrate to

undiluted seawater zones to brood eggs. Larvae

are released in areas of undiluted marine salinities.

The planktonic larvae are subsequently transported back into the estuary, where they settle to

the bottom and metamorphose.

Grass shrimp, an abundant nearshore species,

spend their entire life within the estuary, in salt

marshes and oyster reef habitats. Brown and pink

shrimp are also abundant, particularly the juvenile

stages. Adults use the estuary seasonally. Although not as abundant, eastern oyster and bay

scallop also use the estuary (Nelson et al. 1992).

There are two federally threatened or endangered

sea turtles near the base. The federally threatened

Atlantic loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

and the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia

mydas) use the coastal waters of St. Andrews Bay

and St. Andrew Sound seasonally (CH2M Hill

1981).

There are both commercial and recreational

fisheries for finfish, blue crab, oyster, and scallop

in East Bay, St. Andrew Bay, and St. Andrew

Sound (Schafer 1997). In 1993, Tyndall Air

Force Base posted a catch-and-release advisory for

Shoal Point Bayou (EPA 1995). East Bay, along

the northeast boundary of Tyndall Air Force Base,

is classified by the State of Florida as Class II

water, designated for shellfish propagation and

harvesting. The waters at the northwest end of

the base are a designated Aquatic Preserve. The

rest of the estuary around the base is designated

Class III waters for recreation and propagation of

fish and wildlife (Geraghty and Miller 1991).

Site-Related Contamination

Site OT-29, Shoal Point Bayou, is the only active

CERCLA site for which data were available for

comparison with NOAA screening guidelines.

At Site OT-29, elevated concentrations of DDT

and its breakdown products have been measured

in sediment and surface water. DDT contamination in Shoal Point Bayou was first observed in

1985 during area-wide sediment sampling

conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(EPA 1995). One sediment sample composited

from five cores taken along the centerline of

Shoal Point Bayou contained substantially higher

concentrations of DDT (4400 μg/kg) and its

breakdown products, DDE and DDD, than did

any of the other 36 sediment samples collected

throughout the St. Andrew Bay estuarine complex.

In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

collected an additional 28 sediment samples from

Shoal Point Bayou to follow up on the 1985

sediment sampling (Brim 1990). DDT and/or

its breakdown products were detected in 54% of

the samples at a detection limit of 97 μg/kg,

considerably higher than the ERL of 1.58 μg/
Region 4 • 87

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB • 87

Soil (μg/kg) Sediment (μg/kg)

Contaminant 1993a 1992b ERLc

DDD 1,600 2,600 1.58d

DDE 860 1,100 2.2

DDT 1,200 12,000 1.58d

alpha Chlordane 14 NA NA

gamma Chlordane 9.1 NA NA

Technical Chlordane 4,200 NA NA

NA: Not analyzed

a: USACE 1993

b: Rust E&I 1993

c: Effects-range low concentration; the concentration representing the lowest 10-

percentile value for the data in which effects were observed or predicted in 

studies compiled by Long et al. (1995).

d: ERL for total DDT.

kg. Measured concentrations ranged from 100 to

1300 μg/kg of DDT and metabolites in Shoal

Point Bayou sediments.

In 1992, groundwater samples were collected

from six on-site monitoring wells and analyzed

for DDT and its breakdown products. None of

these pesticides was detected, but the detection

limit of 0.1 μg/L was two orders of magnitude

higher than the marine chronic AWQC of 0.001

μg/L. Ten soil samples were collected in 1993

and analyzed for pesticides (USACE 1993; EPA

1995). In addition to DDT and its breakdown

products, elevated concentrations of chlordane

were detected. Table 3 shows maximum concentrations in soil. Screening guidelines for pesticides in soil have not been developed.

A preliminary assessment/site investigation was

completed for Site OT-29 in 1992 (Rust E&I

1993). Higher concentrations of DDD, DDE,

and DDT were detected in sediment during this

study than in any of the previous studies (Table

3). Of the seven sediment samples collected, one

sample contained 1,000 to 12,000 μg/kg of

DDT and breakdown products; five of the seven

samples had concentrations ranging from 62 to

910 μg/kg; and in one sample concentrations

were not detected above the detection limit of

26 μg/kg. Surface water samples were collected

in 1992, but DDT and/or breakdown products

were not detected at the detection limit of

0.1 μg/L, which is two orders of magnitude

higher than the marine chronic AWQC of

0.001 μg/L.

 Table 3. Maximum concentrations of pesticides in soil and sediment collected from

Site OT-29 at Tyndall Air Force Base.
88 • Region 4

88 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB

Summary

There are many potential hazardous waste areas at

Tyndall Air Force Base although data from only

OT-29, Shoal Point Bayou, were available for

screening against NOAA guidelines. Very high

concentrations of DDT and its breakdown products were detected in soil and sediment from the

Shoal Point Bayou area. Concentrations in bayou

sediment, four orders of magnitude higher than

screening guidelines, threaten the many NOAA

trust species that use the estuary surrounding

Tyndall Air Force Base.

References

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

Nelson, D.M., M.E. Monaco, C.D. Williams,

T.E. Czapla, M.E. Pattillo, L. Coston-Clements,

L.R. Settle, and E.A. Irlandi. 1992. Distribution

and abundance of fishes and invertebrates in Gulf

of Mexico estuaries. Volume I: Data summaries.

Rockville, Maryland: NOAA/NOS Strategic

Environmental Assessments Division. 273 pp.

Rust Environment & Infrastructure (Rust E&I).

1993. Final Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation report, Shoal Point Bayou: Site 29, Tyndall

Air Force Base, Florida. Omaha: U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers. 43 pp.

Rust Environment & Infrastructure (Rust E&I).

1997. Management Action Plan, Tyndall Air

Force Base, Florida. Brooks Air Force Base,

Texas: Air Force Center for Environmental

Excellence, Environmental Restoration Division.

Schafer, R., Fisheries Biologist, National Marine

Fisheries Service, Panama City, Florida, personal

communication, July 22, 1997.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 1993.

Test results from soil samples collected at Shoal

Point Bayou on March 11, 1993 and analyzed by

the Missouri River Division Laboratory. Omaha:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Brim, M. 1990. Environmental contaminants

evaluation; sediment DDT concentrations in Fred

Bayou, St. Andrew Bay, Tyndall Air Force Base,

Bay County, Florida. Panama City, Florida:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 10 pp.

CH2M Hill. 1981. Installation Restoration

Program Records Search for Tyndall Air Force

Base, Florida. Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida:

Air Force Engineering and Services Center,

Directorate of Environmental Planning.

Geraghty and Miller, Inc. 1991. Final Remedial

Investigation report for Sites OT-4, LF-5, and OT25, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Omaha:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Region 4 • 89

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB • 89

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington, DC:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of

Water, Health and Ecological Criteria Division.

294 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1995. HRS Documentation Record, Tyndall Air

Force Base. Atlanta: U.S. EPA, Region IV.

43 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 1982a.

7.5 minute series orthophoto map (topographic/

bathymetric). Long Point, Florida.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 1982b.

7.5 minute series orthophoto map (topographic/

bathymetric). Beacon Beach, Florida.
90 • Region 4

90 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Tyndall AFB
Region 6 • 91

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works • 91

6

Madisonville Creosote

Works

Site Exposure Potential

The Madisonville Creosote Works site covers

approximately 12 ha in a predominantly wooded,

rural area in St Tammany Parish about

3 km west of Madisonville, Louisiana. The

facility is 2 km north of Lake Pontchartrain, a

coastal tidal water body (Figure 1). Drainage

from the site enters an unnamed, intermittent

stream that empties into the Black River and

farther downgradient into a series of large,

perennial wetlands. This wetland is contiguous

with Lake Pontchartrain, a shallow estuary which

flows into Mississippi Sound approximately 90

km from the site. Mississippi Sound is an

embayment of the Gulf of Mexico.

Madisonville, Louisiana

CERCLIS #LAD981522998

The Madisonville Creosote Works facility was

opened in 1956; wood products were treated

with creosote at the facility until operations

ceased in 1984. From the 1960s to 1984,

creosote sludge and wastewater were concentrated by sprinkler evaporation. Residual process

waste liquids were stored in two process water

ditches and two evaporation ponds (Figure 2).

Waste creosote and wastewater drained from the

process water ditches into Evaporation Pond

No.1. Solids settled in Pond No.1 and water

overflowed through a depression in the dike to

Evaporation Pond No. 2. The Rainwater Pond

provided backup containment of overflow from

Evaporation Pond No. 2. The Fish Pond was
92 • Region 6

92 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works Madisonville

L a k e Po n t c h a r t ra i n

Madisonville

Creosote 

Works site

Figure 1. Location of the Madisonville Creosote Works site in Madisonville, Louisiana.

Louisiana MS AL

TX

Gulf of Mexico

Prepared from USGS Madisonville 1:24 000 scale map, 1968 photorevised 1972 and 1979

B al ck R vi er

22

Madisonville CreosoteWorks boundaryWetlandsUnimproved road

cT eh nuf R atc evi r

N

0 250 500 meters

Rice Field Canal
Region 6 • 93

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works • 93

Figure 2. Detail of the Madisonville Creosote Works site.

N

Unimproved road

Wetlands

Intermittent stream

Drainage ditch

Madisonville Creosote Works boundary

0 100 200

 meters

Black River

22

Evaporation

Pond #1

Large Process

Water Ditch

Small Process

Water Ditch

Rainwater Pond

Evaporation

Pond #2

Treating

plant

Tank

farm

Fish pond

Ditch #2

Ditch #1

Trapagnier Road

Periccoux Road

Prepared from USGS Madisonville, LA 1:24 000 scale map 1968, photorevised 1972 and 1979; Weston, 1997 

Pond

Pond
94 • Region 6

94 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works

intended for expansion of the evaporation ponds.

Approximately 15 aboveground storage tanks

(ASTs) that were used to store creosote and

wastewater remain on-site. During a site inspection in 1995, eleven of these tanks still contained

liquids.

The four surface impoundments and the process

ditches were closed as hazardous waste management units in 1986. Closure activities included

the removal and off-site incineration of contaminated sludge and soil. The units were then

backfilled with a 0.6-m clay layer and vegetated.

Post-closure sampling indicated the presence of

residual creosote contamination in soils collected

from these areas (Weston 1996).

Creosote contamination has been measured at the

site in soils, sediments, and groundwater. Primary source contamination is in the form of

liquid creosote or creosote sludge. Chemically,

creosote consists primarily of PAHs. Past releases

of PAHs from site source areas to site soil and

groundwater and off-site ditches has been visually

observed and confirmed by laboratory analysis.

Secondary source contamination is in the form of

contaminated soil (dried creosote particles in the

soil or soil saturated with liquid creosote), pooled

dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) in

subsurface soil, and dissolved contamination in

groundwater.

Groundwater discharge, DNAPL migration, and

surface water runoff are the potential pathways of

contaminant transport from the site to NOAA

trust resources and associated habitats. A drainage ditch immediately west of the former evaporation ponds (Ditch #1) drains surface water to

the south where it joins a second drainage ditch

(Ditch #2) to form an intermittent stream that

flows from the northwest to the southeast

approximately 1.2 km before its confluence with

the Black River (Figure 2). After the confluence,

the Black River crosses a large, perennial wetland

beginning approximately 1.1 km southeast of the

site and intersects the Rice Field Canal before

continuing to Lake Pontchartrain (Figure 1).

The Madisonville Creosote Works is located on

the Pleistocene prairie terrace in poorly drained,

gently sloping, loamy soils. There are three

aquifers below the site: the Shallow Aquifer, the

Upper Ponchatoula Aquifer, and the Lower

Ponchatoula Aquifer, all of which are thought to

be hydraulically connected. A groundwater

investigation at the site showed that creosote

contamination was greatest at the center of the

site. The groundwater in the upper alluvial

deposits was shown to mound and flow radially

from the center of the facility (Weston 1997).

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

The primary habitats of concern to NOAA are the

downstream surface waters, riparian wetlands, and

bottom substrates of the Black River and Lake

Pontchartrain. Numerous fish and invertebrate

species use the estuary and are the NOAA trust

resources of concern (Table 1).
Region 6 • 95

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works • 95

Lake Ponchartrain is a shallow, enclosed estuary

of low salinity (0.5-5.0 ppt). The Lake depths are

generally less than 5 m, and sediments range from

fine sand to silt (USGS 1968a,b; Gosselink

1984). Drainage from the site runs into the Black

River, which empties into a large Cypress-Tupelo

swamp. Farther downgradient, the swamp is

dominated by bull-tongue (Sagitaria sp.), and

eventually saltmarsh hay (Spartina patens) before

joining Lake Ponchartrain (Day et al. 1989).

Table 1. Representative NOAA trust species found in Lake Pontchartrain.

Species Habitat Use Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

Ground

Nursery

Ground

Adult

Forage

Comm.

Fishery

Recr.

Fishery

ANADROMOUS/CATADROMOUS SPECIES

American eel Anguilla rostrata ◆

Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum ◆

Gulf sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus ◆ ◆

MARINE/ESTUARINE SPECIES

Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus ◆◆ ◆

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli ◆◆◆

Black drum Pogonias cromis ◆◆ ◆

Code goby Gobiosoma robustum ◆◆◆

Crevalle jack Caranx hippos ◆

Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis ◆◆◆

Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus ◆

Hardhead catfish Arius felis ◆◆◆

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboides ◆ ◆

Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus ◆ ◆

Sand seatrout Cynoscion arenarius ◆◆ ◆

Sheepshead Archosargus

probatocephalus

◆◆ ◆

Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus ◆◆◆

Silver perch Bairdiella chrysoura ◆ ◆

Silversides Menidia spp. ◆ ◆

Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma ◆◆ ◆

Spot Leiostomus xanthurus ◆◆ ◆

Spotted sea trout Cynoscion nebulosus ◆◆ ◆

Striped mullet Mugil cephalus ◆◆ ◆

Tarpon Megalops atlanticus ◆

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Bay squid Lollinguncula brevis ◆

Blue crab Callinectes sapidus ◆◆◆◆

Brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus ◆◆◆◆

Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica ◆◆◆ ◆

Grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio ◆◆◆

Rangia Rangia cuneata ◆◆◆◆◆

White shrimp Penaeus setiferus ◆◆◆◆
96 • Region 6

96 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works

The estuary is used by numerous fish for adult

habitat, juvenile nurseries, and spawning; and

as a migratory corridor to several rivers within

the watershed. Small estuarine fish such as

bay anchovy, code goby, Gulf killifish, silversides, and sheepshead minnow spend their

entire lives within the estuary (Table 1). Larger

species are present in the estuary primarily

during estuarine-dependent juvenile life stages.

Adults of these species are present in the

estuary seasonally. Like most of the marine

species listed in Table 1, tarpon and crevalle

jack spawn along the coast, but the juveniles

require estuarine environments for survival

(Nelson et al. 1992).

Lake Pontchartrain is a migratory corridor for

the anadromous Gulf sturgeon and gizzard

shad. Both species migrate up the Tchefuncta

River, located approximately 5 km east of the

site. The catadromous American eel also

migrates to most larger streams that drain into

the estuary. Anadromous species are not

expected to use the Black River around the site

because of its small size (Rogilio 1997).

Blue crab are abundant in Lake Pontchartrain.

Juvenile stages of brown shrimp and white

shrimp are abundant in the estuary on a seasonal basis. After mating, the females return to

full seawater zones to brood eggs while the

males often remain in low-salinity waters.

Larvae are released by females offshore, and

are subsequently transported back into the

estuary where they settle to the bottom.

Grass shrimp spend their entire lives within the

estuary and are commonly found in saltmarsh

and oyster reef habitats. Juvenile stages of

brown shrimp and white shrimp are abundant in

the estuary on a seasonal basis. Of the bivalve

species, rangia are most abundant, followed by

eastern oyster. All life stages of these bivalves

are found within the estuary (Nelson et al.

1992).

Several species are commercially harvested in

Lake Pontchartrain; the largest fisheries are for

brown shrimp, white shrimp, and blue crab.

Substantial recreational fisheries are also

present in the estuary; the most commonly

harvested species include seatrout, croaker,

red drum, blue crab, and rangia (Burdon 1997).

Site-Related Contamination

Data collected in a series of site investigations

show elevated concentrations of trace elements and organic compounds (PAHs and

pesticides) in groundwater and surface soils

collected at the site (LDEQ 1993; E&E 1996)

and in surface water and sediment samples

collected from off-site areas (ESE 1991; E&E

1995, E&E 1996). Creosote contamination in

two off-site areas was investigated during a

1991 remedial investigation (RI; ESE 1991).

Soils collected from the drainage ditch located

north of the facility and the intermittent stream

southeast of the facility were reported to be
Region 6 • 97

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works • 97

contaminated with creosote (Figure 2). The RI

identified creosote contamination in 90 m of the

drainage ditch and in 700 m of the unnamed

intermittent stream south of the site. A subsequent remedial action resulted in the removal and

disposal of substrates from 290 m of the intermittent stream. The remaining contamination has

not been removed. Maximum concentrations of

the major contaminants at the site are listed in

Table 2 along with the appropriate screening

guidelines.

Lead concentrations in both groundwater and

surface water, and mercury in surface water,

exceeded chronic AWQCs (Table 2). Concentrations of arsenic, barium, lead, and mercury in

site soils exceeded mean U.S. concentrations.

Lead and mercury in sediment from the drainage ditch exceeded the ER-L values for these

trace elements. However, concentrations of

trace elements in sediment and surface water

of the Black River near the site (Weston 1997)

did not exceed screening values.

PAH concentrations measured in on-site

groundwater, surface water, soils, and sediments were high compared to the screening

concentrations for these media (Table 2).

However, the available data suggest that PAH

contamination is now limited to the site and offsite drainage ditches. The concentrations of

PAHs reported in surface water and sediments

collected from the Black River in the vicinity of

the site (Weston 1997) did not exceed screening values for these compounds.

Some limited exceedances of screening criteria

were observed for pesticides in surface water

and sediments in the drainage ditch. The

maximum surface water concentration of endrin

exceeded the AWQC and the sediment concentrations of 4,4'-DDE in the drainage ditch exceeded the ER-L concentration. However,

pesticides were not detected in either the water

or sediments of the Black River.

Summary

A series of site investigations indicate that soil

and groundwater collected at the Madisonville

Creosote site, and the sediments and surface

waters in drainage ditches near the site, are

contaminated with trace elements, PAHs, and

pesticides. Surface runoff, DNAPL migration,

and groundwater discharge are the potential

pathways of contaminant transport from the site

to NOAA trust resources and associated habitats. The primary habitats of concern to NOAA

are estuarine surface waters, riparian wetlands,

and bottom substrates of Black River and Lake

Pontchartrain.
98 • Region 6

98 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works

Table 2. Maximum concentrations of contaminants of concern at the Madisonville Creosote Works site.

Water Soil Sediment

Groundwatera 

(μg/L)

Surface

Watera,b

(μg/L)

AWQCc

(μg/L)

Surface 

Soilsa

(mg/kg)

Mean

U.S. d

(mg/kg)

Sedimenta,b

(mg/kg)

ERLe

(mg/kg)

 TRACE ELEMENTS

 Arsenic NA 12.3 36 14.3 5 6.5 8.2

 Barium 202 650 NA 774 440 376 NA

 Lead 30.7 54 8.5 273 16 181 46.7 

 Mercury NA 0.24 0.012 7.0 0.058 0.490 0.150 

 ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 

PAHs 

 Naphthalene 30500 ND 620 f 85.0 NA 4990 0.16

 2-Methylnaphthalene 7200 ND NA 8.5 NA 21900 0.07

 Acenaphthylene 440 ND NA 180 NA 37.3 0.04

 Acenaphthene 8200 5.3 520 f 1260 NA 30900 0.02

 Fluorene 6470 ND NA 1450 NA 5300 0.02

 Phenanthrene 14800 32.9 4.6p 2360 NA 14500 0.24

 Anthracene 1710 2.00 NA 1180 NA 16300 0.09

 Fluoranthene 8200 40.1 16 f 2190 NA 3010 0.60

 Pyrene 5000 31.1 NA 2120 NA 3940 0.67

 Chrysene 1610 13.1 NA 1570 NA 2760 0.38

 Benz(a)anthracene 1680 1.00 NA 412 NA 834 0.26

 Benzo(b)fluoranthene 1240 2.00 NA 350 NA 295 NA

 Benzo(k)fluoranthene 1400 10.1 NA 33 NA 470 NA

 Benz(a)pyrene 594 1.00 NA 393 NA 242 0.43

 Benzo(g,h,i)perylene 220 ND NA 57 NA 24 NA

 Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene 250 ND NA 69 NA 31 NA

 Dibenz(a,h)anthracene 80 ND NA 27 NA 10 0.063

Pesticides

 alpha-Chlordane NA ND 0.0043 ND NA 0.038 NA

 4,4'-DDE NA ND 0.014f 0.83 NA 0.058 0.0022

 4,4'-DDT NA ND 0.001 0.0073 NA 0.091 0.0016t

 Endrin NA 0.10 0.0023 ND NA 0.0082 NA

a:

b:

c:

d:

e:

f:

ND:

NA:

p:

 t:

Maximum concentrations cited in Weston (1997).

Surface water and sediment concentrations reported for off-site drainage ditches.

Ambient Water Quality Criteria (U.S. EPA 1993). Lowest value was chosen from fresh- and marinewater criteria because river is estuarine. 

Shacklette and Boerngen (1984).

Effects range-low; the concentration representing the lowest 10-percentile value for the data in

which effects were observed or predicted in studies compiled by Long et al. (1995).

Lowest Observed Effect Level (U.S. EPA 1993).

Not detected; detection limit not available.

Screening guidelines not available; data not available.

Proposed criterion.

DDT total.
Region 6 • 99

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works • 99

References

Burdon, J., Fisheries Biologist, Louisiana

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton

Rouge, personal communication, July 28, 1997.

Day, J.W. Jr., C.A.S. Hall, W.M. Kemp, and A.

Yanez-Arancibia. 1989. Estuarine Ecology.

New York: Wiley Interscience Publications.

Environmental Science & Engineering, Inc.

(ESE). 1991. Remedial Investigation of OffSite Contamination Near Madisonville Wood

Processing, Inc. Baton Rouge: Louisiana

Department of Environmental Quality, Inactive

and Abandoned Sites Division.

Ecology and Environment (E&E). 1995. Integrated Site Inspection for Madisonville Creosote Works, Madisonville, St. Tammany Parish,

Louisiana. Dallas: Emergency Response

Branch, EPA Region 6.

Ecology and Environment (E&E). 1996. Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis Work Plan for

Madisonville Creosote Site, Madisonville, St.

Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Dallas: EPA

Region 6.

Gosselink, J.G. 1984. The ecology of delta

marshes of coastal Louisiana: A community

profile. FWS/OBS-84/09. Vicksburg: U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

(LDEQ). 1993. RCRA Groundwater CME,

Madisonville Wood Preserving. LAD

#008171191. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Groundwater

Protection Division.

Long, E. R., D. D. MacDonald, S. L. Smith, and

F. D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse

biological effects within ranges of chemical

concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19:81-97.

Nelson, D.M., M.E. Monaco, C.D. Williams, T.E.

Czapla, M.E. Pattillo, L. Coston-Clements, L.R.

Settle, and E.A. Irlandi. 1992. Distribution and

abundance of fishes and invertebrates in Gulf of

Mexico estuaries. Volume I: Data Summaries.

Rockville, Maryland: NOAA/NOS Strategic

Environmental Assessments Division. 273 p.

Roy F. Weston, Inc. 1996. Final Report:

Madisoville Creosote, Madisonville, St. Tammany

Parish, LA, November 1996. Edison, New Jersey:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Response Team Center.

Roy F. Weston, Inc. 1997. Draft Final Baseline

Human Health and Ecological Screening Risk

Assessment, Madisonville Creosote Works,

Madisonville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.

Dallas: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Region 6.
100 • Region 6

100 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Madisonville Creosote Works

Rogilio, H., Fisheries Biologist, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge,

personal communication, July 28, 1997.

Shacklette, H. T. and J. G. Boerngen. 1984.

Element concentrations in soils and other

surficial materials of the conterminous United

States. U.S. Geological Survey Professional

Paper 1270. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Water quality criteria. Washington,

D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Office of Water, Health and Ecological Criteria

Division. 294 pp.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1968a. 7.5

minute series topographic map. Covington,

SW, LA. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department

of the Interior.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1968b. 7.5

minute series topographic map. Madisonville,

FL. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the

Interior.
Region 10 • 101

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company • 101

10

Oeser Company

Site Exposure Potential

The Oeser Company (Oeser) site is a 9-ha wood

treating facility operating in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington (Figure 1). Surrounding land use is mixed residential and industrial.

The topography is generally flat with a gentle

slope toward the southeast, except due south of

the site, where the terrain drops steeply for

approximately 12 m to a ravine and Little

Squalicum Creek. Approximately 500 m downstream, Little Squalicum Creek enters Bellingham

Bay.

The Oeser Company has had a wood-preserving

operation at this location since 1948. From 1948

to 1973, Oeser treated utility poles with creosote

Bellingham, Washington

CERCLIS #WAD008957243

to retard deterioration of the wood. Oeser began

using a pentachorophenol (PCP) in oil treatment

in the 1960s, and PCP is the only preservative

now used. The wood treatment processes generate process wastewater and a waste sludge material. Until 1986 waste sludge was accumulated

on-site and then transported to an approved

landfill. The quantity of sludge generated, the

frequency of removal, and the method of on-site

storage are not known (URS Consultants Inc.

1994).

Until 1973, wastewater from both the PCP and

creosote processes was discharged to gravel

percolation beds. From 1973 until 1991, process
102 • Region 10

102 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company

Figure 1. Location of Oeser site in Bellingham, Washington.

Bellingham

Bellingham

Airport

542

Washington N

0 1 2

 kilometers

Adapted from USGS Bellingham, WA 1:100 000 scale topographic map, 1975

Oeser

site

Squalicum Creek

5

5

Bellingham Bay

Lummi

Bay

Lum mi River

Nooksack River

Eliza Island

Lummi Island

Sinclair Island

Little

Squalicum

Creek

Sandy 

Point

Portage

Bay

Fish

Point

Post

Point

Brant

Point

Point Frances

Lummi Indian

Reservation

H a l e

P

a

s s a g e

Portage Channel
Region 10 • 103

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company • 103

wastewater was discharged to an oil/water

separator, and subsequently to a storm sewer

under an NPDES permit (Figure 2). Since 1991,

a zero-discharge wastewater treatment system has

been in use (URS Consultants Inc. 1994).

Two spills of PCP preservative have been reported at the site, one in 1971 and another in

1975. In 1971, 190 L or more of the PCP and

oil preservative spilled into Little Squalicum

Creek. In 1975, the sump pump for an oil/water

separator failed, causing overflow of PCP-oil to a

drain field and, ultimately, to Little Squalicum

Creek. An estimated 110 L of PCP-oil entered

the creek from this spill (Ecology and Environment Inc. 1996).

The primary contaminant transport pathways are

the storm sewer system, surface water runoff, and

groundwater migration. Precipitation that does

not infiltrate on-site flows overland to the south

or southeast toward Little Squalicum Creek.

Excess surface-water runoff is collected by on-site

storm drains and subsequently discharged via the

Oeser Outfall into Little Squalicum Creek (Figure

2; Ecology and Environment Inc. 1996).

Site geology is predominantly alluvial deposits of

glacial outwash sands and gravels (URS Consultants Inc. 1994). Groundwater is present in

several shallow zones and in a deeper, unconfined

aquifer. Shallow groundwater is encountered 1.5

to 5 m below ground surface (bgs). This shallow

groundwater is situated within deposits consisting

of stratified sand and gravel, silt, and clay, which

extend to approximately 8 m bgs. The deeper

aquifer is encountered 7 to 12 m bgs. Groundwater in this deeper aquifer flows in a southwesterly direction in the northern portion of the site,

and south-southwest to south in the southern

portion of the site (Ecology and Environment

Inc. 1996). Groundwater seeps have been

observed downgradient from the site near the

banks of Little Squalicum Creek.

NOAA Trust Habitats and Species

Habitats of primary concern to NOAA are the

surface waters and bottom substrates of Little

Squalicum Creek and Bellingham Bay. NOAA

trust species of concern include anadromous fish

that use Little Squalicum Creek and marine

species found in Bellingham Bay (Table 1).

Little Squalicum Creek is located in an abundantly vegetated ravine surrounded by industrial

and residential properties. Seasonal palustrine

scrub-shrub wetlands are found along 0.8 km of

the creek, upgradient from the site. The creek

ranges from approximately 0.9 to 2.5 m wide.

Near the site, the creek is generally less than

0.3 m deep, with a continuous flow ranging from

less than 1 cubic foot per second (cfs) to 10 cfs

(Ecology and Environment Inc. 1996).

There are no wetlands on the shore of Bellingham Bay near the mouth of Little Squalicum

Creek. However, there are a variety of shoreline

habitats in other parts of the Bay, including
104 • Region 10

104 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company

Figure 2. Detail of the Oeser site.



0 100 200

 meters

Untreated

Pole Storage Treated

Pole Storage

Wood

Storage

Cedarwood Avenue Bennett Avenue

Marine Drive

Oeser

Outfall

Open

Ditch

N

Prepared from USGS Ferndale, Washington 1:24 000 scale topographic map 1952, photorevised 1972 and URS Consultants 1994



Property line

Storm drain

Stormwater system

Facility

Storage area

Stream channel is 

approximate

Bellingham Bay

L ti t el Squalicum Creek
Region 10 • 105

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company • 105

Table 1. NOAA trust species that use Little Squalicum Creek and Bellingham Bay (Ecology 1992).

Species Habitat Fisheries

Common Name Scientific Name

Spawning

ground

Nursery

ground

Adult

forage

Commer

cial.

Recreational

ANADROMOUS FISH

Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka ♦♦♦ ♦

Steelhead trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ♦♦ ♦

MARINE FISH

Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmoratus ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

English sole Parophyrs vetulus ♦♦♦ ♦

Lingcod Ophidon elongatus ♦ ♦♦

Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus ♦♦♦ ♦

Pacific herring Clupea harengus pallasi ♦ ♦♦

Pile perch Rhacochilus vacca ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Rock sole Lepidopsetta bilineata ♦♦♦ ♦

Rockfish Sebastes spp. ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbris ♦ ♦

Sand sole Psettichthys melanostictus ♦ ♦

Sculpin Cottus spp. ♦ ♦♦

Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus ♦♦♦

INVERTEBRATE SPECIES

Blue mussel Mytilis galloprovincialis ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Butter clam Saxidomus giganteus ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Dungeness crab Cancer magister ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Geoduck clam Panope generosa ♦ ♦♦

Hardshell clam Mercenaria mercenaria ♦ ♦♦ ♦

Horse gaper clam Tresus spp. ♦ ♦♦

Kelp crab Pugettia productus ♦ ♦♦

Native littleneck clam Protothaca staminea ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦

Octopus Octopus dofleini ♦ ♦♦

Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas ♦

Pink shrimp Pandalus spp. ♦ ♦♦

Softshell clam Mya arenaria ♦ ♦♦

Spot shrimp Pandalus platyceros ♦ ♦♦

MARINE MAMMALS

California sea lion Zalophus californianus ♦

Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus ♦

Harbor seal Phoca vitulina ♦ ♦

Killer whale Orcinus orca ♦

Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata ♦
106 • Region 10

106 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company

extensive wetlands surrounding the mouth of the

Nooksack River, less than 5 km northwest of the

site (Figure 1). The shoreline at the mouth of

the Nooksack River consists of fine-grained sands

with exposed tidal flats in the eastern channel.

From this point south-southeast to the town of

Bellingham, the shoreline is primarily a wave-cut

platform, with some interspersed areas of gravel/

cobble/riprap, exposed rocky shorelines, and

seawalls. The mid-to-lower eastern portion of the

bay consists primarily of exposed rocky shorelines

or seawalls. From the mouth of the Nooksack

River south-southwest along the Lummi Indian

Reservation, the shoreline is primarily gravel/

cobble/riprap with sand/gravel beaches located

along the southeastern portion of the reservation

and along the inner shoreline of Point Frances,

just off the southern tip of the Lummi Reservation. Tidal flats are located at the very southern

tip of the reservation, as well as surrounding

Brant Point at the northern tip of Point Frances

(Ecology 1992).

Coho and chum salmon have been observed in

Little Squalicum Creek (Chapman 1997). Juvenile salmonids in Little Squalicum Creek probably

use favorable areas in the lower reaches as nursery

habitat before migrating to more open marine

environments (Steel 1997).

Bellingham Bay also supports numerous NOAA

trust resources, including chinook, chum, pink,

coho, and sockeye salmon. Juvenile salmonids

from the Nooksack River may use habitats along

Bellingham Bay, including areas near Little

Squalicum Creek, for nursery habitat (Steel

1997).

Bellingham Bay supports a variety of marine

species common to Puget Sound. Common

demersal residents include English and rock sole;

several rockfish, sculpin, and sea perch species;

and Pacific cod and lingcod. Pelagic residents

include Pacific herring and sablefish. Most of

these species spawn within the bay or nearby

areas of Puget Sound and use the bay as a nursery.

The complex habitats within Bellingham Bay also

support numerous shellfisheries (Table 1).

Dungeness crab are harvested from most of the

bay, as well as from areas surrounding the bay.

Hardshell clams are harvested from Portage Bay,

Portage Channel, offshore along the entire

eastern side of Point Frances, from a small area

south-southeast of Point Frances in Hale Passage,

and along the eastern edge of Lummi Island

(Chapman 1997).

There are marine mammals in Bellingham Bay

(Table 1). The Washington State Coastal Sensitive Areas Map for Bellingham shows a harbor

seal haulout offshore of Brant Point on Point

Frances. Two nearby areas have designated

marine mammal sightings, east and southwest of

Brant Point, respectively. Species observed for

these two areas were not identified, but are

probably harbor seals or California sea lions.

Cetaceans that migrate through the area include

minke whale and gray whale (Ecology 1992).
Region 10 • 107

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company • 107

Site-Related Contamination

Investigations at the site indicate that PCP,

PAHs, and dioxins/furans are the contaminants

of concern to NOAA trust resources. Table 2

illustrates the maximum concentrations of these

contaminants from samples collected during a

1996 site inspection. PCPs and PAHs were

observed at elevated concentrations in soils,

groundwater, surface water, and sediments.

Trace elements sometimes associated with woodtreating (e.g., arsenic, copper, and zinc) were not

reported to have been used at this site, and did

not exceed screening guidelines for environmental media (Ecology and Environment Inc. 1996).

Soil samples were extensivly contaminated with

PAHs and PCP. Maximum total PAH concentrations exceeded 1000 mg/kg, while maximum

PCP concentrations exceeded 100 mg/kg.

Bellingham Bay supports important subsistence,

commercial, and recreational fisheries. Commercial fishing and sportfishing areas, set net areas,

and reef net areas, are mapped within and surrounding the bay in the Washington State Coastal

Sensitive Areas Map for Bellingham (Ecology

1992). A large area in the northern portion of

Bellingham Bay is used for set netting; this area

extends from the mouth of the Nooksack River

south to an unnamed point south of Fish Point

and across to Post Point in the east-southeastern

portion of the bay. Sportfishing takes place

around Lummi Island and within Hale Passage.

Bald eagles are resident species of the Bellingham

coastal zone that are federally protected under the

Endangered Species Act (Ecology 1992). Bald

eagles are not a NOAA trust resource, but are

known to feed on migrating salmon and other

NOAA trust species.

Table 2. Maximum concentrations of selected contaminants detected at the Oeser Company site

(Ecology and Environment Inc. 1996; U.S. EPA 1997).

Water (μg/L) Sediment (mg/kg)

Organic

Compound

Soil

(mg/kg)a NAPL(mg/kg)b

GroundwaterSurface

Water

Marine

Chronic

AWQCc

Little

Squalicum

Creek

ERLd

Total PAHs 10,300 92,500 6,200 3.0 300e 97 4.0

PCP 560 13,000 NR NR 7.9 2.2 0.36f

Dioxins/

Furans

0.03 NR NR NR NA NR NA

a Screening guidelines for organic contaminants in U.S. soils are not available.

b Non-aqueous phase liquid in subsurface soils

c Ambient Water Quality Criteria (U.S. EPA 1993)

d Effects range-low (Long and MacDonald 1995)

e Lowest Observable Effect Level

f Apparent Effects Threshold (PTI 1988)

NR Not Reported 

NA Not analyzed
108 • Region 10

108 • Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company

Preliminary data indicate widespread contamination, with highest concentrations in subsurface

soils south of the treated pole storage area.

PAHs and PCP were detected in both shallow

and deep groundwater beneath the site. PAHs

and PCP were observed in nine of thirteen wells

in shallow groundwater and in all five wells

screened in the deeper aquifer. Maximum

concentrations of PAHs and PCP each exceeded

10,000 μg/L in the shallow groundwater.

Maximum floating NAPL thickness was 2 feet

(EPA 1997)

Sediment and surface-water samples collected

from Little Squalicum Creek confirmed the

presence of PAHs and PCP. Six sediment

samples were collected in Little Squalicum Creek

downstream of the site; one sample was collected

upstream. Downstream sediment stations were

75 to 150 m apart, extending from the storm

drain outfall to the mouth of the creek. Total

PAHs were observed at all six downgradient

sediment samples, ranging from 0.55 to

97 mg/kg. PCP concentrations ranged from

0.039 to 2.2 mg/kg. The highest concentration

of PCP was detected in a sediment sample

collected near the Oeser outfall. Three surfacewater samples were collected downstream from

the site at locations corresponding to the three

sediment stations farthest downstream. PAH

concentrations ranged from 0.031 μg/L to

3.04 μg/L total PAH. PCP concentrations in

surface water were not reported. The highest

PAH concentrations in surface water were at a

creek station located near a groundwater seep.

Summary

High concentrations of PAHs and PCP were

found in soil and groundwater at the Oeser site

and in sediments of Little Squalicum Creek.

PAHs were found in water samples from Little

Squalicum Creek, but PCP was not reported.

Adult coho and chum salmon have been observed in Little Squalicum Creek. Juvenile

salmon likely use the area for nursery habitat.

Numerous additional trust resources use nearby

areas of Bellingham Bay. Additional information

is needed regarding the extent of contamination

in Little Squalicum Creek to determine the threat

posed to salmon and to better characterize

contaminant sources, and potential contaminant

pathways, to other trust resources found in

Bellingham Bay.

References

Chapman, A., fisheries biologist, Lummi Indian

Reservation, Bellingham, Washington, personal

communication, April 25, 1997.

Ecology. 1992. Washington State Sensitive Areas

Mapping Project: San Juan Islands Booklet.

Publication No. 92-27. Olympia: Washington

State Department of Ecology.
Region 10 • 109

Coastal Hazardous Waste Site Review / Oeser Company • 109

Ecology and Environment, Inc. 1996. Site

Inspection Report for the Oeser Company.

Seattle: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Region 10. 70pp.

Long, E.R., D.D. MacDonald, S.L. Smith, and

F.D. Calder. 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Management 19(1): 81-97.

PTI. 1988. The briefing report to the EPA

Science Advisory Board: the Apparent Effects

Threshold approach. Seattle: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Office of Puget Sound, Puget

Sound Estuary Program.

Steel, E., biologist, Bellingham Technical College, Bellingham, Washington, personal communication, May 2, 1997.

URS Consultants, Inc. 1994. Site Inspection

Prioritization Report. Seattle: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. 40 pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1993. Quality criteria for water. Washington,

D.C.: Office of Water, Health and Ecological

Criteria Division. 294pp.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1997. Action Memorandum: Request for a

Removal Action and Exemption from the Two

Million dollar Statutory Limit at the Oeser

Company Site, Bellingham, Whatcom County,

WA. Beth F. Sheldrake, OSC, to Chuck Clarke,

Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region 10.