Highlights & Updates

Members present:  Larry Feldman, Susan Chapnick, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Ileen Gladstone, David Begelfer, Jeff Hardin, Michelle O'Brien, Jeff Porter, and Janine Commerford.  Forty-two people signed the sign-in sheet.

Welcome and Program Updates - Assistant Commissioner Janine Commerford welcomed the group and reviewed the agenda.  Updates included:

• The next SAC meeting is scheduled for January 22
• Anna Symington, BWSC DRD for the western region, is leaving at the end of December to assume the position of Executive Director of the UMass Amherst Alumni Association
• MassDEP sustained a $2.5M cut in FY 2008; projects may slow down and new requests for bond funds will be limited
• November is Brownfields month; the last of 4 events (Taunton) will be held on November 25
• Advisory Committee has four vacancies; Janine (Janine.commerford@state.ma.us) welcomes recommendations for candidates to fill the slots.  See SAC Membership List.
• Electronic submittals are mandatory as of 1/1/2009; LSPA helped with outreach through its mailing list.  Contact Carl Shapiro (cshapiro@wheatestonecorp.com) with concerns that MassDEP can address through training to be held in December and January
• BWSC will issue an RFR in December to procure the services of rescue tugs to implement last summer's amendments to the Marine Oil Spill Act
• Homeowners Oil Spill Insurance bill was amended by the insurance industry to eliminate the mandatory provision
  The first Indoor Air workgroup meeting is on 12/4; its goal is to develop guidance that includes existing material and addresses additional issues. Contact Gerard (gerard.martin@state.ma.us) to join the distribution list
• Janine is drafting an article for the LSPA News that explains why audits are being performed on pre-2006 RAOs based on the old PCE GW-2 standard; this issue will be on the January 22 meeting agenda
• Janine urged LSPs to work through the regional office chain of command if they have concerns with how program staff are approaching are applying the regulations/handling a case

Download of audio of SAC Welcome and Opening Remarks from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/MassdepBwscac-11202008-Introduction
(mp3 audio file and other formats)

BWSC Guidance Development Topics - Liz Callahan reviewed the list of current policy projects:

See Current Policy Project Matrix

• AUL Guidance Revisions
• LNAPL (to be discussed later by Ken Marra)
• Comprehensive Vapor Intrusion Guidance
• Comprehensive Remedial Action Guidance, including Sustainability Considerations (requested that LSPA help with a survey of its members)
• Residential Oil Spill Expedited Assessment Guidance
• APH CAM Method
• CAM Revisions (contact Don Muldoon (Donald.muldoon@state.ma.us to join the workgroup) 
• Asbestos in Soil (will check with Sarah Weinstein to see if she has met with landfill representatives; topic will be an agenda item at the January 22 meeting)
• Historic Fill
• Study of Sediment EPH Concentrations
• Significant Figures (preparing a second draft that separates technical and policy considerations to be discussed at the January 22 or March 26 meeting)
• Default Fish Consumption Rates Technical Update

Download of audio of BWSC Guidance Development topics from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/MassDEP_BWSCAC_11202008_Policy_Update
(mp3 audio file and other formats)

LNAPL Workgroup Scope - Ken Marra noted that the LNAPL "white papers" issued by the LSPA offer the workgroup a solid starting point (first meeting is on December 15 from 1 - 3 pm).  See the  NAPL Workgroup page for more information.  The focus of the workgroup is to look at other approaches beyond LNAPL thickness for assessing/addressing potential LNAPL mobility. Of 427 LNAPL petroleum sites, about 80 appear, from a statistical review, to be prevented from meeting the requirements for a Permanent Solution because LNAPL exceeds the 1/2" UCL.  See NAPL Presentation Slides.

Workgroup topics include:

• Conceptual Site Model
• Potential exposure pathways
• Principles of LNAPL mobility and "Residual Oil Saturation"
• Previous studies, existing empirical data sets, federal and state policies 
• Analytical data requirements and methods
• Implementation under existing regulations
• Possible future regulatory changes

Download of audio of LNAPL Workgroup Scope from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/MassDEP_BWSCAC_11202008_LNAPL_Discussion
(mp3 audio file and other formats)

Draft Technical Update on Default Fish Consumption Rates - Lydia Thompson discussed the process by which the default number (does not include shellfish) was established, noting that it was selected to protect avid anglers that share their catch:  32 grams per day for adults and half that for children.  This level is higher than the previous value of 26 grams per day.  See Draft Technical Update.

Download of audio Draft Technical Update on Default Fish Consumption Rates                           from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/MassDEP_BWSCAC_11202008_Fish_Consumption_Rates
(mp3 audio file and other formats)

Presentation on MassDEP's FAST Vehicle - John Fitzgerald led a Powerpoint presentation that featured the Field Assessment and Support Team vehicle's many highlights.  The Danvers explosion 2 years ago made clear the limitations MassDEP staff faced in obtaining timely, accurate information on scene.  The upshot: a van costing $180K with $120K in modular support equipment that is used in the regional office's everyday activities when the vehicle is not in use.  Features include: a big map printer; direct push well capability; a weather station for real time meteorological data to support air modeling; and asbestos and air sampling equipment.  Twenty staff members are currently on the team.

Download of audio of Presentation on MassDEP's FAST Vehicle from Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/MassDEP_BWSCAC_11202008_FAST_Vehicle
(mp3 audio file and other formats)

Handouts

Current BWSC Policy Projects Matrix

MS Word 38 KB | PDF 21 KB

LNAPL Workgroup Information

Web page

LNAPL Presentation Slides

MS Powerpoint 253 KB | PDF 244 KB

Draft Technical Update:
Default Fish Ingestion Rates and Exposure Assumptions for Human Health Risk Assessments

MS Word 56 KB | PDF 59 KB

FAST Vehicle Presentation

MS Powerpoint 1.5 MB | PDF 2.2 MB

WSCAC Membership

Web page