Environmental Institute Approach to the

Kalamazoo River Watershed

Introduction

There is increasing recognition and concern regarding the ecological damage and adverse human health effects that occur when environments are contaminated with toxic substances. A primary focus of such concern is a 80-mile long stretch of the Kalamazoo River Watershed that is sufficiently contaminated with PCBs, PAHs, metals, and other toxins to be listed on the Superfund National Priorities List. Fish and wildlife from the watershed have been shown to have elevated contaminant levels in their blood and tissues. People who live in the watershed are exposed to these contaminants through direct contact with contaminated media, and through food consumption. Many of the people eating the fish caught in the watershed are from poor and minority populations.

In a recent study, anglers who ate fish from the watershed were shown to have higher blood PCB levels than anglers who did not eat their catch (Klaviter, et. al., 1998), and less than half of the 938 anglers surveyed were aware of fish consumption advisories that have been in place in the watershed since 1977. Officials from Kalamazoo County and the neighboring Allegan County, both, of which the Kalamazoo River runs through, are convinced of the need to extend an outreach and education effort to the at-risk populations in order to decrease fish consumption.

Furthermore, contaminants have migrated offsite onto residential and recreational-use properties, into ground water and possibly into municipal and private drinking water sources. The complex array of acute and chronic biological responses elicited by different contaminants coupled with their potential for synergism, promotion, antagonism and activation in combinations need to be much better understood as do the fate and transport of these contaminants.

Officials from the counties as well as the state are eager to involve WMU as a neutral third party that can provide the scientific, educational, and outreach expertise needed to assess the health risks associated with the river, and determine risk abatement alternatives in contaminant cleanup decisions.

Overall Theme

Environmental Institute research related to the Kalamazoo River aims to assess and reduce the environmental and human health risks resulting from exposure to contaminants and contaminant mixtures found in the Kalamazoo River Superfund site. The research program will produce reliable and impartial information that will be of value to interested parties at this particular site, and also, at other Superfund sites.

These facts are known: the river is contaminated; wildlife is contaminated; humans who eat the wildlife are contaminated. Contaminant levels in human blood are high enough to indicate that adverse health effects may be occurring. Basic research is needed to gain a better understanding of the nature of health effects caused by the mixtures of contaminants found in the river.

We need to develop biotechnology methods for more rapid risk assessment. We need to determine better methods for reducing exposure to contaminants in river sediments and bank soils, and to promote remediation. We need to produce better models for predicting risk associated with contaminant mixtures and we need to find better ways to warn people about potential health effects from river associated activities.

Goals and Objectives

The overall goals of the Environmental Institute regarding the Kalamazoo River are the following:

To do research that improves our ability to assess the ecosystem and human health impacts of exposures to contaminants and contaminant mixtures in the Kalamazoo River system.

To determine better ways to remediate the landfills, impoundments, and considerable areas of the river that are contaminated.

To make all data available to the potentially responsible parties, governmental decision-makers, and stakeholders for use in making rational and non-adversarial decisions about land-use related to the Kalamazoo River Watershed.

In the long term to improve identification of remediation strategies and priorities using risk-based cleanup criteria coupled with creative land-use planning to make maximum use of the watershed resource. This work will allow more rapid economic development for reestablishing the Kalamazoo River as a regional asset.

Projected Outcomes of Funded Work

Enhanced basic research concerning human and ecosystems health effects of contaminants found in the Kalamazoo River.

Research for the production of new molecular tools for predicting health risk.

Characterization of current and potential exposure routes of river contaminants by understanding their fate and transport.

Provision of new GIS-based tools for use by local policymakers in environmental decision-making.

Recommendations for remedial activities.

Background

The Kalamazoo River Superfund site is part of a much bigger picture in southwest Michigan, indeed in the entire Great Lakes Basin. The site lies within a stretch of the Kalamazoo River watershed known as an "Area of Concern" as identified by the 1987 amendments to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. There are remedial action planning and public input components required by both the Superfund process and the international agreement regarding Areas of Concern. The Kalamazoo River Public Advisory Council wrote a 56-page Remedial Action Plan in 1998. Members include representatives from local businesses, agriculture, landowners, hunters and fishers, local governments, public health agencies, educators, and environmental activists. Though the RAP met with much support in the area, there is still disagreement among the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), the EPA/DEQ site management team, and the Public Advisory Council regarding cleanup priorities and methods and levels of clean up.

Geography of the Kalamazoo River Watershed

The Kalamazoo River watershed is a system of lakes, rivers and other waterways in southwestern Michigan, stretching 162 miles and terminating in Lake Michigan. There are about 2,450 lakes and ponds totaling 37,500 acres and 542 linear miles of major streams scattered across the watershed (Beck, 1998). Nearly 400,000 people live in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

The watershed covers more than 2,000 square miles in 10 counties beginning on the border of Lake Michigan. These counties include Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, and Van Buren (Beck, 1998). There are 21 cities and villages and 76 townships along the river or river tributaries in the watershed. Most of the population is concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Kalamazoo (80,277 people) and Battle Creek (53,540 people; 1990 census figures). Census figures for other areas include Portage (41,042), Albion (10,066), Marshall (6,891), Plainwell (4,057), Otsego (3,937), and Allegan (4,547) (Beck, 1998).

About 96 percent of the land in the watershed is privately owned. The remaining 55,000 acres are publicly owned, including the Allegan State Game area (48,000 acres) and the Fort Custer Recreation Area (3,000 acres). Land use is 57% agriculture, 3% wetlands, 21% forest, 2% open water, 8% urban areas, and 9% other uses (Beck, 1998).

The river is a geographical highlight and scenic focal point for Kalamazoo and Allegan counties, but, due to presence of environmental contaminants in river water, soils and sediments, river properties have not been redeveloped to maximize economic potential or community revitalization.

Superfund Descriptions

The watershed includes the Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund site (AKPR site) which spans the Michigan counties of Kalamazoo and Allegan.

The AKPR site comprises five operable units, all of which are heavily contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)(Beck, 1998). According to a consultant to the potentially responsible parties, approximately 75 percent of the PCBs present in sediments are Aroclor 1242. The remaining PCBs are Aroclor 1248, 1254, and 1260.

Four of the operable units (Allied Paper/Bryant Mill Pond, Willow Blvd/A-site, King Highway Landfill, 12th Street Landfill) became contaminated with PCBs as a result of receiving paper residuals generated coincident or concurrent with the recycling and de-inking of PCB-containing carbonless copy paper.

The fifth operable unit, which comprises 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River extending from Morrow Dam to the river mouth at Lake Michigan, became contaminated with PCBs as a result of the migration of PCB-laden soils and sediments from the other four operable units. At all operable units receiving contaminated paper residuals, PCBs are found in soils, sediments and groundwater at levels exceeding health-based values (e.g., MDNR Act 307 Types A-C B Cleanup Criteria). The PCB mixture in source materials has been identified as primarily being aroclor 1242, which was used in carbonless copy paper from 1957 to 1971.

Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit

The Willow Boulevard and A-Site are located adjacent to the Kalamazoo River a short distance upstream from the King Highway Landfill. The two sites are separated by Olmstead Creek and the Willow Boulevard Site is also bounded by Davis Creek, with both Creeks emptying into the Kalamazoo River.

The Willow Boulevard site was a repository for dewatered paper-making residuals excavated from the King Highway dewatering lagoons. The A-Site was originally a series of dewatering lagoons, and later was a repository for material excavated from the King Highway dewatering lagoons. PCBs at concentrations as high as 270 ppm have been detected in disposal areas at the Willow Boulevard site, while PCBs in disposal and former lagoon areas at the A-Site have been found at levels as high as 330 ppm (Blasland, et. al., 1995). PCBs also have been detected (0.028-42 ppm) in soils extending from disposal areas at the Willow Boulevard site to the Kalamazoo River. They occur in riverbank soils adjoining the A-Site, in sediments from those portions of Davis and Olmstead Creeks that are adjacent to the two sites, and in groundwater collected at the sites (Blasland, et. al., 1995). On-site consolidation and containment of PCB-containing material has been proposed for the site (EPA, 1998).

King Highway Landfill Operable Unit

The King Highway Landfill is located adjacent to the Kalamazoo River downstream of the Morrow Lake Dam, which marks the upstream boundary of the Kalamazoo River operable unit. The landfill was constructed in the late 1950s as a series of settling lagoons used until 1977 to dewater paper-making residuals present in clarifier underflow (Ecology & Environment, 1997).

Clarifier overflow, originally discharged directly to the Kalamazoo River, subsequently was discharged to emergency lagoons located adjacent the clarifier. In 1980, the emergency lagoons were excavated and the material disposed of in the King Highway Landfill. Between 1964 and 1975, the King Highway dewatering lagoons were periodically excavated and the waste material disposed of in the Willow Boulevard site.

After the Willow Boulevard site reaching capacity in 1975, waste material from the excavated lagoons was sent to A-Site (Ecology & Environment, 1997). During the remedial investigation of the King Highway Landfill, the operable unit consisted of four fill areas (cells) separated from the Kalamazoo River by earthen dikes. The soils of all four fill areas and the earthen dikes were found to contain paper residuals and PCBs at concentrations up to 310 ppm (Blasland, et. al., 1994a). PCBs at 1.4 ppb were also detected in one monitoring well located within the paper residuals, and PCBs at 0.026 ppb were detected in ponded water in Cell 4 (Blasland, et. al., 1997). In 1996, a stabilization wall was constructed between the landfill and the Kalamazoo River.

12th Street Landfill Operable Unit

The 12th Street Landfill is located adjacent to the Kalamazoo River just downstream of the Plainwell Dam. As with the Willow Boulevard/A-Site, the 12th Street Landfill served as a disposal area for material excavated from lagoons used to dewater paper residuals (Blasland & Bouck Engineers, 1992). PCB concentrations as high as 158 ppm are found in landfill disposal areas (Geraghty & Miller, 1994a). Between 1955 and 1967, a retaining berm was constructed at the landfill to prevent sludge from the site entering into the Kalamazoo River (RMT, 1990). Between 1974 and 1980, the berm was increased in thickness and extended around the entire perimeter of the landfill. The material used in making the berm is reported to be gravel, ash and paper residuals (Geraghty & Miller, 1994a). In 1984, the 12th Street Landfill was covered with soil and seeded (RMT, 1990).

Kalamazoo River Operable Unit

The Kalamazoo River Operable Unit spans 80 miles of the river's length, from Morrow Dam at the outlet of Morrow Lake to the river mouth at Lake Michigan. Historically, six dams were present along the stretch of the river downstream of Morrow dam: the Plainwell Dam, Otsego Dam, Otsego City Dam, Trowbridge Dam, Allegan City Dam and Lake Allegan Dam. All but the Otsego City Dam were used to generate hydroelectric power.

In 1988, the Plainwell, Otsego and Trowbridge Dams were lowered, thus lowering the impoundments behind the dams. The 12th Street, Kings Highway and Willow Boulevard/A-Site operable units all adjoin the river, while the Allied paper, Inc./Bryant Mill Pond/Portage Creek operable unit adjoins Portage Creek, which feeds into the Kalamazoo River. Additionally, Olmstead and Davis creeks pass through or border the Willow Boulevard/A-site before emptying into the Kalamazoo River.

PCBs from the other four AKPR operable units generally are thought to enter and remain in the Kalamazoo River associated with sediment or soil particles. As a consequence, most of the PCB contamination in the river is thought to be concentrated in impoundments behind dams, since impoundments are sedimentation zones. The total mass of PCBs estimated to have settled behind the Otsego Dam, for example, is 4,000-6,000 lbs., while the total mass estimated to have settled behind the Plainwell Dam is 15,000-20,000 lbs. (Miller, et. al., 1985). River sediments in the full operable unit are estimated to contain over 350,000 lbs. of PCBs (EPA, 1998), with PCB concentrations in river sediments on the order of 10-100 ppm in impoundments. PCB concentrations in river waters are typically 0.01-0.1 ppb, but have been found to be as high as 0.23 ppb.

Other Contaminants in Kalamazoo River Water, Soils and Sediments

In addition to PCBs, a variety of other contaminants also are found at the AKPR site at levels close to or exceeding various health-based concentrations levels. In the soils of operable units receiving contaminated paper residuals, the other contaminants include: polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans; the VOCs acetone, benzene, 2-butanone, ethylbenzene, methylene chloride, toluene, and xylenes; the PAHs benzo[a] pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, fluoranthene, 2-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene; the SVOCs 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 4-methylphenol, and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; the pesticides aldrin, a-chlordane, 4,4'-DDD, 4,4'- DDE, and 4,4'-DDT; other contaminants include the following: polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans; the VOCs, benzene, methylene chloride, and vinyl chloride; the SVOC 4-methylphenol; the pesticide aldrin; and the metals aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, manganese, thallium and zinc (Blasland, et. al., 1994b; Blasland, et. al., 1995; Blasland, et. al., 1997; Geraghty & Miller, 1994a; Geraghty & Miller, 1994b). No systematic testing of neither public nor private drinking water wells in proximity to PCB contaminated ground water has been carried out to date.

Known Health Effects of Fish and Wildlife Populations

Some sites along the river have PCB sediment levels as high as 1000 parts per million, such as the Bryant Mill Pond. Wildlife sampled along the river show high tissue levels of PCBs. An eagle eggshell was found to have high enough PCB concentration (120 ppm) to be considered hazardous waste. Mink captured at Trowbridge Dam showed the highest whole body PCB concentrations of any tested in the United States. In general, mink cannot reproduce if they eat fish with PCB concentrations of 0.64 ppm. Kalamazoo River fish have concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 164 ppm. Ducks in the watershed were found to have 4.8 ppm PCB's; turtles, 1.9 ppm (Smith, 1998; Krasean 1996a, 1996b). Fish from some sites had up to 170 ppm of PCB concentration, DDT concentrations up to 0.68 ppm. Fish also showed varying levels of mercury, dieldrin, chlordane, DDD, DDE, and heptachlorepoxide.

Human Exposures Related to Ingestion of Contaminated Fish

There is currently an advisory, due to mercury and PCB contamination in the watershed, alerting people to avoid eating the fish they catch in the area. Unfortunately, a recent survey of anglers on the Kalamazoo River showed that some people are eating the fish and have higher PCB levels in their blood than do anglers who do not eat the fish caught in the watershed (Klaviter, et. al., 1998). (Subsequent to the study, the Kalamazoo County Human Services Department and the Allegan County Health Department specifically identified an at-risk population of Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and Hispanics who are often observed fishing in the watershed.)

The Michigan Dept. of Health performed the angler survey, based upon a recommendation from ATSDR, to define the number of people eating fish from the Kalamazoo River. The overall objective was to determine if exposure to contaminants in Kalamazoo River fish was occurring at levels of public health concern. The study identified people who regularly ate fish from contaminated zones of the river and recorded the demographic characteristics, health habits, health status, fishing habits, fish consumption patterns, knowledge of fishing advisories, and blood levels of environmental contaminants.

The study sample included 938 anglers. About 11 percent of these participants reported that they and their household ate fish from the river more than once per week. The study reported that an "unknown fraction" of these anglers might eat fish frequently enough to be subsistence anglers. About 14 percent said they ate fish once per week, and 34 percent said they ate fish once per month. About 11 percent also said they ate turtles from the river.

The study showed that Kalamazoo River fish eaters had higher mean blood residue levels of total PCB and DDE (p< 0.01) than non-fish eaters (PCB, 2.1 vs. 1.1 ppb; DDE, 2.75 vs. 1.93 ppb). PCB blood levels in fish eaters ranged from 0.1 to 73 ppb. Older fish eaters had higher blood concentrations of PCB and DDE (over 45 years of age; 3.35 ppb PCB, 4.44 ppb DDE) than did younger (31 to 45 years of age; 1.65 ppb PCB, 2.66 ppb DDE) or still younger fish eaters (under age 31; PCB 0.9 ppb, DDE 1.31 ppb). Fish eaters had mercury whole blood levels ranging from 2.0 to 9.6 ppb compared to non-fisheaters (2.1 to 6.1 ppb), although these results were not statistically significant in this sample.

Compared to a similar study done in Wisconsin on similar but unpolluted sites, Kalamazoo River fish eaters ate less fish but had higher mean PCB levels than the Wisconsin fish eaters. The study also found that less than half the anglers surveyed were aware of the fish consumption advisories in effect for Kalamazoo River.

Superfund Decisions and Cleanup Activities to Date

Under the direction of the EPA, the potentially responsible parties fenced highly contaminated areas of the Allied Paper, Inc. property in late 1990 and early 1991. These areas and several others along the river were posted with "No Entry - Hazardous Substances" signs (EPA, 1996). The cleanup strategy for the area was to include an investigation by the potentially responsible parties, under State supervision, to determine the nature and extent of contamination. At the conclusion of the investigation, cleanup alternatives are to be examined and a final cleanup remedy will be selected, although emergency cleanup activities are already ongoing at the Bryant Mill Pond Site. However, no decision has been reached regarding the clean up of contaminated soil and sediments that are within the river itself (EPA, 1996).

The State has identified three potentially responsible parties who have signed an Administrative Order of Consent in which the parties agreed to fund and conduct the site study. An extensive community involvement program exists at the site. The State has established a Government Advisory Committee and a Citizens Advisory Committee that meet bimonthly. Participants on the Citizens Advisory Committee include a local citizens group that has received a Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) from EPA and 40 other interested citizens. Progress reports and fact sheets are being sent to more than 600 citizens in an effort to keep them apprised of the progress at the site (EPA, 1996).

Current Issues Being Negotiated Among Stakeholders

Superfund site managers hold bimonthly meetings for local stakeholders and officials in order to share information about what is being done in the watershed. However, there is some disagreement among community members, potentially responsible parties, local officials, and Superfund site managers about contamination levels in various areas of the river, associated risk, and best cleanup solutions. In fact the Kalamazoo Watershed Public Advisory Council has publicly presented a list of improvements they consider essential for the successful completion of the Superfund process. One improvement is to cleanup PCBs at the operable unit sites to an order of magnitude less (0.3 ppm vs. 3 ppm) than what is being pursued by the Superfund site managers.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the health risks of PCBs at the sites. Also, risk assessments used to set cleanup levels were specific for just PCBs and do not account for the presence of other contaminants. So far cleanup decisions have been related to just human health issues, and have not taken ecosystem health risk into account. Local citizens are concerned that once clean up takes place, clean up to lower levels in the future is not feasible. Therefore, they are eager to understand both human health and ecosystem health risks associated with contaminant mixtures at the operable unit sites and in the river itself. They wish to incorporate these data into the final remediation decisions so that cleanup activities will not have to be repeated in the future. Thus, issues regarding cleanup of contaminants in the river and future river use can best be solved by carrying out new science aimed at defining associated risks and determining the safest and most cost-effective methods for dealing with contaminated river sediments and soils.

The spokesperson for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Public Advisory Council commented at the public Superfund site meeting on March 24, 1999, that, with at least some land-based cleanup underway, the plan for remediating the River should now be top priority, with high standards for cleanup being essential. This planning should be based on up-to-date and comprehensive data about PCB levels in the River. He commented that PCBs should be removed to a level tenfold less (to 0.3 ppm in sediments) than is currently being pursued by project managers and the Army Corps of Engineers. Since Superfund criteria are designed to protect human health and the environment, additional data concerning fate and transport of contaminants and ecosystem and human health risk are essential for bringing consensus and a common overview regarding cleanup levels and priorities related to cleanup of the river itself.

In addition, the public advisory council urged that natural resources damage assessment should be carried out to determine how to restore a healthy ecosystem including non-contaminated wildlife, to the full course of the River. This process could be expedited by the availability of new tools for measuring risk associated with the presence of contaminants in environmental phases, in wildlife, and in humans who consume fish and wildlife associated with the River.

Finally, there has been much discussion about the most appropriate methods for cleaning up contaminated sites on the river and the river itself. At this point, massive dredging appears to be the only alternative for effectively removing the contamination. Since the Superfund site includes miles of the river, dredging can be extremely expensive and also might release contaminants to flow down stream to Lake Michigan. The Environmental Institute will test alternative remediation strategies for their effectiveness in dealing with contamination in situ.

The Environmental Institute's approach to the Kalamazoo River watershed will serve as an important source of new information and technology regarding difficult remediation decisions. Relevance to the Superfund Research and outreach regarding the Superfund sites in the Kalamazoo River watershed is vital.This is not an exercise in "what if" - the river is contaminated, people and wildlife are being exposed. Exposure reduction and final remediation will cause a real reduction in contamination and in health risks.

The river runs through the city of Kalamazoo, home to Western Michigan University. WMU researchers are uniquely located and informed in dealing with the issues that affect the residents of the area. Local and state officials are eager to see closure in the Superfund process in Kalamazoo. Many have said that the process has taken too long already. Research and outreach to the public through WMU and the affected counties can bring faster closure.

Overall Importance

Recognizing the geographic and legislative limitations of Superfund, and responding to community and interested party demands for a comprehensive assessment of potential future uses of the entire Kalamazoo River Watershed, the Environmental Institute at Western Michigan University will act as the catalyst for the development of a comprehensive plan for the Kalamazoo River Watershed from Calhoun County to Lake Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health has already expressed interest in transferring findings from the Kalamazoo site, particularly the outreach component, to other Superfund and polluted rivers in Michigan. Furthermore, the development of a comprehensive plan will serve as a model for other communities throughout the country. Treating the watershed in its entirety, crossing the boundaries of counties and other jurisdictions is a challenge. Other communities can look to the creation of this plan when developing their own strategies in contaminant remediation and land-use planning.

WMU Kalamazoo River Watershed Initiative: An EPA Funded Project Being Carried Out by the WMU Environmental Institute

The Western Michigan University (WMU) Environmental Institute/Environmental Research Center's mission is to engage in rigorous, interdisciplinary research and problem solving that investigates environmental issues and evaluates and implements effective solutions. This process provides balanced, unbiased information available for planners, policymakers and citizens to use in environmental assessment, and also produces new technologies for mitigating environmental problems. The WMU Environmental Institute's Kalamazoo River Watershed Initiative is based on this mission and provides cutting-edge research that builds upon studies sponsored by federal and state agencies, educates students and the public about complex environmental and watershed issues, and works with local environmental stakeholder groups in producing real solutions to problems that are currently limiting economic development.

Description of Work Plan

The Kalamazoo River Watershed Initiative involves researchers from the Environmental Institute, and the Depts. of Chemistry, Geosciences and Geography. The following are specific tasks related to the Kalamazoo River Watershed Initiative with deliverables expected before midsummer of 2001.

Task 1-Fate & Transportation of Contaminants in the Kalamazoo River Watershed.

Project Leader: Jay Means, Ph.D., Chairperson, Dept. of Chemistry; Professor of Chemistry; Associate Director, Environmental Institute.

Deliverables:

1. Detailed inventory of contaminants (organic and trace metals) in sediments in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

2. Fate and transport characterization of the contaminants in a three-phase (water-sediment- colloid) system in the major water impoundments in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

3. Estimates of key rate constants for major transport routes active in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

Task 2-Bioavailability and Effects of Contaminants in Kalamazoo River Aquatic Ecosystem.

Project Leader: Jay Means, Ph.D., Chairperson, Dept. of Chemistry; Professor of Chemistry; Associate Director, Environmental Institute.

Deliverables:

1. Determine bioavailability and bioaccumulation of selected contaminants (organic and trace metals) in tissues of indigenous bivalve species in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

2. Determine the rates and extent of bioaccumulation in transplanted bivalve species in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

3. Determine the bioaccumulation of selected contaminants (organic and trace metals) in tissues of indigenous species of turtles in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

4. Determine the effects of feeding selected individual chemicals and mixtures upon the immune system function of bluegill.

5. Determine the effects of feeding selected individual chemicals and mixtures upon the expression of various markers of cell damage (e.g., p53, ras, apoptosis, etc.) in the bluegill or Gambusia affinis.

Task 3-Molecular Based Risk Assessment.

Project Leader: Charles Ide, Ph.D., Director, Environmental Institute and Environmental Research Center, Professor of Bioloogical Sciences.

Deliverables:

1. Clone and sequence biomarker genes and control genes for the frog, Xenopus, for use in molecular-based aquatic risk assessment.

2. Using Real Time PCR methods define changes in specific biomarker gene activity patterns for use in rapid, inexpensive molecular based eco-risk assessment related to environmental exposures to methylmercury and/or PCB's.

3. Use Real Time PCR data exposure as the basis for an automated DNA microarray approach to defining ecosystem and human health risk.

Task 4-Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Project

Leader: David Dickason, Ph.D., Professor of Geography, Director of Geographic Information Systems Research Center and the Institute for Water Science's Groundwater Education in Michigan Regional Center.

Deliverables:

1. Produce digital GIS Data Layers (in ArcInfo export format) for three townships (Pine Grove, Jamestown, and Byron townships) to include for each: 1) digital base map; 2) 1978 land cover; 3) presettlement land cover (ca. 1800); 4) soils (based on existing soils surveys); 5) wetlands (based on existing non-digital National Wetlands Inventory); 6) 1996 land cover; and 7) current zoning (if available from township).

2. Prepare digital 1996 Land Cover GIS Data (in ArcInfo export format) for Orangeville, Yankee Springs, Prairieville, and Barry townships.

3. Prepare digital GIS Data of 1978 Land Cover Calibrated for Wetlands (in ArcInfo export format).

4. Prepare paper copies of 1978 Land Cover Calibrated for Wetlands for each local government in the Kalamazoo River Lower AOC Region. (These will be sent to each local government to be attached to the watershed resource planning atlases now under development for them). One sample paper copy of these maps will be provided to USEPA as an examplar of the materials that have been distributed to local governments for their use.

5. Prepare Protocols for Analysis of Pathways of Contaminant Migration from the Kalamazoo River into the Watershed.

Task 5-Mammalian Toxicology and Risk Assessment Project

Leader: Jay Means, Ph.D., Chairperson, Dept. of Chemistry; Professor of Chemistry; Associate Director, Environmental Institute

Deliverables:

1. Determine the effects of feeding selected individual Kalamazoo Watershed related chemicals and mixtures upon the immune system function of the Fisher 344 rat.

2. Determine the effects of feeding selected individual chemicals and mixtures upon the expression of various markers of cell damage (e.g., p53, ras, apoptosis, etc.) in the Fisher 344 rat.

Task 6-Alternative Remediation Technologies

Project Leaders: Duane Hampton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geosciences and Daniel Cassidy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geosciences.

Deliverables:

1. Test the use of permeable geotextile materials to serve as a "biointrusion barrier" to contain PCB-laden sediment.

2. Determine if partial chemical oxidation of PCBs with ozone enhances PCB biodegradability).

References

1. Beck, R., April 1998. The Kalamazoo River: Beauty and the Beast, Remedial and Preventative Action Plan for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Area of Concern. Kalamazoo River Watershed Public Advisory Committee.

2. Blasland & Bouck Engineers, P.C., July 1992. Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, Description of the Current Situation.

3. Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. 1994a Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. Technical Memorandum 3: Results of the Floodplain Soils Investigation, Vol. 1 of 2.

4. Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. 1994b Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. Draft Technical Memorandum 6: King Highway Landfill Operable Unit.

5. Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. 1995 Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. Technical Memorandum 9: Willow Boulevard/A-Site Operable Unit.

6. Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. 1997 Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. Technical Memorandum 7: Allied Paper, Inc. Operable Unit. Vol. 1 of 7.

7. Ecology & Environment, I. 1997 Removal Assessment Report for Allied Paper site/Bryant Mill Pond/Portage Creek.

8. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Superfund website dated 3/96 (www.epa.gov/reg5oopa/landsup.htm). Please note, this website has since been removed, but a similar site can be found that details the Superfund process at www.epa.gov/R5Super/npl/michigan/index.html

9. EPA. 1998 Region 5 NPL Fact Sheet: Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River.

10. Geraghty & Miller, Inc. 1994a Technical Memorandum 8: Remedial Investigation, 12th Street Landfill Operable Unit, Plainwell, Michigan. Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site.

11. Geraghty & Miller, Inc. 1994b Test Pit Investigation Technical Memorandum, 12th Street Landfill Operable Unit, Plainwell, Michigan. Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site.

12. Klaviter, E.; Humphrey, H.; Bloomer, A.W.; and Welch, R., August 1998. Kalamazoo River Angler Survey and Biological Testing Study.

13. Krasean, B., June 11, 1996. A Toxic Legacy, Kalamazoo Gazette.

14. Krasean, B., June 13, 1996. Public Wants River PCB Cleanup, Kalamazoo Gazette.

15. Miller, T. J., Creal, W. S., Suppnick, D. Dissolved Oxygen and Sediment Contamination Consideration in Refurbishment of Defunct Hydropower Site: A Case Study on the Kalamazoo River, Michigan In Symposium on Small Hydropower and Fisheries, ed. F. W. Olson, R. G. White, R. H. Hanre. Aurora, Colorado: The American Fisheries Society, 1985, pp. 114.

16. RMT. 1990 Sampling and Analysis Plan. 12th Street Sludge Disposal Area.

17. Smith, R., December 14, 1998. PCB Levels in River Persist, Study Shows, Kalamazoo G azette.