INFORMATION SUMMARY, AREA OF CONCERN: BUFFALO RIVER, NEW YORK

Lee, C. R., Brandon, D. L., Simmers, J. W., Tatem, H. E., and J. G. Skogerboe. 1991. Abstract and Table of Contents for "Information Summary, Area of Concern: Buffalo River, New York," Miscellaneous Paper EL-91-9. Vicksburg, Miss.: US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.

by

C. R. Lee, D. L. Brandon, J. W. Simmers, H. E. Tatem, J. G. Skogerboe
Environmental Laboratory

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Waterways Experiment Station, Corps of Engineers
3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180-6199

March 1991
Final Report

Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited

Prepared for US Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604

Monitored by US Army Engineer Division, North Central
Chicago, Illinois 60605-1592

SUMMARY

The Water Quality Act of 1987, Section 118, authorizes the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) to carry out a 5-year study and demonstration project, Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediment (ARCS), with emphasis on the removal of toxic pollutants from bottom sediments. Information from the ARCS program is to be used to guide the development of Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) for 42 identified Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) as well as Lake-wide Management Plans. The AOCs are areas where serious impairment of beneficial uses of water or biota (drinking, swimming, fishing, navigation, etc.) is known to exist, or where environmental quality criteria are exceeded to the point that such impairment is likely.

Priority consideration was given to the following five AOCs: Saginaw Bay, Michigan; Sheboygan Harbor, Wisconsin; Grand Calumet River, Indiana; Ashtabula River, Ohio; and Buffalo River, New York.

The ARCS program is to be completed during the period 1988-1992. The overall objectives of the program are to

a. Assess the nature and extent of bottom sediment contamination at selected Great Lakes AOC.

b. Evaluate and demonstrate remedial options, including removal, immobilization, and advanced treatment technologies, as well as "no-action" alternatives.

c. Provide guidance on assessment and remedial action to the various levels of government in the United States and Canada in the implementation of RAPs for the areas of concern, as well as direction for future evaluations in other areas.

The Environmental Laboratory of the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) was asked to review existing data and information for each of the five priority AOCs. The approach used by WES was to bring together WES scientists who have been conducting research on the various aspects of contaminant mobility in the aquatic environment and develop a list of information required to evaluate the potential for contaminant mobility (see Table 1 of main text). All contaminant migration pathways were considered, as shown in Figure 1 (main text). A team of WES scientists then visited the RAP coordinator and associated staff for each AOC. Corps Districts responsible for the navigation projects in each AOC were also visited. During these meetings, discussions centered around what information was available for each item on the list of information developed by WES. Sources of additional information were obtained from the discussions.

This report summarizes the information obtained for the Buffalo River AOC. It is arranged for information retrieval by subject in a quick and easy manner (GLNPO Subject-Reference Matrix). Data and information from numerous reports have been included as figures and tables; wherever possible, the reference sources are identified.

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