Maine Update: GAC Chemical issues cleanup plan for shoreline acid wastes in Stockton Harbor. please read and let's talk

[Ron Huber]

Friends

Here are key docs on GAC Chemical's acid wastelaced shore remediation plan,. pursued under the state's Voluntary Response Action Program. I copied them at the gency office yesterday afternoon. If you have any difficulty reading them, let me know and I can send the scanned documents as email attachments.

The company seems determined to pretend that there is no waste leaving their site - so no cleanup of the waste plumes embedded in the intertidal  mud are necessary, and claims  that the levels of acidity are too low to trigger an enforcement action,  It's doublespeak sometimes   Contrast their info with  our existing documentation

But out of the goodness of their hearts, they will stabilize the shoreline a bit and dig up a lot of old sulfur waste. A great deal better than naught. but still....

  The public communications plan in the November documents  is most disappointing they'd as soon keep the public out of their review process.

Please let me know what you think. There are still around 100 more pages of dopcuments to scan.  Our existing documentation

- Ron Huber - Friends of Penobscot Bay

AUGUST 2014 VRAP  DOCUMENTS

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP: 8/27/14. CES Cover Letter of VRAP application.

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP 8/27/14 Summary of Investigations (2 pg)

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP Investigations Summary Report (14 pages) 

GAC Chemical VRAP Plan CES Remediation and Shoreline Stabilization Plan (12 pages)

NOVEMBER 2014 VRAP DOCUMENTS

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP 11/13/14 Public Communications Plan (4 pgs),  

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP 11/13/14_Dr. Mark Green email to GAC Consultant CES (1 pg) 

GAC Chemical Corp VRAP 2003 Deed Restriction, Certificate of Completion 2/12/03 (1 pg)

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[Liz Barry]

Hi Ron, 

Incredible work. Thank you for sharing these diligent efforts. 

Have you been able to take independent measurements of the acidity in the intertidal mud?

Liz

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@lizbarry

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[Ron Huber]

Hi Liz, all, I am sorry to say we haven't done any  testing pH beyond our garden tool level tests and one by St Josephs college professor Mark Green - which showed far worse pH than what GAC's consultant says it has found.

Moreover, despite the reduction in acid pollution  proposed by GAC Chemical's plan, and the plan's affirmation by Dr. Green, we believe that the already liberated wastes in the flats, particularly monomeric aluminum, are having a negative  impact on bay life. The challenge of acidified aluminum on invertibrate and larval gills  is well known in the literature.  

Both agency and the company consultant agree in the existence of large amounts of aluminum and serious acidificaiotn, but fail to note the toxic effect of this combination on the very fish and shellfish that need this estuarine harbo..

Aluminum expertise would be very helpful - the presence of monomeric aluminum as opposed to aluminum oxide or other molecular forms of aluminum, should outlast the pH depression and still exist after.

Has anyone a  spectrometer that can ID aluminum  preferably monomeric form. but also  aluminum compounds for reference.

If anyone with competent pH testing gear were willing to come by with quality testing gear, we'd be glad to  supply pre- and post-testing/sampling workspace and even  put them up overnight as needed.

We'll also supply fishing poles  and minnow traps - the police will arrest us if we are gathering samples on the flats and beach for scientific purposes, but not if we are testing it for  fishing purposes (in which case we are protected by Maine's Colonial Ordinance, which allows fishing from all Maine's intertidal areas.)  Sigh... 

Ron 

Ron Huber
Friends of Penobscot Bay
POB 1871
Rockland Maine 04841

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