UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER UPLAND SOIL STUDY 2012-13

2. UPPER COLUMBIA RIVERUPLAND SOIL STUDY 2012-13 Lake Roosevelt Forum Conference November 20, 2013 John Roland, P.G., LPHg Upper Columbia River Site Coordinator

3. UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER SITE

4. Basis for concerns about soils near the Border.

5. Trail Discharge - Emissions • Downwind air pollution in the first part of the last century resulted in the formation of an International Joint Commission and arbitration settlements in 1931 and again later to compensate Washington land owners.

6. Trail Oxide of Sulfur [Sulfur dioxide (SO2)] was the primary cause for the historical acute vegetation impacts. Metals were not evaluated.

7. Additional Tribunal records from actual SO2 measurements “… the concentration of sulphur dioxide fall off very rapidly from Trial to a point about 16 miles downstream of the Smelter, or 6 miles from the boundary line, measured by the general course of the river; and that at distances beyond this point, the concentrations of sulphur dioxide is lower and fall off more gradually.” (source: Tribunal decisions, reported 1938 and 1941.)

8. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/area_wide/area_wide_hp.htmlhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/area_wide/area_wide_hp.html WA State Area-wide Contamination - Online Information

12. New Port of Entry

13. These findings led to the State’s Soil Study to inform Natural Resource Assessment Planning

14. EPA Remediation vs. NRD Restoration • Remedial Investigations • Evaluation of risks • Interim Action • Feasibility Studies • Clean-up alternatives • Clean-up Plan • Injury and pathway investigations (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) • Restoration Planning • Quantify injury • Restoration alternatives • Restoration Plan

15. Examples of Trust Resources: Migratory Birds Anadromous fish Endangered species Mammals Supporting ecosystems Terrestrial systems Aquatic systems Recreational Uses Government owned minerals Government managed lands Tribal resources Natural Resources and Trustees The pre-assessments and assessments are performed by the “Trustees”

16. Study design and what was found….

17. Department of Ecology Upland Soil Sampling Study Report Date: May 2013 https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=12125

18. Provide the first valid assessment of surface as well as shallow subsurface soil conditions in a part of the upper Columbia River valley The study area covered a limited portion of the area where vegetation damage and impairment was documented in the 1920s and 1930s near the Border.

20. Two goals of this study were to:  Collect representative surface and shallow subsurface soil samples from the study area and analyze for smelter-related heavy metals and other selected soil parameters.  Evaluate for potential spatial patterns and variability of smelter-related metals concentrations in study area soils.

22. Sample Locations and Subareas, showing underlying geology

23. Results - Surface Soil Lead Concentrations

24. Results - Surface Soil Arsenic Concentrations

25. Sample Locations and Subareas,

26. Surface Soil Concentration Ranges and Variability (ppm)

27. Subareas Subsurface (12 to 24-inch) Soil Profile Concentration Ranges and Variability

28. Comparison of Soil Descriptive Statistical Values with Selected Eastern WA Surface Soil Background Values (mg/Kg) Range of Surface Soil for Subareas Pooled subsurface 12-24 in depth Ecology, 1994 - statewide Church, 2010 - UCR* Arsenic ‐ median (or geo. Mean*) 2 3 5 11 to 26 Arsenic ‐ 90th percentile 7 8 8 17 to 41 Lead ‐ median (or geo. Mean*) 9 8 9 73 to 503 Lead ‐ 90th percentile 25 13 26 100 to 1,100

29. Lead Enrichment Ratios

30. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/area_wide/area_wide_hp.htmlhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/area_wide/area_wide_hp.html

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