Surface Sediment Chemical Analyses and Benthic Invertebrate Toxicity and Bioaccumulation Testing Quality Assurance Project Plan [October 2009]

This report provides detailed procedures for conducting the second biota sampling events, which will focus on surface sediments and benthic invertebrates. It includes information such as the sample locations and numbers, the sampling techniques that will be utilized, and the laboratories and methods that will be used to analyze the samples. The plan is consistent with the overall roadmap presented in the Problem Formulation Document, which was prepared for the 17-mile RI/FS (July 2009). The data will be used to prepare the human health and ecological risk assessments. Due to the size of the entire document, several files are provided for ease in downloading:

• Main report including attachments: Click here (4MB PDF)
• Figure 1a Proposed Benthic Sampling Locations: Click here (0.5MB PDF)
• Figure 1b Proposed Benthic Sampling Locations: Click here (0.5MB PDF)
• Figure 1c Proposed Benthic Sampling Locations: Click here (0.5MB PDF)
• Laboratory SOPs M1-M9: Click here (4MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M10-M13: Click here (7MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M14-M24: Click here (4MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M25-M27: Click here (4MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M28-M35: Click here (6MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M36-M42: Click here (0.2MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs M43-M49: Click here (4MB zip)
• Errata on QAPP dated December 10, 2009 (Click here, 0.1MB) and Revised SOPs (Click here, 3MB)

Fish/Decapod Tissue Chemistry Analysis and Fish Community Survey Quality Assurance Project Plan [August 2009]:

This report provides detailed procedures for conducting the first of the biota sampling events, which will focus on fish and decapods. It includes information such as the sample locations and numbers, the sampling techniques that will be utilized, and the laboratories and methods that will be used to analyze the samples. The plan is consistent with the overall roadmap presented in the Problem Formulation Document which was prepared for the 17-mile RI/FS (July 2009). The data will be used to prepare the human health and ecological risk assessments. Due to the size of the entire document, several files are provided for ease in downloading:

• Main report: Click here (3MB PDF file; includes Attachments A-P, S, and V-W)
• Figure 1 Lower Passaic River Study Area: Click here (10MB PDF)
• Figure 2 Historical Community Survey Locations: Click here (1MB PDF)
• Figure 3 Proposed Sampling Locations: Click here (1MB PDF)
• Attachment Q - Sampling Design: Click here (1MB PDF)
• Attachment R - Health and Safety Plan: Click here (1MB PDF)
• Attachment U - Laboratory Certifications: Click here (9MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs T1-T9: Click here (4MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs T10-T12: Click here (4MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs T13-T21: Click here (3MB zip)
• Laboratory SOPs T22-T27: Click here (2MB zip)

Cooperating Parties Group (CPG) Sediment Sampling Work Plan [July 2008]:

A group of 73 companies, named the CPG, has taken over implementation of the 17-mile study (Superfund program side), under EPA oversight. This Work Plan describes the first comprehensive sampling of the sediments of the 17-mile study area. Maps of the sample locations (click here), field procedures (click here) and an investigation into how PCBs move from sediment particles into water (click here) are also included. The work described in these documents is scheduled to be done in the Summer-Fall of 2008. Each of these files is very large, so please allow some time for downloading them.

Work Plan, Maps and Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) [August 2005]:
This Work Plan presents a united overview of the sampling activities and other investigations being conducted for the Lower Passaic River Restoration Project. This Work Plan is a dynamic document that will be amended as the project evolves and additional work phases are planned. Individual activities presented in the Work Plan are described in more detail in their own field sampling plans, as shown below. Attachment B to the Work Plan, the Geochemical Evaluation (Step 1) is provided on the Conceptual Site Model Page of this website Also available is a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) that details the planning processes for collecting data and describes the quality assurance and quality control activities developed for this project.

Dundee Lake Sediment Coring [December 2006-January 2007]: This survey collected sediment cores from above Dundee Dam and will analyze them for a number of contaminants, including dioxins, PCBs, metals, PAHs, and pesticides. The data will be used to determine the depositional history and concentration of contaminants in the sediments above Dundee Dam. To review the QAPP amendment for this work, click here. To view the QAPP amendment dated March 6, 2007, click here.

Hydrodynamic Survey [July 2004-July 2005]:
This survey measures how the river flows, how sediments move, and how the water's salinity and temperature change with the tides throughout the year. The survey is being done in two coordinated phases: 1) data collected in the lower 6 miles of the river are being used to help predict how sediments might be transported during the Dredging Pilot; 2) data collected in the upper 11 miles of the river are being combined with the data collected in the lower 6 miles for use in an overall effort to model how sediments and contaminants move throughout the 17-miles of the river. To review the work plan for Phase I, click here . To review the work plan for Phase II, click here

To download the hydrodynamic data that was collected using instruments moored in the Lower Passaic River, click here and also click here for the data collected by Rutgers University. Select the Current Passaic River Sampling Activities folder and then the Rutgers Hydrodynamic Data folder. For further information regarding data collected by Rutgers University click here

Please consider the following data quality parameters when using the downloaded hydrodynamic data:

• For the data collected in the lower 6 miles of the river, final positioning of the moorings differed from proposed locations. In some instances, sensor arrays were recovered several hundred meters downstream of the original deployment location. To review the final coordinates for each mooring included in the survey, click here.
• For the data collected in the upper 11 miles of the river, users should note that the sensors, particularly the pressure sensors, were not replaced at precisely equivalent depths throughout the survey, following regular retrieval and data download/battery replacement. Care should be taken when multiple mooring results are to be compared, even from the same mooring location.
• The acoustic doppler current profile (ADCP) data from mooring no. 1 could not be retrieved due to sensor corruption. To view/reduce any of the ADCP data, users must download the sensor manufacturer's post-processing software tools for the RBR Logger at the following link: http://www.rbr-global.com/software.htm.

Bathymetric Survey [October 2004]:
This survey measures how deep river bottom sediments are under water. The agencies will compare this year's depths to previous years' depths to show where river sediments are accumulating and where they are scouring away. Maps showing the survey results are being prepared.

Other Surveys to Characterize Physical Properties [on-going]: Throughout the project, surveys will be conducted to characterize the physical properties of the Passaic River, focusing on the candidate restoration sites in the watershed. These surveys include the bathymetric survey described above, geophysical surveys, soil investigations, cultural resource and real estate investigations, among many others. Field Sampling Plan Volume 3 describes these surveys in detail.

Sediment and Water Quality Surveys [planned: Summer 2005 -Winter 2006]:
These surveys will collect sediment cores and river water samples and analyze them for a number of contaminants, including dioxins, PCBs, metals, PAHs, pesticides. The data will be used to determine where contaminants are located in the 17 miles of the river. Field Sampling Plan Volume 1 describes these surveys in detail.
Field Sampling Plan Vol. 1
Field Sampling Plan Vol. 1 Attachment 1
Field Sampling Plan Vol. 1 Attachment 2
Field Sampling Plan Vol. 1 Attachment 3

Biota Surveys [planned in 2007]:
These surveys will collect and analyze various species of fish, benthic organisms and wildlife for a number of contaminants, including dioxin, PCBs, metals, PAHs, pesticides, etc. The surveys will also collect information on the distribution of various species in the river. The results of the surveys will be used to evaluate restoration opportunities and perform human health and ecological risk assessments.

The draft work plan (named Field Sampling Plan Volume 2, June 2006) is available here in full (65 MB) or here as a smaller file that does not include figures (6 MB).

Erosion Testing [May 2005]:
Sediment cores were collected from the Passaic River and eroded using two techniques. The data will help explain how sediments are transported by river flow under normal and storm conditions. Click here for the microcosm report (March 2006). Click here for the Sedflume report (July 2006) and here for the figures.