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<br />-..~,~ <br /> <br />SENT BY: BOR-WCAOS SD; <br /> <br />8-16-96 4:46PM; 970 385 6539 -> <br />..,. .....-- ..... ... <br /> <br />303 866 4474; <br /> <br />#6 <br /> <br />SWQBINMED Summary <br />Auaust 12, 1996 <br />Page 4 <br /> <br />Mateo wmr fwllty JtGlldartl., for sel61tulIf tIIId ItIefCUry, wlliell are bas,d (11t c(1tal recove",ble <br />IJIfd IOtal fractiollS. mpecJr.,ly, <br /> <br />Sou. and Trace Elemellt Analy.iJ <br /> <br />The Soils and Trace Element Analysis (Appendix P) predicts from &IIalysis of selected 50i19 in the <br />Project Ilea the fut1llll1evels ofvoriollS contaminaW in the return flows 10 the La Plata River, There <br />is no way to detennine if the selected sampling sitc'lII'e representative of the Project area as a whole. <br />Conclusions drawn in thi3 doc1lUlent are further SUJlllDarized in the FSFES and projected adverse <br />effects are geurally downplayed. <br /> <br />Animas River <br /> <br />"A heavy mttal problem exists in the Animas River, primarily as a result of early-century mining <br />activities &lid seasooal high flows 'W-hjch cause sediment movement and erosion of mine tailings into <br />the river system." In genera1lhe concentrations of most trace clemc.nts are higher in the upper <br />reaches of thl; Animu River due to the proKimlty of the abandoned mining sites, Dilution ftom <br />dOWD$tream tributarit$, and adsolplion to sc4iments, reduces the concentration of these elements <br />in the water columII, One notable exception to this eeneraJ trend is selenium, which increases <br />downstream, The diva-sion from the Animas River at Durango of w8tclr ~ntl.inini hiiher <br />eoncenlmtions of most trlKle elementa. while reducin& water quantity downstream, could imprO\'e <br />water quality in the Animas River in New Mexico by lowing conceatrations of several tface <br />elements. 4 Selenium cOllcenuatiolls, w"O$e S(1lUUJ an prllruuUy d_"swaM, would H <br />Increased III 'II, Anilll/U River ill New Mako ""tler tII. ProjKt, <br /> <br />Water Ou~ityAllPondi1 <br /> <br />Table 4 (page B-ll) This table 1ist5 the averaac nluetofthose sampleteoUected from the Animas <br />River from March to October 1993. The avemges of the results for total geleniwn at the two A1litnas <br />River stations exceed the New Mexico numeric standard for total recoverable selenium, as do the <br />IIVt\r82tJS of the results for dissolved ~leniwn. SlIIce tile valllD for futal recoverable WUlIld fall <br />5o_wllere witllill the T/I1fg' of ,IIQe di6solvUlJIfd tlJlDl results, it clVIlqitinrate(f be llUumed <br />tlllIC tile IIl'eTllt:ef of '(J//Il rec(llJlrGble uleltillm would tdso exued tile New Mu.ico cllrollU: <br />sta1UlIlrd tIS _lAW all illdMdIUll ""mQ whiell exceed tlte aw,,,,~ Comparison of averages to the <br /> <br />---- <br /> <br />4 It should be noted that while co~rUions eould decrease in the Animu River, the <br />pollutants are bein2 transpOrted into the La Plata drainage where they cause increased <br />concentrations. <br /> <br />~b <br />