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r <br />0 Inspection Report (photos 6-11) <br />Umetco water monitoring well (R/W approval) <br />An inspection was made on 9-26-00 by Bruce Fowler of the drilling operation. The well is <br />located near the Utah boundary (just northeast of monument 113 on topo map) in SW 1/4 section <br />35, T 51 N, R 20 W. The location was selected based on the presence of ground water in a <br />Cotter exploration hole at the same location. The purpose of the well is to determine whether the <br />background water quality in the ore horizon is naturally elevated in radioactive parameters. The <br />data would be used to evalaute the pending discharge permits for the Packrat Spring and Rajah <br />30 mine discharge. <br />The driller is Gordon Smith, and the on-site geologist is Fred Peale, who provided the <br />information include in this report. The 8-inch hole will reach a total depth of 570', or just below <br />the ore horizon. Surface casing was set to 20' (state requirement), but just needs to reach <br />bedrock. Drilling is with air, with small amounts of water added once the hole becomes moist. <br />Foam is only used for lost circulation zones. The cuttings and water were being directed into the <br />dug pit. The pit had overflowed, and a small stream of gray water/cuttings mixture was <br />discharged from the site. Cuttings samples are collected with a shovel by the driller every 5' and <br />piled in rows on the site. <br />Other than the overflowing pit, site disturbance was minimal. No blading was done, and the only <br />equipment on the site was the drill rig, water/pipe truck, and pickups. <br />The uppermost water zone encountered was a minor zone at the base of the Burro Canyon at <br />about 90', but there was insufficient water to collect a sample. The highest water zone in the <br />Brushy Basin was in a sandstone found at 250'-264'. The static water water level was 91.8', <br />indicating artesian pressure. An inflatable packer (inflated by nitrogen) was set at about 245' to <br />isolate the water zone and a 4-inch pump was attached below the packer. The water zone was <br />pumped at 4-5 gpm and about 60 gallons were pumped. Then a sample was taken by Alan Files <br />of Umetco to be analyzed at Barringer Labs. The field measurements were pH (7.53), <br />conductivity (533), and temp (10.2 Q. <br />At the time of inspection, the drill depth was approaching 400'. Because water was being used in <br />the drilling, it was difficult to determine if the hole was producing water. From the Cotter logs <br />and data, it was decided to sample a water zone at 380'-400', with the packer installed at 360'. <br />Once the hole reached 400', the hole was blown out to remove cuttings and water, then the driller <br />started tripping out (removed drill pipe) of the hole. Then the pump was attached to a 20' section <br />of trimi (thin) pipe and lowered into the well bore. Then the packer was attached to the trimi <br />pipe and pump section and also lowered. Once the entire string of trimi pipe is lowered in the <br />hole, the water zone will be pumped and sampled. The thin pipe is used rather than drill pipe <br />because it requires less volume of water to fill the pipe. For minor water zones, this increases the <br />chances of pumping water to the surface and getting a sample. Alan Files was present at the <br />time of inspection. However, the pumping and sampling had not yet taken place at the time of <br />inspection.