Contaminant Hydrology Assignment

Contaminant Hydrology Assignment

ENVSE 408 CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY ASSIGNMENT 5

You have been retained by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to perform a site assessment of the Smithville site near Hamilton, Ontario. Site History

1978-1985 The site was operated as a transfer station for transformers being decommissioned and recycled. Copper and other metals were recovered from the transformers and the PCB laden cooling oils discarded to a lined lagoon. The operator declared bankruptcy in 1985.Contaminant Hydrology Assignment

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

1985 A local citizens group discovers PCBs in groundwater samples taken from the area. 1986 Site clean-up is initiated. Boreholes are drilled and test-pits are dug to determine

the extent and source of the contamination. DNAPL has been located in boreholes as “free” product.

CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY Site Evaluation

The site geology and hydrogeology of the site are as shown. “Free” product DNAPL has been located at the base of the overlying frac- tured clay till, at a depth of 5.5 m, but not in piezometers at the base of the Upper Limestone Aquifer. Approximately 30,000 liters of the inventory of solvents contained in a large lined storage lagoon, present on-site are unaccounted for. It is believed that this fluid may have leaked into the groundwater. The site Geometry is as shown overleaf. Contaminant Hydrology Assignment

5.5 m

3 m

1.5 m

4 m

Intermediate aquitard

Vinemount Aquifer

Limestone

Upper limestone aquifer

Clay Till

Fractured

Piezometers

Assignment Your consulting company is retained by MoE to provide an assessment of site conditions, with a potential

to provide these services to the client (MoE). Provide a strategy of the investigation your company will propose to MoE. Use the logical sequence of:Contaminant Hydrology Assignment

1. Anticipating what the regulatory agency (MoE) is interested in determining. This will include such questions as: Is there contamination?; what form does the contamination take [free product versus dissolved plume]?; where is the contamination?; is it static or will it move?; how quickly may it move?; what methods may be used to arrest movement or remove the source [economically]?

2. Defining the parameters needed in evaluating the questions posed by MoE.

3. Prescribing a plan to obtain these parameters.

4. Using these data to address the unknowns, to ask additional questions and ultimately to provide pro- posed solutions.

Please write in the manner appropriate for a consulting report. Present your material in any format you wish. One useful method would be to tabulate the information. Contaminant Hydrology Assignment