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Febrttarv 1998 H-C Coal 1997 Anneal Reclamatton ReDOrt ~ Pa¢e 8 <br />• Response to Comment No. 1: <br />Water levels were not reported by mistake. Water level measurements were recorded on June <br />20, 1996 and October 15, 1996. Water level measurements for 1996 are presented in the table, <br />Well UC-2 Water Level Measurements, which is included in Exhibit 4. <br />2. The Division has the following question regarding how data are reported. Concentrations of <br />some parameters were reported in 1996 as "total recoverable", or in some cases "dissolved ; in <br />contrast to past year's reports which had no such annotations. Are the annotated values <br />directly comparable to figures not annotated in prior years? <br />Response to Comment No. 2: <br />1995 was the first year that parameters were annotated to indicate the constituent phase <br />analyzed. In 1996, parameters were generally reported as either total recoverable, total, or <br />dissolved. General chemistry parameters including alkalinity, ammonia, chloride, fluoride, <br />nitrate, and sulfate which were generally annotated as "dissolved" can be directly compared to <br />values from previous years which were not annotated. However, metals constituents which <br />were reported as "total recoverable" or "dissolved" are not directly comparable to values which <br />were not annotated in prior years. Prior to 1996, all metal constituents were analyzed for the <br />"total" fraction. "Total" metals includes all metals, inorganically and organically bound, both <br />dissolved and particulate. The "total" metal concentration is determined on an unfiltered <br />sample aher vigorous digestion and is the sum of the concentrations of dissolved and suspended <br />fractions. "Dissolved" metals are those constituents of an unacidified sample that passes <br />through a 0.45-µm membrane filter. The "total recoverable" fraction is the concentratton to <br />solution after treatment of an unfiltered sample with hot dilute mineral acid. The "total <br />recoverable" fraction includes bound metals which are easily separated from their "host". <br /> <br />The 1996 samples were analyzed for "total recoverable" and "dissolved" metals fractions <br />because Colorado Water Quality Control Commission numeric standards for metals are <br />generally stated as "dissolved" or "total recoverable" and HGCC identified the need for data <br />which was comparable to receiving water numeric standards. However, in recognition that the <br />recent data also needs to be comparable to historic data, HGCC analyzed 1997 samples for a <br />constituent's "dissolved", "total recoverable" and/or "total" metals fraction as appropriate so <br />that a comparison could be made against both historic data and numeric standards. Future <br />samples will also be analyzed so that appropriate comparisons can be made. <br />Montgomery Watson Americas, lnc. (dba TerraMatrixJ <br />p.0. Box 774018 Steamboat Springs, CO 80977 ' (970J 879-6260 <br />~~~)~-1 nnvl Rpdn e~~~,WA,p <br />]/l:/YI ry <br />