Pilot study of dredging and disposal alternatives for the New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, Superfund site

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7279478

Otis, M J

Bottom sediments in New Bedford Harbor are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and heavy metals to the extent that the site is considered one of the Nation's worst hazardous waste sites and is being studied by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Superfund program. At the request of EPA, the Corps of Engineers has evaluated the feasibility of dredging and disposal alternatives for the upper estuary of New Bedford, an area where PCB concentrations in the percent levels have been detected in the sediments. Between May 1988 and February 1989 a pilot study was performed as part of this effort. This study involved the evaluation of three hydraulic pipeline dredges with the contaminated sediments being placed in a confined disposal facility and a contained aquatic disposal cell. This paper provides a comprehensive discussion of our approach and the results of this $6.5 million effort. The study provided for a site-specific technical evaluation of the methods used which has allowed the Corps of Engineers to make recommendations to EPA which will be critical in their final evaluation of remedial alternatives for the site.

• Research Organization: Corps of Engineers, Waltham, MA (United States). New England Div.
• OSTI ID: 7279478
• Report Number(s): AD-P-006454/3/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
DREDGING
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
ESTUARIES
EVALUATION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HARBORS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDRAULIC EQUIPMENT
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
MASSACHUSETTS
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
RECOMMENDATIONS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEDIMENTS
SITE SURVEYS
SURFACE WATERS
US CORPS OF ENGINEERS
US DOD
US ORGANIZATIONS
US SUPERFUND
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER POLLUTION