TD 195 C58 D47 MOE DETAILED STUDY OF THE SIMCOE COAL GASIFICATION PLANT SITE 0 MAY 1991 0 0 0 Environment I Environnement Ontario I Copyright Provisions and Restrictions on Copying: This Ontario Ministry ofthe Environment work is protected by Cro"N-n copyright (unless otherwise indicated). which is held by the Queen's Printer for Ontario. It may he reproduced for non-commercial purposes if credit is given and CroNvn copyright is acknowledged. It may not be reproduced, in all or in part.. for any commercial purpose except under a licence from the Queen's Printer for Ontario. For information on reproducing Government of Ontario works. please contact ServiceOntario Publications at copvrip-ht'rPontarioxa ISBN 0-7729-8123-X 1 I DETAILED STUDY OF THE SIMCOE COAL GASIFICATION PLANT SITE 0 0 WASTE MANAGEMENT BRANCH ONTARIO MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT MAY 1991 101 AECYCLWI Cette publication technique nest disponible qu'en anglais Copyright: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1991 This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution PISS 1536 I 1 t ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND [DISCLAIMER This report was prepared for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment as part of a Ministry funded project. The views contained within this report are those of this author and do not I necessarily reflect the position or policies of the Ministry of the Environment. I Any person wishing to reproduce all or part of this report should obtain permission to do so from the Waste Management Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 2 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 12A, Toronto, Ontario M4V 1L5. P t I i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report describes the results of a detailed study of the Simcoe coal gasification plant site. The Simcoe site is one of many former coal gasification plant sites in the Province of Ontario which are currently being 0 investigated by property owners and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The Simcoe site was identified by an earlier inventory study as likely having buried coal tar wastes both on-site and off-site in proximity to the Lynn River. Coal tar wastes contain polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH) many of which are toxic and some of which are carcinogenic. I The general objectives of this detailed study were to investigate the existing or potential hazards to humans and the environment that such wastes, if present, may pose and to recommend remedial measures to mitigate such hazards. The study objectives were achieved through review of existing site information and the performance of field studies to determine site conditions including the extent and nature of contamination. Reviews of archival information including gas plant plans, historical lease agreements and Town of Simcoe By-Laws show that the Simcoe gas works operated from about 1891 to ca1911. During this period, coal tar and coal tar wastes were likely produced from retort coal gasification facilities which operated on the southeast corner of Pond and Water Streets adjacent to the Lynn River. The site is now owned by the Town of Simcoe and occupied by the Haldimand Norfolk Information Centre, Lynn River Scout Association, the Simcoe Seniors' Centre, and a pottery workshop. Field investigations were performed to determine the nature and extent of contamination of air, groundwater, sediment and soil in the area of the former I gas works. These investigations included air quality sampling, inspection of utility lines, sediment sampling of the Lynn River and drilling, soil sampling, well installation and groundwater sampling. ii The results of the site investigations show that a 15 m x 44 m area of coal tar contaminated soil and groundwater exists between the former gas works and the Lynn River. The soil in this area is characterized by adsorbed and immobile coal tar wastes. Groundwater in this area shows trace to low levels of priority PAH and some MAH compounds. No free product or separate phase coal tar was observed on-site. Inspections and sampling of the Lynn River shows that there is negligible loading of coal tar wastes to River from the former gas works site. Groundwater discharging to the River contains non-detectable to trace levels of selected MAH and PAH. 1 Air quality sampling performed within the Seniors' Centre, in the basement of Information Centre and outside adjacent to the Lynn River shows that the air quality at the site has not been impacted by coal tar wastes. In summary, the available test results show that there is negligible impact on human health and the environment posed by the former Simcoe gas works site. Consequently, there is no need to undertake remedial action at this site. Future excavation at the site may expose coal tar wastes and safety precautions should be followed to minimize human exposure and dispersal of such wastes to the environment. 1 i i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i I LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES v 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Study Objectives 1 1.3 Study Scope 3 1.4 Site Description 4 1.5 General Chemistry, Environmental Behaviour and Health Effects on Tar Wastes 8 2. SITE INVESTIGATIONS 2.1 Review of Existing Information z.2 Health and Safety Plan 2.2.1 Air Monitoring 2.2.2 Equipment Decontamination 2.3 Inspection and Sampling of Storm Sewers 2.4 Ambient Air Quality Testing 2.5 Soil Vapour Survey 2.6 Drilling, Soil Sampling and Well Installation 2.7 Miniature Piezometer Installation 2.8 Groundwater Testing, Sampling and Monitoring 2.9 Lynn River Investigation 3. INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 37 3.1 Site Geology 37 3.2 Hydrogeology 40 3.3 Extent and Migration of Contamination 42 3.3.1 Soil and Sediment 42 3.3.2 Groundwater 42 3.3.3 Ambient Air 44 4. IMPACT ASSESSMENT 45 t 4.1 Human Health 45 4.2 Environment 46 5. SITE REMEDIATION 48 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50 6.1 Conclusions 50 6.2 Recommendations 52 REFERENCES 53 I iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 APPENDIX A Air Quality Analyses APPENDIX B Stratigraphic and Instrumentation Logs Boreholes 1 to 9 APPENDIX C Soil Leachate Analyses APPENDIX D Slug Test Results - Monitoring Well 8 APPENDIX E Mater Quality Analyses APPENDIX F Sediment Quality Analyses - Lynn River 1 t v LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Page Figure 1.1 Location of Former Simcoe Gas Works 2 Figure 1.2 1906 Plan of Gas Mains and Facilities of Simcoe Gas Works 5 I Figure 1.3 Existing Land Use and Former Gas Plant Structures 1 Figure 1.4 Material Flow Schematic for a Typical Retort Gas Plant 9 Figure 2.1 Storm Water Catch Basins, Sewers and Sumps 19 Figure 2.2 Results of Soil Vapour Survey 24 Figure 2.3 Location of Boreholes, Monitoring Wells and Geologic Cross Sections 25 Figure 2.4 Location of Miniature Piezometers and Sediment Cores in Lynn River 29 Figure 3.1 North-South Geologic Cross Section A-A' 38 0 Figure 3.2 West-East Geologic Cross Section B-B' 39 Figure 3.3 Water Table Contours and Interpreted Groundwater Flow Directions 41 Figure 3.4 Extent of Coal Tar Contamination 43 Table 1.1 Physical and Chemical Properties of Typical Coal Tar Constituents 10 Table 1.2 Carcinogenic Activity of Some Unsubstituted Polycyclic I Aromatic Hydrocarbons (ERT, 1983) 13 Table 2.1 Results of Ambient Air Quality Testing in mg/m3 22 t Table 2.2 Well Installation Details 28 Table 2.3 Hydraulic Test Results 31 I Table 2.4 Field Geochemical Measurements 33 Table 2.5 Water Level Summary 35 t Table 5.1 "ABC" Values for PAH in Soil and Groundwater at Coal Tar Waste Sites 49