Millennium Projects

Technical Details

Millennium Project Number: M-2001-002

Project Title: Impact of Sediments

Project Start Date: 2001

Projected End Date: 2008

Technical Details:

Sediments adjacent to MGP sites are typically impacted with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The objective of the project is to develop and field test a "Technical Framework" to be used in assessing PAH impacted sediments at MGP sites in NYS and in establishing the most appropriate and cost effective method for remediation of such sites.

The technical framework that is being developed will include various levels of assessment that can be conducted based on site conditions and costs to the utility. The assessment will include a cost/benefit analysis so that decisions can be made about the optimal means for dealing with a particular sediment. The current focus of the project is reviewing federal documents that describe procedures that can be used to develop site-specific sediment quality standards. Also, the contractor, Retec, is reviewing the available literature on toxicity studies conducted in PAH impacted sediments. In the second phase, a database of existing sediment data will be compiled and in the third phase, chemical and biological sediment data will be collected from NYS sites for assessment using existing proposed quality criteria as well as the framework developed in Phase I of this project.