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• <br />Section 779.14(a) Continued. Rule 2.04.6 <br />the sample values fall into the acceptable range. The ultimate concern <br />relative to this parameter deals with the conversion of ammonium or <br />insoluble forms of nitrogen to the highly mobile nitrate nitrogen. <br />Research by Power et. al, (1974) has documented that nitrification of NN4 <br />to N03 is severely restricted at the lower water potentials common to arid <br />and semi-arid climates. Given site groundwater characteristics these <br />levels should not effect site reclamation or groundwater quality. <br />Phosphorus (P). A total of 67 Kerr samples were analyzed for phosphorus <br />with an arithmetic mean value of 7.18 ppm and a range of 3.10 to 28.6 ppm, <br />The weighted mean phosphorus value was 7.17 ppm. According to the <br />Colorado Standards published by ludwick et. al. (1976), agronomic soils <br />with less than 7.0 ppm phosphorus concentration may require fertilization. <br />Of the samples collected, 64.2 percent or 43 samples, had phosphorus <br />• levels below 1.0 ppm. With respect to possible contributions of dissolved <br />phosphorus to groundwater by leaching of spoils, the low maximum value of <br />28.6 ppm precludes the possibility of any significant increase in natural <br />groundwater concentrations of phosphorus. No specific suspect levels for <br />this element have been published in guidelines for mining operations, and <br />the Montana Guidelines state that there are no toxic levels for phosphorus <br />as P0~ . <br />Potassium (K). A total of 67 Kerr and 66 USGS samples were analyzed for <br />potassium. The arithmetic mean value of the Kerr samples was 280.47 ppm <br />within a range of 17.5 to 783.5 ppm. The weighted mean value of potassium <br />for the Kerr samples was 295.55 ppm. The arithmetic Dean for the USGS <br />samples was 190.92 ppm within a range of 27 to 435 ppm. These levels of <br />potassium fall within the medium range for crop production according to <br />ludwick (1976) and indicate that overburden would require no fertilization <br />if utilized as substitute soil material. No toxic levels for potassium <br />have been published in any guidelines for mining. <br />jjrg (ZN). A total of 54 Kerr and 66 USGS samples were analyzed for zinc. <br />DTPA concentrations of zinc for the Kerr Samples were found to have a mean <br />779-18 b Revised-Aori1,1990 <br />