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SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF HURRICANE KATRINA TRANSPORTED SEDIMENT DEPOSITED NEAR THE BREACHES IN THE 17TH STREET CANAL AND LONDON AVENUE CANAL By: Wilma Subra Subra Company For: Louisiana Environmental Action Network Date: February 5, 2006 Three samples of undisturbed breach surge transported sediments were collected by Wilma Subra of Subra Company on January 13, 2006 from the areas adjacent to the 17th Street Canal breach and the two breaches along the London Avenue Canal. The samples were transported to Pace Analytical of New Orleans, Louisiana for analysis of the sediment sample for heavy metals (US EPA Method 6000/7000 Series) and semi-volatile organics (US EPA Method 8270). The three samples of sediment were collected from the following locations on January 13, 2006: L-05 6926 Bellaire Dr., 1255 hours Latitude 30o 01.058’ North Longitude 90o 07.237’ West Front yard of home backing on the 17th Street Canal breach. Sediment was undisturbed, dark dried surface and dried under the surface. The sediment was sandy, scaly and approximately 1/2 inch thick in the area sampled. The sediment further into the yard was 3 to 4 feet thick. L-06 Pratt Drive, middle of first block south of Robert E. Lee Blvd.,1340 hours Latitude 30o 04.205’ North Longitude 90o 04.276’ West Front yard of home backing on the London Ave. Canal breach. Sample collected from on top of mound of sediment 3-4 feet above street level. Sediment was undisturbed, sandy and dry. L-07 4902 Warrington Dr., 1415 hours Latitude 30o 00.484’ North Longitude 90o 04.119’ West Front yard of home backing on the London Ave. Canal breach along Warrington Dr. north of Mirabeau Ave. Sample collected from undisturbed area. Sediment was black, damp, mixture of sand and clay, 2 to 2.5 feet thick. The heavy metals and semi-volatile chemicals contained in the sediment samples are presented in the attached tables. Sediment sample L-05 at the 17th Street Canal breech contained 8.03 mg/kg Arsenic which exceeded the EPA Region VI Soil Screening Level for Arsenic by 21 times the Screening Level (0.39 mg/kg). The Arsenic concentration of Sample L-05 did not exceed the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 12 mg/kg. Sample L-05 contained 144 mg/kg Barium (26% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 550 mg/kg), 1.48 mg/kg of Cadmium (38% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 3.9 mg/kg), 16.6 mg/kg Chromium (72% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard), and 252 mg/kg Lead (63% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard and EPA Region VI Screening Level). Mercury, Selenium and Silver were not detected in Sample L-05. Samples L-06 and L-07 did not contain detectable levels of Arsenic, Cadmium, Selenium and Silver. Sample L-06 on Pratt Dr. at the London Ave. Canal breech contained 11.1 mg/kg Chromium (48% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 23 mg/kg), 144 mg/kg of Lead (36% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 400 mg/kg and 36% of the EPA Region VI Screening Level of 400 mg/kg), and 0.787 mg/kg of Mercury. This was the only sediment sample which had a detectable level of Mercury. Sample L-07 on Warrington Dr. at the London Ave. Canal breach contained detectable levels of Barium, Chromium and Lead which were below the LA DEQ RECAP standards and the EPA Region VI Screening Levels. The only sample that contained detectable levels of Semi-Volatile organics was Sediment Sample L-06 from the Pratt Dr. area of the London Ave. Canal breach. The Benzo(b)fluoranthene concentration of 537 ug/kg was 87% of the LA DEQ RECAP Standard of 620 ug/kg and 87% of the EPA Region VI Screening Level of 620 ug/kg. The levels of Fluoranthene 549 ug/kg, Phenanthrene 341 ug/kg and Pyrene 819 ug/kg were below the LA DEQ and EPA standards but contribute to the cumulative impacts. Sediment Samples Heavy Metals (mg/kg) Arsenic Barium Cadmium Chromium Lead L-05 8.03* 144 1.48 16.6 252 L-06 ND 23.5 ND 11.1 144 L-07 ND 33.9 ND 3.86 20.6 LA DEQ Soil Recap Screening Standards 12 550 3.9 23 400 EPA Region VI Soil Screening Levels 0.39 16,000 39 210 400 * Exceeded EPA Screening Level ND None Detected Mercury was detected only in sample L-06 at a concentration of 0.787 mg/kg, well below the LA DEQ RECAP standard of 2.3 mg/kg. Selenium and Silver were not detected in the three samples. Semi-Volatile Organics (ug/kg) L-06 Chemical Sample LA DEQ EPA Benzo(b)fluoranthene 537 620 620 Fluoranthene 549 220,000 2,300,000 Phenanthrene 341 2,100,000 - Pyrene 819 150,000 2,300,000 L-05 No Semi-Volatile Organic Chemicals Detected L-07 No Semi-Volatile Organic Chemicals Detected
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