DRAFT Quality Assurance Project Plan FOR WARNER’S POND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS PREPARED FOR Town of Concord Division of Natural Resources 141 Keyes Road Concord, Massachusetts 01742 PREPARED BY ESS Group, Inc. 888 Worcester Street, Suite 240 Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482 Project No. C574-000 February 11, 2011 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP) For the Warner’s Pond Watershed Management Plan February 11, 2011 PROJECT MANAGER Carl Nielsen DATE ESS Group, Inc. 401 Wampanoag Trail, Suite 400 East Providence, Rhode Island 02915 Phone: (401) 330-1224 Fax: (401) 434-8158 PROJECT SUPERVISOR Delia Kaye DATE Natural Resources Director Concord Division of Natural Resources 141 Keyes Road Concord, Massachusetts 01742 Phone: (978) 318-3285 PROJECT QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER Carl Nielsen DATE ESS Group, Inc. 401 Wampanoag Trail, Suite 400 East Providence, Rhode Island 02915 Phone: (401) 330-1224 Fax: (401) 434-8158 MassDEP REVIEWER Arthur Johnson DATE MassDEP, Central Regional Office 627 Main St., 2nd Floor Worcester, Massachusetts 01608 Phone: (508) 767-2873 ESS Group, Inc. © 2011 – This document or any part may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording without the express written consent of ESS Group, Inc. All rights reserved. U.S. EPA QA Officer Steve DiMattei DATE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency QA Chemist, USEPA, 11 Technology Drive North Chelmsford, MA 01863 Phone: (617) 918-8369 Copyright © ESS Group, Inc., 2011 j:\c574-000 town of concord warners pond\reports-submittals\qapp\draft warners pond qapp 021111.doc DISTRIBUTION LIST Delia Kaye Natural Resources Director Concord Division of Natural Resources 141 Keyes Road Concord, Massachusetts 01742 Arthur Johnson MassDEP, Central Regional Office 627 Main St., 2nd Floor Worcester, Massachusetts 01608 Steve DiMattei U.S. Environmental Protection Agency QA Chemist, USEPA, 11 Technology Drive North Chelmsford, Massachusetts 01863 Carl Nielsen Vice President of Ecological Services and Environmental Permitting ESS Group, Inc. 888 Worcester Street, Suite 240 Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482 Copyright © ESS Group, Inc., 2011 j:\c574-000 town of concord warners pond\reports-submittals\qapp\draft warners pond qapp 021111.doc TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE 1.0 DISTRIBUTION LIST AND PROJECT PERSONNEL SIGN-OFF SHEET ............................................... 1 2.0 PROJECT ORGANIZATION.......................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Communication Pathways............................................................................................... 2 2.1.1 Modifications to the QAPP................................................................................ 3 2.2 Personnel Responsibilities and Qualifications .................................................................... 3 2.3 Special Training Requirements/Certification...................................................................... 3 3.0 PLANNING/PROJECT DEFINITION............................................................................................... 3 3.1 Project Planning Meetings .............................................................................................. 3 3.2 Problem Definition/Site History and Background ............................................................... 3 4.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCHEDULE..................................................................................... 4 5.0 TECHNICAL DESIGN FOR FIELD SAMPLING ................................................................................. 7 5.1 Bathymetry ................................................................................................................... 7 5.2 Sediment Sampling........................................................................................................ 7 5.3 Water Quality................................................................................................................ 8 5.4 Biological Assessments................................................................................................. 10 6.0 ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES ...................................................................................................... 10 7.0 QUALITY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................ 13 7.1 Bathymetry Mapping.................................................................................................... 13 7.2 Sediment Sampling...................................................................................................... 13 7.3 Water Quality Sampling................................................................................................ 14 7.4 Biological Assessments................................................................................................. 14 7.5 Laboratory Analyses..................................................................................................... 14 8.0 DATA VALIDATION AND MANAGEMENT .................................................................................... 15 8.1 Field Data ................................................................................................................... 15 8.2 Laboratory Data .......................................................................................................... 15 9.0 REPORTING............................................................................................................................ 16 10.0 DATA ACQUISITION REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................... 16 11.0 ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE ACTIONS.................................................................................. 16 12.0 QUALITY MANAGEMENT REPORTS.......................................................................................... 16 13.0 VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION REQUIREMENTS .................................................................. 16 14.0 VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION PROCEDURES ...................................................................... 17 15.0 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................... 17 Copyright © ESS Group, Inc., 2011 j:\c574-000 town of concord warners pond\reports-submittals\qapp\draft warners pond qapp 021111.doc TABLES Table A Project Schedule Table B Water and Sediment Quality Sampling/Laboratory Parameters (embedded in text) Table C Water Quality Sampling / Field Parameters (embedded in text) FIGURES Figure 1 Organizational Chart for Warner’s Pond Watershed Management Plan (embedded in text) Figure 2 Warner’s Pond Watershed Figure 3 Watershed Land Use Figure 4 Bathymetry and Sediment Depth Sampling Locations Figure 5 Warner’s Pond Water Quality Sampling Locations Figure 6 Point Source Discharge Locations APPENDICES Appendix A Qualifications Appendix B ESS Standard Operating Guidelines Appendix C Lab Standard Operating Protocols and Quality Assurance Plans Copyright © ESS Group, Inc., 2011 j:\c574-000 town of concord warners pond\reports-submittals\qapp\draft warners pond qapp 021111.doc 1.0 DISTRIBUTION LIST AND PROJECT PERSONNEL SIGN-OFF SHEET The distribution list and project personnel sign-off sheet is encompassed on the Title and Approval Page, located at the front of this document. 2.0 PROJECT ORGANIZATION ESS Group, Inc. (ESS) has been contracted by the Town of Concord (Town) to assist with the development of a watershed management plan. Carl Nielsen will be the ESS Project Manager and also serve as the project internal Quality Assurance (QA) Officer. The Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating all field and laboratory efforts as well as serving as a direct contact for all parties involved with the project. Responsibilities of the QA Officer will be primarily associated with ensuring that personnel serving the project are properly trained in all appropriate procedures relating to sample collection and data generation. The QA Officer will regularly verify that the items described in this Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) are being followed. Additionally, the QA Officer will verify conformance with project reporting deadlines and data quality objectives, and ensure that project deliverables satisfy contract provisions. This QAPP will direct field and laboratory activities for the Warner’s Pond Watershed Management Plan. ESS will conduct all field sample collection activities, as appropriate. GeoLabs, Inc. (GeoLabs), a Massachusetts certified laboratory, will provide analytical services for all sediment bulk chemical and water quality parameters (except those analyzed in the field by ESS personnel). GeoTesting Express will provide analytical services for bulk physical sediment samples. The project organizational chart (Figure 1) describes the principal officials and investigators associated with the project and illustrates the pathways of communication that will be utilized. Copyright © ESS Group, Inc., 2011 j:\c574-000 town of concord warners pond\reports-submittals\qapp\draft warners pond qapp 021111.doc DRAFT QAPP for Warner’s Pond Watershed Management Plan February 11, 2011 Town of Concord Delia Kaye Project Supervisor Aquatic Control Technology, Inc. ESS Group, Inc. Carl Nielsen, CLM Marc Bellaud Project Manager and Quality Senior Aquatic Biologist Assurance Officer Michael Lennon Aquatic Biologist Field Assessments