Grantee Research Project Results

Springfield Surface Water Action Monitoring Partnership (Sswamp)

EPA Grant Number: R828580
Title: Springfield Surface Water Action Monitoring Partnership (Sswamp)
Investigators: Galluzzo, Katie , Godfrey, Paul J , Cabral, Diedre , Beattie, Mike
Current Investigators: Galluzzo, Katie , Godfrey, Paul J
Institution: University of Massachusetts - Boston
Current Institution: City of Springfield, MA , University of Massachusetts - Boston
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: November 1, 2000 through October 1, 2002
Project Amount: $356,262
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2000) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water , Air , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration

Description:

The objectives of this project are as follows: 1) To determine the baseline chemical and biological characteristics of the water bodies and to determine the baseline levels of nutrients, metals and organic contaminants in the sediments. To determine the current level of mercury, other heavy metals, PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in frequently consumed fish species in the city of Springfield. To determine the extent of nutrient, sediment, and toxic contaminants provided to the water bodies by storm drainage. 2) To inform recreational users of the water bodies and sustenance fishermen, especially those who are non-English speaking, which water bodies present an elevated health hazard. This information will be presented through information outlets most frequented by those who use the water bodies. 3) To develop the participation of residents and local officials in surface water monitoring as partners in order to ensure the project's long-term sustainability.

Approach:

Project partners and stakeholders will gather surface water quality data and fish tissue samples using university graduate students and citizen volunteers to collect baseline lake and stream water and sediment samples, storm event runoff samples, and tissue from commonly caught fish species for analysis of nutrients and heavy metals. Particular emphasis on fish tissue study will be mercury and associated metals. Emphasis on storm water drainage will be on nutrients and metals.

The end users of this information will be the immigrant anglers, watershed residents, local government, regional planning agency, scientific community, health officials, educators, residents of the region, and state officials. Information will be posted in four different languages - English, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese - at the water bodies, social service agencies, health centers, civic association offices and other locations identified by the project stakeholders. For this project, we propose to disseminate information through information outlets that are frequently observed by people of all ages, incomes, educational levels and languages in a fashion that is easy to understand. This information will inform those who pollute what their impact is on surface waters in Springfield and it will inform those who use the water bodies what, if any, health risks exist at that location. During the first year of the project, the partners will carefully consider how the information must be presented. We will identify tools for information delivery as well as the locations where information will be posted. Emphasis will be placed on locating information at those places where the water bodies themselves are most frequently used.

Expected Results:

The applicant expects three principal results: 1) a highly motivated and informed citizenry eager to participate in the continued monitoring and dissemination of environmental information among English and non-English speaking residents, 2) an accurate, timely and sustainable characterization of the Mercury and PCB surface water contamination and nutrient and sediment runoff throughout the city, and 3) a greater capacity for the local government officials to understand, monitor, and mitigate surface water pollution and to communicate this information to the public.

The new information, the increased capacity of the local government, and the enhanced citizen participation will guide policy decisions regarding public health, open space protection, brownfield clean-up and redevelopment, recreation planning, and school curriculum. Additionally, the residents of Springfield (who include local officials) and the region will gain a better understanding about the waters that they use for recreation and will learn how they can protect those that are pristine and clean-up those that are polluted. Finally, the City expects that this project will result in a sustained collaboration between the project partners and that this group will grow to include more people as the project increases its success, in the end expanding the project throughout Massachusetts and New England.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Water, watersheds, exposure, risk, effects, health effects, human health, children, elderly, age, race, ethnic groups, cumulative effects, chemicals, toxics, VOC's, PCB's, metals, heavy metals, discharge, acid rain, dissolved solids, ecosystem, indicators, habitat, sustainable development, public policy, environmental justice, decision making, community based, survey, public good, socioeconomic, hydrology, limnology, modeling, monitoring, measurement methods, northeast, EPA Region 1., RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Toxics, Water, Waste, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Nutrients, Limnology, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Contaminated Sediments, Environmental Chemistry, pesticides, State, Chemistry, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Monitoring/Modeling, Wet Weather Flows, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Mercury, EPA Region, aquatic ecosystem, ecological risk assessment, hydrologic dynamics, ecological exposure, EMPACT, sensitive populations, aquatic, fate and transport, environmental monitoring, adolescents, health risks, watersheds, chemical characteristics, downstream effects, runoff, exposure, contaminated sediment, chemical speciation, mercury loading, surface water, sediment contamination assessment, children, mercury cycling, Massachusetts (MA), alternative climate conditions, environmental data, sediment quality survey, watershed influences, water quality, elderly, human susceptibility, 1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane, nutrient cycling, public access, community outreach, storm drainage, outreach and education, environmental monitoring data, public outreach, Region 1, climate variability, storm water, acid rain, environmental hazard exposures, metals, heavy metals, multi-language outreach materials, organic contaminants

Progress and Final Reports:

2001

Final Report