Ecological Studies for NWIRP McGregor

EnSafe responsively evaluated the ecological effects of perchlorate when that newly emerging contaminant was identified at Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant McGregor in Texas. EnSafe identified the energetics compound, which was widely used at the facility in producing rocket boosters, in surface water discharging from the site via natural springs and seeps.

To evaluate the potential for ecological effects near the facility, aquatic and terrestrial habitat surveys were conducted. Some of this testing was in concert with Texas Tech University, which currently provides some of the only research regarding perchlorate’s effects on native amphibians. More than 900 surface water and 200 sediment samples were collected while characterizing two lakes, one measuring 12,500 acres and the other 7,300 acres.

EnSafe broke new ground in terms of ecological studies as well as innovative biological treatment systems to remediate perchlorate. With EnSafe’s assistance, the Navy received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first “Ready for Reuse” determination for the divested facility.

The project won Secretary of the Navy Environmental Restoration Team Awards for Fiscal Years 2000 and 2006; Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Restoration Team Awards, 2000 and 2006; and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Tennessee’s 2000 Engineering Excellence Grand Iris Award. The project also was a finalist in the ACEC’s national Engineering Excellence competition.

Chemosphere, an international journal, published results of ecological studies in Volume 78, Issue 3, January 2010, "Surface water mitigates the anti-metamorphic effects of perchlorate in New Mexico spadefoot toads (Spea multiplicata) and African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)."

Services Provided

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation
• Terrestrial and aquatic habitat surveys
• Amphibian characterization
• Lake studies
• Migration studies
• Perchlorate research and remediation
• Community relations
• Environmental compliance
• Negotiation of alternatives
• Large-scale data management, visualization, and analysis