Technical Memorandum, Royal River Discharge Zone
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DRAFT »*_ TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ROYAL RIVER DISCHARGE ZONE MCKIN SITE GRAY, MAINE RESPONSE ACTION CONTRACT (RAG), REGION I For U.S. Environmental Protection Agency By Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. EPA Contract No. 68-W6-0045 EPA Work Assignment No. 025-RICO-0136 TtNUS Project No. 7793 July 1998 TETRA TECH NUS, INC. V, RI98190D DRAFT TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ROYAL RIVER DISCHARGE ZONE MCKIN SITE GRAY, MAINE RESPONSE ACTION CONTRACT (RAC), REGION For U.S. Environmental Protection Agency By Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. EPA Contract No. 68-W6-0045 EPA Work Assignment No. 025-RICO-0136 TtNUS Project No. 7793 July 1998 • L-'~"X J^rfnes Forrfelli, P.E. George & Gardner, P.E. //Project Manager Program Manager DRAFT TABLE OF CONTENTS TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION/FEASIBILITY STUDY MCKIN SITE GRAY, MAINE SECTION PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background and Objective 1 1.2 Organization of Report 3 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY 3 2.1 Site Location 3 2.2 Site History 5 2.3 Geology and Hydrogeology 6 2.3.1 Surficial Geology - Outwash 6 2.3.2 Presumpscot Formation 7 3.0 WETLAND DELINEATION METHODOLOGY 7 3.1 Wetland Characteristics 8 3.2 Field Protocol 12 4.0 RESULTS 12 4.1 Wetlands and Upland Classification 13 4.1.1 Vegetation 13 4.1.2 Soils 15 4.1.3 Hydrology 16 4.2 Royal River Flood Plain 16 4.3 Riverine Habitat 17 4.4 Wildlife 18 5.0 SUMMARY 19 REFERENCES 20 FIGURES NUMBER PAGE 1 STUDY AREA LOCATION 2 2 ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT Map Pocket RI98190D I McKin Site, ME DRAFT TABLE OF CONTENTS TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION/FEASIBILITY STUDY MCKIN SITE GRAY, MAINE APPENDICES A USACOE WETLAND DATA FORMS B PHOTOGRAPHS C OBSERVED SPECIES LISTS D THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES RESPONSE LETTERS RI98190D II McKin Site, ME DRAFT 1.0 INTRODUCTION This technical memorandum was prepared by Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. (TtNUS), formerly Brown & Root Environmental, at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Contract No. 68-W6-0045. The memorandum is part of the requirements of the Feasibility Study (FS) process for the McKin Site, Gray, Cumberland County, Maine, under Work Assignment No. 025-RICO-01 36. This memorandum was developed based on the Draft Final Work Plan dated May 1998. This technical memorandum summarizes the ecological assessment conducted by TtNUS at the McKin Site between May 20 and 21, 1998 in the area described as the Royal River Discharge Zone (RRDZ) located on the flood plain of the Royal River in Gray, Maine. 1.1 Background and Objective TtNUS is currently performing additional FS support on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 1, for the McKin Superfund Site (the site) in Gray, Maine. The focus of the FS is to select remedial alternatives to intercept and treat contaminated groundwater that is presently discharging to the Royal River. As part of this activity, TtNUS conducted a baseline ecological assessment of the resources located in the RRDZ study area (Figure 1). The purpose of this report is to assess the present baseline ecological conditions of the study area and to present information that can be used for planning and selecting remedial alternatives to meet the FS goals. The FS will develop alternatives to contain or mitigate impacts of trichloroethene (TCE) and TCE-contaminated groundwater on the Royal River. The ultimate goal of the site remediation is to reduce the concentration of TCE in the Royal River to a level below the ambient water quality criteria, which is an applicable RI98190D 1 McKin Site, ME DRAFT MAP FROM USGS QUADRANGLE SHEET FOR GRAY MAINE EDITED IN 1980 (NE/4 GRAY 15 QUADRANGLE) 5 0 1 MILE 10QQ 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 FEET H t-t H I -I I I 1 KILOMETER QUADRANGLE LOCATION STUDY AREA FIGURE 1 ROYAL RIVER DISCHARGE ZONE McKIN SITE - GRAY, MAINE TETRA TECH NUS, INC. DRAWN BY D W. MACDOUGALL REV 1 CHECKED BY K O.NEILL DATE JULY 14. 1998 55 Jonspin Road Wilmington, MA 01887 SCALE AiPIPWQX 1" = 2000' DWG\MCKIN\LOCUS DWG (978)658-7899 RI98190D McKin Site, ME DRAFT regulatory threshold in Maine. To minimize impacts on the wetlands and the river, a primary component of remediation will be intercepting the groundwater plume near the river. The technology selected may require construction activities in the flood plain or wetlands. Final mitigation or restoration alternatives will be selected based on the effectiveness of method, while attempts will be made to minimize impacts to sensitive habitats (wetlands, flood plains, etc.) when feasible. frnch n/v^ °f As part of this assessment, a wetland delineation was performed to define the wetland boundary and to characterize the wetlands within the RRDZ. In addition, a qualitative flora and fauna survey was conducted to identify plants and wildlife present in the study area. 1.2 Organization of Report Section 1.0 includes the introduction and history of the site; Section 2.0 provides a description of the study area; Section 3.0 describes the methodologies used to delineate and classify the wetlands; Section 4.0 provides the results of the assessment; and Section 5.0 presents a summary of the assessment. As is appropriate for the methods used, the results are presented in the form of field data forms, tables, photographs, and species lists in AppendicesA through C. 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY This section provides a description of the site and study area, a summary of the study area geologic characteristics, and a synopsis of the history of the McKin property. 2.1 Site Location The McKin Superfund Site is located in Gray, Maine, approximately 15 miles north of Portland, Maine. The McKin property comprises an area of approximately 7 acres located on the west side of Mayall Road. The volatile organic compound (VOC) TCE has been RI98190D 3 McKin Site, ME DRAFT detected in the Royal River at concentrations above ambient water quality criteria (2.8yug/L), apparently as a result of contaminated groundwater discharge from the McKin site. The site comprises those areas presently and potentially impacted by contamination from the McKin property (Figure 1): • On th esouth by Yarmouth Road from Depot Road to Mayall Road and a line from the southern terminus of Mayall Road running east to the Royal River • On th eeast by Royal River • On th enorth by Collyer Brook • On th ewest by a line from the intersection of Collyer Brook with Merrill Road and closing at the intersection of Depot Road and Yarmouth Road Based on observed contaminant distribution, the site also extends north of Collyer Brook at its confluence with Royal River, and east just beyond the Royal River at the river bend due east of the McKin property. In total, the site consists of approximately 660 acres of industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, and undeveloped properties. East of Mayall Road, the land slopes downward to the flood plain of the Royal River. The land surface is dissected by a number of small, unnamed streams, and associated gullies. The resulting topography is frequently very steep, and access can be difficult. The focus of the FS is the area of the site where the dissolved contaminant plume meets the Royal River. This area has been designated as the Royal River Discharge Zone or RRDZ. The RRDZ is within the Royal River flood plain, adjacent to the west bank of the Royal River. It is in this area that remedial efforts will be applied to lower TCE concentrations in the river. RI98190D 4 McKin Site, ME DRAFT 2.2 Site History The McKin facility was constructed in 1972 on property previously used as a sand and gravel pit. From 1972 to 1977, the facility was used as a collection and transfer station for waste oil and industrial process waste. The facility handled between 100,000 and 200,000 gallons of waste annually. VOCs from the facility contaminated local residential wells through migrating groundwater. In 1985, a remedial investigation/feasibility study was performed and a Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by EPA. The remedy presented in the ROD included: 1) aerating soils on site; 2) disposing of approximately 16 drums off site; 3) performing soil tests in the petroleum-contaminated areas; 4) constructing a groundwater extraction, treatment, and surface water discharge system and operating this system for a period of 5 years to achieve a groundwater performance standard of 92 ppb 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 28 ppb trichloroethene; 5) re-evaluating the groundwater performance standard if the standards are not met within 5 years; 6) initiating an off-site groundwater and surface water monitoring program; and 7) performing site removal and closure activities. During 1986, a group of private companies (PRPs) voluntarily undertook a remedial action to excavate and treat on-site VOC-impacted soil to minimize continued migration of VOCs to groundwater. Approximately 12,000 cubic yards of soil containing solvents and petroleum were excavated and treated by thermal desorption. In 1990, an Explanation of Significant Differences was approved by EPA that changed the method of discharging the treated groundwater from surface water discharge to groundwater reinjection. During the summer of 1990, the responsible parties designed and implemented a groundwater extraction and treatment system that operated from 1991 to 1995. The EPA and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP) approved a temporary shutdown of the system in 1995 so that the parties could evaluate alternatives for the site's cleanup. This evaluation included an assessment of the RI98190D 5 McKin Site, ME DRAFT feasibility and cost of groundwater restoration^ containment, mitigation, and institutional controls.