Design considerations for in-situ capping of contaminated sediments

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 315-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Palermo

In-Situ Capping (ISC) is defined as the placement of a subaqueous covering or cap of clean or suitable isolating material over an in-situ deposit of contaminated sediment. ISC is a potentially economical and effective approach for remediation of contaminated sediment. A number of sites have been remediated by in-situ capping operations worldwide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has developed detailed guidelines for planning, designing, constructing, and monitoring in-situ capping projects for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This paper briefly describes the major aspects of in-situ capping as an option and provides a summary of recent case studies.

Author(s):  
Craig A. Straub ◽  
Allan M. Hale

On June 5, 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued joint guidance (herein the Rapanos Guidance) interpreting the U.S. Supreme Court’s divided Rapanos v. United States decision on the geographic extent of regulatory jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The technical document, “Jurisdictional Determination Form Instructional Guidebook” uses ambiguous language regarding implementation of the guidance manual. Pursuant to the Rapanos guidance, traditionally navigable waters (TNW), relatively permanent tributaries to these waters, and wetlands directly abutting such tributaries are “categorically” jurisdictional, while non-navigable tributaries that are not relatively permanent, wetlands adjacent to such tributaries, and wetlands that are adjacent to but do not directly abut a relatively permanent non-navigable tributary, are jurisdictional only if they have a “significant nexus” to a TNW. A critical issue for permit applications is whether the proposed activity will be subject to a categorical assertion of regulatory jurisdiction, or to a more involved “significant nexus analysis.” The scientific and environmental analyses of permit applications encountering a significant nexus analysis is designed to undergo additional review by the EPA. At the present time, the Guidance is deficient in providing definitive instruction for determining whether a significant nexus is present between a non-navigable tributary with non-permanent flow and a TNW. Our project allowed implementation of the Guidance and involved the installation of 264 miles of pipeline and permit negotiation with three separate Corps districts. Assessment of 483 streams and 189 wetlands was performed using the newly developed Jurisdictional Determination Forms. An interdisciplinary team approach was developed by integrating the knowledge bases of geographers and ecologists. Databases and maps were developed to allow collective assessment of potential waters of the U.S. within the context of the Rapanos ruling. Because of the Guidance’s ambiguity, it was necessary to develop a defensible approach with detailed concepts and terms to adequately implement the Jurisdictional Determination process to the satisfaction of regulators responsible for the implementation of the jurisdictional determination guidance manual.


EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2004 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Olexa ◽  
Aaron Leviten ◽  
Kelly Samek

There are four federal agencies that regulate solid and hazardous waste: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),  The United States Coast Guard (USCG), The Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), and The Department of Transportation (DOT). This is EDIS document FE453, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, UF/IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Published December 2003. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe453


Author(s):  
J. R. Millette ◽  
R. S. Brown

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled as “friable” those building materials that are likely to readily release fibers. Friable materials when dry, can easily be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder using hand pressure. Other asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) where the asbestos fibers are in a matrix of cement or bituminous or resinous binders are considered non-friable. However, when subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting or other forms of abrasion, these non-friable materials are to be treated as friable asbestos material. There has been a hypothesis that all raw asbestos fibers are encapsulated in solvents and binders and are not released as individual fibers if the material is cut or abraded. Examination of a number of different types of non-friable materials under the SEM show that after cutting or abrasion, tuffs or bundles of fibers are evident on the surfaces of the materials. When these tuffs or bundles are examined, they are shown to contain asbestos fibers which are free from binder material. These free fibers may be released into the air upon further cutting or abrasion.


1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 685-698
Author(s):  
J. J. Convery ◽  
J. F. Kreissl ◽  
A. D. Venosa ◽  
J. H. Bender ◽  
D. J. Lussier

Technology transfer is an important activity within the ll.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Specific technology transfer programs such as the activities of the Center for Environmental Research Information, the Innovative and Alternative Technology Program, as well as the Small Community Outreach Program are used to encourage the utilization of cost-effective municipal pollution control technology. Case studies of three technologies including a plant operations diagnostic/remediation methodology, alternative sewer technologies and ultraviolet disinfection are presented. These case studies are presented retrospectively in the context of a generalized concept of how technology flows from science to utilization which was developed in a study by Allen (1977). Additional insights from this study are presented on the information gathering characteristics of engineers and scientists which may be useful in designing technology transfer programs. The recognition of the need for a technology or a deficiency in current practice are important stimuli other than technology transfer for accelerating the utilization of new technology.


Author(s):  
Jeff Watkins ◽  
Dale W. Kelz

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has pursued continual refinement in the waterway traffic forecasts used in project economic analyses. The multiscenario forecasting of utility steam coal described in this paper, based on the work of Hill & Associates, Inc. (H&A), is a substantial refinement of previous forecasting efforts. H&A prepares 20-year steam coal forecasts on the basis of the interaction of two major linear programming models: the National Power Model (NPM) and the Utility Fuel Economics Model (UFEM). The NPM is a utility industry model that dispatches all electric generating plants in the United States (coal and noncoal), producing forecasts of generation by fuel type within a context of transmission and environmental constraints. The UFEM makes use of highly detailed coal supply data (for approximately 98 coal types) to allocate fuels among plants and units. These two models develop forecasts of coal demand for electricity generation, by type of coal, which were then “mapped” to the waterway. H&A prepared separate forecast scenarios based on three alternative environmental regulatory futures. The first is a continuation of existing law (in this case, the national ambient air quality standards). The second H&A scenario reflects implementation of the administration's Clear Skies Initiative. The final H&A scenario is an implementation of the Clear Skies Initiative without the proposal's severe mercury restrictions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Leroy Brandon ◽  
Victor Frank Medina ◽  
Agnes Belinda Morrow

In support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) managed the removal of Hurricane Katrina storm debris in several states. This paper focuses on the debris removal practices in 16 southern Mississippi counties and the recycling efforts. Debris was removed from public and private property. The debris included vegetation, construction material, electronic waste, vehicles, and vessels. The scope of the USACE mission was expanded several times. The scope within the respective counties varied from vegetation only to the removal of every eligible form of debris. The recommendations proposed should enhance recycling efforts during future debris removal missions.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
James L Crooks ◽  
Wayne Cascio ◽  
Madelyn Percy ◽  
Jeanette Reyes ◽  
Lucas Neas ◽  
...  

Introduction: Extreme weather events such as dust storms are predicted to become more frequent as the global climate warms through the 21st century. Studies of Asian, Saharan, Arabian, and Australian dust storms have found associations with cardiovascular and total non-accidental mortality and hospitalizations for stroke. However, the only population-level epidemiological work on dust storms in the United States was focused on a single small metropolitan area (Spokane, WA), and it is uncertain whether its null results are representative of the country as a whole. Hypothesis: Dust storms in the United States are associated with daily cardiovascular mortality. Methods: Dust storm incidence data (N=141), including date and approximate location, as well as meteorological station observations, were taken from the U.S. National Weather Service. County-level mortality data for the years 1993-2005 were acquired from the National Center for Health Statistics. Ambient particulate matter monitor concentrations were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Inference was performed used conditional logistic regression models under a case-crossover design while accounting for the nonlinear effect of temperature. Results: We found a 9.5% increase in cardiovascular mortality at a two-day lag (95% CI: [0.31%,19.5%], p = 0.042). The results were robust to adjusting for heat waves and ambient particulate matter concentrations. Analysis of storms occurring only on days with <0.1 inches of precipitation strengthened these results and in addition yielded a mean daily increase of 4.0% across lags 0-5 (95% CI: [0.07%,20.8%], p = 0.046). In Arizona, the U.S. state with the largest number of storms, we observed a 13.0% increase at a three-day lag (CI: [0.40%,27.1%], p = 0.043). Conclusions: Dust storms in the U.S. are associated with increases in lagged cardiovascular mortality. This has implications for the development of public health advisories and suggests that further public health interventions may be needed. Disclaimer: This work does not represent official U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-120
Author(s):  
Lewis E. Hunter ◽  
Ronn S. Rose ◽  
Bruce Hilton ◽  
William McCormick ◽  
Todd Crampton

Abstract Martis Creek Dam, located in the Truckee Basin north of Lake Tahoe, CA, was initially rated as one of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ highest risk dams in the United States. While the dam has performed its flood control purpose, a history of excessive seepage during even moderate reservoir levels has prevented it from also fulfilling its potential water storage function. During seepage and seismic studies to assess and mitigate deficiencies, high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data were obtained. This imagery provides an unprecedented representation of the ground surface that allows evaluation of geomorphology even in areas with a dense vegetation canopy. At Martis Creek Dam, this geomorphic analysis resulted in the recognition of a previously unknown and through-going lineament between the spillway and dam embankment. This feature extends to the southeast, where several lineament splays are exposed on the East Martis Creek Fan. These lineaments were subsequently explored by paleo-seismic trenching at two locations and confirmed as faults with Late Quaternary to Holocene displacement. Faulting was confirmed in both trenches as unique splays of a fault zone with several feet of apparent normal (vertical) slip and an unknown magnitude, but a potentially significant, strike-slip component. Faulting was observed near the ground surface in both cases, and multiple fault events (a minimum of two) are interpreted as at least latest Pleistocene in age, and probably active in the Holocene.


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