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Title: Sampling and Analysis Plan for Environmental Control Number: Revision Date: <br /> Groundwater Monitoring PUE.EN.D.026.03 10/18/2019 Page 5 of 23 <br /> 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND SAMPLING OBJECTIVES <br /> This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) provides a protocol for performance of shallow <br /> groundwater monitoring at the GCC Rio Grande, Inc. facility in Pueblo, Colorado (the Site). <br /> Based on increased knowledge of the groundwater system at the Site, groundwater monitoring <br /> locations and requirements have evolved significantly since the previous SAP was prepared in <br /> 2003 (Brown and Caldwell, 2003). As a result of subsequent findings, and in accordance with <br /> Technical Revision No. 3 (TR-03)approved by the Colorado Division of Reclamation,Mining <br /> and Safety (DRMS) in April 2013, all shallow wells subject to prior monitoring were plugged <br /> and abandoned except for one (MW-005,hereinafter referred to as MW-5). The plugged wells <br /> were either dry, or were located far from the site along the St. Charles River and proven to not <br /> be applicable for GCC monitoring. MW-5, located south of the plant, has remained dry since <br /> it was installed so no samples have been collected. Pursuant to TR-06, approved by DRMS in <br /> July 2017, new wells MW-6 and MW-7 were installed in December 2017 downgradient of the <br /> second mine panel (Figure 1). <br /> This SAP describes groundwater sampling and analysis procedures for obtaining chemical data <br /> from existing wells, and future wells installed as mining progresses, to define the baseline <br /> groundwater conditions and track any changes in applicable water quality constituents in <br /> potentially affected groundwater. Significant changes to the sampling protocol(s) will be <br /> submitted to DRMS for approval prior to implementation. <br /> The following sections provide details of the SAP, including sample locations and frequency, <br /> sampling methods, laboratory analysis, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and <br /> reporting. <br /> 2.0 GROUNDWATER SAMPLING LOCATIONS AND FREQUENCY <br /> Figure 1 illustrates the site features and mine plan. GCC quarries the Fort Hayes Limestone <br /> Member of the Niobrara Formation, and began extraction and processing in 2007 and 2008, <br /> respectively. GCC is permitted to quarry the Fort Hayes Limestone and approximately 5 feet <br /> into the Codell Sandstone, which has also been described as hard, brown sandy petroliferous <br /> limestone and a platy and shaly sandstone. Site drilling logs indicate that the Codell also <br /> contains multiple shale or sandy shale lenses. Initially, GCC planned to remove and process <br /> Codell Sandstone, but that was eliminated near the onset of operations when further testing <br /> determined the material was not beneficial to process. GCC extracts only the Fort Hayes, <br /> leaving the bottom one foot of the limestone. <br /> Regionally,the Juana Lopez Shale Member separates the Fort Hayes and Codell members,but <br /> is only about 2 feet thick. Locally, the Juana Lopez Member is largely absent due to an <br /> erosional unconformity, such that the Fort Hayes directly overlies the Codell (Collum, 2000). <br /> Underlying the Codell is approximately 400 feet of upper Cretaceous members, principally <br />