EIGHTEENMILE CREEK BUI 3 & 5 REMOVAL CRITERIA REVISIONS

National AOC Workshop

Cleveland, OH

September 12, 2019

Scott Collins

Niagara County Soil & Water Conservation District

Overview◼ Site Background

◼ Why do we need new criteria?

◼ How did we make realistic criteria?

◼ Helpful suggestions and final thoughts

Site background◼ Watershed is

completely within Niagara County

◼ Pollution track down shows ‘Creek Corridor’ is the source area of pollution

Town of Wilson

LAKE ONTARIO

Town of Pendleton

PA

N

Town of Somerset Area of Concern (Impact Area)

Watershed Boundary (Source Area)

Town of Hartland

Eighteenmile Creek (Main Channel)

Erie canal

Town of Royalton

VT

.N H

l 1A

Town of Lockport

I 0.5 0 1 Miles

■-a•c•••

Figure 1 Eighteenmile Creek AOC Project Area and Watershed Boundaries

Site background◼ Fishing destination◼ Current BUIs

◼ 1. Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption

◼ 3. Degradation of fish and wildlife populations

◼ 5. Bird or animal deformities/reproductive problems

◼ 6. Degradation of benthos◼ 7. Restrictions on dredging

Why do we need new criteria?

◼ Management action lists

◼ Current criteria not feasible

◼ Outdated

Why do we need new criteria?◼ BUI 3.

1. Fish and wildlife diversity, abundance, and condition are statistically similar to diversity, abundance and condition of populations at non- AOC control sites; AND

2. PCB levels in bottom-dwelling fish do not exceed the critical PCB tissue concentration for effects on fish (440 micrograms per kilogram [μg/kg] of weight; Dyer et al. 2000).

◼ BUI 5.

1.No reports of wildlife population deformities or reproductive problems from wildlife officials above expected natural background levels; AND

2. Contaminant levels in bottom-dwelling fish do not exceed the level established for the protection of fish-eating wildlife (NYSDEC Fish Flesh Criteria); OR

3. In the absence of fish data, the toxicity of sediment-associated contaminants does not exceed levels associated with adverse effects on wildlife (NYSDEC Fish & Wildlife Bioaccumulation Sediment Criteria).

How did we make new criteria?

◼ Discuss changes with RAC

◼ Dissect old criteria and run through the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound) filter

.__

.__

BUI #

Dcgr:i,d:i,ti,:,n ,:, f f"i::;h :i,nd 'wildlife Pop11l:iotio11::;

lmp:ioircd Pop11l:iotio11::;:: fi::;h ;i,ndin::;11ffici<: r,t d:iot:io f,:,r

M;,rnm;i,I p o po,l;i,ti,:, n::;: ,

NOT imp:ioircd: bird ::; :iond ,:,mphib::;

IJC Li,;ti•g G•idtli•t; 'whcnwildlifc,;11rvel'd::it::i

co11f irmthcprc,;c 11ccof

Removal Crit e ria

F'i::;h :iond wildlife divcr::;itl,', ::iob1111dllohC <: , ::iond

co11ditio11 :iorc ::;hti::;tic:iolly ::;imil:ior to divcr ::;: ity, :iob1,md;i,nc <:, :iond <: 011ditio11 of p o po,l;i,tio r,:; :iot no n•AOC ,:ontro l ::;: itc:::;

AND

PCB level,; i11 b o ttom-dwelling fi,;h do 11ot

exceed the critic::, I PCB ti ,;,;qe

COhCCntr::itiOh for effect,; Oh fi,;h (&•O

mkrogr::im,; per kilogr::im wet weight; D1,1cr

,c;t ::ii. 2000).

N o rep ort ,; o f wildlife p opul ::i ti o n

dcformiti c,; o r rcp ro d11ctivc pro blem,;

fr o m wildlife offici ::il,; ::ibove expected n::it11r ::i l b::ickgro11nd level,;; ANO

ddormitic ,; ( e.g. cro,;,;-bill Cont ::imin ::int leve l,; in bouo m•dwc lli11g fi ,;h ,;yndromc) or othcr d o no t exceed the leYc1 c,; t ::ibli ,;hcd fo r the

r eprod11ctiYc problem,; ( e.g. p1otcctio r1 of fi ,;h-c ::iting wildl ife

cgg•,;hell thinning) ir1 ,;eriti11el (N Y SOEC Fi ,;h Fle,;h Critcri::i) ; OR wildlife ,;pccic,;. hU p :llwww.dcc. riy .gov/doc,; lwildlifc_pdfl

Bi.-dlA•i•:;i,I ni ::i g ::i r ::ibio t ::icor1t ::imp1oj.pdf

Does t hi s have .s·pecific crit eria? Specif ic Does this hav e a

s pecies to be a.s.se .s..s.ed, measurable t a rget or w hat needs to be o r ref e,re,noe site?

achieved?

It'::; 11ot::, de::.r- ,c;11t ,;pe,c;ifi,c;

1111mber, b11t there i,; ~ ,;p ecific crit cri~ t o b e ,;t~ti,;tic::.111,1 ,;imilu

to ::ico11trol ,;itc

Y c,;, ••o microgr::im,; p er

kilogr::im

N o

Yc,; ,thc v ::il11c,; ::i rci11 thc

N YSOEC fi,;h flc,;h Critc ri ::i

httci-:/lwww.de<:.n11.,;ioy/do,c; ,;lwi

Sp ecific t ::, rget ,; wo 11ld b e ,;pccic,; divcr,;itl,' ::.11d

::ib11r1d::.11ce ::icro,;,; 1 or more

,;ite,;. Specie,; condition i,;

::,11 o b,;cqre t::irget th::,t wo .,ld be diffic.,lt t o

No

What i.s t he m easu rable

t a rget ?

Spc,c;ic,; COhditioh,

diver,;it1,1 ::.11d

::,bqnd::,11ce o f EMC

comp::ired t o ::, rcferc11ce,;itc(q,;nll1,1

O::ik Orch::ird Creek).

••o microgr::im,; per kilognm

pro blem,;

W hen ca n Are

What media needs Is t his BUI achiev able? Can w e reach t he What i.s needed to we e,c:pect reference complet e t his to remove areas able to

to t>e sampled?

Abq11d ::,11ce ::, 11d diYer ,; it1,1 ih EMC ::.11d ::, reference ,;itc

,;hoqld be me::,,;qred for:

fi,;h, m::imm::il,;, reptil e,;,

::,mphibi ::,11 ,; ::,r1d bird,;.

C o11ditio 11 will v ::ir1,1 b1,1 ,;p ccic,; c::,qght.

c~tfi,;h or bqllhc ::id

" 'wildlife"

C ::i tfi,;h o rb11Uh e::id ­

::,,;,;umcdtobc,;clcctcd

d11etoci-revio11,;,;::,mc,lin,;i

t arg e t ?

Ab,,11d::.Mc ::.11d divc r,;it1,1 c::.11 b e mc::i,;11rc ::ible ~r1d

::ichieved, ::iltho11gh the1,1 ::ire 11ot ,;p ecifk Co11dition i ,; r1ot

,;p e,c;ifi ,c; ::,11d ,c; ::,r1 v::,r1,1 grc::, tl1,1 b::, ,;ed o n ,;p ,c;ie,; c ::iptqred .

No t ,;urc

U nknow11; w h::it co n,;titqtc,; ::, b ::ickgro11nd lcvcl? B11llhc ::id

h::ivc b ccn foqnd to h::i vc higher r::itc,; of t11mor,;, b11t no t

,;evere tqmo r,;. Ot her th::,r1 mirik w h::, t o ther w ildlife wo11ld h::. Yc tumo r ,;? Dcfo rmiti e,; ::.rid reprodu,c;tivc problem,;:

mink, bird,;, ::imphibiu,;

: ._.., .,, ... ,, ... , .. much higher than the Oak Orchard Creek reference site. August 2007 analysis o f brown bullheads in Eighteenmile Creek and Oak Orchard Creek reported aver age concentrations o f 3.2 ppm and 0.187 ppm, respectivel!J. 'while AOC concentrations were an order o f magnitude higher than Oak Orchard, both exceeded the NYSOEC Fish

BUI? t his pa.rt of meet t his

Fi,;h ::,11d o ther wildlife

p opql ::, tio 11, diver ,; it1,1, ::,bq11d::.11cc ::ihd COhditiOh

,;qrve1,1,;. If::, ,;pccic ,; i,;

r1ot ,c;omp::ir::ible to::,

rcferer1,c;e,;ite, o thcr ::ic tio n,; wo 11ld b e heeded

todetcrmi11c wh1,1. A11y h::ibiht rc ,;tor::itior1?

t he BUI ? goa l?

After ,;edimeht

rcmcdi::itio 11 -

2025•

Ur1kno w11

Af t er ,;cdimcnt

remedi::itio n-

NIA

No t ,;11rc

O::ikOrch::ird Crcekh::i,;n 't met

C.omments

Ab1111d::.11ce ::.11d diver,; it1,1 nh b e ,;o mewh::it ,;pecifi c

when comp::, ri11g t o ::, no n A OC ,;ite. Co 11ditio 11 w o qld hvc t o b e ::,,; ,;e,; ,;cd dqring the fi ,;h ~nd wildlife ,;qrvc1,1

::.11d woqld y::,ry by ,;p ccic ,;.

Scott George Commer1t,;: The rcmonl criteri::i for BUI

U3 h::, ,; two p ::, rt ,; • b o th o f which h::ive t o b e met ::, ,; c 1111c11tl1,1 ,; t ::i t cd. The ,;ccohd p::irt, ,;ho ,,ld no t be p::irt

of thi,; BUI. PCB level,; gc11c r::ill1,1 do not dircc tll,' ::iffec

fi,;h pop11l::ition,; (,; c c Hc11r1,12015,

httpdldo i .orgl10.310Sl10•08U4.2015.103 84S8 ). ,; t1,1i11g ~h c v::il11::,tio 11 o f fi ,;h p opql ::, tio 11 ,; t o PCB

COhCChtr::itio 11,; d o c,;11't f o llo w. Y o " co11ld ::irgqc th::it thi,; $CCOhd crit c ri::i j,; ::iimcd ::it fi,;h-c ::itihg wildlife

where PCB eff ect,; ::ire more likcl1,1- bqt thi,; i,; ::ilrc ::id1,1

::iddrc,; ,;ed qnder BUI US (BirdlAr1im::,I Oeformiti c ,; or

R cpro d11ctivc Problem,;) . Elimin ::,ti 11g thi ,; ,;eco11d critcri::i o f BUI U 3 w o qld 11o t igno re c lcv::itcd PCB

COhCChtr::itio r1,; ih fi,;h • bqt r::ithcr let the ::ippropri::itc BUI,; (DI ::.11d USl ::iddrc ,; ,; it .

Unkno w11 b ::ickgro 11r1d lc Yek 'who i ,; g o irig to r eport o ther d eformitie,;? Arc we looking f o r ,;p ecific

wildlife? E&E 2003 indic::itcd ''There were no

ob,;c1v::itio11,; of deformed 01

M::i !f no tbc::itt::iin::iblc. Fr o m Ml 'wildlife l=leport http,;:/lwww.michi9::i11.9oy/docume11t,; /de<:j l w rd•,;w::,,; ­

wildlifc-BUl2015_528802_i.pdf

· Ev::.I11::.te ob,;c1v::itio11::il d::it::i on 1cprod11.:tivc o r

d cYc lopmcnt::il c ff cc t ,; ir1 wildlife living in the AOC.

· Comp::irc ti ,;,; 11c cont::imin::int level,; in egg, !fOuhg,

How did we make new criteria?

◼ Talk with Technical Review Lead (TRL) and other partners

◼ Incorporate previous studies

Benefi~ial Use Status Removal Criteria Studies alread, Completed Lmks to Previous Studies

3. Oegr adation of Fish

and Wildlife Populations

U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE

SERVICE

Impaired

Fish and wildlife di1Jersity, abundance, and

condition are statistically similar to diversity,

abundance, and condition of populations at

non-AOC control sites; AND

E&E 2009- A Beneficial Use Impairment study

c ompared fish, bird, mammal, and amphibian population

abundance and condition to a non-AOC control Site, Oak Orchard. ·Ehl,

(No Impairment) Diversity and condition was highly

similar between c reeks. A minor difference between creeks was observed in catch per unit effort (abundance

measure), but this difference was likely due to a

difference in sampling efforts between creeks in August

2007. •.Bir..ds:- (No Impairment) Bird diversity and abundance

between creek were very similar. Some minor differences

in species between creeks were observed, likely due to

differences in ripariain habitats.

-~- (Limited data-No Suggested

Impairment) Lower abundance of mammal species was

observed at Eighteenmile compared with Oak Orchard

Creek, may be due to an artifact of sampling, limited data.

·8.m:Q.hib.i.ans- (No Impairment) Similar number of

amphibian species and abundance observed between

Eighteenmile Creek and Oak Orchard.

EUSGS 4 WYORK :TEOF ORTUNITY_

MinkSurv,

EIGHTEEi'iMILE CREEK REMEDLU ACTIOi'i PL.-1.l'i

STAGE Il - UPDATE

XlACAR.A COt::'liTY SOIL AXD WATE.R COXS ElffATIOX DISTRICT

OCCE.\IBE.R ?OIi FINAL DRAFT

Fish contaminant study and population assessment.

Department of Environmental Conservation

How did we make new criteria?

◼ Based on direct field measurements (when possible)

◼ Indirect measurements for birds and mammals

◼ Use of reference locations

emil-4 emil -3

Bun Dam iagara

Lake o ntario

Orleans

rr·--1

I

Explanation ... □

Study site

Eighteenmile Creek watershed

(Source Area)

••'" orch-2 °"' ......

orcli-1

orch-5 ... orch -4 .A Marsh

Creek £_ Creek orch-3

'--... Wate,pon Dam j

J Canal /

I?~~ --. \D KILOMETERS I

How did we make new criteria?◼ BUI 3. Fish and Wildlife Populations

1. Fish community metrics (e.g., diversity, abundance, biomass, and condition) are similar to reference site(s); AND

2. Benthic macroinvertebrate community composition is within the range expected and similar to reference site condition; AND

3. PCB concentrations in fish tissue and other prey are below thresholds likely to result in acute toxicity to fish or piscivorous wildlife (birds and mammals).

◼ BUI 5. Bird or Animal Deformities/Reproduction

1. PCB concentrations in fish tissue from comparable functional feeding groups are similar to reference site(s); OR

2. PCB concentrations in fish and other prey are below tissue concentrations known to cause deformities or reproductive impairment in piscivorous wildlife.

Unchanged

Use indicator species for birds and mammals

Modeling to determine impairment

Helpful suggestions/final thoughts

◼ Write final summary to track changes

◼ Designate a note taker (or multiple)

◼ Keep TRL and partners involved early

BUI# 5 Bird/Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems

Current Criteria 1} No reports of wild life population

deformities or reproduct ive problems from wi ld life officials above expected natural background levels; AND

2} Contaminant levels in bottom­dwelling fish do not exceed the level est ab lished for the protection of fish­eat ing wildl ife (NYSDEC Fish Flesh Criteria~

3} In the absence of fish data, t he toxicity of sed iment-associat ed contaminants does not exceed levels associated with adverse effects on wi ldlife (NYSD EC Fish & Wildl ife Bioaccumulation Sediment Criteria).

I

Proposed Criteria 1} None - • Remove Criterion*

2} PCB concent rat ions in fish t issue from comparable functional feeding groups are statistically similar to reference site(s); OR

3} PCB concent rations in fish and other prey are below t issue concentrations known to cause deformit ies or reproduct ive impairment in piscivorous wi ldlife.

Discussion Question fo r group: did we agree to delete th is criterion? IJC listing/del isting guidelines emphasizes BUI confirmation through survey data and approp ri ate cont rol/reference comparisons. We may be able to argue this criterion is currently being met.

t.

I •

Current strategy: compare PCB t issue concentrat ions to numerical criteria designed to protect piscivorous wi ldlife. Proposed strategy: compare AOC f ish t issue concent rations to fish t issue concentrat ions from suitable reference sites. The NYSDEC Fish Flesh Criteria (0.llmg/kg for PCBs) may not be attainable under regional cond it ions, i.e. Oak Orchard and Lake Onta ri o(?) f ish may exceed t his va lue. Alt ernat ively, comparing AOC f ish to fish from a su itable reference sit e is consistent wit h the AOC Program goal of meet ing regional condit ions.

Expand from just "bottom-dwelling fish" to "comparable funct ional feeding groups". This allows for a more complet e assessment of f ish t issue concentrat ions consistent with historic and future fish collect ion strategies, while still acknowledging t he tendency of bottom-dwelling f ish to accumulate greater amounts of PCBs Emphasis on PCBs as these are the primary site COCs which bioaccumulate

• Current criteria references NYSDEC Fish & Wildlife Bioaccumulation Sediment Criter ia for protect ion of wildl ife (0.014 mg/kg for 1% organic ca rbon). This sediment value is based on equilibrium partition ing using an ambient water quality cr iterion for PCBs (TOGS 1.1.1). This criterion may not be realist ic and Superfund may not remed iate t o t his level. As an example of sediment remedial goals in ot her AOCs; t he remedial goal for total PCBs in the Buffalo River is 0.20 mg/kg (surface weighted average concentration). This is greater t han ten t imes higher than t he current sediment crit eria for BUI 115 in 18mile.

• I need some suggest ions for addit ional justificat ion for t he proposed criterion. Based on laboratory and fi eld studies throughout the Great Lakes (Bush and Bohr 2015), Toxici ty Reference Va lues (TRVs) fo r PCBs have been determined in wildlife species including colonial nesting birds, and mink/otter. A TRV is the concentration of a contaminant in fish estimat ed to cause adverse effects on reproduction and/or development in wildlife species.

Contact Information

Scott CollinsNiagara County Soil & Water Conservation District

Phone (716) 434-4949 ext. 6258Scott.Collins@ny.nacdnet.net