| Aquatic Toxicity | Benthic Macroinvertebrates | Fish Community Studies |
| Bioaccumulation | Bioindicator Studies | Periphyton Studies |
| Publications |
 |
Biomonitoring by BMAP has been conducted in East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) from 1985 to the present. A biomonitoring program is a requirement of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC, or its predecessors) for the Y-12 Plant. The Y-12 Plant is a nuclear weapon components production facility currently operated by BWXT for the U.S. Department of Energy. Discharges from the industrial complex during more than 50 years of operation have resulted in elevated levels of some contaminants in sediment and water downstream of the plant, and/or poor water quality. Plant management is committed to reducing impacts to the stream and multiple remedial actions (including, recently, flow management and the bypass of Lake Reality) have been conducted at Y-12. |
The BMAP at the Y-12 Plant is funded by Environmental Compliance and is critical in evaluating the effectiveness of these remedial actions, as well as demonstrating that the effluent limitations established for the Y-12 Plant by the TDEC protect the classified uses (e.g., the growth and propogation of aquatic life) of the receiving streams.
The EFPC watershed basin is located near the northern boundary of the
DOE Oak Ridge Reservation and has a drainage area of 77.2 km2. Effluent discharges from the Y-12 Plant enter the headwaters of EFPC. The stream length is approximately 26 km, with an approximately 2-ha, lined impoundment (called Lake Reality) present a short distance downstream of the majority of Y-12 outfalls. The major task-specific results for the Y-12
BMAP follow.
Note: BMAP site designations refer to the kilometer distance upstream of the stream's mouth (e.g., EFK 2.1 is located near the mouth of EFPC, EFK 24.4 is located within the Y-12 plant complex near the stream's headwaters).
|
|
|
Back to BMAP Home Page
Last Modified: April 17, 2001
