GENERAL42394

• Permit No: M1999002
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 12/9/2003
• Doc Name: Well 20-12 Depressing & Abandon
• From: American Soda LLP
• To: DMG
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

AM
So
ERICAN
DA, LLP
Ed Cooley
Environmental Safety and
Health Manager
2717 County Road 215
Parachute. CO 81635
Wednesday October 22, 2003
Direct Line [phone]
InYemaYional Telephone [phone]
General Facsimile [phone]
ENV.234.03
Elisabeth Evans
Director Technical Enforcement Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region VIII
Mail Code 8ENF-T
999 18`" Street, Suite 300
Denver, Colorado 80202-2466
Re: Change in Water Level at Monitoring Well 21-4DX
Dear Elisabeth:
Solution mining activities have been curtailed in five production wells as follow:
20-14 (EPA Permit Number C03858-04599) -Ceased operation August 27, 2003 due to
nitrogen leak at well head.
20-02 (EPA Permit Number C03858-04597) -Ceased operation September 05, 2003 due to
negative mass balance after depressurization was initiated on well 20-14.
20-12 (EPA Permit Number C03858-04552) -Ceased operation September 23, 2003 due to
loss of Mechanical Integrity of well casing.
20-11 (EPA Permit Number C03858-04537) -Ceased operation September 26, 2003 due to
negative mass balance after initial pressure decrease from shut in of well 20-12.
21-15 (EPA Permit Number C03858-04564) -Ceased operation September 26, 2003 due to
negative mass balance.
Since notifying the EPA, BLM, and CDMG that these wells were placed on stand by, we have
initiated an investigation of activities associated with the operation of these wells and have
determined that pressure and possibly fluids from mining operations has entered the
Dissolution Surface Aquifer causing a significant increase in the water level as measured in
monitoring well 21-4DX and a slight increase in the level measured in monitoring well 21-3D.
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