Los Angeles Basin Contaminated Sediments Task Force

Summary of Upland Disposal and Beneficial Reuse Committee Meeting

on September 9, 1998

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Attendees

Michael Lyons, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
Jim Raives, California Coastal Commission
Larry Smith, Port of Los Angeles
Tom Johnson, Port of Long Beach
Mitzy Taggart, Heal the Bay
Dean Smith, Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors
Lauma Jurkevics, California Coastal Commission

Landfills Disposal Alternative

Michael Lyons reported on information obtained from Regional Board’s Landfill Unit. Regional Board policy has been not to allow disposal of soils with high chloride content at landfills, due to threat to underlying groundwaters (potential to exceed Basin Plan objectives). For this reason, the ports have not considered this a viable disposal option; however, Regional Board staff have approved at least one project for landfill disposal (Venice Canals, @ 8,000 cubic yards) in the past and currently are reevaluating this issue. Disposal capacity is limited at landfills, so it is unlikely that large volumes of dredged material could be taken to landfills. However, small amounts could be used for daily cover, if the chloride issue is resolved; Regional Board staff will provide estimates of the volumes that could be used for this purpose. Landfill disposal would require drying to 50% solids. Fine clays also might be suitable for construction of a liner at the base of a landfill, but contaminants might pose a problem and this only would apply to new landfill areas.

Jim Raives presented information on the disposal of dredged material at landfills in the San Francisco Bay Area [handout]. The Port of Oakland and Port of San Francisco disposed of small amounts (21,000 and 12,000 cubic yards, respectively) of dredged material at the Redwood Landfill in Marin County, after drying the material at a temporary storage area. This landfill is on the margin of San Francisco Bay and is underlain by brackish water, so chlorides were not an issue. The Port of Oakland is considering landfill disposal for an upcoming project, but it is too early in the review process to determine if salinity is an issue. Dredged material also has been used for dike reconstruction in the delta, but we don’t have details (chlorides might not be a problem if the surface waters in the area are brackish).

Environmental impacts of landfill disposal must be analyzed, especially air quality impacts from truck trips (each truck can hold 5-10 cubic yards, so disposal of 10,000 cubic yards would require 1,000 to 2,000 truck trips.

Assignments: Michael Lyons to invite Landfills Unit staff to attend October 14th meeting. Jim Raives to obtain additional information about disposal in San Francisco Region; Gretchen Honan to seek additional information from her contacts.

Treatment

At the Task Force meeting, Moffatt and Nichol provided an analysis of the physical separation alternative. It appears that this process would only be applicable to the Marina del Rey sediments, since this is the only area with contaminated, coarse-grained material. In evaluating costs, we should provide a credit for the sand produced for reuse (@ 10-12 per cubic yard). We need to know the time frame required to complete the physical separation process for the amount of material that would come from Marina del Rey, and whether this process is proven to work for marine sediments.

Although this process is expensive, it could be a viable alternative. We need more detailed information to determine startup and operational costs.

Assignment: Moffatt and Nichol is under contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and should be producing a final report within a month or two. Michael Lyons to contact the COE to try to obtain an early copy as soon as possible.

At the Task Force meeting, Moffatt and Nichol also presented information about the concrete stabilization alternative. This process can be accomplished on a barge and appears to produce granular material suitable for construction purposes; however, the Ports need to more detailed information before making a commitment to use this product. Although this process binds metals, we need to know whether it also binds chlorides and organic contaminants.

Assignment: Dean Smith will contact ECDC to request a presentation at our October 14th meeting. We also need the final report to the COE as soon as possible.

Brownfield Remediation

The technique of placing contaminated material onto remediation sites, capping it and paving over the site, appears promising as a means of disposal. Steven John provided a summary of this program [handout]. The Port of Long Beach has proposed to dispose of 1 million cubic yards at the Pier S remediation site; this proposal currently is under review by the regulatory agencies. We would like to know if there are other sites to be remediated in the future, especially coastal sites, that might be able to accept contaminated sediments. We need more information from those involved in this process.

Assignment: Michael Lyons will invite Tim Smith (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Jim Vreeland (City of Los Angeles), Jim Hanson (U.S. EPA) and Keith Elliot (Site Cleanup Unit, Los Angeles Regional Board) to attend October 14th meeting.

Next meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 1998, 10 A.M.


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