Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Nyanza Chemical Waste Dump Superfund Site Prepared for Nyanza NRD Trustee Council: Commonwealth of Massachusetts U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Prepared by: Stratus Consulting Inc. PO Box 4059 Boulder, CO 80306-4059 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Nyanza Chemical Waste Dump Superfund Site Prepared for Nyanza NRD Trustee Council: Commonwealth of Massachusetts U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Prepared by: Stratus Consulting Inc. PO Box 4059 Boulder, CO 80306-4059 303-381-8000 Contact: Diana Lane, PhD Contact for Public Comments: Karen Pelto Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup One Winter Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02108 [email protected]. May 7, 2012 SC11973 List of Authorities Natural Resource Trustees: U.S. Department of the Interior: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of Commerce: U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Trustee Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Trustee Delegate Legal Authority: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (as amended), 42 U.S.C. § 9601, et. seq. Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) (as amended), 33 U.S.C. § 1251, et. seq. Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulation, 43 C.F.R. Part 11 Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S. Code 2701-2761 et seq.) Massachusetts Oil and Hazardous Material Release Prevention and Response Act (Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) Chapter 21E) Lead Federal Agency for Restoration Plan: U.S. Department of the Interior (Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Lead Federal Agency for Environmental Assessment: U.S. Department of the Interior (Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) SC11973 Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................... xi Section 1 Introduction to the Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment ........... 1 1.1 Trustee Responsibilities and Authorities ................................................................ 2 1.2 Summary of Nyanza NRD Settlement .................................................................... 3 1.3 Summary of Natural Resource Injuries................................................................... 4 1.4 Need for Restoration ............................................................................................... 7 1.5 Restoration Goals .................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Coordination and Scoping ...................................................................................... 8 1.6.1 Trustee Council Organization and Activities.............................................. 8 1.6.2 Summary of Public Involvement ................................................................ 9 1.6.3 Public Notification .................................................................................... 11 1.6.4 Restoration Planning Record .................................................................... 11 Section 2 Affected Environment ........................................................................................ 12 2.1 SuAsCo Environment ........................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 Federal Recognition of Ecological Importance ........................................ 14 2.2 Socioeconomic Environment ................................................................................ 18 Section 3 Restoration Evaluation Criteria ........................................................................ 19 3.1 Factors Identified for Consideration under the DOI Regulations ......................... 20 3.2 Eligibility Criteria Developed by the Trustee Council ......................................... 21 3.3 Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................................ 22 Section 4 Restoration Alternatives ..................................................................................... 25 4.1 No-Action/Natural Recovery Alternative ............................................................. 26 4.2 Summary of Proposed Alternative ........................................................................ 26 4.3 Proposed Alternative – Aquatic Biological Resources and their Supporting Habitats and Food Sources ................................................................................... 31 4.3.1 Removal of Tire Dump in Forested Wetlands .......................................... 31 4.3.2 Control of Aquatic Weeds in the Sudbury River Watershed .................... 34 4.3.3 Habitat Restoration to Benefit Coldwater Fish ......................................... 45 SC11973 Stratus Consulting Contents (5/7/2012) 4.3.4 Concord River Diadromous Fish Restoration: Feasibility and Stewardship ........................................................................................ 53 4.3.5 Sudbury RiverSchools Program ................................................................ 62 4.4 Proposed Alternative – Riparian and Floodplain Biological Resources and their Supporting Habitats and Food Sources .................................................. 64 4.4.1 Greenways North Field Restoration ......................................................... 66 4.4.2 Neotropical Connections (Belize) ............................................................. 71 4.4.3 Sudbury River Corridor Land Acquisitions .............................................. 76 4.4.4 Creation of Stearns and Brackett Reservoirs Wildlife Preserve ............... 80 4.5 Proposed Alternative – Recreation and Public Access ......................................... 89 4.5.1 Sudbury River Public Access: Aikens Road ............................................. 89 4.5.2 Sudbury River Access Improvements: Great Meadows NWR Headquarters ................................................................................... 93 4.5.3 Red Maple Trail: Boardwalk and Wildlife Observation Platform Construction ............................................................................... 95 4.6 Alternatives Considered but Not Recommended for Funding ............................ 101 Section 5 Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Restoration Alternatives ................................................................................... 106 5.1 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Alternative .......................................... 107 5.1.1 Water Resources ..................................................................................... 107 5.1.2 Vegetation Resources ............................................................................. 108 5.1.3 Fish and Wildlife Resources ................................................................... 108 5.1.4 Special Status Species ............................................................................. 109 5.1.5 Air and Noise .......................................................................................... 110 5.1.6 Geology and Minerals ............................................................................. 110 5.1.7 Soils ........................................................................................................ 110 5.2 Cultural and Socioeconomic Impacts of the Proposed Alternative .................... 110 5.2.1 Lands and Access .................................................................................... 110 5.2.2 Air, Noise, and Visual Resources ........................................................... 111 5.2.3 Cultural and Historical Resources and Native American Religious Concerns ................................................................................. 111 5.2.4 Socioeconomic Impacts .......................................................................... 111 5.2.5 Environmental Justice ............................................................................. 112 5.3 Impacts of the No-Action Alternative ................................................................ 112 5.4 Cumulative Impacts of the Proposed Alternative and the No-Action Alternative .......................................................................................................... 113 Page v SC11973 Stratus Consulting Contents (5/7/2012) Section 6 Compliance with Other Authorities ................................................................ 114 6.1 Laws .................................................................................................................... 114 6.1.1 Federal Laws ........................................................................................... 114 6.1.2 State Laws ............................................................................................... 119 6.1.3 Local Laws .............................................................................................. 122 6.2 Policies and Directives 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