NEW BEDFORD HARBOR SUPERFUND PROJECT, ACUSHNET RIVER ESTUARY 



ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDY OF DREDGING AND DREDGED 



MATERIAL DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVES 



SETTLING AND CHEMICAL CLARIFICATION TESTS 

 PART I: INTRODUCTION 



1. In August 1984, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 

 reported on the Feasibility Study of Remedial Action Alternatives for the 

 Upper Acushnet River Estuary above the Coggeshall Street Bridge, New Bedford, 

 MA (NUS Corporation 1984) . The USEPA received extensive comments on the pro- 

 posed remedial action alternatives from other Federal, state, and local offi- 

 cials, potentially responsible parties, and individuals. Responding to these 

 comments, the USEPA chose to conduct additional studies to better define 

 available cleanup methods. Because dredging was associated with all of the 

 removal alternatives, the USEPA requested the Nation's dredging expert, the 

 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) , to conduct an Engineering Feasibility 

 Study (EFS) of dredging and disposal alternatives. A major emphasis of the 

 EFS was placed on evaluating the potential for contaminant releases from both 

 dredging and disposal operations. 



2. The technical phase of the EFS was completed in March 1988. How- 

 ever, as part of Task 8 of the EFS, the results of the study were compiled in 

 a series of 12 reports, listed below. 



a. Report 1, "Study Overview." 



b. Report 2, "Sediment and Contaminant Hydraulic Transport 

 Investigations." 



c. Report 3, "Characterization and Elutriate Testing of Acushnet 

 River Estuary Sediment." 



d. Report 4, "Surface Runoff Quality Evaluation for Confined 

 ~~ Disposal." 



e. Report 5, "Evaluation of Leachate Quality." 



f. Report 6, "Laboratory Testing for Subaqueous Capping." 



g. Report 7, "Settling and Chemical Clarification Tests." 



h. Report 8, "Compatibility of Liner Systems with New Bedford 

 Harbor Dredged Material Contaminants." 



