Experience & Credentials: GERG currently conducts a large number of high quality, trace contaminant environmental monitoring programs. Some of these programs include field sampling and others are strictly analytical efforts. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Laboratory GERG has been one of the USFWS's contract laboratories for over 19 years. GERG has demonstrated it can meet and exceed USFWS's stringent quality control/quality assurance requirements. NOAA's National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Project GERG was a participant in the NOAA NS&T program for over 14 years. GERG hasa long-standing record of intercalibration using the NIST/NOAA/NRSC methods for a wide array of trace metal and trace organic analytes. EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program-Near Coastal (EMAP-NC) in the Gulf of Mexico, Virginian and Carolinian Provinces We were extensively involved in EMAP-NC analytical work for most of the provinces. We have conducted sediment analyses for the Lousianian Province (Gulf of Mexico), tissue analyses for the Virginian province (northern East Coast) and sediment analysis for the Carolinian Province (southern East Coast). Thus, we have provided the majority of the analytical work for EPA's 1991 to 1995 EMAP-NC program in U.S. coastal waters. These programs involve both trace metal and trace organic analyses and field sampling in the Gulf. Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Studies GERG has been involved in a number of major NRDA studies since 1990. We conducted most of the analytical hydrocarbon analyses for the Trustees as part of the Exxon Valdez oil spill NRDA. As part of this effort, GERG conducted sample analyses for NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the State of Alaska. We also provided Exxon's contractors with hydrocarbon analyses as part of Exxon's Oil Spill Litigation Studies. GERG was the only laboratory that provided high quality hydrocarbon analyses to both parties in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Another large NRDA effort that GERG participated in was the Montrose (Southern California bight) NRDA effort. On this project GERG provided the Trustees (NOAA and USFWS) with nearly a million dollars of pesticide and PCB analysis. Additionally, GERG has provided NRDA analytical support to a number of other smaller federal, state and private clients. MMS 's Environmental Studies Programs GERG has provided the contaminant chemistry work element for many of the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) studies in both the Gulf of Mexico and offshore California. Some examples include:
EPA's National Estuary Programs GERG has conducted several of EPA's National Estuary Program analytical efforts in Galveston Bay, Boston Harbor, Casco Bay, and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program. The largest of these was entitled "Toxic Contaminant Characterization of Aquatic Organisms in Galveston Bay".
NSF's Bahia Pariso Antarctic Oil Spill and Environmental Projects In 1989, the National Science Foundation chose GERG to provide contaminant analytical support for the Bahia Pariso oil spill in Antarctic. This project has continued and expanded to include what is now a six year study of contaminant concentrations around both U.S. Antarctic stations (Palmer and McMurdo Stations). The program involves joint funding from NOAA.
IOC's International Mussel Watch The IOC selected GERG to participate in International Mussel Watch as the only U.S. laboratory. Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP): Atmospheric Deposition GERG has established and manages the operation of a National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) site at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi (NADP site TX 39) for CBBEP. Evidence has mounted over the past 1-2 decades that atmospheric transport and deposition is an important pathway by which certain toxic chemicals reach coastal waters. While information on toxic chemicals and nutrients has or currently is being generated by other investigations in Corpus Christi Bay, such as EPA Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program, NOAA National Status and Trends Program and others, little reliable data is available to assess the impact of atmospheric deposition. The concentrations of nutrients and selected ions in wet atmospheric deposition will be measured at a site at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. These research results are critical to the understanding of the relative importance of nutrient inputs to Corpus Christi Bay. The analytical results of this project will provide atmospheric deposition and composition data that will allow an integrated assessment of the relationships of air and water nutrient inputs for Corpus Christi Bay which can lead to informed management decisions. The information will be used to supply atmospheric deposition data for total loading models.
State of Maryland TMDL/PCB Study GERG is assistin the State of Maryland in a PCB/TMDL study. Nineteen Maryland water bodies are currently listed as impaired by Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on Maryland's 2004 303(d) list. To address these impairments, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is developing a process to assess sources of PCBs that will assist in the development in computer models that will be used to describe their behavior in the environment and subsequent impairment of water quality. The source assessment process will provide information for the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for PCBs in Maryland waters One source category of PCBs is point source dischargers. Point sources are considered National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted industrial or municipal facilities that discharge wastewater directly to a water body. MDE regulates point source NPDES permitted facilities that discharge into Maryland waters. PCB concentrations in point source effluents are normally very low, below detection limits using standard methods. As a result, screening data collected by dischargers generally does not contain PCB data. To address this lack of data, MDE is having PCB analysis conducted by the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analytical method 1668A. This analytical method uses ultra clean sample collection and handling techniques along with high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) analyses. These techniques allow for the measurement of low PCB concentration in water samples (approximately 10 pg/L) for each PCB congener
Statewide Fish Tissue Monitoring Program Fish Study - Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Division for Regulatory Services GERG is providing analytical services to The State of Texas for a statewide monitoring program for contaminants in fish tissues to address potential concerns for human health and ecological risks. Various state and federal agencies coordinate their efforts to a limited degree through the interagency Toxic Substances Coordinating Committee, but no funds have been made available for a consistent, widespread program. Three state agencies have significant interest in and responsibilities related to contaminants in fish tissues. The DSHS is responsible for determining if contaminants in fisheries resources pose a risk to consumers and issuing health advisories or closures when risks are found. The TCEQ is responsible for establishing state water quality standards, managing the quality of state waters, and addressing any pollution concerns in these waters. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is responsible for managing state fish and wildlife resources, addressing any pollution problems that may be adversely impacting these resources, and enforcing human health closures issued by DSHS. The three agencies have entered into a cooperative effort to share resources and through funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) implement a pilot statewide fish tissue monitoring program. This program will enable the assessment of contaminant levels in fisheries resources across the state for possible human health, water quality, and ecological risks for three years. Information gained in the pilot study could be used to seek additional funding to continue the statewide fish tissue monitoring program. The Statewide Fish Tissue Monitoring Project is designed as a cooperative effort, involving shared resources of the TCEQ, TPWD, and DSHS. The project is funded over state fiscal years 2004-07 through the TCEQ by the USEPA with most of the funding allocated to laboratory analysis of fish tissue by GERG. The primary aim of the Tier 1 human health risk screening study is to identify frequently fished sites where commonly consumed fish may be chemically contaminated, posing a risk to human health. The TCEQ and DSHS will compare Tier 1 study laboratory results for project target analytes to DSHS-established human health screening values to identify samples with elevated concentrations and determine water bodies for Tier 2 study. TCEQ may include additional water bodies for Tier 2 analyses, based on previous data indicating fish tissue contamination.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Organic Contaminant Sample Analyses The Department of the Interior, as the Nation's principal conservation agency, has responsibility for most of the nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes protecting fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of the nation's parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a Bureau of the Department of the Interior, has the primary goal of the conservation and sound management of sport fishery and wildlife resources for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. Attainment of this goal requires continual collection, analysis and synthesis of new information on which wise and timely management decisions can be based. As a part of the decision making process, the USFWS has the responsibility for determining the effects of environmental contaminants on organisms and their habitats. A significant part of this responsibility requires the determination of trace amounts of organic compounds in the tissues of fish, wildlife, invertebrates and plants, as well as in water, soil, and sediments. Studies conducted by the USFWS cover a wide spectrum of contaminant problems and geographic areas. These include studies involving organic compounds (primarily contaminants) derived from agriculture, energy development, and industrial activities. The diversity and unique requirements of these studies often result in a high variability in the "batches" of samples submitted for analysis. GERG assists the USFWS's by performing analysis of plant and animal tissues, water and soil/sediment for organic contaminants including organochlorine pesticides, PCBs and others. GERG has provided USFWS NRDA data that has been accepted in court. GERG has provided these services to the USFWS in the past 18 year as a USFWS organic analytical contract Laboratory. GERG has demonstrated the required organization and abilities required to meet USFWS stringent analytical needs. GERG has an established reputation for quality analytical services and competitive costing. A special ability in the analysis of large numbers of environmental samples while maintaining stringent QA/QC requirements is a hallmark of GERG's analytical laboratories. GERG also specializes in analyzing problematic sample matrices and difficult to determine analytes. GERG has provided USFWS Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) data that has been acceptable in court. |
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