Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment
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REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION AND FEASIBILITY STUDY SCREENING LEVEL ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT MARION PRESSURE TREATING COMPANY MARION, UNION PARISH, LOUISIANA Prepared for U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 1445 Ross Avenue Dallas, TX 75202-2733 Work Assignment No. : 031-RICO-067Z EPA Region : 6 Date Prepared : July 21, 2000 Contract No. : 68-W6-0037 Prepared by : Tetra Tech EM Inc. Tetra Tech Project Manager : George Allman Telephone No. : (214) 740-2029 EPA Work Assignment Manager : Bartolome J. Cañellas Telephone No. : (214) 665-6662 CONTENTS Section Page ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................vi 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 1 2.0 SCREENING LEVEL PROBLEM FORMULATION ................................ 3 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................... 5 2.1.1 Upland Forest Habitat ............................................. 6 2.1.2 Aquatic Habitat .................................................. 8 2.1.3 Bottomland Hardwood Forest ....................................... 8 2.1.4 On-Site Soils .................................................... 9 2.1.5 Receptors ...................................................... 9 2.1.5.1 Primary Consumers .................................... 12 2.1.5.2 Secondary Consumers .................................. 13 2.1.5.3 Top-Level Consumers .................................. 13 2.1.6 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species ........................... 14 2.1.6.1 Bald Eagle ........................................... 14 2.1.6.2 Louisiana Black Bear .................................. 14 2.1.6.3 Red-Cockaded Woodpecker ............................. 14 2.2 CONTAMINANTS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN ........................... 16 2.3 CONTAMINANT FATE AND TRANSPORT ............................... 17 2.4 MECHANISMS OF ECOTOXICITY ...................................... 22 2.4.1 Aquatic Mechanisms and Toxic Effects Summary ...................... 23 2.4.2 Terrestrial Mechanisms and Effects Summary ......................... 24 2.5 COMPLETE EXPOSURE PATHWAYS ................................... 25 2.6 SELECTION OF ENDPOINTS AND CONCEPTUAL MODEL ................ 26 2.6.1 Assessment Endpoint Selection .................................... 26 2.6.2 Null Hypotheses ................................................ 27 2.6.3 Measurement Endpoints .......................................... 28 2.6.4 Measurement Receptor Species Selection Rationale .................... 31 2.6.4.1 Aquatic Food Web .................................... 34 2.6.4.2 Terrestrial Food Web .................................. 39 S:\Government\G00DA\1931\Plans (pdf)\SLERA\SLERA Report\Final_SLERA.wpd i CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page 2.6.5 Summary of Conceptual Model .................................... 43 3.0 ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT........................................ 45 3.1 TOXICITY REFERENCE VALUE IDENTIFICATION....................... 46 3.1.1 TRVs for Plant and Invertebrate Communities in Soils and Sediments ...... 47 3.1.1.1 TRVs for Benthic Invertebrates .......................... 47 3.1.1.2 TRVs for Soil Invertebrates ............................. 47 3.1.1.3 TRVs for Terrestrial and Rooted Aquatic Plants ............. 48 3.1.2 TRVs FOR WILDLIFE MEASUREMENT ENDPOINT RECEPTORS .... 49 3.1.2.1 Mammals ............................................ 50 3.1.2.2 Birds ............................................... 53 3.1.2.3 Reptiles and Amphibians ............................... 55 4.0 SCREENING LEVEL EXPOSURE ESTIMATES .................................. 55 4.1 INGESTION RATES AND DIETARY ASSUMPTIONS FOR MEASUREMENT ENDPOINT RECEPTORS .............................................. 57 4.1.1 Aquatic Food Web Measurement Endpoint Receptors .................. 57 4.1.1.1 Herbivorous Bird—Wood Duck (Mallard Surrogate) ......... 59 4.1.1.2 Omnivorous Mammal—Raccoon ......................... 59 4.1.1.3 Omnivorous Bird—Mallard ............................. 60 4.1.1.4 Piscivorous Bird—Heron (Belted Kingfisher Surrogate) ....... 60 4.1.1.5 Omnivorous Amphibian/Reptile—Southern Painted Turtle ..... 61 4.1.2 Terrestrial Food Web Measurement Endpoint Receptors ................. 61 4.1.2.1 Herbivorous Mammals—Cotton Mouse (Deer Mouse Surrogate) ................................ 61 4.1.2.2 Herbivorous Birds—Carolina Chickadee (Mourning Dove Surrogate) ............................. 62 4.1.2.3 Omnivorous Mammal—Short-Tailed Shrew ................ 62 4.1.2.4 Omnivorous Bird—Pine Warbler (Marsh Wren Surrogate) ..... 62 4.2 COPC CONCENTRATIONS IN FOOD ITEMS OF MEASUREMENT ENDPOINT RECEPTORS .............................................. 63 S:\Government\G00DA\1931\Plans (pdf)\SLERA\SLERA Report\Final_SLERA.wpd ii CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page 4.2.1 COPC Concentration in Invertebrates and Plants ....................... 63 4.2.2 COPC Concentration in Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, and Reptiles ....... 65 4.2.2.1 Herbivorous Mammals and Birds ......................... 65 4.2.2.2 Omnivorous Mammals and Birds ......................... 66 4.2.3 Determination of Wildlife Bioconcentration Factors .................... 67 4.2.3.1 Bioconcentration Factors for Food Ingestion Pathway ........ 68 4.2.3.2 BCFs for Measurement Receptors Ingesting Media .......... 69 5.0 RISK CHARACTERIZATION AND UNCERTAINTY .............................. 69 5.1 SCREENING LEVEL HAZARD QUOTIENTS ............................. 70 5.1.1 Approach ...................................................... 70 5.1.2 Benthic Invertebrates, Soil Invertebrates, and Plants .................... 72 5.1.3 Risk to Aquatic Food Web Wildlife ................................. 72 5.1.3.1 Piscivorous Birds—Herons (Belted Kingfisher Surrogate) ..... 72 5.1.3.2 Omnivorous Mammals—Raccoon ........................ 73 5.1.3.3 Omnivorous Birds—Mallard............................. 73 5.1.3.4 Herbivorous Birds—Wood Duck ......................... 74 5.1.4 Terrestrial Food Web Wildlife ..................................... 74 5.1.4.1 Omnivorous Mammals—Short-Tailed Shrew ................ 74 5.1.4.2 Herbivorous Mammals—Cotton Mouse (Deer Mouse Surrogate) 74 5.1.4.3 Insectivorous Birds—Pine Warbler (Marsh Wren Surrogate) . 75 5.1.4.4 Herbivorous Birds—Carolina Chickadee (Mourning Dove Surrogate) ............................. 75 5.1.5 Summary ...................................................... 76 5.2 DATA GAPS AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES ............................. 76 5.2.1 Uncertainty in Problem Formulation ................................ 76 5.2.1.1 Data Availability ...................................... 76 5.2.1.2 Identification of COPCs ................................ 79 5.2.1.3 Conceptual Model: Endpoint and Receptor Selection ......... 80 5.2.1.4 Data Representativeness ................................ 80 S:\Government\G00DA\1931\Plans (pdf)\SLERA\SLERA Report\Final_SLERA.wpd iii CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page 5.2.2 Toxicity Assessment ............................................. 80 5.2.3 Exposure Assessment ............................................ 81 5.2.3.1 Home Range Assumptions .............................. 81 5.2.3.2 Plant Uptake and Herbivore Exposure ..................... 82 5.2.3.3 Soil and Sediment Ingestion Rates ........................ 82 5.2.3.4 Bioconcentration Factor Approach ........................ 83 5.2.3.5 Media Concentrations with Depth ........................ 84 5.2.3.6 Inhalation and Dermal Exposures ......................... 84 5.2.4 Uncertainty in Risk Characterization ................................ 85 5.2.4.1 Risks to the Sediment Community ........................ 85 5.2.4.2 Risks to the Terrestrial Plant and Invertebrate Community ..... 86 5.3 PRELIMINARY SCIENTIFIC AND MANAGEMENT DECISION POINTS (SMDPs)86 REFERENCES .................................................................... 88 APPENDICES A CHECKLIST FOR ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/SAMPLING B PHOTOGRAPHS C SOIL AND SEDIMENT DATA D SUMMARY OF TOXICITY INFORMATION E CONCENTRATION, DOSE, AND HAZARD QUOTIENT CALCULATIONS S:\Government\G00DA\1931\Plans (pdf)\SLERA\SLERA Report\Final_SLERA.wpd iv TABLES Section Page 2-1 MAJOR WILDLIFE RECEPTORS.............................................. 10 2-2 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES POTENTIALLY OCCURRING AT THE MPTC SITE ............................................ 15 2-3 SURFACE SOIL DATA USED IN THE MPTC SLERA............................. 18 2-4 BIG CREEK SEDIMENT DATA USED IN THE MPTC SLERA...................... 19 2-5 UNNAMED TRIBUTARY SEDIMENT DATA USED IN THE MPTC SLERA .......... 20 4-1 INGESTION RATES FOR MEASUREMENT ENDPOINT RECEPTORS............... 58 5-1 SUMMARY OF RISK CHARACTERIZATION ................................... 77 FIGURES Figure Page 1 SITE LOCATION MAP........................................................ 2 2 ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS ................................... 4 3 HABITAT MAP.............................................................. 7 4 LOCATIONS OF SURFACE SOIL AND SEDIMENT SAMPLES COLLECTED DURING EPA REMOVAL ACTION ............................................ 21 5 AQUATIC FOOD WEB ....................................................... 32 6 TERRESTRIAL FOOD WEB .................................................. 33 7 CONCEPTUAL SITE MODEL................................................. 44 S:\Government\G00DA\1931\Plans (pdf)\SLERA\SLERA Report\Final_SLERA.wpd v ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AET Apparent effects threshold Ba Biotransfer factor BCF Bioconcentration factor bgs Below ground surface BW Body weight CCA Copper-chromium-arsenate