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TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM Overview of Patroon Creek Watershed Albany, New York Prepared for. US Army Corps of Engineers New York District 1130 Central Avenue Colonie New York Shaw Environmental, Inc. Project: 837935 June 30,2003 Prepared by: Shaw Environmental, Inc. 13 British American Boulevard Latham, New York 12110 M:/194repWPatroon Creek/Patroon Creek-063003 200.1e COLONIENAB 005221 COLONIE_03.10_0046_a U.. June 30,2003 Mr. Joe Pierce Project Engineer United States Army Corps of Engineers 1130 Central Avenue Colonie, New York 12205 Subject: Technical Memorandum Patroon Creek Watershed, Albany, New York Dear Mr. Pierce: Attached, please find the Technical Memorandum entitled Overview of the Patroon Creek Watershed. This memorandum was prepared by Shaw Environmental Inc. (Shaw) in accordance with the Statement of Work for Remedial Investigation (Rl) For the Unnamed Tributary, Patroon Creek and Three Mile Reservoir, United State Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), April 2003 as modified/negotiated on 27 May 2003 at the Baltimore District Corps office. Within this memorandum Shaw has provided an overview of the history of the Patroon Creek, a summary of the existing data relative to distribution of contaminants of concern within creek sediments, and a summary of the historic changes made to the creek as a result of construction activities. The document is intended to serve as the basis for the Technical Project Planning Meeting currently scheduled for July 16, 2003. Please provide any planning/agenda information associated the TPP meeting at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions or comments regarding this information, please contact me at 518- 482-0237. Sincerely, Shaw Environmental, Inc. Anthony R. Sheeran, PE Shaw Project Manager CC: James Moore, USACE Debra Ford, USACE Steve Meier, Shaw John Franz, Shaw Gina Carley, Shaw (file) M:/194reps/Patroon CreekfCover Letter 070103 United States An·ny Corp. of Engineers 11 Technical Memorandum - Patroon Creek Watershed June 30,2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 3 3.0 SITE HISTORY 4 4.0 POTENTIAL CONTAMINANT SOURCES TO PATROON CREEK 5 5.0 HISTORIC SITE INVESTIGATIONS 6 5.1 NATIONAL LEAD INDUSTRIES 7 5.2 MERCURY REFINING INC 8 5.3 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY .10 5.4 NEW YORKSTATEDEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION 12 6.0 CHANGES TO PATROON CREEK AND ITS RESERVOIRS 13 7.0 SUMMARY 15 FIGURES: Site Location Map Historic Sediment Sampling Locations and Data APPENDICES: List of References NL Radiological Data Summary Mercury Refining USEPA Data SUNY at Albany Depositional Study Aerial Photographs NYSDOT 1-90 Construction Drawings M:/194reps/Patroon Creek/Patroon Creek_063003 United States Army Corp. of Engineers 1 Technical Memorandum - Patroon Creek Watershed June 30,2003 1.0 INTRODUCTION Shaw Environmental, Inc. (Shaw) has developed this Technical Memorandum, on behalf of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), to summarize environmental conditions on a section of the Patroon Creek (Creek) located in Colonie and Albany, Ndw York. The Creek generally flows west to east for approximately six miles from the area of 6-mile Reservoir through 3-Mile Reservoir to the Hudson River (Figure 1, Site Location Map). Past studies of the Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir suggests that the former National Lead Industries (NL) Site may have discharged Uranium, Thorium and Lead to the Creek via an unnamed tributary to the Creek that transects the NL site. In addition to former operations at NL, other historic manufacturing activities are known to have had an adverse impact on the Creek. USACE is currently completing environmental remediation activities at the NL site and preparing to develop a Sediment Sampling Work Plan to further investigate sediment conditions in the area of the unnamed tributary and 3-Mile Reservoir. This Technical Memorandum is intended to provide a better understanding of the environmental conditions in the Creek between 6-mile Reservoir and 3-Mile Reservoir including the unnamed tributary and the lower portion of the North Branch (Figure 1). This information will be provided to support the development of the Sediment Sampling Work Plan. This memorandum includes: • A description of the Creek, • A summary of the historical use of the Creek, • A summary of sediment and water quality data within the Creek as available, • A summary of sites known to have discharged to the Creek within the bounds of this study, • An overview of construction activities that have occurred to the Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir. To support the development of this memorandum and to gain an understanding of the historic investigations performed at the Creek and an understanding of the Creek itself, the following interested parties were contacted and interviewed in person or by phone. • USEPA (Region 2)-Tom Taccone regarding Mercury Refining project status • NYSDEC (Central Office) - Paul Patel regarding Patroon Creek Investigations • NYSDEC (Central Office) - Ron Sloane regarding Patroon Creek Investigations M:/194reps/Patroon Creek/Patroon Creek_063003 United States Anny Corp. of Engineers 2 Technical Memorandum - Patroon Creek Watershed June 30,2003 • NYSDEC- (Region 4) - Ken Kosinski regarding Patroon Creek Investigations • NYSDEC- (Region 4) - Howard Brezner regarding Mercury Refining and Patroon Creek Investigations • NYSDOT-(Region 1)- Bob Speece regarding Patroon Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir • Albany County Sewer District - Richard Lyons, Superintendent of Operations, regarding Patroon Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir , • City of Albany Water Department- William Simcoe, Assistant Commissioner, regarding Patroon Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir • SUNY at Albany - Dr. John Arnason and Dr. George Robinson regarding Patroon Creek and 3-Mile Reservoir • Arbor Hill Environmental Justice Corporation- Aaron Mair and Rodney Davis regarding Patroon Creek and Tivoli Preserve Additionally, Shaw reviewed available public documents, websites, site investigation reports, and other resource material to gain an understanding of work performed on or near the Creek. The list of references utilized during the development of the Technical Memorandum are provided as Appendix A. M./194 reps/Patroon Creek/Patroon Creek_063003 United States Amy Corp. of Engineers 3 Technical Memorandum - Patroon Creek Watershed June 30,2003 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION The Patroon Creek Watershed includes approximately 33 square kilometers and is drained by Patroon Creek and its tributaries. The Creek generally flows from west to east in the towns of Colonie and Guilderland and eventually empties into the Hudson River in the City of Albany (Figure 1). The flow within the Creek ranges from approximately 350 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 600 cfs. The area surrounding Patroon Creek is a mixture of residential, commercial and light industrial properties. Patroon Creek is designated as a Class C Water Body (suitable for primary / secondary contact recreation and suitable for fish propagation and survival) in the New York State Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. In the mid to late nineteenth century, four (4) surface reservoirs were constructed by the City of Albany Water Department along the Creek for water supply purposes. The Creek originates at the western most of these reservoirs known as Rensselaer Lake. This reservoir will be referred to within this document as 6-Mile Reservoir. Approximately half way along the length of the Creek, the Creek passes through Patroon Reservoir, also known as Russell Road Reservoir, and 1-90 pond. This reservoir will be referred to within this document as 3-Mile Reservoir. Near its eastern end, the Creek, formerly flowed through a third reservoir known as Tivoli Lake prior to reaching the Hudson River. According to the City of Albany Department of Water, a fourth reservoir, Sand Creek Reservoir was formerly located along the Creek, however, information regarding the exact location of Sand Creek Reservoir was not identified. Between 6-Mile Reservoir and 3-Mile Reservoir there are two tributaries to the Creek. The western most of these tributaries is known as the North Branch of the Patroon Creek. The second tributary is unnamed and will be referred to as the unnamed tributary for the purpose of this report. This unnamed tributary formerly flowed through the former Patroon Lake located on the NL site. The focus of this report will be the area between 6-Mile Reservoir and 3-Mile Reservoir including the unnamed tributary and the North Branch. This area of the Creek will be referred to as the Site (Figure 1). M:/194reps/Patroon Creek/Patroon Creek_063003 United States Anny Corp. of Engineers 4 Technical Memorandum - Patroon Creek Watershed June 30,2003 3.0 SITE HISTORY Patroon Creek originates in the Pine Bush Natural Area northwest of Albany, New York. In the 17th Century the Creek served as a source of power for a number of gist and saw mills and it became a major source of water for the growing Albany population. In'the early eighteen hundreds, the privately owned Water Works Company created Tivoli Lakes using a portion of the watershed area of Patroon Creek as part of their water supply system for the City of Albany. In 1850 the Albany Board of Water Commissioners was formed and purchased Albany's water supply from the Water Works Company. Under the management of the Albany Board of Water Commissioners, 6-Mile Reservoir was created to help supply water to the growing Albany population by damming three streams at the Patroon Creek headwaters. In the late Nineteenth Century the Patroon Creek water supply consisted of 6-Mile Reservoir, Sand Creek Reservoir, 3-Mile Reservoir and the Tivoli Lake Reservoir. This system of reservoirs would remain a source of water for the City of Albany until the early 1920's. Due to contaminant issues associated with the proximity of the railroad and sanitary and stormwater runoff, the City of Albany discontinued the use of the reservoir systems in the early 1920's and began to utilize other water supply sources. M:/194reps/Patroon Creek/Patroon Creek_063003 United States Army Com.