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Figure 6 shows the predicted pH in the hypothetical Dakota sandstone receptor well. The <br />background pH in the Dakota sandstone is about 8.28. Seepage of C-Pit water (pH 12.5) is <br />predicted to increase the pH in the Dakota sandstone about 0.05, resulting in a predicted pH of <br />approximately 8.33. This predicted pH is less than the pH GWPS of 8.5. <br />5 Conclusions <br />Results of the transport simulations predict that seepage from the ponded water in the C-Pit will <br />not impact groundwater quality in the Dakota sandstone aquifer at concentrations above the <br />respective GWPS. The constituent transport analysis predicts that quantity of C-Pit seepage that <br />might be released to the underlying Dakota sandstone will be sufficiently dispersed during <br />transport so that the existing groundwater quality is no[ adversely affected. Therefore, the ponded <br />C-Pit water does not require accelerated removal or treatment from a groundwater quality <br />perspective. <br />The predicted increases in constituent concentrations are likely overestimates as the model <br />simulations used parameters and assumptions that were conservative. The conservative nature of <br />these predictions results from: <br />• Using aone-dimensional estimate of the seepage velocity using Darcy's Law. Since <br />the underlying hydrogeologic system is three-dimensional, the rate and amount of <br />seepage from C-Pit is likely overestimated, therefore, the quantity of seepage (about <br />7%) released to the Dakota sandstone may also be overestimated; <br />• Using atwo-dimensional quasi-analytical contaminant transport model for athree- <br />dimensional flow system likely overestimates the predicted groundwater constituent <br />concentrations in the Dakota sandstone. Use of the highest assumed hydraulic <br />gradient (0.01) results in faster constituent arrival times and higher constituent <br />concentrations. Use of small dispersion coefficients results in less spreading of the <br />constituent plumes and higher constituent concentrations in the Dakota sandstone; <br />• Assuming an instantaneous release of C-Pit seepage to the Dakota sandstone, <br />regardless of the fact that the seepage must flow vertically through low permeability <br />claystones, siltstones, and shales a distance of about 650 ft. If the three-dimensional <br />flow and transport and amount of time for the seepage to flow from C-Pi[ to the <br />Dakota sandstone was considered in the analysis, the potential impact on the <br />hypothetical receptor well would likely be several hundred years in the future, if an <br />impact occurred at all; <br />October 29, 2004 6 Revision 0 <br />