Figure 2. Proposed Pilot Study Location July 2001 Publication #01-09-061 1 The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is proposing to amend an existing legal agreement (Agreed Order for Interim Action) with Georgia-Pacific (G-P) to provide Ecology access to the Georgia-Pacific Log Pond (Log Pond) to conduct a sediment treatment pilot study. The Log Pond is located in Bellingham Bay adjacent to the G-P facility at 300 W. Laurel Street, Bellingham. Under the amendment, Ecology and other partners will conduct a sediment treatment pilot study on a small area of the Log Pond. Opportunity to Comment Before finalizing the Agreed Order Amendment, we offer you the opportunity to review the document and give us your input. The shaded box on this information sheet indicates where the document is available for review and where to send your comments. All written comments must be received by August 29th, 2001. Background The Log Pond is a sub-unit of the Whatcom Waterway Site and consists of intertidal and subtidal aquatic lands adjacent to the Whatcom Waterway Federal Navigation Channel in Bellingham (Figure 1). Ecology, the Washington Departments of Transportation, and Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, King County, and Weiss Associates propose to conduct a treatment pilot study on a small area of contaminated sub-surface sediments at the G- P Log Pond in Bellingham Bay. The pilot study will test electrochemical remediation technologies (ECRTs), a relatively new set of technologies that utilizes electrical current to remediate contaminated sediments. See page 2 for more detailed information on ECRTs. Work Performed by G-P Under the Agreed Order, G-P will provide access to the Log Pond for the execution of the sediment treatment pilot study. G-P is not responsible for any other work associated with the treatment demonstration. Related Documents In addition to the Amendment to the Log Pond Interim Action Agreed Order, a number of other reference documents related to the pilot study are available at the locations listed in the shaded area above, including: • Whatcom Waterway RI/FS • Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy EIS • Completion Report: Log Pond Capping and Restoration Action • Puget Sound In Situ Sediment Treatment Pilot Study Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application (including the Biological Evaluation) What Happens Next Following this 30-day public comment period on the Amendment to the Log Pond Interim Action Agreed Order, Ecology will review the comments received and prepare a response. Those who submit comments will be notified when the response to comments is available. If substantive changes are made to the Agreed Order Amendment, the revised document will be issued again for public review. If no substantive changes are made the Agreed Order Amendment it is considered final. Whatcom Waterway Site, Bellingham Georgia-Pacific Log Pond Comment Period July 30 to August 29, 2001 Review Documents at: Department of Ecology Bellingham Field Office 1204 Railroad Avenue, Site 200 Bellingham, (360) 738-6250 Bellingham Public Library Main Branch 210 Central Avenue, Bellingham Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office 3190 160th Avenue SE Bellevue (425) 649-7190 Dept. of Ecology website: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/ sites.html Send Comments to: Lucy McInerney Site Manager 3190 - 160 th Avenue SE Bellevue (425) 649-7272 E-mail: [email protected] Ecology is equal opportunity agency. For special needs or language translation assistance, call 425-649-7272 or 425-649-4259 (TDD). Amendment to Agreed Order for Interim Action
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Figure 2. Proposed Pilot Study Location
July 2001 Publication #01-09-0611
The Washington Departmentof Ecology (Ecology) isproposing to amend an existinglegal agreement (Agreed Orderfor Interim Action) withGeorgia-Pacific (G-P) toprovide Ecology access to theGeorgia-Pacific Log Pond(Log Pond) to conduct asediment treatment pilot study.The Log Pond is located inBellingham Bay adjacent to theG-P facility at 300 W. LaurelStreet, Bellingham. Under theamendment, Ecology and otherpartners will conduct asediment treatment pilot studyon a small area of the LogPond.
Opportunity to CommentBefore finalizing the AgreedOrder Amendment, we offer youthe opportunity to review thedocument and give us yourinput. The shaded box on thisinformation sheet indicateswhere the document is availablefor review and where to sendyour comments. All writtencomments must be received byAugust 29th, 2001.
BackgroundThe Log Pond is a sub-unit ofthe Whatcom Waterway Siteand consists of intertidal andsubtidal aquatic lands adjacentto the Whatcom WaterwayFederal Navigation Channel inBellingham (Figure 1).
Ecology, the WashingtonDepartments of Transportation,and Natural Resources, theU.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, King County, and
Weiss Associates propose toconduct a treatment pilot studyon a small area of contaminatedsub-surface sediments at the G-P Log Pond in Bellingham Bay.
The pilot study will testelectrochemical remediationtechnologies (ECRTs), arelatively new set oftechnologies that utilizeselectrical current to remediatecontaminated sediments. Seepage 2 for more detailedinformation on ECRTs.
Work Performed by G-PUnder the Agreed Order, G-Pwill provide access to the LogPond for the execution of thesediment treatment pilot study.G-P is not responsible for anyother work associated with thetreatment demonstration.Related DocumentsIn addition to the Amendment tothe Log Pond Interim ActionAgreed Order, a number of otherreference documents related tothe pilot study are available atthe locations listed in the shadedarea above, including:• Whatcom Waterway RI/FS• Bellingham Bay
Comprehensive Strategy EIS• Completion Report: Log
Pond Capping andRestoration Action
• Puget Sound In SituSediment Treatment PilotStudy Joint AquaticResources PermitApplication (including theBiological Evaluation)
What Happens NextFollowing this 30-day publiccomment period on theAmendment to the Log PondInterim Action Agreed Order,Ecology will review the commentsreceived and prepare a response.Those who submit comments willbe notified when the response tocomments is available. Ifsubstantive changes are made tothe Agreed Order Amendment, therevised document will be issuedagain for public review. If nosubstantive changes are made theAgreed Order Amendment it isconsidered final.
Whatcom Waterway Site, BellinghamGeorgia-Pacific Log Pond
Comment PeriodJuly 30 to August 29, 2001
Review Documents at:Department of EcologyBellingham Field Office
1204 Railroad Avenue, Site 200Bellingham, (360) 738-6250
Bellingham Public LibraryMain Branch
210 Central Avenue, Bellingham
Department of EcologyNorthwest Regional Office
3190 160th Avenue SEBellevue (425) 649-7190
Dept. of Ecology website:www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/
sites.html
Send Comments to:Lucy McInerneySite Manager
3190 - 160th Avenue SEBellevue (425) 649-7272
E-mail: [email protected]
Ecology is equal opportunity agency.For special needs or language translation
assistance, call 425-649-7272 or425-649-4259 (TDD).
Amendment to Agreed Order for Interim Action
July 2001 Publication #01-09-0612
Pilot Study of ECRTs: A Test of In Situ Sediment Treatment
Figure 1Georgia-Pacific Log PondWhatcom Waterway Site
Bellingham Bay, Washington
The proposed pilot study isdesigned to determine theviability of electrochemicalremediation technologies(ECRTs) to treat marinesediments contaminated withmercury, phenolic compounds,and polynuclear aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs).
BackgroundAs an Interim Remedial Actionunder the authority of the StateModel Toxics Control Act(MTCA; Chapter 173-340WAC; RCW 70.105D),contaminated sediments in theLog Pond were covered with aclean cap in 2001. The LogPond is also a suitable pilotstudy location for electricity-based in situ remediationtechnologies in Puget Sound.
These technologies useelectrical current to eithermobilize or break down
contaminants in soils orsediments and can be applied toboth organic and inorganiccontaminants. ECRTs weredeveloped in Germany in 1992and have been employed at manysites in Europe under a range ofsoil and sediment environments.
The ECRT project area will beapproximately 50 feet by 50feet within the Log Pond.
Technology DescriptionECRT uses two electricalprocesses called electro-chemical geooxidation (ECGO)and induced complexation (IC).Both ECGO and IC operate byimposing an electric currentbetween electrodes (cathodesand anodes) installed in thesediments to be remediated.Electric power is passedthrough a proprietary directcurrent (DC)/alternating current(AC) converter that produces alow-voltage and low-amperage
DC/AC current. When thismodified electrical current ispassed through the sedimentthrough the electrodes, thesediment particles becomepolarized and are purported todevelop electrical propertiessimilar to a capacitor. Accordingto the technology developer,when the polarized particlesdischarge electricity in the ECGOthe energy given off induceschemical reactions (redoxreactions), which decomposeorganic contaminants. Theremediation of metals is reportedwith IC technology, which relieson ECGO to convert metals tomobile ions that then migrate tothe electrodes where theyaccumulate and are removed.
July 2001 Publication #01-09-0613
ObjectivesThe primary objective of thispilot study is to obtain moredata on ECRT processes todetermine their effects oncontaminants and otherelements of the environment.
If successful, this pilot studycould lead to development oflarge-scale in situ sedimenttreatment in Bellingham Bayand other areas of Puget Soundthat are contaminated withsimilar pollutants. Thefollowing objectives have beenidentified for the pilot study:
• Document theeffectiveness of the ECRTs(ECGO and IC) in treatingmetal and organiccontaminants within LogPond sediments and thatare common to PugetSound sediments.
• Evaluate possibleenvironmental effects of insitu treatment, includingmobilization ofcontaminants during orfollowing treatment,benthic infauna effects,and possible behavioraleffects on sensitive fish.
• Collect data during thepilot study to determine thefull-scale costs toimplement ECRT as an insitu treatment technologyfor Puget Sound sediments.
Monitoring will be conductedthroughout the duration of theECRT pilot study to assesswhether the objectives are met.Monitoring activities willinclude:
• Sediment chemistrymonitoring to document
expected reductions inchemical concentrationsover time.
• Contaminant fluxmonitoring from sedimentsinto the overlying watercolumn.
• Benthic infauna populationmonitoring to assesschanges in surfacesediments within the ECRTtreatment area.
• Assessment of longer-termalterations of contaminantleachability due to ECRTapplication.
• Fisheries monitoring usinga combination ofhydroacoustical and trawlsampling methods tomonitor possible behavioraleffects of the ECRT processon electrosensitive fish.
ScheduleThe ECRT apparatus is proposedto be installed as soon asSeptember 2001 and removed nolater than February 2002.
Installation of the pilot studyinfrastructure will involveplacing 2 pairs of sheet pileelectrodes into the sediment
(4 sheet piles: 2 positive and 2negative electrodes). The sheetpiles will be placed in parallelat a distance of 30 to 50 feet.The sheet piles will be placedinto the sediment by vibratoryhammer equipment in such amanner as to minimize anydisturbance of contaminatedsediments and the sediment cap.
Operation of the ECRTapparatus, along withmonitoring activities outlinedabove, will continue untilFebruary 2002 or until the
objectives of the pilot study havebeen met, whichever is earlier.
State Environmental PolicyAct ComplianceAs the State Environmental PolicyAct Lead Agency, Ecology hasprepared an EnvironmentalChecklist and issued aDetermination of Non-Significance for the ECRT pilotstudy. These documents are alsoavailable for 30-day concurrentpublic review with the draftAgreed Order Amendment at thelocations listed in the shaded boxon page 1.
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