Patterson, J.W.
Georgia Institute of Technology: 2011 Kappe Lecture. Lecture and video runtime: 54:11 minutes, Oct 2011

This online seminar addresses the pros and cons of alternative contaminated sediment remedial approaches and considers the utility of multiple approaches within individual sites. The presentation focuses on the Lower Fox River, Wisconsin, which flows from Lake Winnebago northeast to Green Bay, and drains into Lake Michigan. The Lower Fox River (LFR) megasite comprises ~39 miles of the LFR as well as the Bay of Green Bay, one of the major bays of Lake Michigan, and is one of the nations' largest sediment remediation sites. River bottom sediments throughout the 39-mile length of the river and extending into Green Bay have been contaminated by historical discharges of wastewater from paper mills and publicly owned treatment works located along the river. The PCB wastewater discharges derived from the manufacturing, de-inking, and recycling of carbonless copy paper. An estimated 279,000 to 881,000 pounds of PCBs were released to the river, almost entirely prior to 1972. Persisting today, the PCB contamination has led to excessive body burdens of PCBs in fish, to the point that only catch-and-release fishery is advised on the river. The sediments of the LFR and to a lesser extent the Bay have been the focus of investigation and remediation efforts for decades. This presentation provides an overview of the remedial options evaluated for the contaminated sediments of the River, and the consequent environmental advantages and risks associated with each remedial approach. http://smartech.gatech.edu/handle/1853/42023