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<br /> <br /> <br />7-1 <br />DRAFT for review purposes only. Use of contents on this sheet is subject to the limitations specified at the end of this docu ment. <br />Section 7 <br />Conclusions <br />A summary of the findings and conclusions for the Baseline Water Investigation are discussed below. <br />Recommendations for the continuation of surface and groundwater monitoring are based on the <br />findings of the investigation conducted to date and requirements for the DRMS and other project <br />related future permitting requirements. <br />7.1 Summary of Findings <br />The Baseline Water Investigation monitored surface water and groundwater quality and flow rates <br />within Red Creek for five quarters to meet the DRMS permit requirements. Results of this <br />investigation indicated flow in a portion of Red Creek is perennial due to the source of water likely <br />being groundwater seeps and springs reaching the surface. Analysis of water quality data indicated <br />the surface water and groundwater on the Site has naturally occurring concentrations of constituents <br />that exceed water quality standards. However, the comparison to water quality standards is not an <br />indication of a regulatory exceedance but rather characterizes water quality prior to mining activity. <br />Comparisons to numerical criteria provide the means for comparing water quality from one location <br />to another in the same media and between media but should not be interpreted to include any legal <br />or regulatory compliance conclusions. The discussion and use of water quality standards and criteria <br />in this report is for technical analytic purposes only. <br />The baseline water quality evaluation identified several analytes that measured at or above water <br />quality standards including: <br />• Gross alpha, dissolved iron, dissolved magnesium, dissolved selenium, and dissolved uranium in <br />groundwater; and <br />• Dissolved selenium, dissolved sulfide, total chlorine, and Escherichia coli in surface water. <br />Groundwater modeling results agree with the results from the water quality analysis suggesting the <br />surface water source is groundwater. Surface water flow rates indicate a perennial flow within Red <br />Creek downstream of the surface water seep; however, surface water flow does not exist at the <br />farthest downstream portion of Red Creek within the RCQ and affected area permit boundary. <br />7.2 Deviations from the Sampling and Analysis Plan <br />While every attempt was made to perform the baseline water investigation activities in accordance <br />with the Red Creek Quarry SAP, deviations from the plan occurred. All deviations from the SAP were <br />evaluated, and changes were made, when necessary, to correct the deviation. A list of the deviations <br />identified are summarized below: <br />• SGS Labs was unable to conduct all analyses within the required hold times. Eurofins, Pace <br />Analytical, and the Pueblo Health Department were contracted to perform the analyses after the <br />first sampling event (3Q 2022). <br />• Well 2S was purged dry and did not recharge with enough water to collect samples within <br />24 hours. Therefore, no samples were collected from this location during any of the quarterly <br />sampling events. <br />• Photographs of the visual observation locations were not taken during the first quarterly <br />sampling event (3Q 2022). No photographs were taken at the SW SEEP and SW RC2 location