FW_ U-5878 Commerce Dr (Onslow Co) Turbid Release

From:Farrell, Sean C
To:Sprinkle, Hannah H; Shaver, Brad E CIV USARMY CESAW (US)
Cc:Steffens, Thomas A CIV USARMY CESAW (USA); Bullard, Jason M; Yarborough, Jerry W; Westphal, Anneliese;
Gingrich, Sophia E
Subject:FW: U-5878 Commerce Dr (Onslow Co) Turbid Release
Date:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 4:34:39 PM
Attachments:diversion channel1.jpg
diversion channel2.jpg
downstream.jpg
gley soil1.jpg
gley soil2.jpg
intake.jpg
silt bag.jpg
stream entry.jpg
stream_entry.jpg
upstream.jpg
wetlands1.jpg
wetlands2.jpg
wetlands3.jpg
image001.png
Hannah and Brad,

Please see the attached photos and below report from Sophia’s inspection of the culvert work (STA.
22+11-L- going on at U-5878 today. We are still trying to determine how the contractor managed to
get their construction area so stirred up, but the silt bag is not effective in settling out the gleyed
clayey soils that have been suspended. The contractor has placed some additional wattles with PAM
in the flow pattern within the construction area and is getting some new silt bags and will try placing
PAM in the bag as well. Mike Jones (ARE) thinks that once they get the floor of the culvert poured
tomorrow that the disturbance should settle down within the construction area. I have asked them
to send me daily turbidity readings until this clears up which I will forward on to you all. I also
informed them that when working in these types of soils, it is important to limit disturbance as much
as possible because once sediment of this type gets suspended it is really difficult to settle out. We
provide updates on the turbidity and how we are addressing it. Please let me know if you have any
questions.

Thanks,

Sean Farrell
Division Environmental Officer
Division 3
NCDOT- Division of Highways

910-341-2033 office
910-599-1184 mobile
[e-mail]

5501 Barbados Blvd
Castle Hayne, NC 28429

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

From: Gingrich, Sophia E <[e-mail]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 3:41 PM
To: Farrell, Sean C <[e-mail]>
Cc: Dustin, Christopher <[e-mail]>; Westphal, Anneliese <[e-mail]>
Subject: U-5878 Commerce Dr (Onslow Co) Turbid Release

Sean,

Attached are the pictures from the turbid release at Commerce Dr. They were pumping out of the
culvert area at Site 1 and into a silt bag, but the silt bag was not removing all the sediment. The
water was then running through the stones under the silt bag, out the SDO, and into the wetlands at
about -L- Sta. 23 + 00 on the right side of the project. The water being released was a greyish color
similar to the color of the gley soil down near the culvert. The turbid water was flowing through the
wetlands and into the stream about 70ft away. You could see the turbidity in the water downstream
and upstream of the entry point. It was seen upstream because the water in the stream was a little
backed up just upstream of the entry point. Even further upstream was their diversion channel and
the water there was still clear.

The inspector, Kelly Boyd, was on site and had already asked them to stop pumping while they tried
to figure out what to do to fix the problem. The problem had just started/been discovered about an
hour before Chris and I got there. They were going to replace the silt bag and also put wattles with
PAM in front of the rock at the SDO to see if that helped. They had a stinger installed at the intake,
but the turbidity may have been caused from material sloughing off the slopes at the culvert
because of how saturated and dense the soil was.

Originally the plans called for a basin to be put in on the island created by the diversion channel, but
they did not end up putting it in. Kelly said they had coordinated with Jerry or Jason on that decision.

Thanks, and let me know if you have any questions.

Sophia Gingrich
Environmental Technician
Division 3
NCDOT – Division of Highways

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.