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A PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF MONITORED NATURAL RECOVERY OF PCB-CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS IN LAKE HARTWELL, CLEMSON, NC
Citation:
Mills*, M A., J M. Lazorchak, J SchubauerBerigan, D M. Walters, P T. McCauley*, T. Lyons,T.M., P dePercin*, D L. Lattier, E Kleiner*, H. K. Howard*, Zeller*, V. S. Magar, J. E. Abbott, AND Foote. A PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF MONITORED NATURAL RECOVERY OF PCB-CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS IN LAKE HARTWELL, CLEMSON, NC. Presented at SERDP/ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop, Washington, DC, 12/2 - 12/4/2003.
Description:
Management of contaminated sediments poses significant challenges due to varied contaminants and volumes of sediments to manage. Dredging, capping, and monitored natural recovery (MNR) are the primary approaches for managing the contaminated sediment risks. Understanding how effectively these approaches manage risk in different environments is critical for choosing appropriate remedies to predictably reduce risk to human and ecological receptors. MNR is a risk management option that relies on natural environmental processes to permanently reduce risk, and includes careful assessment, modeling, and monitoring to ensure success.
To investigate the physical, chemical, and biological processes associated with MNR of contaminated sediments, a site where MNR of contaminated sediments, a site where MNR was the remedy was chosen (Sangamo-Weston/Twelvemile Creek/Lake Hartwell Superfund Site, near Clemson, SC). A collaborative project, involving multiple USEPA ORD Laboratories, USEPA Region 4, and contractor support (Battelle Memorial Institute), was established to address multiple issues involved at Lake Hartwell.
To evaluate the physical, chemical, and biological processes and how these processes relate to the risk, a mechanistic understanding of these processes is needed. Empirical relationships are not sufficient to allow extrapolation to additional sites, contaminants, or remedial actions. To examine these processes, a mass balance approach was taken at Lake Hartwell. Site characterization and monitoring have been conducted at the site for three years to evaluate effective tools for characterizing the risk from the contaminants.