Biological and Water Quality Study of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Streams
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State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Biological and Water Quality Study of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Streams Pike County November 17, 2006 Bob Taft, Governor Joseph P. Koncelik, Director DSW/EAS 2006-10-4 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Streams November 17, 2006 Biological and Water Quality Study of Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Streams Little Beaver Creek Big Beaver Creek Big Run West Ditch Scioto River 2005 Pike County, Ohio November 17, 2006 OEPA Report EAS/2006-10-4 prepared for State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Emergency and Remedial Response Southeast District Office prepared by State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Lazarus Government Center 122 South Front Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 Bob Taft, Governor Joseph P. Koncelik, Director State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency DSW/EAS 2006-10-4 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Streams November 17, 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURE .......................................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................................... 3 NOTICE TO USERS ..................................................................................................................................... 5 FORWARD.................................................................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................... 12 SUMMARY.................................................................................................................................................. 13 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 15 RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................................... 16 METHODS .................................................................................................................................................. 20 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................... 23 Surface Water ................................................................................................................................... 23 Sediment Chemistry .......................................................................................................................... 27 Effluent Discharges ........................................................................................................................... 31 Stream Physical Habitat.................................................................................................................... 37 Fish Community................................................................................................................................ 39 Macroinvertebrate Community .......................................................................................................... 42 Fish Tissue ........................................................................................................................................ 44 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................ 47 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................A1 2 DSW/EAS 2006-10-4 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Streams November 17, 2006 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title Page Figure 1 Hierarchy of administrative and environmental indicators which can be used for water 8 quality management activities such as monitoring and assessment, reporting, and the evaluation of overall program effectiveness. Figure 2 Water quality sampling locations and outfall locations for PORTS area streams, 2005. 19 Figure 3 Box plots of total fluoride concentrations in surface water samples collected from 24 Little Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Figure 4 Box plots of total phosphorus concentrations in surface water samples collected from 24 Little Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Figure 5 Box plots of hourly dissolved oxygen measurements from PORTS area streams, 2005. 24 Figure 6 Box plots of hourly conductivity measurements from PORTS area streams, 2005. 25 Figure 7 Box plots of hourly pH measurements from PORTS area streams, 2005. 25 Figure 8 Box plots of gross alpha concentrations in surface water samples collected from Little 26 Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Figure 9 Box plots of gross beta concentrations in surface water samples collected from Little 26 Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Figure 10 Box plots of total uranium concentrations in surface water collected from Little 26 Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Figure 11 Average concentrations of technicium99, gross alpha, and gross beta in sediment 30 samples collected from Little Beaver Creek, 1992, 1997, and 2005. Figure 12 Technetium 99 concentrations from monitored effluent samples collected from eleven 31 outfall locations at the PORTS facility, 2000 - 2005. Figure 13 Total uranium concentrations from monitored effluent samples collected from eleven 32 outfall locations at the PORTS facility, 2000 - 2005. Figure 14 Trends in average IBI scores by waterbody in the PORTS project area, 2005, 1997, 39 and 1993/1992. Figure 15 Trends in average MIwb scores by waterbody in the PORTS project area, 2005, 1997, 40 and 1993/1992. Figure 16 Average total PCB values for whole body fish tissue samples collected by waterbody 46 in the PORTS project area, 2005. 3 DSW/EAS 2006-10-4 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Streams November 17, 2006 LIST OF TABLES Table Title Page Table 2 Aquatic life use attainment status for stations sampled in the PORTS project area, 17 based on data collected July – October, 2005. Table 2 Sampling locations at the PORTS water quality project, 2005. 18 Table 3 Exceedences of Ohio Water Quality Standards criteria (OAC3745-1) for chemical/ 23 physical parameters measured in the Scioto River, Big Beaver Creek, Little Beaver Creek, Big Run, and West Ditch, 2005. Table 4 Comparison of maximum concentrations (pCi/l) of selected radiologicals 25 to water screening benchmarks, by waterbody. Table 5 Select chemical compounds detected in sediment samples collected by Ohio EPA from 28 Little Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River, 2005. Table 6 Comparison of maximum concentrations (pCi/g) of selected radiologicals to sediment 29 screening benchmarks, by waterbody. Table 7 Maximum and average (in parentheses) concentrations of gross alpha, gross beta, and 29 total uranium in sediment collected in PORTS area streams, 2005. Table 8 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant permitted effluent discharge locations, 2005. 31 Table 9 Concentrations of monitored conventional chemicals in effluent discharged from 33 the PORTS facility, 2000-2005. Table 10 Concentrations of monitored radiological parameters in effluent discharged from the 35 PORTS facility, 2000-2005. Table 11 Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) scores for PORTS area streams, 2005 38 Table 12 Fish community summaries based on pulsed D.C. electrofishing sampling conducted 41 by Ohio EPA in Little Beaver Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Big Run, West Ditch, and the Scioto River from July – September, 2005. Table 13 Summary of macroinvertebrate data collected from artificial substrates (quantitative 43 Sampling) and natural substrates (qualitative sampling) in PORTS area streams, 2005. Table 14 Fish tissue radiological sampling results from PORTS area streams which were reported 44 above background levels, 2005 and 2006. Table 15 Total PCBs, mercury, arsenic, and lead results from PORTS streams fish tissue fillets 45 which were reported above Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory one meal per week levels. Table 16 PORTS streams whole body fish tissue results reported above total PCB guidelines for 45 the protection of wildlife. 4 DSW/EAS 2006-10-4 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant - Streams November 17, 2006 NOTICE TO USERS Ohio EPA incorporated biological criteria into the Ohio Water Quality Standards (WQS; Ohio Administrative Code 3745-1) regulations in February 1990 (effective May 1990). These criteria consist of numeric values for the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and Modified Index of Well-Being (MIwb), both of which are based on fish assemblage data, and the Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), which is based on macroinvertebrate assemblage data. Criteria for each index are specified for each of Ohio's five ecoregions (as described by Omernik 1987), and are further organized by organism group, index, site type, and aquatic life use designation. These criteria,