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FUGRO CONSULTANTS, INC. <br />In the area of the depressions within the trench (where the bulk of the water was poured into) a relatively lower <br />resistivity zone (blue colors in Figure 5 cross-sections SR8 and SR1) is present directly beneath and lateral to <br />the depressions. Higher resistivities occur beneath this zone indicating it does not extend to depth. It is unclear <br />whether this lower resistivity zone is caused by fluid leakage from the depressions or is a naturally occurring <br />formation with a lower bulk resistivity (higher clay content). <br />A linear ERT near surface anomaly (NSA) is identified in Lines SR1 through SR5 (Figures 2 and 5). This <br />anomaly is characterized by low resistivity (< 10 ohm -m). The origin of the anomaly on the west side of the <br />survey area is at the sinkhole within the ditch where a large volume of water was introduced prior to the survey <br />(Position 87 meters, Line SR1). Within the interpreted cross-sections from Lines SR2 and SR3 the top of the <br />anomaly is within 5 to 7 meters of the ground surface at positions 93 meters and 76 meters respectively. In <br />Lines SR4 and SR5 the NSA (Positions 78 meters and 79 meters respectively) joins with an approximately <br />vertical anomaly. The bottom of the NSA at the intersection with the vertical anomaly is approximately 5 meters <br />below the ground surface. These anomalies correlate well with the vertical anomalies identified in Lines L4 and <br />L5 of the April survey. A second approximately linear near surface low resistivity zone is shown approximately <br />9 to 18 meters north of the anomaly described above. The North NSA extends from Line SR8 through SR7 but <br />does not appear to join with the vertical anomalies in Lines SR4 and SR5. It generally extends from 5 to 8 <br />meters below the ground surface although it is not well resolved since it is located at the edge of the data <br />coverage. <br />As stated in the previous report covering the April survey, low resistivity values are not expected for air-filled or <br />clean water -filled voids. Therefore, it is likely that the horizontal anomaly may be the result of coarser material <br />pathways which may contain a higher distributed clay content that create a horizontal permeability pathway. <br />This zone may have been wetted by the inflow of water introduced into the trench prior to the ERT survey. The <br />increased moisture content in the zone can cause a decrease in the bulk resistivity of the material (especially <br />with high ion exchange capacity clays). <br />The ERT survey cannot determine absolutely the cause of the anomalies identified in the data. The presence of <br />an isolated vertical anomaly in a horizontally layered geologic section is significant especially since the location <br />of the anomaly corresponds to sink hole like surface features and is located in the area of a vertical air shaft. <br />The natural flow of groundwater is expected to be primarily horizontal in the geologic section (interbedded <br />sandstones and shales) which underlies the area. Vertical flow would occur along features that create <br />permeability across the horizontal layering such as fracturing. This fracturing would also tend to decrease the <br />bulk resistivity of the rock units particularly if the fractures are filled or at least wetted with groundwater. The <br />vertical shaft, which is identified to be located in the vertical low resistivity zone (Figure 2), may also act as a <br />vertical pathway for groundwater depending on how it was sealed. The presence of depressions and sinkholes <br />in the area suggest that vertical failure has occurred in the area. The shaft may or may not have contributed to <br />structural weakening of bedrock layers in the area. The size of the vertical anomaly identified in the two ERT <br />Project/Proposal No. 04.79160011 August 23, 2016 Page 6 of 7 <br />TR -69 A14-15-9 09/16 <br />