PROJECT DESCRIPTION
CTI was contracted by USACE Kansas City District and the USEPA Region 2 to provide technical support for completion of the Lower Hackensack River (LHR) Site Inspection in Bergen and Hudson counties, New Jersey. The objective of the LHR SI was to provide the chemical and physical data required to complete the SI report and Hazard Ranking System (HRS) documentation record to determine inclusion of the LHR to the NPL under CERCLA may be warranted. CTI completed a review of available NOAA environmental data repository information to identify potential data gaps and developed a sediment depositional environment sampling strategy for characterization of the LHR surface and subsurface sediment contamination and documentation of background concentrations. The LHR SI provided data used to map where sediment contamination is located and where potential sources and releases may exist along the river.
SI Field activities included approximately 190 co-located surface Ponar/Ekman dredge and 10-foot subsurface Vibra-core sample locations along 23 river miles to characterize river sediments. Additional field responsibilities included marine utility clearance, sample processing and shipping under the USEPA Contract Laboratory Program, equipment decontamination and management of investigation derived waste.
Upon completion of sampling, the SI report will include a field trip report documenting all sample collection activities, a history of contamination of the Hackensack River and all the information required by the HRS such as a description of the migration pathway, flow rate, tidal influence and target receptors. The HRS documentation record will ensure that each site data package is complete, and that the scoring methodology presented in the HRS documentation record is consistent with the HRS, EPA policy and related guidance, and is technically and legally defensible. The sediment samples and associated HRS data analysis will be used to document if an observed release to the surface water migration pathway (Hackensack River) has occurred, actual contamination present within target areas and identification of hazardous substances associated with an observed release.