Port Angeles Harbor Sediments Investigation Community Meeting. Peter defur, Ph.D. Laura Williams Environmental Stewardship Concepts, LLC May 7, 2012

Transcription

1 Port Angeles Harbor Sediments Investigation Community Meeting Peter defur, Ph.D. Laura Williams Environmental Stewardship Concepts, LLC May 7, 2012

2 Purpose To characterize the nature and distribution of chemical contamination and wood debris in Port Angeles Harbor

3 Reports Sediment Characterization Study Assess conditions in greater harbor area Examine marine sediment conditions near the Rayonier Mill Property Determine the fate of COPCs Supplemental Data Evaluation Summary of data from 6 past investigations Harbor-wide Near Rayonier Mill Site Near Nippon Paper Industry

4 Possible Sources of Contamination Former Rayonier Mill Site Wood processing facilities Marine and shipping services Creosote-treated marine lumber Municipal wastewater Petroleum storage facilities Commercial fishing and shellfish harvesting

5 Contaminants of Potential Concern Dioxins/furans PCBs Chlorinated pesticides Semi-volatile compounds Resin acids/guaiacols Butyltins Metals

6 Existing Biological Information Advisories/Recommendations: Clams Crabs Rockfish City identified areas for biological habitat improvement Wood debris affecting benthic communities Contamination from sludge piles related to acute toxicity zones

7 Harbor Sediment Harbor sediment distribution affected by currents countercurrents tidal eddies turbulent mixing freshwater discharges Water generally moves: Southwest direction into inner harbor Then runs easterly along shoreline past Rayonier Mill

8 Sediment modeling indicates: Sediment, associated contaminants, and wood debris are collecting in the southern and western portions of the harbor and immediately west of the former Rayonier Mill Sediment largely remains in harbor 25% of the harbor contained wood debris in varying amounts

9 Transport Type Dynamic Equilibrium Net Accretion Net Erosion Total Deposition I Source: Appendix E Sediment Trend Analysis, Sediment Investigation Report

10 Sediment Investigation Sampling Parameters Grain size Total Organic Carbon Sulfides and Ammonia Metals Butyltins Petroleum hydrocarbons Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Phenols and phthalates Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Pesticides Resin Acids and Guaiacols Chlorinated Benzenes, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol Dioxins and Furans

11 Sediment Criteria Washington State Sediment Management Standards (SMS) Chemical concentrations compared to: Washington State Sediment Quality Standard (SQS) Cleanup Screening Level (CSL)

12 Sediment Criteria Puget Sound Lowest Apparent Effects Threshold (LAET) In this report, sediment chemistry results are only compared to LAET criteria when TOC concentrations are outside the range of 0.5 to 3.5 percent, or when SMS criteria do not exist for a contaminant.

13 Sediment Investigation Sampling Surface grab samples Collected June 2 June 23, 2008 Upper 10 cm depth biologically active Harbor-wide: 113 sites Dungeness Bay Reference: 3 sites Chemical and bioassay analyses

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15 Surface Grab Samples Results: 13 locations exceed SMS or LAET Metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and zinc) Western harbor, Lagoon, Inner Harbor, and Inner Ediz Phenols & Phthalates Marina, Rayonier, Lagoon

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17 Sediment Investigation Sampling Subsurface cores Collected June 2 June 21 and July 14 July 26, sites 4 or 12 ft depth Vertical spread of COPCs and wood debris

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19 Subsurface Core Samples Results: 8 locations exceed SMS or LAET Metals: western Harbor PCBs: Rayonier, east of Ennis Creek PAHs: east of Ennis Creek Phenols Phthalates: western harbor Pesticides: southern harbor

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21 Sediment Investigation Report Three bioassay tests 10-day Amphipod test Larval Echinoderm Development Bioassay Juvenile Polychaete Test

22 Sediment Investigation Sampling Tissue samples Collected June 14, 21, 22 and July 12, 2008 Measured potential uptake of COPCs from sediment Harbor-wide: Rayonier Mill: Reference:

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24 Tissue Sample Results Geoduck All metals detected Dioxin/furan TEQ:.11 PCBs PAHs Horse arsenic, cadmium, mercury, zinc Dioxin/furan all stations PCBs

25 Tissue Sample Results Lingcod Metals PCBs PAH Macroalgae (eelgrass and bull kelp) Metals Dioxin/furan TEQ 0.07 PCBs PAH

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27 Human Health Risk Assessment Populations evaluated: Current/future subsistence fisher, adult and child Current/future recreational fisher, adult and child Current/future residential user, adult and child Current/future recreational user, adult and child Excess cancer risk: threshold of 1 in 100,000 Noncancer hazards: threshold of 1.0

28 HHRA Results: Cancer risk For subsistence and recreational fishers: Cancer risks exceed the threshold of 1 in 100,000 (1 x 10-5) For residential and recreational users (adult and child): Cancer risks are below Ecology threshold

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30 HHRA Results: Noncancer risk For subsistence and recreational fishers: noncancer hazards exceeded Ecology s threshold of 1.0 For residential and recreational users (adult and child): noncancer hazards are below Ecology threshold The largest human health hazards: arsenic, total PCBs, and dioxin through ingestion of fish and shellfish.

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32 Lead Lead in fish/shellfish may result in blood lead levels for children above EPA levels of concern

33 EPA Dioxin Reassessment 2012 Affects dioxin levels at Superfund sites

34 HHRA Weaknesses Inadequate sediment and receptor group definitions Pathways not evaluated ingestion and dermal contact with surface water inhalation of volatiles from sediment exposure pathways No human toxicity data for resin compounds, so risks from exposure to this COPC were not addressed

35 Ecological Risk Assessment Marine plants and macroalgae Benthos organisms living in harbor bottom sediments Fish Birds Carnivorous, omnivorous, herbivorous Mammals (raccoon and harbor seal) Carnivorous, omnivorous

36 ERA Results Critical stressors Sediment habitat degradation by wood debris Organic contaminants Marine vegetation and benthic animals face highest risks No unacceptable risks to birds

37 ERA Results HQ NOAEL for raccoon exposed to arsenic is > 1 HQ NOAEL for harbor seal exposed to hexachlorobenzene is > 1

38 ERA Weaknesses Lack of samples do not adequately characterize harborwide contamination Small number of samples used to assess risk to fish and to other animals that consume fish and plants Exposure was not estimated for COPCs without reference values No chlorinated pesticide data for fish whole-body samples

39 Sediment Report Strengths Better quantification of harbor sediment source, movement, and deposition Fill gaps in sediment chemistry data

40 Supplemental Data Evaluation Two primary contaminant source areas to the harbor: Rayonier and Western harbor shoreline Recommendations: Removal of significant deposits of wood debris control of ongoing upland releases clean up of sediment hotspots

41 Data Gaps and Needs: Extent of Rayonier Mill contamination Chemical fingerprinting using PCB congeners Failed larval development bioassays without cooccurring COPC exceedances Inner harbor toxicity testing where chemical concentrations exceed SMS Insufficient data for natural background chemical data ID Western Harbor Upland Sources

42 Outside Nutrient Loading (Agriculture, Discharges, Lawns) Internal Nutrient Cycling Algal Growth Temperature Phytoplankton Swimming invertebrates Death Sessile Invertebrates Sediment animals STRESS Growth Fish Heterotrophic Bacteria Low O 2 Metabolic Activity (O 2 Consumption) ph decreases High CO 2 Excess organic matter often causes eutrophication and hypoxia

43 From Diaz & Rosenberg, Oceanogr Mar Biol. Ann Rev 33:

44 The Washington State Department of Ecology will accept public comments through May 22, Contact project manager Connie Groven with questions/comments. Submit written or comments to: Connie Groven, Project Manager Dept. of Ecology SWRO Toxics Cleanup Program P.O. Box Olympia, Washington This product was funded through a grant from Washington State Department of Ecology to the Olympic Environmental Council and was reviewed for grant consistency. It does not necessarily constitute endorsement by the Department