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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF H LTH Water Quality Control D ion M E M O RAN D U M T0: Mined Land Reclamation Section FROM: Chuck Roberts~Water Quality Control Division DATE: May 2, 1979 ~ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii RE'C~~1 v L~ (~ AY 9 1979 RccL~r,~~noi~ s~cTiorv Colc. "ept. of f!ateral Resr~rces SUBJECT: Groundwater Quality Effects of Activities of Lakewood Brick E Tile Co. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is in reference to the application (Ref. - File No. 79-45) of Lakewood Brick 1; Tile Company fora Mined Land Reclamation Permit, in response to an inquiry by Carol Pahlke concerning groundwater quality impact. Concern was expressed by Carol Pahlke that atmospheric pollutants might be solutioned and/or transported to a potential recharge zone for the Fox Hills aquifer, to be exposed by the proposed mining activity. After reviewing pertinent geologic and climatographic literature the following is evident. A) The Fox Hills aquifer to be subaerially exposed dips easterly at approx- imately 450 B) The site is located entirely within the Si, Sec. 9, T25, R70W, of the 6th P.M., directly west of the Rocky Flats plant. C) U.S.G.S. Professional Paper N1019 indicates the prevailing surface winds within the area of question are northerly predominantly with minor com- ponents easterly. Air borne contaminants would therefore be predominantly if not totally transported in these directions from Rocky Flats and con- siderally easterly of the mine site. D) Regardless of the solubilities of these air borne contaminants in water the release and transport of these contaminants appears to be easterly of the proposed site and of no consequence with relation to the recharge of the Fox Hills aquifer. E) It was mentioned that the applicant would consider the clay pit as a potential waste disposal site in the future. This activity would necessarily be subject to applicable statutes, rules and regulations, governing disposal at the time of an application for disposal. However it would be beneficial to this end if the mine operator left a 6" to 12" layer of clay abutting against the top of the Fox Hills formation to provide an impermeable barrier to vertical groundwater migration into the under- lying Fox Hills aquifer. F) With this clay layer capping the Fox Hills exposure the vertical recharge of contamined precipitation, which has been shown would not occur, would have no more effect than if the recharge area were in its original in- disturbed orientation. Therefore, as supported above, it appears no significant pollution of the Fox Hills aquifer can be expected particularly if the protective clay layer is left in place overlying the Fox Hills aquifer.