Report on Preliminary Investigation of Corrective
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(0 1 Liui "It O 0) i 9 c11m0 d ii O = cm z 0 $» cm •<uM Q. ii -rj <D O Pittsfiel Report on the Preliminary Investigation of Corrective Measures for Housatohic River and Silver II at Ike Sediment ""'reject No. 96-004 ay 1996 EEC liar r i ng I on Lngi nee ri ng £ (Jon st r uc lion, In c Report on the Preliminary Investigation of Corrective Measures for Housatonic River and Silver Lake Sediment General E lectric Corn pany Pittsfie Id, Massachusetls Prepared for: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This Report on the Preliminary Investigation of Corrective Measures (PICM) for l-lousatonic River and Silver Lake Sediment was prepared on behalf of the General Electric Company by Harrington Engineering and Construction, Inc., with input from the following organizations: «> Text regarding armoring was prepared by Blasland, IBouclk & Lee, Inc. and Harrington Engineering and Construction, Inc. « Text discussing natural recovery and enhanced sedimentation in 'Woods Pond was prepared by Blasland, Bouclk & Lee, Inc., with input from HydroQual, Inc. » Text discussing bioremediation was prepared by Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc., with input from scientists with General Electric Company's Corporate Research and! DeveIopment: (CR ID) Center. » Appendix A to this report was prepared by ENVIRON Corporation. » Appendix IB was prepared by Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc., with input from HydroQual, Inc. DMA/96 004/PICMRPT'ACKNOWUDCE DOC !04'2b/96 4 50 PM] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DMA 96 004 PlCMPPI ^PPIENDICGS flPP COV DOC [34 24 96 1 0 ?',\ fiM) 5 REPORT ON THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF CORRECTIVE MEASURES FOR HOUSATONIC RIVER AND SILVER LAKE SEDIMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pursuant to the requirements of a permit issued by the U S. Environmental Protection Agency (USE!PA) for the General Electric Company (GE) facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under the corrective action provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), GE was required to propose and conduct a Preliminary Investigation of Corrective Measures (PICM) for the sediments of the Housatonic River and Silver Lake. The primary purpose of the PICM is to colled information during the investigation stage of the corrective action process on selected potential remedial technologies, not to lead to the recommendation or selection of remedial actions. On March 20, 1995, GE submitted a revised proposal for the PICM (PICM Proposal). As required by the USEPA permit, the PICM Proposal preliminarily screened numerous potential technologies for remediation of the sediments, including in-situ remediation technologies, sediment removal technologies, ex-situ treatment technologies, and containment/disposal technologies, and it selected several technologies in each of these categories for further evaluation in the PICM. The PICM Proposal set forth plans for conducting studies and research on the selected technologies, and described the criteria that would be used for a preliminary evaluation of those technologies The PICM Proposal was conditionally approved by the USEPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) on July 6, 1995. The technologies evaluated in the PICM are listed in Table E-1. This report presents the results of the studies and research conducted in the PICM and the preliminary evaluation of the selected technologies using the proposed evaluation criteria. Consistent with its purpose, this report does not include any recommendation of corrective measures for the Housatonic River and Silver Lake sediments and is not intended to lead to the selection of such measures, since the sediment cleanup levels and remedial objectives for the site have not yet been established and the specific areas requiring remediation have not yet been identified. Such recommendation will be provided as part of the Corrective Measures Study (CMS), vyhich will be proposed and conducted after the completion of all site investigations, the performance of a Health and Environmental Assessment (HEA), and the establishment of Media Protection Standards (MPS) and remedial objectives for the site The TABLE E-1 Selected Technologies, Evaluated iin IPICM Armoring Natural Recovery Enhancement of Sedimentation at Woods Pond and/or Its Headwaters (could also involve sorn e sed ime nt rein ovaI ) In-Situ Bioremediation Rejricj/aJJ^chnoJagies River Isolation/Wet Excavation (using backhoe, clamshell, or front-end loader) Hydraulic Dredging (using a cutterhead or horizontal auger dredge) Mechanical Dredging (using a grab dredge) Pneumatic Dredging (using a Pneuma dredge) -Stitujr^^ High-Temperature Thermal Treatment (using fluidized bed, infrared thermal, or rotary kiln incinerator) Low-Temperature Thermal Treatment (thermal desorption) Nucleophiilic Substitution (in conjunction with low-temperature thermal desorption) Physical Treatment/Separation (by soil washing and/or hydrocyclone) Local Upland Confined Disposal Facility Local In-Water Confined Disposal Facility DMA/96-004/P1CM-REPORT/EXEC SUM DOC|4/W961 ES- 3 CMS will evaluate the technologies studied in the PICM in moire detail (if appropriate), along with other potentially applicable technologies. In accordance with the USE-PA permit and the PICM Proposal, the PICM focuses on potential technologies for remediating sediments, which have been defined for the purposes of the PICM as organic and granular inorganic solids normally covered by water It has focused in particular on potential technologies for remediating sediments containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCIBs), since site investigations have demonstrated that PCBs are the dominant constituents of concern in Housatonic River and Silver Lake sediments that are attributable to releases from the GE facility. Further, the PICM has focused on Silver Lake and the portion of the Housatonic River between the GE facility and Woods Pond Dam since site investigations have revealed that those areas contain the majority of PCBs in the Housatonic River system. This overall study area has been divided for evaluation purposes into five specific areas: (1) the upstream river reach (extending from the GE facility to the confluence of the East and West Branches of the Housatonic); (2) the middle river reach (extending from the confluence to the New Lenox Road Bridge); (3) the downstream river reach (extending from the New Lenox Road Bridge to the Woods Pond headwaters); (4) Woods Pond, and (5) Silver Lake. It should be noted, however, that the remedial technologies applicable to these areas would also likely be applicable to river reaches downstream of Woods Pond Darn if sediment remediation should be determined to be necessary in those river reaches. As specified in the PICM Proposal, the criteria that have been used in this preliminary evaluation of the selected technologies are: effectiveness, reliability, short- and long-term practicality of implementation, environmental impacts, and cost. To assist in applying these criteria to the selected technologies, experience with application of those technologies at other sites was reviewed. In addition, a number of site-specific data gathering activities and other studies 'were carried out as part of the PI CM. Some of these activities were designed to obtain information relevant to several technologies These included (1) extensive investigations to obtain data on characteristics of the site sediments and water bodies (e g , sediment type and grain size, deposition patterns, PCS concentrations, other chemical parameters of the sediments, channel geometry and hydraulic conditions), (2) the estimation of volumes of PCS- impacted sediments, and (3) a preliminary1 assessment of the environmental habitat, and biota in the relevant portion of the Housatonic River and of the potential impact thereon of technologies that would significantly disturb the sediments. The results of these general activities are CKM/96 004.PICM SEPOR1 EXE C SUM DOC|l/;6r36| ES- 4 'J summarized together in this report Other studies conducted in the PICM are specific to a particular technology, and the results of those studies are presented in the sections addressing the specific technologies in question The results of the PICM studies and evaluation of the selected remedial technologies for the Hou satanic River and Silver Lake sediments are sum man zed below It should be noted at the outset, however, that there are significant problems with application of any remedial technology to the sediments at this site. First, since the different areas of the site vary significantly in numerous pertinent characteristics, no single technology will be applicable to all such areas Indeed, none of the selected technologies has previously been applied to totally remediate a large and complex riverine environment such as the Housalonic River site, and no technology will achieve complete elimination of potential exposure to PCBs Moreover, many of the technologies cannot be implemented alone, but must be combined with other technologies Most notably, the sediment removal technologies cannot be carried out'without implementing a complex sequence of steps, including removal, transport, dewatering, water treatment, sediment treatment (if necessary), and disposal, each of which involves its own implementability, performance, and environmental impact concerns. Finally, there are a variety of site-specific technical administrative, and environmental concerns that must be addressed in order to implement any of the technologies,