Draft Project Proposal

Casmalia Creek Management Plan

Project Proposal

June 9, 2001

Team Members Faculty Advisors

Tim Carson Bruce Kendal, Ph. D

Amy DeWeerd Matt Cahn, Ph. D

Susan Erickson

Monica Hood

Chris Minton

Master’s Thesis Group Project

Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

University of California, Santa Barbara

Background 3

Problem Statement 3

Objectives 4

Significance 4

Approach 6

I. Data Collection 6

Literature Review 6

Similar Projects 6

Site specific data 6

Fieldwork 6

Interviews 6

II. Interpretation of Data 7

III. Define Project Alternatives 8

IV. Determine Evaluation Criteria 8

V. Evaluate Project Alternatives 8

VI. Produce Management Plan 8

Project Management Plan 9

I. Team Structure & Personal Responsibilities 9

II. Meeting Structure 10

III. Responsibilities of Team Members fro Spring Quarter 2001 10

IV. System to Ensure Deadlines are Met 12

V. Conflict Resolution Process 12

VI. Decision Making Process 12

VII. Procedures for Organizing Documentation 13

VIII. Guidelines for Interacting 13

IX. Overall Expectations of Team Members 13

X. Overall Expectations of Faculty Advisors 14

XI. Client Coordination 14

Appendices:

I. Client and Stakeholders 15

II. Project Deliverables 16

III. Project Milestones 17

IV. Budget 18

V: Footnotes, Contacts, & Bibliography 19

Background

The Casmalia Resources Hazardous Waste Management Facility is a former hazardous waste facility located four miles from the Pacific Ocean and 10 miles southwest of Santa Maria (Figure 1).1 The area surrounding the 252-acre site is sparsely settled and land use consists primarily of agriculture, cattle grazing, and oil field development.2 A single owner and operator, Kenneth Hunter Jr., operated the facility from 1973 to 1989.3 During the 16 years of operation, the facility accepted more than 5.5 billion pounds of industrial and commercial waste from over 10,000 companies and organizations.4 The facility was one of only nine facilities in the United States authorized to accept polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during its time of operation.5 Other substances accepted at the facility included but were not limited to: pesticides, metals, acids, solvents, and cyanide. The facility treated, disposed of, and stored the various types of hazardous wastes in 43 storage/evaporation ponds, six landfills, seven burial trenches, and three treatment units, in addition to other management units.6

When the facility was originally approved as a hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) site, it was believed that the underlying geology was impervious to percolation. However, this was not the case. Contaminants migrated off-site and by 1987 had been detected in groundwater within a few hundreds yards of the facility.7

Subsequently, in 1992, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) became involved with the site. In 1996, a Consent Decree resolved liability issues and parties involved agreed to begin remediation.8 The Casmalia Steering Committee (CSC), which has been operating the site since 1996, is made up of 54 potentially responsible parties (PRPs).9 The CSC, for which CB Consulting, Inc. (CBC) is the primary consultant, is comprised primarily of aerospace and oil and gas companies, which contributed the largest amounts of waste to the facility. The CSC is currently pumping approximately 160,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater monthly from the facility as part of the remediation plan.10

Additionally, the EPA has collected $30 million from approximately 430 companies, which dumped smaller quantities of waste at the site.11 The EPA continues to negotiate with hundreds of other entities for additional monies. The estimated cost of complete remediation of the site, including costs to date, is $272 million.12

Problem Statement

During closure activities, five separate on-site storage ponds were formed to accept site runoff. Sometime after the storage ponds were put into use, the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) and the western spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus hammondii) were discovered to be residing in them. The California red-legged frog is currently residing in four of the ponds13 and the western spadefoot toad is residing in one of the ponds.14 It is presumed that the original habitat of the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) and the western spadefoot toad was the Casmalia Creek riparian corridor. The riparian corridor has been and continues to be grazed by cattle ranching. It is thought that the grazing and subsequent habitat degradation, as well as the presence of the on-site storage ponds, which provide substantial habitat, led to the migration of the two species onto the site. Species surveys are currently underway to determine the extent of on-site habitat use by each species.

The EPA and the CSC are now working together to properly close this facility in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and applicable federal and state regulations (e.g. Endangered Species Act). It is believed that to properly complete the closure of the site, the various landfills on-site must be capped in order to prevent the leaching of hazardous chemicals into the groundwater. In addition, the on-site storage ponds must be drained and graded. However, the closure of the current storage ponds will result in the loss of habitat for the two aforementioned species.

Objectives

The objective of the Casmalia Management Plan group project is to provide CB Consulting Inc. and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX with an analysis of restoration and management alternatives for the successful reestablishment and preservation of the California red-legged frog and the western spadefoot toad in Casmalia Creek. In order to achieve this, our analysis will:

Provide a description of the habitat needs of the California red-legged frog and western spadefoot toad.
Identify portions of the Casmalia Creek riparian corridor in which restoration will be most meaningful.
Provide alternative methods of restoration and management based upon our research of existing data, similar habitat creation and/or restoration projects, and previous management techniques.
Provide alternative methods for measuring the success of the implementation of the Management Plan.

Our analysis will provide feasible alternatives that are in compliance with relevant federal and state regulations.

Significance

As mentioned above, for the CSC to successfully meet the remediation requirements under CERCLA, it is thought that the existing five on-site storage ponds will need to be drained and any contaminated underlying sediment removed.

This process will eliminate current wetland habitat for the California red-legged frog, which is a federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the western spadefoot toad, which is listed both as a California Special Concern species and a Protected Species by the California Department of Fish and Game.

This Project is significant because it provides the CBC and the CSC with possible restoration and management alternatives for Casmalia Creek that may be required in order to comply with federal and state regulations regarding altering the current habitat of the aforementioned species.

Approach

I. Data Collection

The approach in developing the alternatives presented in the Casmalia Management Plan will be based upon research focused on the following categories:

Restoration

· Techniques/Stabilization

· Physical Creek Properties (flow regime, watershed characteristics)

· Current Creek Characteristics

· Historical Riparian Characteristics

· Land use and Management

Species

California red-legged frog & western spadefoot toad

· Biology

o Life Cycle

o Population Dynamics

o Movement Patterns

· Habitat Characteristics

· Creek Food web

o Predator/Prey relationship

· Species Relocation Methods

Policy

· ESA

· CERCLA

· Other Statutes or Regulations

To collect the necessary information, the team will conduct the following:

Literature Review: An extensive literature review will be our primary means of collecting information. To conduct a literature review, the team will utilize UCSB library resources, on-line resources, EPA documents, and other relevant sources.

Similar Projects: Similar projects involving habitat restoration for the California red-legged frog or the western spadefoot toad, such as those at Guadalupe Dunes and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, will be researched. Methods utilized in related projects will be reviewed in order to determine their effectiveness. The research will include literature searches and interviews of those involved in other projects. This research will aid in developing alternatives for analysis and recommendation.

Site-specific data: Our research will include examining site-specific data collected at the Casmalia Site. This includes reviewing all relevant EPA and CSC studies and documents. These documents include biological assessments and related surveys of the riparian corridor and the ponds. Other relevant available data regarding the biological, physical, and chemical properties of the creek, the riparian corridor, and surrounding site will be collected and reviewed. An extensive array of documents is available to us on CD-Rom from the EPA. Additional site specific data may be available from federal, state and local agencies including the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast), and the City of Casmalia, among others.

Fieldwork: An initial site visit was made by our group to meet with representatives from the EPA and CSC. Additional site visits may occur as needed. This may include gathering data at the site, or informational meetings with representatives from EPA and CBC.

Interviews: Personal communication is a vital part of our problem solving strategy. Team members will conduct interviews with clients, stakeholders, and experts in order to collect information pertaining to the project and to gain technical assistance. Maintaining contact with our client will ensure that the project is accomplished in a manner acceptable to the CSC, CBC, and the EPA. Biologists that have worked with the species of concern may provide information inaccessible by literature research and may be able to offer extended assistance on the project. Contacts will include biologists at the University of California, as well as agencies at the federal and state levels, including DFG and USFWS. By interviewing specialists, the team will collect valuable and reliable data that will contribute to our determination of restoration alternatives.

II. Interpretation of Data

The data interpretation will focus upon applying the primary research collected to the specific conditions of the Casmalia Creek corridor. The data will be interpreted to apply to the following aspects of the Management Plan, which are: Restoration, Relocation, Management, and Measuring Success.

The physical, chemical, and biological data that was gathered will be compared to the habitat needs of the species, as identified in the primary research. This will allow for an analysis of the various restoration techniques that have been used in similar projects in the context of how they could be applied to Casmalia Creek. This information will also be utilized to identify those portions of the riparian corridor in which restoration will potentially be the most beneficial for the successful reestablishment and preservation of the two aforementioned species.

The information gathered on species relocation methods will be evaluated to determine their effectiveness in successfully reestablishing the species in Casmalia Creek.

The different land management options that could be used to protect the creek and the riparian corridor will be examined to determine their applicability.

The alternative methods for measuring success will be developed to determine if the restoration techniques, relocation methods, and land management options meet the requirements of the various government agencies involved.

III. Define Project Alternatives

During the interpretation of data, the drafting of the Management Plan will begin. Various restoration techniques, that provide suitable habitat for the species, will be outlined. Next, the alternatives for the location of the restored habitat will be presented along with how each section would be restored. Subsequently, the different methods for relocating the species will be discussed. Then, various management techniques for protecting the riparian corridor and the species will be outlined. Next, alternative Management Plans will be proposed. Finally, alternative methods for measuring the success of the implementation of the various Management Plans will be presented.

IV. Determine Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria, that will be used to evaluate alternative Management Plans, will be developed in conjunction with CB Consulting and the EPA.

V. Evaluate Project Alternatives

Based on the evaluation criteria developed with CB Consulting and the EPA the following will be evaluated:

1. Alternative restoration techniques

2. Alternative locations of restored habitat along the riparian corridor

3. Alternative methods for the relocation of the species

4. Alternative management techniques for protecting and maintaining riparian corridor

5. Alternative methods for measuring the success of the Management Plan

6. Alternative Management Plans

- Each Management Plan alternative will be comprised of the first five alternatives mentioned immediately above.

VI. Produce Management Plan

Upon completion of the evaluation of project alternatives the final Management Plan will be drafted and submitted.

Project Management Plan

The Project Management Plan was developed to provide a clear definition of each team members’ roles and responsibilities. In addition, the Project Management Plan lays out the way the group will interact as a team and with outside entities including, but not limited to, the clients, advisors, and stakeholders.

I. Team Structure & Personal Responsibilities

Tim Carson

Tim will be assuming the roles of Webmaster and Bibliographer. Tim’s research will focus on: How the Endangered Species Act and CERCLA play a part in our Management Plan in addition to researching the permitting process for each law; the historical and current conditions of Casmalia Creek; and the land management issues associated with repairing the riparian corridor.

Amy DeWeerd

Amy will be assuming the roles of Meeting Coordinator, Note Taker, Data Manager, and Liaison to the Casmalia Mitigation Plan Group. Amy’s research will focus on: The habitat and biological needs of the California red-legged frog and the current creek characteristics and the food-web in Casmalia Creek.