MONITORING

Currently, the Pearce Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility (DMCF) has three monitoring and reporting programs that are conducted to track potential effects of the site’s activities: groundwater, surface water discharge, and exterior monitoring programs. Per the requirements of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Water Quality Certification (WQC), groundwater monitoring and discharge monitoring is conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District (CENAP). Groundwater monitoring of the Magothy and Patapsco aquifers is conducted within and adjacent to the site. Discharge monitoring includes water quality monitoring at the point where water is discharged into the Pearce Creek Lake. The discharge monitoring plan includes key parameters such as: flow volume/discharge rate, total suspended solids, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and metals. The exterior monitoring program is voluntarily conducted by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). Exterior monitoring includes sampling for surface water quality, sediment quality, sediment toxicity, and benthic communities in the Pearce Creek Lake and Elk River. These efforts ensure that the environmental conditions surrounding the DMCF remain unaffected by the water being discharged from the facility.