Site Characterization, Monitoring, and Modeling Research

1
Site Characterization, Monitoring, and Modeling
Research

• National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL)
• U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development
• October 9, 2002

2
Mission and Strategy NERL

• Mission Develop, evaluate, apply, and integrate
  exposure methods, measurements, data bases, and
  models to reduce uncertainty for exposure
  assessment, risk assessment, and risk management.
• Waste Thrust Areas
• Superfund site characterization, demonstration,
  and technical support
• Oil Spills oil and dispersant fate and
  transport modeling
• LUST fate and transport modeling
• RCRA multimedia, multipathway exposure and risk
  assessment models

3
Characterization Monitoring Branch

• Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE)
• FY02/3 Hg Analyzers in Soil
• Environmental Technology Verification (ETV)
• FY96 FP-XRF Analyzers
• Technology Support Center
• By Region/Program Office request
• Groundwater Research
• Improve sampling and samplers

4
Speciation analysis

• Environmental Chemistry Branch develops, applies,
  and transfers to EPA Regions and other clients
  practical speciation methods.
• Chemical form (species) of many contaminants from
  hard-rock mining (e.g., As, Se, Cr, Sn, Hg)
  determine mobility, availability, and toxicity.
• Accurate risk assessments and cost-effective
  remediation/mitigation approaches result from
  characterizing individual species instead of
  total metals.
• Contact Ed Heithmar, [phone]

5
Immunoassay and Biosensor Research

• Disposable electrode for the determination of
  hexavalent chromium
• 1 for the electrode
• Concern is expensive lab-based instrument
  attached to electrode
• Goal is to get field unit to work with electrode
• Contact Kim Rogers, (702)-798-2299

6
Environmental Impact Study of Mountaintop Mining
and Valley Fill Operations in West Virginia

• Inter-Agency study initiated in 1999
• EPA, Army COE, OSM, FWS, WVDEP
• Region III initiated the aquatic impacts study to
  support the overall EIS
• Aquatic impacts study objectives
• Is the biological condition of streams in areas
  with MTM/VF operations degraded compared to the
  condition of streams in un-mined areas?
• Are there additive biological impacts in
  streams where multiple fills are located?

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Environmental Impact Study of Mountaintop Mining
and Valley Fill Operations in West Virginia

• ORD/NERL Involvement
• Assembled database of Region III, Penn State and
  mining company data
• Analyzed fish and macroinvertebrate data
  separately to address study objectives
• Provided briefing on study conclusions to ORD AA,
  EIS Steering Committee and Region III
• Provide report to EIS steering committee for
  inclusion in the overall EIS (October 2002)
• Contact Florence Fulk, [phone]

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Mining Related Projects EERD

• Toxicity Testing (water and sediment), Molecular
  methods (Gene Expression Metallothione), Fish
  Tissue and Bioassessment Approaches to assessing
  Mine Impacts on Receiving Streams SITE Projects
  Clear Creek, CO, Rio Tinto, NV.
• Toxicity Testing Assessment of Mine Waste
  Technology Projects and SITE Projects 5 Mines in
  MT, Summitville CO.
• NERL Representative on National Mining Team.
• Contact Jim Lazorchak, [phone]

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Mining Related Projects EERD

• U.S. EPA Hardrock Mining 2002 Conference,
  Westminster, Colorado, May 7 - 9, 2002
• Presentations
• http//www.epa.gov/nerleerd/recentpres.htm
• Relationships Between Exceedences of Metals
  Criteria and Community Metrics in Mining Impacted
  Streams by Griffith, MB, Lazorchak, JM, and
  Herlihy, AT
• Toxicity Approaches to Assessing Mining Impacts
  and Minewaste Treatment Effectiveness by
  Lazorchak, JM, Smith, ME, Bates, E, and Wilmoth,
  R

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Mining Related Publications EERD

• Comparative application of indices of biotic
  integrity based on periphyton, macroinvertebrates,
  and fish to southern Rocky Mountain streams.
  2002. Griffith, Hill, McCormick, Kaufmann,
  Herlihy, and Sele. 2002. J North Ameri.
  Benthol Soc. In Prep.
• Relationships between exceedences of metals
  criteria and community metrics in mining impacted
  streams. 2002. Griffith, Lazorchak, and
  Herlihy. J Environ. Tox. Chem. In Prep.
• Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and Brook Trout
  Salvelinus fontinalis 7-day Survival and Growth
  Test Method 2003. Lazorchak, Smith,
• Multivariate analyses of periphyton assemblages
  in relation to environmental gradients in
  Colorado Rocky Mountain Streams. Griffith,
  Hill,., Herlihy, .and Kaufman. 2002. J
  Phycology. Vol 38 83-95.
• Analyses of macroinvertebrate assemblages in
  relation to environmental gradients in Rocky
  Mountain 2001 Griffith, Kaufman, Herlihy and
  Hill. Eco Appl. 11, 489 505.
• The effects of elevated metals on benthic
  community metabolism in a Rocky Mountain stream.
  1997 Hill, Lazorchak, McCormick Willingham.
  Environmental Pollution 95, 183-190.
• Mining impacts on fish assemblages in the Eagle
  and Arkansas Rivers, Colorado. 1994. Mccormick,
  F, Hill, B., Parrish, L, Willingham, W. Region 8
  Denver. J Freshwater Eco. Vol 9, pgs 175 179.

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Modeling Research

• Site-specific version of the original HWIR
  (Hazardous Waste Identification Rule) version of
  the 3MRA (Multimedia, Multi-pathway,
  Multi-receptor Risk Assessment) modeling system.
• The new version will allow convenient input of
  site-specific parameter information for a variety
  of applications, some of which are those common
  to mine sites. Will also include an automated
  front end that inserts data from the 200 sites we
  use in the HWIR national problem to do the Monte
  Carlo mode outcome distributions.
• Could be done this FY depending on results of an
  SAB review of the modeling system.
• Contact Dave Brown, ERD-Athens, [phone]

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For Further Information Contact

• Jane Denne, Acting Assistant Laboratory Director
  for Waste, [phone], denne.jane_at_epa.gov
• Brian Schumacher, Chief of the Characterization
  and Monitoring Branch, [phone]
• Ed Heithmar, Acting Chief of the Environmental
  Chemistry Branch, [phone]
• Kim Rogers, Acting Chief of the Exposure Dose
  Research Branch, [phone]
• Don Garofalo, EPIC, [phone]
• Florence Fulk, EERD-Cincinnati, [phone]
• Jim Lazorchak, EERD-Cincinnati, [phone]
• Dave Brown, Chief of the Regulatory Support
  Branch, [phone] or Jim Weaver, (706)
  355-8329