Quality Assurance Project Plan for Field Collection Activities for Furbearer Mammal Study
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Quality Assurance Project Plan for Field Collection Activities for Furbearer Mammal Study. Beneficial Use Impairment Advancements for the Massena/Akwesasne Area of Concern on the St. Lawrence River. GL-97221310-0 September 2011 Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 and Great Lakes National Program Office Prepared by Jessica Jock, Project Manager St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Environment Division Akwesasne, 13655 Quality Assurance Project Plan Title and Approval Sheet Project title: Furbearer Mammal Study Massena/Akwesasne AOC St. Lawrence River - BUI Advancement Prepared by: SRMT Environment Division Approvals: Jessica L. Jock, BUI Coordinator, SRMT Environment Division Date Barbara Belasco, Project Manager, USEPA Region 2 Date Kai Tang, USEPA Region 2 Quality Assurance (QA) Officer, Tribal Liaison Date Kathryn Seaver, USEPA Region 2 Quality Assurance (QA) Officer Date Angela Benedict, SRMT Quality Assurance Officer (QA) Officer Date Project Initiation: October 1, 2011 Project Termination: September 30, 2013 Sampling Operations: St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Operations Manager: Jessica L. Jock, SRMT Environment Laboratory Analysis: NEA PACE Analytical, Inc. Data Validation: Ann Casey Ken Jock, SRMT Environment Division Director’s Approval Date Furbearer Mammal QAPP, September 2011_FINAL Page 2 Distribution List Barbara Belasco John Perrecone EPA Project Officer RAP/AOC Program Manager U.S. EPA - Region 2 U.S. EPA - Region 5 290 Broadway 77 West Jackson Blvd New York, NY 10007 Chicago, IL 60604 (212)-637-3848 (312) - 353-1149 [email protected] [email protected] Marcos Santos Ken Jock U.S. EPA - Region 5 St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Grants and Contract Mgt Branch Environment Division Director 77 West Jackson Blvd 412 State Route 37 Chicago, Illinois 60604 Akwesasne, 13655 (312) – 353 – 3490 (518) – 358-5937 [email protected] [email protected] Kai Tang Ann C. Casey USEPA Region 2 NEA Pace Analytical QA Officer, Tribal Liaison Sr. Chemist, Program Manager 2890 Wood Bridge Avenue 2190 Technology Drive Edison, NJ 08837 Schenectady, NY 12308 (732)-321-4364 (518)-346-4592 ext 23 (732)-321-6616 (fax) (518)-381-6055 (fax) [email protected] [email protected] Angela Benedict Kathryn Seaver SRMT Environment Division USEPA Region 2 Tribal QA Officer Air &Water QA Team Akwesasne, NY 13665 2890 Wood Bridge Ave. (518)-358-5937 Edison, NJ 08837 (518)-358-6252 (fax) (732)-906-6800 [email protected] [email protected] Jessica Jock Jay Wilkins SRMT Environment Division SRMT Environment Division BUI Coordinator Wildlife Technician Akwesasne, NY 13655 Akwesasne, NY 13655 (518)358- 5937 (518)358-5937 (518)358-6252 (fax) (518) 358-6252 (fax) [email protected] [email protected] Furbearer Mammal QAPP, September 2011_FINAL Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sections Page 1.0 PROJECT/TASK ORGANIZATION 6 1.1 Project Management 6 2.0 PROBLEM DEFFINITION/BACKGROUND 9 2.1 Problem Definition 9 2.2 Background 10 3.0 PROJECT TASKS/DESCRIPTION 12 4.0 DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR MEASUREMENT DATA 17 4.1 Project Quality Objectives 19 4.2 Sampling Quality Objectives 19 5.0 SPECIAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS 22 6.0 DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDS 22 6.1 Field Record Keeping 22 6.2 Location ID and Sample ID 22 6.3 Laboratory Reporting Data 23 7.0 SAMPLING PROCESS DESIGNS 24 8.0 SAMPLING METHODS REQUIREMENTS 28 9.0 SAMPLE HANDLING AND CUSTODY REQUIREMENTS 30 10.0 ANALYTICAL METHODS REQUIREMENTS 33 11.0 QUALITY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS 34 11.1 Field Quality Control 34 11.2 Laboratory Quality Control 34 12.0 INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT TESTING INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS 37 13.0 INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION AND FREQUENCY 37 14.0 INSPECTION/ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIES AND 38 CONSUMABLES 15.0 DATA ACQUISTION REQUIREMENTS 38 16.0 DATA MANAGEMENT 39 17.0 ASSESSMENTS & RESPONSE ACTIONS 39 17.1 Assessments 39 17.2 Corrective Actions 40 18.0 REPORTS TO MANAGEMENTS 41 19.0 DATA REVIEW, VALIDATION, AND VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 41 20.0 VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION METHODS 42 20.1 Laboratory 42 20.2 Field 42 20.3 Audits 42 20.4 Corrective Actions 42 20.5 Reports 43 21.0 RECONCILIATION WITH DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES 43 22.0 LITERATURE REFERENCED 44 Furbearer Mammal QAPP, September 2011_FINAL Page 4 FIGURES, TABLES, AND APPENDICES: Page Figure 1.0 Organizational Chart 8 Figure 2.0 Massena Area of Concern Study Area for 12 Furbearer Mammals Figure 3-1. Grasse River Inside AOC (Site #1) 46 Figure 3-2. Grasse River Outside AOC (Site #2) 47 Figure 3-3. St. Lawrence River Inside the AOC (Site #3) 48 Figure 3-4. St. Lawrence River Outside the AOC (Site #4) 49 Figure 3-5. Raquette River Inside the AOC (Site #5) 50 Figure 3-6. Raquette River Outside the AOC (Site #6) 51 Figure 3-7. St. Regis River Inside the AOC (Site #7) 52 Figure 3-8. St. Regis River Outside the AOC (Site #8) 53 Table 1.0 St. Lawrence River, Massena/Akwesasne AOC Beneficial Use 14 Impairments, Status and Delisting Criteria for Furbearer Mammals Table 2.0 Adverse Effects Thresholds for Tissue Residue and 18 Dietary Intake Table 3.0 Target Species, Number, and Matrices 25 Table 4.0 Furbearer Mammal Survey Sites and Location ID (Inside AOC) 27 Table 5.0 Furbearer Mammal Survey Sites and Location ID (Outside AOC) 28 Table 6.0 Furbearer Mammal Tissue Analysis Analytical 33 Table 7.0 QC Requirements for Method 8082 (PCB Analysis) 35 Appendix A. Field Supplies Checklist 54 Appendix B. Health and Safety Plan 55 Appendix C. Furbearer Mammal Field Data Sheet 58 Appendix D. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for 60 Habitat Characterization Appendix E. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for 65 Furbearer Collection Appendix F. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for 69 Tissue Extraction Appendix G. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for 73 Field Sample Handling, Packing, and Shipping Procedures Furbearer Mammal QAPP, September 2011_FINAL Page 5 Section 1.0 PROJECT/TASK ORGANIZATION This Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) describes the Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) activities and procedures associated with collecting samples of aquatic furbearing species; beaver (Castor canadensis), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), mink (Neovison vison), and river otter (Lontra canadensis), and the woodland species raccoon (Procyon lotor) for the St. Lawrence River, Massena Area of Concern (AOC). This effort is being conducted to make progress on four (4) Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), specific to sentinel furbearer mammal species. Efforts include making progress on, Restriction on Fish and Wildlife Consumption, Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations, Bird/Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems, and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat. Sampling design and laboratory analysis are developed to collect data to support the delisting criteria specific to each of the four BUIs (Table 1). In addition, the already developed Winter Tracking QAPP outlines the activities and procedures to conduct winter tracking surveys, specific to mink and otter, to support population studies of sensitive species to persistent bioaccumulative chemicals. The Winter Tracking observations are a supplemental activity to the larger Furbearer Mammal Study outlined below. Project tasks will be carried out by key personnel listed below. 1.1 Project Management The Project will be implemented by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division. Within our Division, we have the technical and sampling equipment support to conduct the study. This section includes an organization chart showing lines of authority and reporting responsibilities (Figure 1). EPA Project Manager Barbara Belasco will be responsible for providing funding and QAPP approval, and coordination with the proposed project and reporting needs. SRMT Environment Director Ken Jock, SRMT Environment Director, is responsible for providing financial and staff resources necessary to meet project objectives and implement the requirements described in this QAPP. The Director is the official project contact of all funding resources and has primary signing authority for all purchases, project plans and correspondences. Quality Assurance(QA) Officers Angela Benedict, Tribal QA Officer is responsible for reviewing and approving all QAPPs according to the Tribe’s Quality Assurance Management Plan, 2007 (QAMP) and Quality Assurance Management Project Plan (QAPP) Guidance, September 6, 2001. She has signing authority for a project work plan for the SRMT Environment Division. Angela is also responsible for conducting Audits and Assessments of work done throughout the sampling program, and coordinating QAPP approval with Region 2 QA Team ( Kathryn Seaver ) and Tribal QA Liaison (Kai Tang). Furbearer Mammal QAPP, September 2011_FINAL Page 6 SRMT Project Manger Jessica Jock, Environmental Specialist and Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) Coordinator will be responsible for implementing study design, ensuring adherence to study design and accomplishment of project objectives, coordinating with contractors, coordinating with other office departments involved with the sampling, sampling oversight, reporting quarterly to EPA, and final report compilation. Should there be a need for any change in study design, Barbara Belasco, USEPA will be contacted and consulted with prior to any continued work. Field Crew Jay Wilkins and SRMT staff will be conducting field work including habitat identification, sampling activities, processing, and procedures. Field tasks include deployment and monitoring, maintenance and repairs of sampling devices and equipment. They will also be responsible