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Draft: March 31, 1999 <br />3.2 Groundwater Quality Sample Collection <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />LJ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />Page 11 <br />Groundwater sample collection criteria have been established for the baseline data collection <br />period and the commercial mining operations period. These criteria include sampling frequency and <br />groundwater parameters. The parameters that groundwater samples will be collected for include <br />WQ 1 shown in Table 2 and Water Quality Pazameters list 2 (WQ2) shown in Table 3. Groundwater <br />samples will be collected in accordance with procedures detailed in Appendix C. <br />During the baseline, 13-month monitoring period, all available monitoring wells will be <br />sampled on a once per month basis. This schedule exceeds Colorado Departrnent of Natural <br />Resources, Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) requvements of eight baseline measurements <br />in afive-quarter period. During commercial operations, the monitoring wells located within the <br />active mine panel will be sampled montlily. Monitoring wells located outside the active mine panel <br />will be sampled quarterly. <br />American Soda has used Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved, dedicated <br />micropurge systems for water quality sample collection during the test mine phase. Conventional <br />water sampling techniques are not applicable because of the significant depth of those monitoring <br />wells. The large volume of water in the well casing renders purging three casing volumes <br />impractical. Therefore, American Soda will use dedicated micropurge systems in the proposed <br />monitoring wells. The exception to this sampling method aze the monitoring wells completed at the <br />Dissolution Surface. <br />Micropurging has been unsuccessful at monitoring wells completed at the Dissolution <br />Surface because the high total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration promotes mineral precipitation <br />within the bladder pumps. Dedicated down-hole conductivity and temperature monitoring devices <br />will be used to monitor the Dissolution Surface. An approved Dissolution Surface sampling plan <br />will be in place for the baseline monitoring period. <br />3.3 Groundwater Quality Analytical Parameters <br />Water quality analyses will be conducted for the parameters listed in WQ1, presented in <br />Table 2 . Water quality analyses will be conducted less frequently for a more comprehensive list of <br />parameters, designated WQ2 (Table 3). These lists of parameters have been developed from <br />discussions with the BLM, the DMG and American Soda, and are in accordance with applicable <br />Agapito Associates, Inc. <br />