U it d N l C tiUnited Nuclear Corporation Superfund SiteSuperfund Site

Ground Water Education Session #2Ground Water Education Session #2May 11, 2014

Janet Brooks EPA Region 6Janet Brooks – EPA Region 6Earle Dixon – New Mexico Environment Department

1

Where has the UNC Site Tailing Cells impacted ground water?water?

SECTION 10

Z:\dalabases\6209_ GE_ CR\GISDATA\arcmap_doc\2013_annual_report\f06_seepage_extents.mxd; January 17, 2014

LEGEND

----- Section Boundary

•m•m• Property Boundary

i.:·.:·J Tailings Pond

- Groundwater with pH <= 4

Aerial photo taken on August 1, 1996.

750 1,500

eet

FIGURE 6

3,000

Extent of Seepage-Impacted Groundwater,

September and October 201 3

CHESTER E N GIN EERS

pH What are acids and bases?pH – What are acids and bases?Common Household Acids & Bases

Acids Bases

How do you tell an acid from a base?yAcidic

Neutral

Basic

Is your drinking water monitored?Is your drinking water monitored?

What is in your drinking water?What is in your drinking water?III(IIA1 llllll LI!IIIL Wl!ln • Ullll.'l' tiHilliilll! I)F li'IQIII!!ilfliiiL III!JIL'I'IIIIIIIIJDIIIUI

Total C<!lliform Yes f'!ll!5'l!l'll ~tGI' NCII'IDI!U Cdibm5 ill'e ~!hit-

lladwiil Allse!lt wilhirlltll!' - il'llm:l!!rl ~hi l!mri l'lll"'mm!fft illllll ill'e !~!Sed iiS

illll

~

ECcl No ~tilt 0 0 HiiiiNrl illllll illll'tlil ECilli is lladwiil All!5ad ll'liiS!L ~

l'lllilh hnill!l m al!!imill Millm!H!!i ill

ihi!; llm!iil!-- sh:ft~ ~ No 0.01»11 0.010 Emsilln flf llillillrill ~ alllanlltll!'

l'lll'dlfmm ri!skllf illl!dl'lll'dl l'lllilh

illlllll-r" -1>1!<

Bilrillim N!i~ 1:1<108 2.1:1 2.1:1 Emsilln llf llillil.r.ll Bllril.im ~hi risk flf

illl!d ml!l:ill l'l!llil!ll!lril!!i<

No 2.5 0 150 Emsilln clllillillrill

.tlid>l lliiii'ICI!I',

l\lilliilllia'J,

Total N!i~ 1U 0 3110 Emsilln clllillil.r.ll alllanllhi ~lllliluJ

f'Ff: IIICL LemJ; IIICL€3 mQIL per!ler --

What is the pH of your drinking water?What is the pH of your drinking water?Results for: '1"925" pH (non-WQP) MCL Value: pH

Sample Date Sample Location Detect '" Sample 10 Flag Analyte Result

Compliance Point ID: Compliance Point Name:

8/19/2013

5/21/2013

EP009 Mariano lake 416-0694

E POQ9 Mariano Lake114

1301062 <

13-0568 H 8.77

902

Comment Entered By cn'"f v•· QA Ooe

Detection Umit Method 1011

Yolmda

SfilEEN

11.Q712013

il>':n'20SM 4500-H ~13

Results for: '1"()4'2' Potassium MCL Value: mg/L or ~m

Sample Date Sample Location Detect

Sample 10 Flag Analyte Result malt ot ppm Comment

Entered By Fn>y o Detection Umit Method 1011

OAOate

Compliance PointiD: Compliance Point Name:

11/13/2012 E PQ05 Church Rock 8 12-01496 H 0.58 OV.<'Ut SM 31 118 0<2<f.nl3

Compliance Point ID: Compliance Point Name:

11/13/2012 EP006 Church RockE 12-01497 H 0.62 ' 41 '1 SM 31118 04II!>I!OIJ

Compliance PointiD: Compliance Point Name:

12/4/2012 EP007 Church Rock UNC 12-01580 H 0.6 Rhooda o.vs '- SM 31118 04II!>I!OI3

Results for: '1'o45' Selenium MCL Value: o.os mg/L or ~rn

Sample Date Sample Location Detect

Sample 10 Flag Analyte Result mg/L or ppm

Comment Entered By E""Y Dile

Detection Umit Method 1011 QA.O<ie

Compliance Point ID: EP005 Compliance Point Name: 16T-5388 Entry Point (Chuch Rock B)

11/13/2012 E P005 Church Rock 8 12-01496 < 0.005 0.005 '"'"'-"" 200.9 0<'2<2013

Compliance Point ID: EP006 Compliance Point Name: 16T-538E Entry Point (Chuch Rock E)

11/13/2012 E POQ6 Church Rock E 12-01497 < 0.005 Rhooda 0.005 0.-::5'2" 200.9 0411!>'2013

January 09, 2014 9:12AM Detection Flag Key: 1 is violation, Tis >112 MCL, His above detect limit, <is less than Detection Limit Page 9 of 12

What is in the ground water beneath the UNC Site?

di lid ( l h d• Radionuclides (Gross Alpha, Lead‐210, Radium 226 and 228, Thorium‐230, Uranium)

• Metals (Aluminum, Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Lead,  Magnesium, , , , g ,Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Selenium, Vanadium))

• Major Ions (Ammonia, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Chloride Nitrate Potassium Sodium TotalChloride, Nitrate, Potassium, Sodium, Total Dissolved Solids)

How is the water beneath UNC characterized?

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) can effect your health.y

• Secondary Drinking Water Regulations for 15 “nuisance” contaminants Only effects tastenuisance  contaminants. Only effects taste, color, odor. These are:

• Aluminum, Chloride, Copper, Fluoride, Iron, Manganese, pH, Silver, Sulfate, Total Dissolved g , p , , ,Solids, Zinc

9

What effect does the Secondary yDrinking Water have on me?

Al i l li d di t ti• Aluminum – color, , scaling and sedimentation• Chloride ‐ odor and taste• Copper ‐ odor and tasteCopper  odor and taste• Fluoride – tooth discoloration and pitting• Iron ‐ odor and taste, color, scaling and sedimentation• Manganese ‐ odor and taste, color• pH ‐ odor and taste, , scaling and sedimentation

Sil ki di l i• Silver – skin discoloration• Sulfate ‐ odor and taste• Total Dissolved Solids ‐ odor and taste color scaling andTotal Dissolved Solids ‐ odor and taste, color, scaling and 

sedimentation• Zinc ‐ odor and taste

10

S th t All i C t i tSouthwest Alluvium Contaminants

Action SWA

Exceedances / # of  SWA Maximum Chemical Name Tailings Chemistry Unit Level

/Wells Detected Value

Chloride 608 ‐ 730 mg/l 250 1/15 364Manganese 100 ‐ 380 mg/l 2.6 6/15 6.09Nickel 3.5 mg/l 0.05 1/15 0.08

f ( ) / /Sulfate (SO4) 24,813 ‐ 144,900 mg/l 2125 13/15 5900Total Dissolved Solids (Lab) 38,462 ‐ 148,100 mg/l 4800 12/15 8730

During October 2013, the only hazardous substance found was Nickel in SBL‐During October 2013, the only hazardous substance found was Nickel in SBL01 which is a non‐seepage impacted background  well located in Section 1.

11

Where are the Seepage Impacts in the Southwest Alluvium?Alluvium?

"' "' 0627

(617) 0 (2230]

, "'

, "'

; ;

;

SECTION 10

"' ,

"' "' ,

EPA25

Z:\databasesi6209_GE_CRIGISDATA\arcmap_docl2013_annual_ report\f08_swa_sulfate.mxd; January 4, 2014

.... --

Central Cell

Legend

o Southwest AlltNium Well

Approximate Extent of Saturated AlltNium

Approximate Extent of AlltNium

Bicarbonate lsoconoentration -- Contour in mg/L

Inferred Bicarbonate lsoconcentration - - - - Contour in mg/L

Bicarbonate Concentrations (mg/L)

- 1000 - 1500

- 1500 - 2000

>2000

Property Boundary

Section Boundary

-- Tailings Pond

Sulfate Below 2125 mgil

(2350) Bicarbonate result in mg/L

[3580] Sulfate result In mg/L

Notes: 1. Well names are displayed with black text. 2. Aerial photo taken on August 1, 1996.

0 250 500 1,000

Feet

FIGURE 8

Southwest Alluvium Bicarbonate lsoconcentration Map and Distribution of

Sulfate Below 2125 mg/L, September and October 2013

United Nuclear Corporation Church Rock Site, Church Rock, New Mexico

'~~CHESTER ~ENGINEERS

Zone 3 ContaminantsZone 3 ContaminantsZone 3

Chemical NameTailings 

Chemistry Unit Action Level

Zone 3Exceedances / # of 

WellsZone 3 Maximum Detected Value

Aluminum 1,167 ‐ 7,400 mg/l 5 7/23 566Beryllium not available mg/l 0.017 6/23 0.144

/ /Cadmium 0.013 ‐ 0.24 mg/l 0.01 2/23 0.036Cobalt 5.5 mg/l 0.05 16/23 1.89Lead 0.6 ‐ 15.9 mg/l 0.05 1/23 0.074Lead‐210 4,200 pci/l 1 7/23 3.4Manganese 100 380 mg/l 2 6 16/23 51 1Manganese 100 ‐ 380 mg/l 2.6 16/23 51.1Nickel 3.5 mg/l 0.05 16/23 1.9Radium 226 & 228 8000 pci/l 5 18/23 46Sulfate (SO4) 24,813 ‐ 144,900 mg/l 2125 17/23 8630Thorium‐230 13 ‐ 277,733 pci/l 5 3/23 690pTotal Dissolved Solids (Lab) 38,462 ‐ 148,100 mg/l 4800 10/23 11900Total Trihalomethanes (includes Chloroform)

not available ug/l 80 1/23 88.8

Uranium 7.6 ‐ 54.5 mg/l 0.3 3/23 0.989di /l /Vanadium 180 mg/l 0.1 1/23 1.8

Exceedances of some of the Site standards in some Site wells represent background water quality and are not the cause of the UNC tailings seepage. Example: From 1989 

13

through 1997, Well 411 showed long‐term background exceedances in combined radium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, and sulfate.

Where are the Seepage Impacts in Zone 3?

North Cell

Approximate Extent of Seepag Impacts, 4th Quarter 2013

January 6, 2014

f Legend

••••m• Property Boundary

··-····- Zone 3 Target Remedial Action Area

-- Section Boundary

-- Cell Boundary

Approximate Area Impacted by Tailings Seepage

Wetl Type

• Monitoring

~ Northernmost Pumping Wells

0 Northernmost Pumping Wells (Off)

o Dry Monitoring

Stage I Extraction

Stage tl Extraction

s Other Extraction Wetls

" Plume Boundary

Northeast Pump-Back

Piezometer

Approximate Eastern Bouncary -·-·- of Zero Saturation

- - - pH contour

Notes: 1. Wetl names are displayed with t>ack text. 2. Values for field measured pH are shown with

purple text and enclosed in parentheses. 3. PB-02 not pumping at t1me of October 2013

sampling event. 4. Aerial photo taken on August 1, 1996.

0 200 400 800

Feet

FIGURE 35

Zone 3 Approximate Extent of Seepage Impacts, September and October 2013

United Nuclear Corporation Church Rock Site, Church Rock, New Mexico

~~CHESTER 'W- E N G INE E R S

Zone 1 Contaminants

Chemical Name Tailings Chemistry Unit Action Level

Zone 1Exceedances / # of 

WellsZone 1 Maximum Detected Value

Chloride 608 ‐ 730 mg/l 250 3/10 393Cobalt 5 5 mg/l 0 05 2/10 0 15Cobalt 5.5 mg/l 0.05 2/10 0.15Manganese 100 ‐ 380 mg/l 2.6 4/10 8.12Nickel 3.5 mg/l 0.05 5/10 0.27Radium 226 & 228 8000 pci/l 5 4/10 11.2Sulfate (SO4) 24,813 ‐ 144,900 mg/l 2125 8/10 7340Total Dissolved Solids (Lab) 38,462 ‐ 148,100 mg/l 4800 6/10 11600Total Trihalomethanes (includes Chloroform)

not available ug/l 80 2/10 416

During October 2013, only the following hazardous constituent exceeded the Site standards outside the property boundary in Section 1:• Nickel Well EPA 5 had 0 06 mg/l• Nickel – Well EPA 5 had 0.06 mg/l

15

Where are the Seepage Impacts in Zone 1?

0505A s

0502A s

Z:\databases\6209_GE_CR\GISDATA\arcmap_doc\2013_annu al_reporl\f48_z1_seepage.mxd; January 8. 2014

0 Water Quality and Water Level Monitoring

$ Water Level Monitoring

e Decomissioned East Pump Back

l:J. Revised East Pump Back (Inactive)

Property Boundary

Approximate Extent of Zone 1 Seepage Impact

Approximate Extent of Zone 1 pH Less Than 4.0

Chloride result in mg/L

(6.03) Field-measured pH in SU

Notes: 1. Seepage impacts delineated by

chloride detections greater than 50 mg/L. Aerial photo taken on August 1, 1996.

250 500 1,000

Feet

FIGURE 48

Zone 1 Extent of Seepage Impacts, October 2013

United Nucle3r Corporation Church Rock Site, Church Rock, New Mexico

~~CHESTER ~ENGINEERS