Project Summary:
The USGS, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region 1, has been conducting a long-term study of the transport of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (primarily tetrachloroethylene, PCE) in contaminated ground water at the Savage Municipal Well Superfund site. The former OK TOOL facility, designated as Operable Unit 1 (OU1), has been identified as the primary source of the contaminant. In 1998, USEPA and NHDES installed a low permeability barrier wall and remedial wells to contain the source and remediate the contaminant plume.
This study has been evaluating effectiveness of remedial operations at the OK Tool facility, helping improve long-term effects of remedial operations on surficial aquifers, identifying important processes that affect contaminant transport, and working with project partners to improve long-term monitoring strategies.
Work completed in 2006 included subsurface characterization of the area inside the barrier wall and continued hydrologic monitoring of the remedial system. Subsurface characterization focused on mapping glacial stratigraphy and identifying stratigraphic controls on distribution of VOCs and effectiveness of remediation. Hydrologic monitoring concentrated on monitoring hydraulic gradients around the barrier wall, evaluating the effect of remedial operation on ground-water flow and contaminant capture.
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