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Bioremediation Pilot StudyPassaic River/Newark Bay

John Pardue, Ph.D. - Louisiana State University� Elizabeth Howell Stewart Professor of Civil and Environmental

Engineering at Louisiana State University

Donna Fennell, Ph.D. - Rutgers University� Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences

and Bioenvironmental Engineering

March 12, 2015

Dr. John Pardue, Louisiana State Univ.

(Biogeochemistry/Biodegradation)

Dr. Donna Fennell, Rutgers University

(Microbial Characterization, Dioxin Dechlorination)

Dr. Danny Reible, Texas Tech Univ.

(Sediment Remediation/Bioavailability)

Dr. Lily Young, Rutgers University

(PAH Degradation)

Dr. John Reinfelder, Rutgers Univ.

(Hg Chemistry)

Dr. Andrew Jackson, Texas Tech University

(Dialysis sampling of porewater)

Dr. William Moe, Louisiana State University

(Chloroflexi Bacteria Isolation, Bioremediation)

March 12, 2015

What is Project in-ECO?

In-Situ Bioremediation 101

Project in-ECO Pilot Study

Pilot Study Activities: 2014

Pilot Study Forecast: 2015-2017

in-ECO PossibilitiesMarch 12, 2015

Innovative Ideas CollaborationSustainable

SolutionsMarch 12, 2015

A 21st CENTURY

SOLUTION

NEEDEDInitially an Effort to

Identify Current State of

Remediation Science

RECENT SCIENCE

ADVANCESOver the Past 10 Years,

Promising Sediment Bioremediation

Advances

PILOT STUDY

Field Test Laboratory Advances

Project in-ECO – IdeaField Test Recent Scientific Advances

in Sediment Bioremediation

March 12, 2015

The in-ECO Pilot Study Designed to Demonstrate

in-situ Sediment Bioremediation as a Viable 21st

Century Sustainable Remediation Technology for

Passaic River & Newark Bay Sediments

March 12, 2015

In-situ bioremediation is the useof microorganisms to degrade

and detoxify chemicals in theenvironment “in place” without

the need to excavate and movethe contaminated material.

March 12, 2015

In-situ bioremediation uses two strategies to degrade

contaminants

Stimulating Bacteria by Adding

Nutrients or Food Sources

Adding Certain Types of Bacteria

March 12, 2015

HH

Cl-

Bacteria, nutrients,H2

Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

More toxicTrichlorodibenzodioxin

Less toxic

March 12, 2015

Ecologically Friendly

• Minimal Disruption of Ecology

and Habitats

• In-situ Destruction of Contaminants

• Limited Need for Treatment

Facilities or Landfills

March 12, 2015

Climate Change Friendly

• Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Low Environmental Impact

• Low Carbon Footprint

• EPA Region 2 Clean and Green

policy encourages selection of

sustainable technologies

March 12, 2015

Society Friendly

• No Commuter Disruption

• Minimal Heavy Truck Traffic

• Minimal Recreation Use Impacts

• No Odor

• No Noise

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� Bacterial group that degrades

dioxins is now known

(Dehalococcoides)

� Tools available to track bacteria

� Years of experience with bacteria

in the field (groundwater sites)

� We understand what makes

these bacteria grow and thriveMarch 12, 2015

�Need to know whether we can stimulate the bacteria in Passaic River/Newark Bay sediments

�Can we uniformly inject amendments in the sediment?

�Promise of the Michigan lab studies from late 1990’s

�Key science questions in the field

March 12, 2015

March 12, 2015

LPR1LPR1

NB1NB1

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March 12, 2015

Which carbon

amendments are

suitable for

application at the

study sites?

H

Are lower chlorinated dioxins

stable indicators of biodegradation

over the short-term (months)?

Sediment Sampling Bacteria Testing Special samplers

March 12, 2015

EPA Review

EPA Review

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Dec. 19, 2014Pre-Design Work Plan Submitted

to EPA

March 20, 2014Advised EPA of

interest to pursue in-situ Bioremediation

Study

Oct Nov Dec

2014

March-May May-June July – August September-November

Pilot Study

Work Plan

November-Present

Revised Pilot

Study

Work Plan

Pilot Study

Statement

of Work

May 15, 2014Submitted Pilot

Study Statement of Work to EPA

July 1, 2014Submitted Pilot Study Work Plan

to EPA

Sept. 2, 2014EPA Review Comments

Received

Nov. 20, 2014Submitted Revised

Pilot Study Work Plan to EPA

2015

Jan

March 12, 2015

Feb Mar

March 2015EPA/DEP

Comments on Pre-Design Work

Plan

Design & Contracting Pilot Study Final

Report

Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov

2016

Jan Mar May

March 2015Re-Submission of Pilot Study Work

Plan to EPA

April – July 2015Pre-Design Studies

Jul Sep Nov

20172015

2016Interim Pilot Study Report

2017Final Pilot

Study Report

March-July 2015 July-August 2015 August 2015 – May 2017 May-July 2017

Caisson Fab. &

Installation

Jan Mar Jul

June 2015NJDEP/EPA Permitting Completed

EPA Review/Approval Pilot Study Work Plan

EPA Review

Pre-Design

Plan

March 12, 2015

Faster Remedy

• Innovative Remedy Could Be

Implemented Sooner

• Lower Remedy Costs Could

Facilitate Better Cooperation

March 12, 2015

Job Creation and Education

• Good Jobs

• Transferable Skills

• Higher Learning/Skill

Opportunities

• Direct Involvement of Local

Universities and Colleges

• New Industry of High-Tech

Research Jobs March 12, 2015

Passaic Leadership

• International Model for 21st Century

Urban Waterway Clean-Ups

• Business Opportunities

• Enhanced Image

March 12, 2015

SUPPORT A BETTER SOLUTION

SUPPORT PROJECT in-ECO

THANK YOUMarch 12, 2015

1) “Production and Dechlorination of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxinin Historically- Contaminated Estuarine Sediments”; I.D. Albrecht, A.L. Barkovskii, and P. Adriaens, January 1999

2) “Reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated dioxins by an anaerobic bacterium”; Michael Bunge, Lorenz Adrian, Angelika Kraus, Matthias Opel,

Wilhelm G. Lorenz, Jan R. Andreesen, Helmut Gorisch and Ute Lechner, January 2003

3) “Role of “Dehalococcoides” spp. in the Anaerobic Transformation of Hexachlorobenzene in European Rivers”; NeslihanTas, Miriam H. A. van Eekert, Anke Wagner, Gosse Schraa,Willem M. de Vos,and Hauke Smidt, July 2011

4) “Quantifying Enhanced Microbial Dehalogenation Impacting the Fate and Transport of Organohalide Mixtures in Contaminated Sediments”; Max Haggblom, Donna Fennell, Lisa Rodenburg, Lee Kerkhof, Kevin Sowers, February 2012

5) “Dechlorination of Commercial PCBs and Other Multiple Halogenated Compounds by a Sediment-Free Culture Containing Dehalococcoides and Dehalobacter”; Shanquan Wang and Jianzhong He, August 2013

6) “Genomic Characterization of Three Unique Dehalococcoides that Respire on Persistent Polychlorinated Biphenyls”; Shanquan Wang, Kern Rei Chng, Andreas Wilm, Siyan Zhao , Kun-Lin Yang Niranjan Nagarajan and Jianzhong He, August 2014

7) “Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strain DCMB5 Respires a Broad Spectrum of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds”; Marlén Pöritz, Christian L. Schiffmann, Gerd Hause, Ulrike Heinemann, Jana Seifert, Nico Jehmlich, Martin von Bergen, Ivonne Nijenhuis, Ute Lechner, January 2015

Recent Scientific Advances – Reference Materials

March 12, 2015

Clean & Green PolicyEPA Region 2

Selected EPA Green Policy

Website LinksPrinciples for Greener

CleanupsEPA HQ

EPA CLU-IN

EPA OSWER

EPA REGION 2

March 12, 2015

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SUPPORT A BETTER SOLUTION

SUPPORT PROJECT in-ECO

THANK YOU

March 12, 2015