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Oh, so gross!

Hm, not so great!. Oh, so gross!. Wow, how beautiful!. Oh, gross!. Birch Stream in Bangor - Little Stream - BIG News. Susanne Meidel Leon Tsomides. Overview of Presentation. Regular small urban stream - not much news • Monitoring and landuse analysis by Maine DEP

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Oh, so gross!

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  1. Hm, not so great! Oh, so gross! Wow, how beautiful! Oh, gross! Birch Stream in Bangor - Little Stream - BIG News Susanne Meidel Leon Tsomides

  2. Overview of Presentation Regular small urban stream - not much news • Monitoring and landuse analysis by Maine DEP Many developments - BIG news • Pollution problems • Multiple studies • Monitoring reports • Remedial actions at airport complex • Residents’ involvement • Public meetings • Major publicity Future - good news ahead? • Monitoring by various groups • TMDL development, by Maine DEP

  3. Around 1995 Bangor Birch Stream

  4. Land Use in Watershed in Early 1990s Land use categories Commercial-Industrial- Transportation (gray) 40 % Residential (Dense, High/Low Intensity; red, purple) 31 % Forests (Deciduous, Coniferous, Mixed) and Grassland (greens) 23% Impervious cover 30 %

  5. Birch Stream Birch Stream in 1902

  6. Birch Stream Pictures

  7. Class B Class B NA NA EP Richness EPT Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies), Trichoptera (Caddisflies) Macroinvertebrate Data 1997 - 2001 (i) Crooked Brook (reference stream) Birch Stream (middle station) Class C Class A

  8. Photograph by Jerry Butler, U. of Florida Cricotopus sp. Baetis sp. Image by Trudy Stanton (mean % based on 3 years of data) Macroinvertebrate Data 1997 - 2001 (ii) Dominant taxa 1997: Simulium (blackfly) 56% Cricotopus (midge) 18% Erpobdella (leech) 10% 1999: Cricotopus (midge) 35% Conchapelopia (midge) 13% Nephelopsis (leech) 9% 2001: Micropsectra (midge) 16% Baetis (mayfly) 12% Rheotanytarsus (midge) 10%

  9. Water Quality Data 1997-2001 Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) Conductivity (mS/cm) n.d. Conductivity in reference stream: <75 mS/cm Temperature in 2001 (ºCelsius)

  10. Consequences of DEP Monitoring • Put on Maine’s 1998 303(d) list and 2002 305(b) list because of non-attainment of Maine’s statutory aquatic life criteria • Scheduled for TMDL development between 2008 and 2011 • Reported in Maine’s Surface Water Ambient Toxics (SWAT) report for 1997, 1999 and 2001 Same old story: stream degraded by urbanization put on list of impaired streams and TMDL list No major news here

  11. Birch Stream started to get bigger …..

  12. Spring 2003 Residents in nearby housing complex Complaints of “yeasty odor” Health effects: headaches, migraines, nausea, sinus problems attributed by residents to air quality Blamed odor and bad air quality on Birch Stream Contacted local fire department, Maine DEP, and press Smell traced back to airport complex in upper watershed ME Air National Guard (ANG) and Bangor International Airport (BIA) Deicer propylene glycol used in winter operations had drained into Birch Stream

  13. Milky water Anaerobic sediments Mats of Sphaerotilus Maine DEP Observations in May 2003 Strong smell of glycol

  14.  Data from May 2003: 3 stations in upper part of watershed (2, 3, 5) 2 stations in stream (6, 7) 6 7 Airport and Deicer Use  Deicer use before 9/11 (winter 2000/2001): <50,000 gallons (ANG, BIA combined)  Deicer use after 9/11: winter 2001/2002: ~100,000 gallons winter 2002/2003: >150,000 gallons Reasons: increased security measures war in Iraq  ANG was aware of problems - º began planning for deicer removal º started monitoring water quality

  15. Meeting of concerned parties (May 2003) Air National Guard, Bangor International Airport DEP City of Bangor It was decided to improve communication among all parties Share monitoring data and information Inform public of developments

  16. Things got going ….. while Birch Stream stayed in the news

  17. mostly non-detects BOD (mg/L) 6 7 ANG and BIA Sampling Intent: investigate potential effect of deicer runoff on Birch Stream Sampling on 5 dates in 2003 Water and sediment from 3-6 locations Parameters: BOD, COD VOCs, SVOCs, Propylene and Ethylene Glycol Diesel / Gasoline Range Organics Total Suspended Solids , Metals Only DRO in sediments was high (21 - 600 mg/Kg) but - applicable criteria unclear need further research

  18. DEP Sampling, Bureau of Remediation Intent: investigate potential effect of former defense site at airport on Birch Stream Sampling on June 4, 2003 What: Water and sediment Where: 3 - 4 locations Parameters: 13 metals (priority pollutants) VOCs, SVOCs DRO, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons Pesticides, PCBs Only PAHs in sediment exceeded ecological benchmarks and human health criteria Conclusion in published report: Birch Stream is somewhat polluted, likely due to multiple sources - largely regular urban NPS pollution based on these results Results do not explain health complaints of citizens

  19. Class C Class C EP Richness EPT DEP Sampling, Bureau of Land and Water Quality Urban Streams Project, Summer 2003 (i) Intent: investigate effects of all stressors on Birch Stream Class B Birch Stream Middle station Birch Stream Lower station Crooked Brook (reference stream) Class B Class C Class A NA NA 2003 2001 2003 1997 1999 2001 2003

  20. Simulium sp. Baetis sp. Urban Streams Project, Summer 2003 (ii) Middle station Dominant taxa Simulium (blackfly) 44 % Tanytarsus (midge) 14% Gyraulus (snail) 6 % Lower station Dominant taxa Tanytarsus (midge) 35% Baetis (mayfly) 12% Rheotanytarsus (midge) 10%

  21. 7 Urban Streams Project Data 2003 (iii) Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) Conductivity (mS/cm) Temperature (ºCelsius) Water chemistry analysis showed high levels of Total Nitrogen Total Phosphorus Chlorophyll a E. coli

  22. Urban Streams Project Data 2003 (iv)

  23. While everybody was busy sampling... • Non-profits involvement • Maine Rivers (#1 of Maine’s Worst Rivers Stories of 2003) • Toxics Action Center • Residents organize • Form “G.P. Cats” (Griffin Park Citizens Against Toxic Stream) • Public meetings • 2003: July 17, September 12 • 2004: January 8 • Published reports • 2 DEP study reports available on DEP website • Radio / TV coverage • 9/18 freespeech.org radio interview with residents • 11/8 TV report on Birch Stream clean-up

  24. Birch Stream Cleanup (11/2003) Items Taken From Stream 148 grocery carts including one Frontloader full of scrap wood manufactured 2/83 Fiberglass insulation 25 Tires 5 bed sheets 2 car batteries Yards of rope 11 empty cans of motor oil 2 sections of a garage door 16 paint cans, 2 that were full Rug 6 Couches/overstuffed chairs Sheet metal 3 hypodermic needles Diapers 5 bicycles Child’s scooter 1.5 gallon pail (driveway sealer?) Child’s stroller Can of tire sealer Bed Springs 2 fiberglass panels from a car Printer Sleeping bag Typewriter 2 mattresses Plastic bags, pieces of plastic Many feet of metal pipe

  25. … and then there was the Press Coverage

  26. Next Steps • Continued monitoring • ANG, BIA • Maine DEP • TMDL development Stream restoration • Winter/spring of 2005 • Address erosion issues • Residents’ concerns • Health study • Make monitoring and other info available • Overall goal • Make Birch Stream a viable resource for residents • Restore healthy biota in the stream Have positive news on Birch Stream

  27. Thanks to …. Maine Air National Guard (Major Eric Johns) Bangor International Airport (Rodney Madden) Bangor Daily News Maine DEP staff (Ed Logue, Iver McLeod, Jeff Varricchione)

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