Source: Rose Hill Landfill.

Release: Heavy metals, iron.

Primary injury: Natural resource injuries were determined based on several biological and chemical tests. Macroinvertebrate species composition (in terms of the relative abundance of dominant organisms) in the Saugatucket River adjacent to the disposal areas appears to be different from the species composition in upstream and downstream locations. The Saugatucket River sediment adjacent to the Bulky Waste Area has the highest concentrations of metals; pollution-resistant species occur in relatively high numbers in those sediments compared to the species in sediments in upstream and downstream locations.

Toxicity test results indicated that the leachate was acutely toxic and also caused reproductive effects. Chronic toxicity was also noted in the fathead minnow. Concentrations of iron in the Saugatucket River, Saugatucket Pond, and Mitchell Brook were observed as high as 300,000 parts per million (nearly 30 percent). Laboratory toxicity tests showed that rainbow trout embryos, a surrogate species, exposed to sediment from Saugatucket Pond had a significantly lower mean survival rate than those exposed to clean laboratory sand. In addition, larval survival was inversely related to the concentration of total iron in sediments and sediment pore water. These results suggest that larval survival was reduced by trace elements in the sediment and that larval survival at the site has been adversely affected by trace element discharges from the site.

NOAA concluded, from the data summarized above, that iron and hazardous substances released from the Rose Hill landfill likely have injured river habitat supporting migratory river herring and alewife. Food sources for these trust resources are impacted and decreased larval survival of these fisheries is inferred.