Quarterly ground water sampling results, Livingston Rail Yard, Livingston, Montana

98 Pages·1992·3 MB·English

by  Montana. Department of Health and Environmental Sciences

628.161
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THIRD QUARTER
1992
GROUND WATER SAMPLING RESULTS
LIVINGSTON RAIL YARD
LIVINGSTON MONTANA
STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTIGJ,
DEC
11992
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1515 £ 6th AVE
HELENA, MONTANA 59620
Montana Department of Health and
Environmental Sciences
Solid and Hazardous Waste Bureau
Cogswell Building
Helena, Montana 59620
Submitted by:
Burlington Northern Railroad Co.
9401 Indian Creek Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66201
Prepared by:
Envirocon, Inc.
P.O. Box 8243
Missoula, Montana 59807
Submittal Date:
November 11, 1992
ENVIROCON, INC

INTRODUCTION
1.0
This report presents the results of ground water samples collected
during the third quarter of 1992. Ground water sampling for this quarter
consisted of the August quarterly sampling event. The Montana Department
of Health and Environmental Sciences (MDHES) approved Burlington
Northern Railroad’s May 1992 draft Ground Water Sampling Plan, which does
not require ground water sampling during July or September.
RESULTS
2.0
The samples were analyzed by Energy Laboratories, Inc. in Billings,
Montana. Results for the August 1992 quarterly sampling event are presented
below.
2.1 August 1992 Quarterly Ground Water Sampling Event
The August 1992 quarterly sampling event was conducted on August 27
through September 1992. Twenty-two samples were analyzed as part ofthis
1,
event: twenty samples were primary and duplicate samples collected at
monitoring wells within and around the Livingston Rail Yard, and two samples
were trip blanks. All samples were analyzed for purgeable halocarbons by EPA
Method 601. Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 summarize quarterly analytical results for
tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), cis-l,2-dichloroethene (DCE),
and chlorobenzene. Laboratory analytical results and a data validation report
for this sampling event are in Appendix A.
Most of the ground water samples collected during the August 1992
VOC
quarterly sampling round contained dissolved chlorinated concentrations
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that continued the general decline observed during the past three years. A few
notable sample results are described below.
The PCE concentration in the sample from Monitoring Well 89-3 was
170 parts per billion (ppb). Well 89-3 is located immediately downgradient
from the Electric Shop SVE system around the former degreasing area, as
shown on Figure 1.0. This is a concentration decline from previous sample
results and would be interpreted as resulting from removal ofover 300 pounds
ofPCE from soil above the water table at this source area. However, the field
duplicate sample contained a PCE concentration of 420 ppb. This poor
correlation between primary and duplicate samples invalidates both samples.
Further sampling will be necessary to determine the impact of the Electric
Shop SVE system.
Well 92-1 is located immediately downgradient from the SVE system at
the Locomotive Shop manways, as shown on Figure 1.0. The PCE
concentration of 220 ppb in the sample from Monitoring Well 92-1 is
significantly lower than concentrations found in previous quarterly ground
water samples collected at this location. The previous two samples from this
well, collected in February and May 1992, contained 850 ppb and 520 ppb of
PCE, respectively. The August 1992 results probably reflect the removal of
over 110 pounds of PCE from the upgradient source at the Locomotive Shop
manways by SVE.
Monitoring Well 92-2 is located 160 feet east of the Yellowstone River,
immediately south of the railroad tracks, as shown on Figure 1.0. As shown
by the results in Appendix A, the August 1992 sample from this well contained
41 ppb of PCE, along with 18 ppb of DCE and 8.4 ppb of TCE. These
concentrations are higher than those found in the only previous sample from
this well, collected in May 1992. Further investigation is planned to determine
2
)
whether VOCs in the ground water on the east side of the river are due to
sources east of the river or underflow of ground water beneath the river.
Monitoring Well 92-3 was installed in July 1992 along the railroad
tracks near the intersection of Park and E Streets, as shown on Figure 1.0.
The August 1992 sample from this well contained 1.2 ppb of PCE. This
indicates that low concentrations of PCE are present in the ground water in
this area. The source of these low detections is not presently known.
Monitoring Well 92-4 was installed in August 1992 to more accurately
determine the position ofthe VOC plume boundary on the north side ofthe rail
yard. Figure 1.0 shows the location of Well 92-4. The August 1992 sample
collected from Well 92-4 contained only 2.2 ppb ofPCE. No other chlorinated
VOCs were detected. This result indicates that the north boundary of the
plume is farther south than is shown on plume maps in the Draft Remedial
Investigation Report.
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Table 1: Tetrachloroethene Analytical Results for Ground-Water Samples Collected During
the November 1991, February 1992, May 1992, and August 1992 Sampling Rounds,
Livingston Rail Yard, Livingston, Montana.
Chemical Parameter: Tetrachloroethene Units: ug/L
1991 1992
1
Monitoring November February May August
Well Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly quarterly
5 < 0.5 B 0.52 B < 0.5 B < 0.5 B
89-2 < 0.5 B < 0.5 B < 0.5 B < 0.5 B
89-3 280.0 B 180.0 B 260.0 B 170.0 U
89-4 210.0 B 240.0 B 210.0 B 160.0 B
89-9 190.0 B 200.0 B 180.0 B 170.0 B
90-6 - - < 0.5 B 0.54 B
92-1 - 850.0 B 520.0 B 220.0 B
92-2 - - 15.0 B 41.0 B
92-3 - - - 1.2 B
92-4 - - - 2.2 B
HRO-17 - - 62.0 B 86.0 B
L-87-2 0.83 B 2.2 B - < 0.5 B
L-87-3 130.0 B 140.0 B 140.0 A 80.0 B
L-87-5 160.0 B 150.0 B - 160.0 B
L-87-8 < 0.5 B 16.0 B 11.0 B 6.2 B
L-88-10 65.0 B 115.0 B - 71.0 B
LS-11 8.0 B 38.0 B 75.0 B 14.0 B
LS-8 40.0 B 74.0 B 73.0 B 66.0 B
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