Document qDwo291jMZrKeEJbd9e4zvmG

around New Bedford, Mass. Allhough higher levels exist elsewhere in S'orth America, the cumulative exposure involving aquatic life and humans in this locality is said 10 he unique Cram Weaver Dtportmtru of Public L ttlttits Ciiv o/yorwich \ortch, Conn. 06360 As home port to those vessels that ply the rich offshore waters of Georges Bank. New Bedford is the largest rev* enue-productng fishing port on the U S. Atlantic seaboard. Bounded by the Acushnet River estuary. New Bedford Harbor, and Buzzards Bay, this community of 100 000 has weathered wave after wave of chang ing economic fortunes--first as the world's largest whaling port and later as a maior textile center. Since the end of World War 11. the city has struggled to broaden its eco nomic base through the development of an industrial park as well as other incentives designed to encourage the movement of new industry to the area. Two of the mainstays of New Bed ford's recently diversified economy are electronic capacitor manufacturers located in old textile mill houses sit uated on the banks of the Acushnet River estuary. The past use of polychlorinated bi phenyls (PC Bs) in southeastern Mas sachusetts by these capacitor manu facturers has left a lasting impact on New Bedford's vibrant port. PtBi are industrial chemical compounds that were commercially manufactured and marketed in the US. from 1929 to 1977 The Monsanto Corporation of St. Louis. Mo., the former industrial roducer of PCBs in the U.S.. mareted PC 8 blends and mixtures under the trade name Aroclor. The total na tional production of PCBs during the approximately SO years of their man ufacture is believed to have totaled 600 million kg. The chemically stable, nonflam mable nature of PCBs. together uh their high boiling point, low solubility, and nonconductive nature makes these chemical compounds nearly ideal for many industrial applications, including capacitors and transformers Unfor tunately. these same properties cause PCBs to persist m the environment and bioconcentrate. creating potential hazards to affected biota. The four-digit number following the trade name Aroclor was used io char acterize the blend of polychlorinated biphenyls. Except for Aroclor 1016. which was not named according (o protocol, the first two digits were as signed to represent 12 carbon atoms (thereby identifying the biphenyl structure) while the final two digits were used to represent the approxi mate percentage of chlorine by weight in the PCB blend. The physical characteristics of PCBs vary according io the mixture As the chlorine content increases, the Aroclon change from a colorless oil. to a sticky resin, to a white powder, and their persistence in the environment generally increases. Even very small concentrations of PCBs can be detrimental. The U S. EPA has recommended a marine water quality standard of 0.03 ppb to protect marine life. Marine and freshwater organisms have been found to concentrate PCBs m their bodies to levels 100 000 to one million times or higher than those levels present in ambient waters. The U.S. Food and Drug Adminis tration (FDA) has established regu latory limits for PCBs in various foods (Table 1). The limn for fish and shellfish is S ppm wet weight m the edible portions of these foodstuffs. (Biotic concentrations are given as et weight; all other solid-phase dju jre reported as dry weight Solid fraction PCB concentrations of ma L arc considered equivalent to ppm i At this time there arc no ledsral standards for PCBs in drinking *aier or ambient air The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSH.A) has set a workplace standard of I mg/m, for Aroclor !2?4 The National Institute tor Occupjtiunjl Safety and Health iNIOSHt recom mended a more stringent worx?iatc standard of I ug.m; total PCB>. however, the OSH.A standard remai-i m effect. Wastewater discharges of PCBs ire regulated by EP A in accordance *un Code of Federal Regulations. 40 CFR 129 105 This regulation i> implememed through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination S'-sicm (NPDES) permitting program PCBs are severely limited in discharges irom electrical capacitor manufacturers Localized PCB spills have contam inated surface sediments in a number of widespread locations across North America. A number of sues including the Hudson River iNYi, Lake Michigan's W aukegan Harbor >111 ' and the municipal wastewater treat ment facility m Bloomington. Ind have been contaminated by PCS* Nonetheless, the recently completed Remedial Action Master Plan >ute> that New Bedford "is one of the most extensive cases of environmental con tamination by polychlorinated oiphenyls. . . . " Although the con centration of PCBs m water, ledimem. and air has occasionally been found to exist elsewhere at levels greater than that observed m the New Bedford area, the cumulative environmental exposure affecting New Bedford > ISA Cmvon Set t--<tm. voi. i. No. 1, t**4 0013-93IX/#3/09'M022A$01 50/0 1993 American Ch*meai Soc-ety MONS 003955 biota (including portions of the human population) is said to be unique. Other contaminated areas Hudson Rl*r. The most widely publicised PCB coniaminauon of an American waterway--- more ihan 250 000 kg '`ere ducha'ged over 25 years from two capacitor manufac turing plants--is that which exists in New York State s Hudson River near Fort Edward. In W"V PCB levels in some fish were found to exceed the FDA's tolerance level of 5 ppm. As a result, the New York State Depart* mem of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). with the advice of the Department of Health, instituted a ban on fishing in the upper Hudson River from the Troy Darn to Fort Edward In the lower Hudson River, commercial fishing was restricted, and recreational fishermen were advised to restrict fish consumption to one meaJ per week (American eel excluded). In 1976. after lengthy hearings, the state and the General Electric Com* pany. (he principal PCB discharger, sharing the responsibility, agreed to seek ways to remove PCBs from the river. The two parties established a $7-million fund for research and en gineering studies, which were earned out by consultants, universities, and federal and state agencies in one of the most comprehensive investigations of a hazardous waste problem ever un dertaken m the U S. These studies found that the PCB*comaminaied sediments in the upper Hudson River act as a source to the entire down stream river system. According to 1979 L S. Geological Survey readings at the Troy Dam. approximately 5200 kg of the chemical moved downstream of the dam annually. Much of the Hudson's contamina tion is concentrated in a relatively small area. Forty "hot spots'* have been located by the NYSDEC in the upper reach where PCB concentration is equal to or greater than SO ppm. Removal of these hot spots from the river would greatly reduce the amount of PCBs available to the ecosystem, according to the study. Waukegan. 111. Another docu mented case of the contamination of a navigable waterway by PCBs exists in Lake Michigan's Waukegan Harbor. The area of contamination encom passes a 15-hecure (ha) shipping port an adjacent upland industrial area, and a lengthly drainage ditch. PC8 con centrations up to 230 000 ppm. or 23% by weight, have been observed in areas of upland and submerged sediments in the vicinity of the Outboard Marine Corporation's Johnson Motors facility. Fish containing PCBs at levels ex ceeding 100 ppm have been captured within the harbor, while immediately outside Waukegan-Harbor fish exhibit PCB levels characteristic of Lake Michigan fish (averaging, and occa sionally exceeding. 2-5 ppm). Moomiagtoa. Ind. PCB contami nation of the city's W'inston Thomas wastewater treatment plant has re sulted in the stockpiling of six years' accumulation of residual sludges amounting to approximately 25 000 mJ of material with a PCB concen tration averaging 100-300 ppm. New Bedford PCBs Contamination of New Bedford Harbor was first documented in 1976 when EPA conducted a New England PCS survey and found elevated levels of the material in various harbor lo cations. Testing revealed that two in dustrial operations wre discharging wastewaters containing PCBs. Both the direct discharge of contaminated waters to the Acushnet River estuary and PCB contamination of the New Bedford municipal wastewater treat ment facility were identified Since (his initial survey of the V Bedford area, a much better, althou. i not yerComplete. understanding or -e extent of PCB contamination has e.-en gained The direct discharge of PCB-comammaied wastewater rom all industrial operations has bev i sig nificantly reduced. The discharge of PCB* from the city wastewater treat ment plant, however, remains gmficani Recent studies base documented that 90-300 kg of PCBs continue to be discharged annually m this manner The sediments underlying the enure 440-ha New Bedford Harbor contain elevated levels of PCBs. Concentra tions range from a few parts per mil lion to well over 100 000 ppm Portions of Buzzards Bay are also contaminated with concentrations occasionally ex ceeding 50 ppm. The water column in New Bedford Harbor has been found to contain PCBs in the parts-per-billion range, well in excess of EPA s 0 001 -ppb guideline. (Liquid fraction PCB concentrations of Mg/ L are con sidered equivalent to ppb ) EPA. ac- MOMS 003956 TABU FDA Hmttt on PCS eoneontrotlora in foodstuff* MM ____ >OM|VVMIMIO) knowledgtng this contamination. has placed New Bedford Harbor on the expanded Superfund listing of the nation's most imminently hazardous sites. Closed fishing grounds Widespread contamination of the Acushnet River estuary and environs has resulted in the accumulation of PCBs m many marine species. Thou* sands of hectares have been closed to the harvesting of shellfish, finfish. and lobsters because of PCB contamina* non. The fisheries closure established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Sept. 25. 1979. is divided into three areas as shown in Figure I. Area I. New Bedford Har bor. is dosed to* the taking of all finflsh. shellfish, and lobsters. Area 2 is doted to the harvesting of lobster and bot tom-feeding finfish (eel. scup. floun der. and tauiog). Area 3 is closed to the taking of lobsters. Since the FDA has determined that the affected fishery resources are not marketed as inter state products, the enforcement of these closures is entrusted to the Massachusetts Division of Law En forcement. Although the median PCB levels in five finfish special have been found to exceed the 5-ppm standard (see Table 2). lobster contamination concerns area residents the most. The dosing of the bountiful lobstenng grounds of Buzzards Bay has resulted in lawsuits being filed against both the Com monwealth of Massachusetts end the former manufacturers of PCB-impregnaied capacitors. These lawsuits call on the industries to remedy the pollution and on the state to reopen the prized lobstering sounds. Of 183 lobsters collected from Areas 1. 2. and 3 between 1976 and 1980. a median PC B concentration of 4 9 ppm was found in edible tissues. The mean value was 8.7 ppm. the maximum was 84 ppm. and the mini mum was 0.1 ppm. Subsequently, lobster data have been compiled only for Area 3. In this, the most seaward portion of ihe closure area, the fol lowing results were observed: Of the 66 lobsters sampled from April to De cember 1982. the highest value ob served was 8.8 ppm: the lowest re corded was 0.7 ppm. The median was found to be 4. l ppm and the mean 4.4 ppm. In 1982. in the interest of econ omy. two lobsters were collected per sampling station and analyzed as composites Therefore, the PCB con centrations reported above for these 66 lobsters are defined b> 33 sampling results. Induatrlal properties Two areas known to contain sub stantial quantities of PCB wastes are the industrial properties of the capac itor manufacturers. Landfilling at these sites has taken place in recent years, and some of the materials used as fill were apparently contaminated with PCBs Even today, capacitors containing concentrations of PCBs in the thousands of parts per million litter the New Bedford Harbor foreshore behind one factory L pland sediments in the victntiv of another contain up to 99 000 ppm PCBs. Other sites m New Bedford may contain substantial quantities of PCBs. One suspected area to the north is Sullivan's Ledge (Figure 1). Located near the municipal landfill, this sue is now a vacant lot owned by the city of New Bdford. and was, until recently. to be developed ;mo a ... m.T .er parking ioi Sullivan > Ledge when the citv used (he area j, j dumpsile for brush, rubble, and de molition and industrial Waste oils containing PCB- were used b> New Bedford and other area public works departments in the oiling of local roadwj\> In summary, past activities m New Bed ford have resulted in the pre-ence oi PCBs in diverse areas throughout :ne community The lew New Bedford area residents who have been studied have been found to contain elevated level) oi PCBs m thetr blood. Recentlv two small-scale epidemiology studies were conducted by the Massachusetts De partment of Public Health. Harvard ) School of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlan ta. Ga. Consumers of large quantities of fish and occupationally exposed in dividuals were selected lor studv The results of these studies indicate that the 51 residents tested possessed blood serum PCB concent-allows ringing from 2 to 343 ppb (measured a Voclor 1260). The mean concentration of Aroclor 1260 observed was J6 ppb. and the median was 15 ppb. Industrial PCB practices PCBs were used in the manufacture of electronic capacitors during tne years 1947-7$ in buildings present!) occupied by Aetovoa Inc., a suteidurv of R.T.E. Corp. (Figure I) Capacitors were produced for a wide range oi electrical applications ranging irom ballasts used in fluorescent light na tures to components used in atomic research. Their size ranged from ap proximately I 5 cm* io nearly I m' PCB Aroclor 1242 was purchased from Monsanto for use m capacitor manufacture until 1972 when Aroclor 1016 completely replaced Aroclor 1242 as the impregnation fluid. Lesser quantities of.Arodors 1254 and 1252 were also used by Aerovox At the peak of production. Aerovox used ap proximately 500 000 kg, oi PCBs All use of PCBs stopped in I97g when dioctyl phthalate tDOPl was substi tuted in the manufacture of capaci tors. To determine the extent, if any. of PCB contamination of Aerovox s sanitary waste discharges, the Mas sachusetts Department of Environ mental Quality Engineering (DEQE) retrieved two wastewater grab samples in I9g|. No PCBs wre found. In 1976. when PCBs were still being used. EPA sampling detected PCB levels ranging from 73 to 400 ppb \n the ISA liMren. T0vw. v. IS. Na. i, 1M4 MQNS 003957 wastewater. Open channels parallel the nonhem and southern exterior walls of the factory, terminating at the Acushnet River. At one time, the troughs con veyed cooling weter*. Today, a closed-cycle cooling system has elimmated the need for anything other than an occasional discharge. An EPA sampling effort m June 1981 led to the detection of (he presence of contami nation in the sediments in the bottom of the external troughs. After the findings of 40-22 000 ppm were re ported to the company. Aerovox re moved the contaminated sediments and disposed of them in accordance with state and federal laws. All analyzed soil and sediment samples collected on the Aerovox property have been found to contain elevated levels of PCBs. Soils inside the chain link fence surrounding the roperty contain up to 24 000 ppm. eaward of the fence, sediment sam pling revealed levels of 190-190 000 ppm. These values were found in up land. intertidal, and subudal sediment samples collected from a widespread area of several hectares. NIOSH performed an extensive in dustrial hygiene survey of the Aero vox facility in March 1977 when PCBa were still being used in the manufac ture of capacitors. As part of this sur vey both "personal'' and "area'' air samples were collected throughout the facility and analyzed for PCB content. Results indicated that the 29 personal and 25 area air samples that had been collected and analyzed for PCBs ranged from 0.17 to 1.26 m|/m*. At mospheric sampling has begun only recently. Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Cor poration t Figure l) is also engaged in the manufacture and sale of capacitors for uw in consumer products. Cornell-Oubtlier is a wholly owned sub sidiary of Federal Pacific Electric which is. m lurrk- wholly owned by Reliance Electronics, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon. Located across New Bedford from Aerovox. Comell-Oubtlier manufactured PCBimpregnated capacitors from 1941 to 1977. Most of the eapacttaiors manufac tured prior to mid-1977 contained PCBs. A relatively small number, however, were produced using mineral oil and no PCBs. Aroclor 1016 was in use from I97| to 1977; Aroclor 1242 was used prior to 1971. From 1971 to 1975, Cornell-Dubilier used over 1.4 million kg of Aroclor 1016 and a(y proximaiely 10 000 kg of Aroclor 1254. PCB-contaimng capacitors are no longer manufactured. Industrial wastewaters are dis charged to the municipal wastewater treatment plant via sanitary sewers. A direct discharge of process water via a city storm sewer is received by the Acushnet River estuary. CornellDubtlier's direct discharge permit, NPDES No. MA000J9J0. allows limited dischsrges of PCBs to Buz zards Bay. Monitoring conducted by the corporation and by the Massa chusetts Division of Water Pollution Control lOWPO revaab that Im than 250 g/y of PCBs are discharged in this manner. Although EPA sampling in 1976 found up to 110 ppb PC Bs n this discharge, the PCB concentration is now generally maintained at or below Cornell-Dubilier s discharge to the municipal sewer system has proven somewhat difficult to monitor The presence of combined sewer overflows m-the municipal collection system al low* seawater to enter during high tide, confusing sampling efforts. Nonethe less. EPA sampling in 1976 located one discharge containing up to 2900 ppe PCBs. Three grab samples taken by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1981 indicate that the wastewater ,n the municipal sewer lint downstream of the factory contained as much as 118 ppb. Sediments removed from the city of New Bedford sewer at this lo cation were recently found to contain 660 pom PCBs. Soils collected from the factorv grounds during a June 1981 EPA in spection contained from 4400 to 99 000 ppm. A playground area im mediately west of Comell-Dubtiter was filled with dredge spoils during the construction of a nearby hurricane barrier in the mid-1960s Sediment samples taken by the state m 1981 re vealed that the soils contatn PCBs at concentration! consistently below 5 ppm. and the playground has remained open- September 1978 air monitoring conducted at several sues ut New Bedford showed atmospheric PCS levels in the vicinity of Cornell-Du bilier to be 767-862 ng/mJ Sewage treatment ptoat Located at the southern terminus of Clark's Point, the New Bedford wastewater treatment plant l Figure i) discharges a daily average of 10* L 126.5 million gal) of primary treated wastewater to Buzzards Bay Influent and effluent PCB concentrations are typically in the range of 1 -6 ppb. and no decrease in PCB level is evident following treatment. Recent monitor ing by the city's consultant and me Commonwealth of Massachusetts re veals that the facility releases from '*) to 300 kg/y of PCBs. Wastewater entering the facile passes through course screens io re move bottles, cans, sticks, and rjgs These screenings are raked, collected and transported to the municipal landfill for disposal. The waste-*iter next flows through a gm chamber where gravel and coarse sand are re moved. This gnt is also trucked :o: ne city landfill for disposal. Folio* ns this, the wastewater is pumped sedimentation tanks where settling the heavier solids occurs. The ijubid is* MUNS 003958 effluent from these tanks is chlorinated and dtschirged to Buzzard* Bay via a 1000-m-long outfall pipe. The sludge that settles to the bottom of these basins is thickened and pumped to centrifuges for dewatering. The dewatered sludge is incinerated on the premises m a multiple-hearth in cinerator. and (he residual ash is taken to the municipal landfill where it is dumped with the screenings and grit. Even though the reduction of PCBs in the wastewater as n passes through i he treatment facility is too small to be accurately quantified, wastewater re siduals have been found to contain el evated levels of PCBs During the past two years of sampling, the concentra tion in the sludge has generally fluc tuated between 0.3 and 20 ppm. Levels in ash. however, are typically less than 01 ppm. In 1977. EPA contracted with an environmental consultant to study the atmospheric release of PCBs during sludge incineration. The consultant concluded that approximately 30% of the PCBs fed into the New Bedford incinerator were destroyed during combustion. Other EPA sampling ef forts found atmospheric PCB levels in the area of the incinerator to range from 13 to 240 ng/mJ during March 1977 and January 1978. Although the level of contamination is generally below EPA hazardous waste criteria, wastewater, sludges, and other residuals contain PCB levels much higher than those encountered at most municipal treatment facilities. For example, a 1974 survey of J3 Ca nadian watiewaicr treatment plant effluents revealed values typically m the range of a 0 I -ppb detection limit. Local, state, and federal entities are presently allocating funds to design and implement changes to improve the New Bedford treatment facility. The wasieweter collection system contains approximately 30 combined sewer overflows, and these overflows may. during periods of wet weather, release PCB-contaminated wastewaten. Monitoring of these sewer over flows for PCBs in future studies wilt lead to a better understanding of this situation- An evaluation of industrial discharges and the level of industrial pretreatment needad to protect the municipal facilities and the waters of Buzzards Bay will also be undertaken in the near future by the city's con sultant. New Bedford landfill The New Bedford municipal landfill has been used as a repository for do mestic, commercial, and industrial waste* since the early 1920*. The landfill includes 16 ha of marshland. 10 of which (as of 1978) were filled with refuse and cover material. The geology of the area consists of a layer of freshwater peat varying from 2 to J m thick, underlain by a ihin layer of silty fine sand. I nder this are layers of stratified silts and clayey silts with thin layers of silty clay These sand and silt layers vary from 2 to 11 m in depth. Originally operated as an open dump, the sue is now maintained as a sanitary landfill in accordance with state and federal requirements. For decades, reject capacitors and other PCB-contammated wastes, including sludges, ash. and grit from (he sewage treatment plant, were disposed of at t his site; over 200 000 kg of PC 8s have been deposited in the municipal land fill. Before 1972. Aroclor 1242 wasthe predominant PCB material disposed. From 1972 to 1978. Aroclor 1016 re placed Aroclor 1242 as the PCB most commonly used in the local production of capacitors, and presumably in the waste products disposed of at the landfill. Monitoring for PCBs has not re vealed the presence ofanv significant groundwater contamination problems in the area of the landfill. The release of PCBs to the atmosphere may. however, be significant. Data compiled by EPA in I978 revealed that the summertime atmospheric level of PC8s exceeded the NIOSH recom mended workplace exposure limit of I Mg/mJ No atmospheric monitoring has been conducted since 1978: air sampling of the area will be conducted in the near future. Lately there has been some concern over the placement of monitoring wells at the landfill, and the results of the 1978 groundwater leachate study are now being reas sessed. Widespread contamination In addition to the direct discharges of PCB-containmg wastewaters from the municipal wastewater treatment facility and by the capacitor manu facturers. othtT as vet unidentified discharges of PCB-contaminated fluids may be entering New Bedford Harbor and Buzzards Bay. Numerous combined sewer overflows and storm sewer outfalls discharge into the estu ary. It is very likely that during storms PCBs are discharged from those sewer overflows immediately downstream from the capacitor manufacturers. Other combined sewer overflows may contribute to the PCB contamination; however, no information has been gathered on PCB levels in any storm or comoincd >\*er dts^hj.-aej Urban storm drams n the .or- mumties of New Bedford. \cu>h?e' and Fairhaven may cam me-ixm.i yi<r levels of PCBs into the haroor fhs source of PCBs. if present, ,\>uid be atmospheric fallout or residual PC B remaining on the roadwav > irom v'\n is believed to have been a common practice m the pa>i-ihe oiling ,-i municipal sireets with PCB-contami- noted waste oils Lrban runoff from industrial properties mj> conu n PCBs as may runoif from railroad sidings where PCBs were ransierred from rail cars to lank truck* for deliv ery to the factories A sue m northern New Bedford known as Sullivan s Ledge mas con tain large quantities of PCB> Origi nally Sullivan's Ledge wjs operated a* a quarry Later after <t i lied win water, it became a popular neighbor hood swimming hole. Today, this approximate!' '-ha site is completely filled to a nearU ie\?l grade. Rubble, brush and other de molition materials are evident \ brook flows along ihe southern and eastern boundaries of the propem. (hrovglTa municipal golf course and into the Appongansett Swamp m the vicinity of the New Bedford municipal landfill. Although it is not present!* used i> a dumpsne. in years past the city or New Bedford used Sullivan > Ledge a* an industrial dump Rubber nres *e*e ihe primary waste product disposed of. but industrial waste oils, sludges, and other materials were also deposed of there According io landfill operators and one local official, PCB* were de posited at the site. Random piles ot electronic capacitors are evident at various locations at Sullivan > Ledge today. The quantity of PCBs disposed of is unknown but may be substantial EPA has identified this area a* a Su perfund site and >* currently exploring the extern of contamination. Only two PCB samples have been collected at Sullivan s Ledge. N0 qe. lectabie level oi PCB was identified m the one water sample obtained irom the brook adjoining the property m 1978. A grab sample of the sediment underlying (his brook was found to contain 0 288 ppm PCBs No jir monitoring has been conducted to date; however. EPA plans to establish an aimospheric sampling sunon it Sullivan's Ledge in the near future (n the mid-1970s, a report docu menting the historical solid waste disposal practices in New Bedford. Acushnet. Fairhaven. and Dartmouth was prepared. In addition io ihe New sea a*w* so. TMM.. v is. m. i. i*e HONS 003959 Bedford municipal landfill and Sulli van s Ledge, several sites were dis cussed. Any number of these locales may contain PCBs. Although there exists no evidence to support the belief that area scrap dealers may have injdvertenslv contaminated their prop erties by Jcccpung PCB-cunijinjng mjierui* for meial recycling, this sit uation * j> found 10 exist m (he upper Hudson River Valiev. Thus, arejs adjacent 10 the capacitor manufac turers that received fill while these companies were using PCBs should be considered contaminated until shown otherwise. Sediments dredged from New Bedford Harbor anytime during the past 30-40 years possibly con tained PCBs. Pollution abatement Before concluding this report on PCB contamination in New Bedford, it is appropriate to list those abatement procedures that have been imple mented By 10?; both Aerovox and Corneli-Oubilier ceased using Aroclor i:*; and substituted Aroclor 1016. which was considered much less harmful environmentally. Whether Aroclor )0I6 if more or less hazardous is now a matter of scientific debate, but at the time of ns introduction, the lower percentage of chlorine in 1016 was believed to render it relatively in nocuous. In I97g. all use of PCBs at the New Bedford capacitor manufac turing facilities ceased. Early m 1982. both capacitor man ufacturers reached agreements with EPA and the Massachusetts DEQE in which the companies accepted the final obligation of implementing limited cleanup measures. The corporations have cleaned and replaced contami nated sewer pipes, installed monitoring wells, and applied asphaltic coverings over all exposed soils on their proper ties. In addition, cleanup efforts, such as sediment removal and containment, have been performed. New Bedford's westeweter treat ment plant is currently operating well below us design efficiency Suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand (BODO removal efficiencies often approach zero, and NPDES discharge permit levels are exceeded on a daily oasis. City administrators applied for a waiver of the secondary wastewater treatment requirement in accordance with Section 301(h) of the Clean W ater Act. The application was made in I97g and denied by EPA in 1982. The city must now embark on the construction of a secondary, or bio logical. wastewater treatment facility to supplement the existing primary treatment plant. 1 The fate of the extensive harbor ( contamination is unknown. A state- | funded study prepared <n 198] coneluded that 90%of the PCBscould be | dredged from the harbor at a cost of ` SI4.0 million. New findings regarding : the extent of the harbor contamination I will undoubtedly surface as EP.Vs j Superfund study progresses, and these findings will, m all probability, change this figure. Acknowledgment I am grateful io James Okun of GZA (Newton. Mail). Charles Bering of EPA Region I. Sieve Bltven of the Mamchw tens Coastal Zone Management program, and Martha W'eaver of the L .S Geological Survey (Hanford. Conn.) for Oietr tech nical support and advice Before publication, this article was re viewed for suitability as an 54 T feature by Gil Addis. Electric Power Research Institute. Palo Alto. Calif. 9a)03 Additional reading Nations! Academy of Sciences PoNchlonntied B.ehenW'". Wa>hinfton. 0 C . 19*0 Kokk. X . Cetmeli. R. "PoKcMonnaicd Bi phenyl (PCS' Analytes of Marine Organisms rnihe N< Bedford Area. H'l-llM.'' Mass Pub. No. i::6<-).iOO-mi-CR. Massechueeiu OiviNon Marine Fisheries. Boston. Mass. 1ll. Weaver. G PCB Pollution m ih* Ne* Bedford. Masuchuieitt. Area--A Siaius Report '. Mattachgieits Coatisi Zone Management. Boston. Ma>t. June I OX! Roy F Weiion. Ine New Bedford Remedial Action Metier Plan for EPA Region I. Boston. Man . July IMJ Metealf 4 Eddv Inc." Acushnet Estuarv PCBi Data Management-Final Report for EPA Region 1. Boston. Mass. Sepi IMJ For an> ueenet concerning further references. Ihe reader u invited 10 contact the author ai P O Boa 1001. Norwich. Conn 00)60. i:0)i 887 2555 Croat is iht manager of Water and Sewerfor iht \or*tch. Com. . Department of Public Liihlies His '*ork on PCB con- lamination in yew Bedford was conducted during his previous employment at staff environmental engineer for the Massa chusetts Coastal 2one Management pro gram Weaver holds a BSm biologyfrom Kansas State Lmvtntty. an MS m envi ronmental engineering from Oklahoma State Cmiersuy. and has completed postgraduate studies in emironmenial toxicology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology He is a registered profes sional ertffwr and a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator FREE FOR THE ASKING The Best In Chromatography Is Hera ?tl!): Wauterjan 1 UepM'-o T.iois 100". ; i 'id ibtw !0CFTMfR m Ri HF4 HONS 003960 CMXI ON WAO SV.VCC CAIN}