FISH AND WILDLIFE IMPACT ANALYSIS STEP IIC INVESTIGATION REPORT DYNO NOBEL SITE PORT EWEN, NEW YORK Prepared for: Ashland Incorporated Dyno Nobel North America 500 Hercules Road 161 Ulster Ave Wilmington, Delaware 19808-1599 Ulster Park, New York 12487 Prepared by: URS URS Corporation 335 Commerce Drive Fort Washington, PA 19034 April 12, 2011 Port Ewen, New York Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms .........................................................................................................................................v Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... vii 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................1 1.1 FWIA Step IIC Study Objectives ..................................................................................2 1.2 Report Outline ................................................................................................................2 2.0 Site Background and Ecological Setting.................................................................................4 2.1 Site History ....................................................................................................................4 2.2 Ecological Setting ..........................................................................................................5 2.2.1 SWMU 1/22 Wetland Complex .........................................................................5 2.2.2 Active Plant Area ...............................................................................................5 3.0 Ecological Conceptual Site Model ..........................................................................................6 3.1 SWMU 1/22 Wetland Complex .....................................................................................6 3.1.1 Contaminant Sources and Migration Pathways .................................................7 3.1.2 Ecological Exposure Pathways ..........................................................................8 3.2 Active Plant Area ...........................................................................................................9 3.2.1 Contaminant Sources and Migration Pathways ...............................................10 3.2.2 Ecological Exposure Pathways ........................................................................10 4.0 SWMU 1/22 Wetland Complex Investigations ....................................................................12 4.1 Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) Investigation ...............................................................12 4.1.1 Study Design ....................................................................................................13 4.1.2 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................15 4.1.3 Results ..............................................................................................................18 4.2 Downstream Sediment Characterization ......................................................................21 4.2.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................22 4.2.2 Results ..............................................................................................................22 4.3 Surface Water Investigation .........................................................................................23 4.3.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................23 4.3.2 Results ..............................................................................................................24 4.4 Fish Community Evaluation ........................................................................................24 4.4.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................24 4.4.2 Results ..............................................................................................................25 4.5 Biological Tissue Sampling .........................................................................................25 4.5.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................25 4.5.2 Results ..............................................................................................................28 5.0 Active Plant Area Investigations ..........................................................................................30 5.1 Terrestrial Bioaccumulation Evaluation ......................................................................30 5.1.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................30 5.1.2 Results ..............................................................................................................33 i Port Ewen, New York Table of Contents 6.0 Additional Media Characterization .......................................................................................35 6.1 SWMU 35 Surficial Soil Sampling..............................................................................35 6.1.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................35 6.1.2 Results ..............................................................................................................35 6.2 Site Drainage Sediment Characterization ....................................................................36 6.2.1 Sampling Approach .........................................................................................36 6.2.2 Results ..............................................................................................................36 7.0 Exposure Evaluation Approach ............................................................................................37 7.1 SWMU 1/22 Exposure Evaluation...............................................................................37 7.1.1 Benthic Invertebrate Community Exposure Assessment .................................37 7.1.2 Fish Community Exposure Assessment...........................................................43 7.1.3 Semi-Aquatic Wildlife Exposure Assessment .................................................44 7.2 Active Plant Area Exposure Evaluation ......................................................................47 7.2.1 Terrestrial Wildlife Exposure Assessment.......................................................48 8.0 SWMU 1/22 Exposure Evaluation and Risk Characterization .............................................50 8.1 Benthic Invertebrate Community Exposure.................................................................50 8.1.1 Sediment Quality Triad Exposure Evaluation .................................................50 8.1.2 Weight-of-Evidence Sediment Quality Triad Assessment ..............................56 8.2 Fish Community Exposure ..........................................................................................60 8.2.1 Surface Water Direct Contact Exposure ..........................................................60 8.2.2 Community Evaluation ....................................................................................61 8.2.3 Mercury Tissue Residue Evaluation ................................................................61 8.3 Semi-Aquatic Wildlife Exposure .................................................................................62 8.3.1 Maximum Area Use .........................................................................................62 8.3.2 Adjusted Area Use ...........................................................................................63 8.4 Risk Characterization ...................................................................................................64 8.4.1 Benthic Invertebrate Community .....................................................................64 8.4.2 Fish Community...............................................................................................65 8.4.3 Semi-Aquatic Wildlife Community .................................................................65 9.0 Active Plant Exposure Evaluation ........................................................................................67 9.1 Terrestrial Wildlife Exposure – Northern Grids ..........................................................67 9.2 Terrestrial Wildlife Exposure – Southern Grids ..........................................................68 9.3 Terrestrial Wildlife Exposure – Northern and Southern Grids ....................................68 9.3.1 Maximum Area Use .........................................................................................68 9.3.2 Adjusted Area Use ...........................................................................................69 9.4 Risk Characterization ...................................................................................................69 10.0 Uncertainty Analysis .............................................................................................................72 10.1.1 Sampling Density .............................................................................................72 10.1.2 Data Quality .....................................................................................................72 10.2.1 Toxicity of Metals Mixtures ............................................................................73