R2 PM Evaluating Short- and Long- Term Effectiveness In Sediment Remediation
Thursday, 17 November 2005: 1:50 PM - 5:30 PM in Ballroom 2

(GRE-1122-306134) Flexible and cost-effective fish tissue monitoring programs for the evaluation of remedy effectiveness.

Greenberg, MS^{1, 2}, Charters, DW¹, Getty, DJ³, ¹ U.S. EPA-Environmental Response Team² Wright State University, Dayton, OH³ Lockheed-Martin/REAC, Edison, NJ

ABSTRACT- Decision-oriented data from monitoring programs are essential in the evaluation of remedy effectiveness. The consideration of dynamic or adaptive decision making strategies when designing a monitoring program is important, and the program should specifically address the remedial action objectives (RAOs) of the clean-up project. Performing statistical analyses early in the in planning phase of a remedial project assists site managers by identifying various sampling options for the selection of a cost-effective, scientifically defensible monitoring program that is capable of evaluating remedy effectiveness. This presentation reviews the development of the fish monitoring program for a contaminated sediment site that is capable of documenting changes in site conditions as reflected by fish tissue concentrations. The program was designed to allow us: (1) the statistical power to detect reasonable minimum detectable differences of the mean concentrations of contaminants in fish tissue; (2) to detect a significant trend of contaminant decline in the project area fish that will allow us to predict when the risk-based RAOs can be met; (3) the data and the flexibility to make decisions on refining or reducing the sample size and/or frequency of the fish monitoring program at appropriate points after the completion of remedial action; and, (4) to minimize false expectations. The costs of long term monitoring should also be balanced with the number of samples required to show reductions in risk to ecological and human consumers of fish.

Key words: sediment remediation, remedy effectiveness, fish monitoring, se