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PCB Transport and Fate Modeling at New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts: Food Web Modeling
Citation:
Burkhard, L. PCB Transport and Fate Modeling at New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts: Food Web Modeling. Presented at Conference on Remediation of Contaminated Sediments, February 04 - 07, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
Not applicable
Description:
For the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site, US-EPA Region 1 requested that the physical, chemical, and biological modeling, performed by Battelle more than two decades ago, be updated. Updating of the modeling effort, in part, arose from the need to evaluate the effects (upon the remediation) of differing harbor development scenarios not envisioned in the original modeling effort, e.g., new port infrastructure and land uses. Additionally, the original modeling effort was limited to 10-year post-remediation scenarios and because of changes in remedial schedules/timelines, developing new forecasts based upon the actual work done to date was considered highly desirable. Besides these considerations, significant improvements in the hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and food web models have occurred since the original modeling, and the major fish species in the food web have changed from winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) to black sea bass (Centropristis striata) and scup (Stenotomus chrysops). This presentation will focus on the food web modeling portion of the modeling effort. The objectives of the presentation are to discuss and evaluate issues of calibration and validation with sparse data sets over time and to present forecasts for the different post-remediation scenarios.