1.0 INTRODUCTION 



The consideration of BLDS as an alternative site for future disposal operations 

 (Normandeau Associates 1994) and the existence of an extensive data set on observed 

 dredged material at the site (Schoenherr et al. 1992) provided impetus for the study 

 described here. A reconnaissance survey of the Boston Lightship Disposal Site (BLDS), a 

 currently inactive site located 16 nmi east of Boston (Figure 1-1), was conducted under the 

 Disposal Area Monitoring System (DAMOS) Program as part of a long-term effort to 

 investigate historical disposal areas. From the 1940s to 1976, when disposal stopped at 

 BLDS, a majority of the Boston area's dredged material and other debris had been released 

 at the site. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, BLDS received approximately 

 2.3 million m 3 of material dredged from Boston Harbor (Normandeau Associates 1994). 

 Disposal at the site was directed toward the Dumping Ground (DG) buoy. However, the 

 buoy location only served as a general guide for the barges and was not used for point 

 dumping. Although disposal activity was concentrated in an area surrounding the buoy, 

 material was apparently disposed throughout the site. 



Prior to the early 1970s, the oversight of the nature and placement of disposed 

 materials was less stringent than at present. The US Army Corps of Engineers, New 

 England Division (NED), has initiated a cooperative effort to investigate historical disposal 

 sites, whenever possible, to determine existing environmental conditions. One potential 

 remediative activity might be to use present disposal activities to cover old deposits. 



Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) conducted short (9-11 

 August 1994) REMOTS® sediment-profile and plan view photographic surveys of small 

 areas within the disposal area. These areas were deemed likely to contain dredged material 

 based on a previous side-scan survey. The primary objective of the survey was to explore 

 the need for dredged material remediation. The relative health of the benthic environment 

 was determined by the recolonization status of relic dredged material compared to results 

 obtained from ambient sediment. The secondary objective was to determine if there was 

 any evidence to preclude future use of the site for dredged material disposal. Small scale 

 sediment characteristics in the REMOTS® and plan view photographs, in conjunction with 

 features identified in the side-scan records, were examined to determine if the sedimentary 

 environment was suitable for future dredged material disposal. 



Until recently, little was known regarding the location and nature of the material 

 that had been disposed at BLDS. In 1991, the US Environmental Protection Agency 

 (EPA) sponsored a side-scan and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey of BLDS. 

 SAIC supported efforts to locate, identify, and determine the condition of waste containers 

 in the area (Schoenherr et al. 1992). Interpretation of the side-scan records over a 16 nmi 2 



Monitoring Cruise at the Historic Boston Lightship Disposal Site, August 1994 



