A.79 Waukegan Harbor, IL

A.79.1 Summary

Environment:	Freshwater
Scale:	Full
Contaminants of Concern:	PCBs: upper harbor concentrations average between 50 and 500 ppm.   Hot spot (Slip 3): greater than 500 ppm with max 10,000 ppm
Final Remedy:	Hydraulic cutterhead dredge. Slip 3 sediment was treated by thermal desorption. Upper harbor contaminated sediment was pumped directly into Slip 3 and the remaining water was pumped out. The landfill was capped and covered with grass.

 

A.79.2 Site Description

Outboard Marine

Year: 1989

Water Depth: 14–25 ft

The freshwater harbor sediments consisted of 1 to 7 ft of very soft organic silt (muck) overlying typically 4 ft of medium dense, fine to coarse sand. The sand is generally uncontaminated.

Target Volume:

Slip 3: 10,900 yd³

Upper harbor: 35,700 yd³

Actual Volume Removed:

Slip 3: 6,300 yd³

Upper harbor: 32,000 yd³

A.79.3 Remedial Objectives

Modeling concluded that residual PCBs between 10 and 100 ppm left would result in negligible PCB influx to Lake Michigan, near zero. Based on this, USEPA set a 50 ppm cleanup level. USEPA calculated 96% PCB mass would be removed from the Upper Harbor if 50 ppm was met.

The contaminated sediment area was 10 acres of the 37 acre harbor.

A.79.4 Remedial Approach

Hydraulic cutter head dredge

Slip 3 (a functioning dock/marina at one time) was dug out and lined to be used as an on-site landfill; upper harbor was pumped directly into landfill.

A.79.5 Monitoring

Resuspension:

The entire harbor is bordered by 20-25 ft sheet pilings. Silt curtains were anchored to the bottom at the lower part of the Upper Harbor to contain suspended contaminants. Silt curtains failed due to wind and wind driven currents.

Performance:

After the completion of the Upper Harbor dredging and water treatment, the harbor water was sprayed with Nacolyte, a potable coagulant, to aid the settling of suspended particles in the harbor. The silt curtains were removed 48 hours after the application of the coagulant. Further dredging is to be done at this site in late 2012. A goal of a SWAC of 0.2 ppm PCB with a 6 inch clean sand capA covering over material (contaminated sediment) used to isolate the contaminants from the surrounding environment. will be obtained.

Residuals:

98% of PCBs were removed from the harbor.

A.79.6 References

USEPA Region 5 Cleanup Outboard Marine Corporation as updated Sep 2012. http://www.epa.gov/region05/cleanup/outboardmarine/index.htm.

USEPA Region 5 Superfund Outboard Marine Corp. EPA ID ILD000802827 as updated Oct 2012. http://www.epa.gov/R5Super/npl/illinois/ILD000802827.html.

USEPA Superfund Record of Decision: Outboard Marine Corp. EPA ID: ILD000802827. May 1984. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/rods/fulltext/r0584007.pdf.

USEPA Superfund Record of Decision Amendment: Outboard Marine Corp. EPA ID: ILD000802827. Mar 1989. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/rods/fulltext/a0589096.pdf.

USEPA. Second Five-Year Review Report for Outboard Marine Corporation Superfund Site. Sep 2002. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/fiveyear/f02-05023.pdf.

USEPA Fourth Five-Year Review Report Outboard Marine Corporation Superfund Site. June 2012. http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/fiveyear/reviews_pdf/illinois/outboard_marine_corp_410945.pdf.

Major Contaminated Sediment Sites Database; Sept. 2004 as updated 2008. http://www.smwg.org/MCSS_Database/MCSS_Database_Docs.html.

Publication Date: August 2014