Bellingham Bay Regional Background Sediment Characterization Bellingham, WA Sampling and Analysis Plan September 4, 2014 Publication no. 14-09-338 Publication and Contact Information This report is available on the Department of Ecology’s website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1409338.html For more information contact: Toxics Cleanup Program P.O. Box 47600 Olympia, WA 98504-7600 Phone: 800-826-7716 Washington State Department of Ecology - www.ecy.wa.gov o Headquarters, Olympia 360-407-6000 o Northwest Regional Office, Bellevue 425-649-7000 o Bellingham Bay Field Office, Bellingham 30-715-5200 o Southwest Regional Office, Olympia 360-407-6300 o Central Regional Office, Yakima 509-575-2490 o Eastern Regional Office, Spokane 509-329-3400 To request ADA accommodation for disabilities, or printed materials in a format for the visually impaired, call Ecology at 360-407-7170. Persons with impaired hearing may call Washington Relay Service at 711. Persons with speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341. Bellingham Bay Regional Background Sediment Characterization Sampling and Analysis Plan Prepared by Washington State Department of Ecology Toxics Cleanup Program Olympia, WA 115 2nd Ave N Suite 100 Edmonds, WA 98020 Avocet Consulting TerraStat Consulting Group Table of Contents Page 1.0 Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 1.1. Definition of Regional Background .................................................................1 1.2. Stakeholder Discussions ..................................................................................2 1.3. Project Team and Responsibilities ...................................................................3 1.3.1. Project Planning and Coordination ..........................................................3 1.3.2. Sample Collection ....................................................................................3 1.3.3. Laboratory Sample Preparation and Analysis..........................................3 1.3.4. Health and Safety Manager ......................................................................4 1.3.5. Subcontractor Support .............................................................................4 1.3.6. Schedule ...................................................................................................5 2.0 Bellingham Bay Conceptual Model ......................................................................6 2.1. Hydrology and Bathymetry..............................................................................8 2.2. Sedimentation, Grain Size, and Organic Carbon .............................................8 2.3. Sites and Sources ...........................................................................................12 2.4. Summary of Existing Chemistry Data ...........................................................19 2.5. Bioaccumulative Contaminants of Concern ..................................................25 2.6. Summary of the Conceptual Bay Model ........................................................25 3.0 Study Design .......................................................................................................28 3.1. Sample Number and Density .........................................................................28 3.2. Sediment Sampling Locations .......................................................................30 4.0 Sample Collection and Handling Methods ..........................................................34 4.1. Sampling Platforms ........................................................................................34 4.2. Station Positioning and Navigation ...............................................................34 4.1. Sediment Sample Collection ..........................................................................34 4.2. Surface Sediment Grabs .................................................................................37 4.3. Sample Identification, Containers, and Labels ..............................................38 4.4. Sample Storage and Delivery.........................................................................39 4.5. Field Documentation ......................................................................................40 4.5.1. Field Notebooks .....................................................................................40 4.5.2. Chain-of-Custody Procedures ................................................................41 4.6. Equipment Decontamination .........................................................................41 4.7. Waste Disposal...............................................................................................42 4.7.1. Sediment Samples ..................................................................................42 4.7.2. Disposable Protective Clothing and Sampling Equipment ....................42 5.0 Laboratory Analytical Methods ...........................................................................43 5.1. Chemical Analyses.........................................................................................43 5.2. Analytical Laboratory Reporting ...................................................................47 6.0 Quality Assurance Project Plan ...........................................................................48 6.1. Measurements of Data Quality ......................................................................48 6.2. Quality Assurance and Quality Control for Chemistry Sediment Samples ...49 6.2.1. Field QA/QC for Sediment Chemistry ..................................................49 i 6.2.2. Laboratory QA/QC for Sediment Chemistry .........................................49 6.3. Data Validation ..............................................................................................50 7.0 Data Analysis and Reporting ...............................................................................51 7.1. Analysis of Sediment Chemistry Data ...........................................................51 7.2. Calculation of the Regional Background Concentration ...............................52 7.3. Reporting Procedures .....................................................................................53 8.0 References ...........................................................................................................54 Appendices Appendix A. Field Forms Appendix B. Health and Safety Plan Appendix C. Background Memorandum ii List of Figures and Tables Page Figures Figure 1. Bellingham Bay Regional Background Study Area ........................................................ 7 Figure 2. Distribution of percent fines in Bellingham Bay ........................................................... 10 Figure 3. Distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) in Bellingham Bay.................................... 11 Figure 4. Location of existing sediment cleanup sites in Bellingham Bay ................................... 15 Figure 5. Potential point and non-point sources of contamination in Bellingham Bay ................ 18 Figure 6. Distribution of mercury concentrations in Bellingham Bay relative to natural background .................................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 7. Distribution of arsenic concentrations in Bellingham Bay relative to natural background .................................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 8. Distribution of bis-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate concentrations in Bellingham Bay relative to SMS Benthic Chemical Criteria .................................................................................................... 22 Figure 9. Distribution of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (cPAH) concentrations in Bellinham Bay relative to natural background ......................................................................... 23 Figure 10. Distribution of dioxin/furan congener concentrations (as TEQ) in Bellingham Bay relative to natural background ...................................................................................................... 24 Figure 11. Delineation of the Bellingham Bay Area of Interest (AOI) ........................................ 27 Figure 12. Proposed regional background sediment sampling locations in Bellingham Bay ...... 33 Tables Table 1. Sediment sample locations and analyses for Bellingham Bay. ...................................... 32 Table 2. Target coordinates for sampling locations. ..................................................................... 35 Table 3. Sediment sample collection, analysis, containers, and holding times. ........................... 36 Table 4. Target analytes, methods, and practical quantitation limits (PQL). ............................... 45 Table 5. PCB congener methods and practical quantitation limits (PQL). ................................... 46 iii List of Acronyms ASB aeration stabilization basin BEHP bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate COPC chemicals of potential concern cPAH carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon CAP cleanup action plan CD consent decree CSL Cleanup Screening Level CSO combined sewer overflow CV coefficient of variance DGPS differential global positioning system Ecology Washington State Department of Ecology EIM Environmental Information Management FM Field Manager FS feasibility study GPC gel permeation chromatography