United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

On July 9, 2007, Dow’s contractor began positioning equipment on a work barge to begin the preparation of driving temporary sheet piling in the river to delineate the area of highest dioxin contamination.  Dow’s contractor has completed construction on the HDPE sediment transport pipeline and has conducted hydrostatic testing of the line. The sediment transport line is approximately 9,000 feet long and will transport sediment slurry from the dredge area in the river to the Geo-Tube dewatering cell.

On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Jim Augustyn is providing oversight with assistance from U.S. EPA’s START Contractor, Weston Solutions, Inc.

The following activities have been completed by Dow during the period of October 16th through October 24th.  Routine tasks such as dredging, raking of debris, excavation of sediment within contained turbidity barrier, stockpiling and dewatering of sediment, air monitoring, turbidity data collection and 24-hour composite water sampling from the settling pond for total suspended solids (TSS) analysis are performed daily.

To view an aerial photo that depicts current site progress, please visit the Document Section of this website and open the document titled "Reach D Project Progress Figure".

October 16th, Dow completed installation of permanent sheet piling from the dam to the 36” water main and continued the excavation of gravel, wood and debris within the middle containment cell. Contractors collected the 39th 24-hour composite sample for TSS analysis.  The 24 hour discharge volume for 10/15/08 to 10/16/07 was 422,547 gallons.  

October 17th, Dow continued excavation activities within the middle containment cell and conducted a quality control (QC) survey of the middle cell to determine remaining quantity of sediment for dredging/excavation.  

October 18th, Dow installed a sheet piling ‘cut-off’ wall within the southern containment cell between what will be the 30” water main cell and the final cell and continued the driving of permanent sheet piling from the dam to the 36” water main.  Excavation and stockpiling activities continued within the middle containment cell along with beginning vacuum dredging activities.

October 19th, Divers were on site to perform under water cutting of the historic flume piling immediately adjacent to the 36” water main. A total of 14 sheets were cut-off at the riverbed elevation including those directly over the pipe.  Divers also inspected the turbidity curtain installations over each water main.  Vacuum dredging and load out of gravel and debris continued within the middle containment cell along with the driving of permanent sheet piling.

October 20th, Dow continued vacuum dredging and load out activities from within the middle containment cell.  Torch cut permanent sheet piling that had been driven to ‘ultimate refusal’, and re-anchored the turbidity curtain over the 30” water main.

October 22nd, Dow completed vacuum dredging activities and performed a final QC survey within the middle containment cell, continued torch cutting of temporary sheet piling to grade and completed the anchoring of the turbidity curtain over the 30” and 36” water main.  

October 23rd, Dow installed permanent sheet piling within a trench shield around the 36” water main.  Contractors conducted a hydrographic survey to determine dredge quantities and establish a dredging matrix prior to beginning dredge operations within the 30” water main cell immediately south of the middle containment cell.  START collected split samples for laboratory analysis of post-removal sampling within the middle containment cell.

October 24th, Dow completed installation activities of permanent sheet piling across the 36” water main, continued dredge operations within the 30” water main cell area and conducted a post dredge survey within the cell.

October 25th thru October 27th Contractors continued dredge operations within the 30” water main cell, began demobilization of equipment and personnel, conducted QC surveys within the 30” water main cell and completed load-out of gravel and debris from the dewatering stockpile.

Dow’s contractors will continue dredge and excavation operations within 30” water main cell and then concentrate efforts on the remaining final cell.  

Prior to initiation of final cell dredge operations, completion of temporary turbidity barrier sheet piling will be completed immediately north of the 36” water main

To date, approximately 398 pieces (average length 10 to 12 feet) of historic flume piling have been extracted from the Reach D project area.  The flume piling will be decontaminated and processed for metal reclamation.

Waste consisted of Reach D rip-rap, misc. debris and sediment. A total of 578 loads, estimated at 12 cubic yards per load total volume 6,936 estimated cubic yards

7-31-07, 34 loads        8-01-07, 35 loads        8-02-07, 39 loads        8-03-07, 24 loads
8-04-07, 11 loads        9-07-07, 04 loads        9-08-07, 07 loads        9-17-07, 17 loads
9-18-07, 16 loads        9-19-07, 15 loads        9-20-07, 23 loads        9-24-07, 15 loads
9-26-07, 22 loads        9-28-07, 24 loads        10-02-07, 13 loads    10-03-07, 13 loads
10-04-07, 15 loads    10-05-07, 21 loads    10-08-07, 23 loads    10-09-07, 21 loads
10-10-07, 22 loads    10-11-07, 22 loads    10-12-07, 17 loads    10-15-07, 36 loads
10-16-07, 04 loads    10-17-07, 18 loads    10-19-07, 31 loads    10-20-07, 02 loads
10-24-07, 13 loads    10-25-07, 07 loads    10-26-07, 06 loads    10-27-07, 08 loads

From 9-06-07 to 10-27-07 Reach D sediment dewatering activities have conveyed 31,553,252 gallons of water to Dow's waste water treatment plant (WWTP).