HYDRO22879 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Executive Summary American Soda, L.L.P. is submitting this 13th Operational Quarterly Ground Water Monitoring Report in compliance with E.P.A. U. I. C. Area Permit 003858- 00000, MLRB Hard Rock Mining Operation Permit No. M-99-002, and U. S. BLM Sodium Lease Nos. C-0118328 and C-0118329 Record of Decision. The data presented in this document represents the time period from October 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003. The present hydrologic monitoring program for the Yankee Gulch Sodium Minerals Project includes monthly monitoring of over 60 water quality constituents from up to 23 sampling locations including five separate water bearing zones. Sampling points are positioned up gradient, down gradient, cross gradient, and in-panel in relation to the mining activity. Recording of water elevations and field parameters is completed in conjunction with collection of the water quality samples from each well that is routinely sampled. As a result of the high solids content of the dissolution aquifer, sampling is only reliably successful at one dissolution sample point. The completion of this well (21-3D) is in the upper portion of the dissolution aquifer where dissolved solids are somewhat less concentrated. The other two dissolution surface wells {21-4DX and 29-4D) are monitored using continuous recording water level probes to distinguish water level changes. The probes in dissolution surface well 21-4DX providing water level and temperature data (at the screened interval) were both connected to the data acquisition system in late December 2003 to provide real time data. One down stream private domestic ground water well is also sampled monthly and continuous precipitation data is recorded at the Piceance processing site using a Pipping bucket rain gage and a data logging device. Before American Soda commenced mining operations, 15 months of baseline ground water data was collected under the same program that continues today