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Upper Columbia RI/FS: Creating a Citizen’s Guide to Human Health Findings. Lake Roosevelt Forum Laura Buelow, Ph.D., R10 U.S. EPA, Hanford Project Office. EPA Project Partners. 2007 EPA MOA with: Department of Interior – 6 bureaus NPS, USGS, FWS, BOR, BIA, BLM Colville Tribes Spokane Tribe
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Upper Columbia RI/FS: Creating a Citizen’s Guide to Human Health Findings Lake Roosevelt Forum Laura Buelow, Ph.D., R10 U.S. EPA, Hanford Project Office
EPA Project Partners • 2007 EPA MOA with: • Department of Interior – 6 bureaus • NPS, USGS, FWS, BOR, BIA, BLM • Colville Tribes • Spokane Tribe • WA Dept of Ecology • WA Dept of Health • Citizens for a Clean Columbia (TAG)
RI/FS Human Health Studies • Recreational use survey • Tribal consumption survey • Completed studies • Fish tissue • Surface water • Beaches • Ongoing Studies • YAM/Bossburg • Upcoming Studies • Upland soils • Residential soil sampling • Human Health Risk Assessment estimated to be complete 2017-2018
Air • Teck performs monitoring in Northport (started in 1994) • No concerns for full time residents
Beaches • 43 beaches sampled to date • 15 beaches sampled by EPA in 2005 • 33 others sampled by Teck 2009 - 2011 • EPA did screening-level evaluation, distributed results in Fact Sheet at LRF meeting in April 2012 • Bossburg Flats closed due to high lead levels • Evans Campground and “Swimming Hole” near Sheep Creek had slightly elevated levels of lead and arsenic, respectively, above screening levels, but considered safe for recreation
Surface Water Sampling • Sampling 2009, 2010 repeated 3 times to capture seasonal variability • 10 transects starting in Canada above smelter, surface & near bottom samples • 90 or more locations (~2500 samples) • “Disturbed” surface water samples at recreational beaches • > 400 analytes -- including metals, pesticides, PBDEs, PCB congeners • Very few undisturbed samples exceeded drinking water standards (DWS) • Disturbed samples had some results above DWS for lead and secondary MCLs for pH, aluminum, iron and manganese
Fish Tissue • More than 2,300 fish collected Nov 2009 • 3 size classes, 13 species • Metals, exotic metals, dioxins / furans, PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs, pesticides, SVOCs
FSCA 1 FSCA 2 FSCA 3 Fish Sample Collection Areas FSCA 4 FSCA 6 FSCA 5
Updated Fish Advisory from Washington Department of Health, July 2012 • Specific to Lake Roosevelt • Mercury and PCBs
Soil • Residential soil sampling • Upland soil sampling • Sampling plans in preparation, sampling planned for 2014 • Assessing Potential Health Risks of Metals in Residential and Recreational Area Near the U.S.-Canadian Border (afternoon session)