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Home My WebLink Aboutl Groundwater ReportRECEIVEDINCDENWR Alutrien- Feeding the Fu ture - Certified Mail Mr. Tom Steffens U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Regulatory Field Office 2407 West 5th Street Washington, North Carolina 27889 Re: PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. 2020 Reclamation Area Groundwater Data Dear Mr. Steffens: ffimff-mml Please find on the enclosed CD the 2020 reclamation area groundwater data required in 404 Permit No. SAW-2001-10096 Special Condition Q issued June 10, 2009. it also addresses grolun,dwater sampling required in NCDWR Water Quality Certification No. ?S '9, §, version 2.0 Special Condition 12, issued January 15, 2009. This data includes results of groundwater monitoring from 14 wells around the R12 reclamation area, 7 in the Yorktown Formation and 7 in the Castle, Mayne Aquifer. Baseline data is from January 2018 — July 2019, and post-bl'iend sampling data is from August 2019-December 2020. No action is required at this time because there were no significant increases in the levels of any sampled substance above established baseline concIftions, ais outlined in the March 29, 2019 submittal to David May of the DWR Washington Regional Office. If you have any questions, please call me at (252) 402-4699 or email me at tyler.peaco,ck@nutrien.com. Sincerely, 4er A. Peacock Environmental Scientist pc: Paul Wojoski — DWR, Raleigh w/CD David May- DWR, Washington w/CDl Chris Pullinger — DWR, Washington w/CD 23-16 w/CD 23-01-004-29 w/CD 1530 NC Hwy 306 South, Aurora, NC USA 27806 uli'Apleirl corn Effective January 1, 2018, PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. Is an indirect subsidiary of Nutrien Ltd. PCS Phosphate Company, Inc, remains the legal operating entity and permittee, vVajef QuaRy permitting Section 2020 Annual PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. Reclamation Area Groundwater (R12) Report Prepared by: PCS Phosphate Co. Inc. 1530 NC Hwy 306E Aurora, NC 27806 HNIOXIMMOM M. iBackground— .... ........ ....._._.-----------............ ........... .......... ---.......... -----_1 U.Laboratory Analysis ..... .....~..--------........ .............. ----_--------........... _--1 Ill. Results and Actions— .... —...... ......... --................ ........... ---...... .......... ----_---.......... 1 Figure 1:R12Sampling Location Map .............. ............ -----............. ...................... .------..3 Table1: Groundwater &melytes:Units, Detection Limits, and ZLStandard ..... --........... .......... ...... 4 IV. Appendices ....... ............. ----------_........... —.............................. .............. -----_--.5 A.Future Action Procedure Submittal, Mlaoh29,Z019(0igi|aU).... —........................ —........ ...... -'5 2LBmxp|mt :Figues3-25(0igitaU---_---------.----..—.................—.....~_.5 C, Castle HaymeWell! #7Trend Analysis: Figures 2G-28,(Dkgiita|)—............ ........... ---_--------5 D.Raw Analytical Data (Digha|) ........... .... .......... ..... ...... ... ....................................... .................. 5 ��H PCS Phosphate Company Inc. (PCS) operates an open pit phosphate mine in Aurora, Beaufort County, NC. Mining began at the site in 1965 to provide raw materials for the operation of on -site chemical plants that produce various phosphate -based acid and fertilizer products. The mining and beneficiation process of the raw ore creates several main by-products: sand tailings and clays that are separated from the ore iin the mill process, and phosphogypsurn that is generated after the refined ore is reacted with sulfuric acid to create phosphoric acid. As part of the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) 404 Permit No. SAW-2001-10096 Special Condition Q, issued June 10, 2009, and NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) 401 Water Quality Certification No. 2008-0868, version 2.0 Special Condition 12, issued January 15, 2009, for mining activities, PCS is required to develop and administer a groundwater monitoring program around reclamation areas. Reclamation Area 12 (1112) is the first to be regulated under these requirements. Gypsum/clay blend for reclamation was first introduced into R12 in August 2019, Baseline (pre -blend) data was collected from January 2018 through July 2019. The locations of the sampling wells around R12 are shown on Figure 1. The following is a timeline of events relating to the reclamation area groundwater sampling 1. The initial monitoring plan was developed and submitted to the COE and NC DWR on June 10, 2016 and was approved with some modifications in a letter from DWR dated September 1,2017, 2. Baseline groundwater sampling around R12 began in January 2018. B. PCS personnel met with DWR staff on March 29, 2019 and submitted a formal package to clarify future action procedures (Appendix A). 4. Gypsum/clay blend was introduced into R12 and monthly post-,blendl sampling began in August 2019. All lab analyses except radionuclides have been conducted by Environment 1 Inc. in Greenville, NC, a contracted external state -certified laboratory. Analytes, include general water qluality parameters, total and dissolved metals, and radionuclides (Table 1). Analysis of radionuclides were sub -contracted to Florida Radiiochemistry Services, Inc. in Orlando, FL by Environment 1. Table I also shows the NC 2L groundwater standard for each parameter that has a standard, and the laboratory detection limit for each parameter. Analysis results are found in Appendices B and C. Many data points for both baseline and post -blend conditions are censored (i.e., below the analytical detection limit of the laboratory equipment/method). To better estimate the variability of some parameters, a regression on order statistics (ROS) method was applied to generate modeled data. In some cases, there was not enough data to perform this method (>80% censored) and the detection 11 llimit is the minimum reported value. This method was outlined in detail in the March 29, 2019 letter submitted to NC DWR (Appendix A). Following the format of last year's report, boxplots were created for background data and post -blend sample points were overlaid to visually compare pre vs. post conditions (Appendix B, Figures 2-25). An increasing chloride trend has Ibeen observed in Castle Hayne well #7, and it has reached the 250 mg/L baseline. Along with chloride, the sodium and total dissolved residue concentrations have also increased in the same well. Trend analysis shows that these three parameters have been increasing since the begiinning of baseline sampling, 18 months before blend was initially placed in R12 (Appendix C, Figures 26-28). The chloride trend appears to have leveled off over the last 6 months, however we will continue the chloride trend analysis, to track future levels as outlined in the March 29, 2019 letter. Per the March 29, 2019 future action procedure letter, no action is required because there were no significant increases in the levels of any sampled substance above the established baseline conditions. Figure 1: R12 Sampling Location Map Parameter Units 2LStandard Detection Limit pH 6. 5 -8,5 Nitrate Nitrogen as N mg/L 10 0.04 Total Phosphorus as P mg/L - 0.04 Chloride mg/L 250 - Fluoride mg/L 2 - Total Dissolved Residue mg/L 500 - Sulfate mg/L 250 - Arsenic ug/L 10 5 Arsenic, Total Dissolved ug/L 10 5 Cadmium ug/L 2 1 Cadmiium, Total Dissolved ug/L 2 1 Chromium, ug/L 10 5 Chromium, Total Dissolved ug/L 10 5 Leaid ug/L 15 5 Lead, Total Dissolved Nickel ug/L ug/L— 15 100 5 10 Nickel, Total Dissolved Ug/L 100 10 Sodium mg/L - - Zinc Zinc, Total Dissolved Gross Alpha uglL ug/L pCi/L 1000 1000 15 10 10 Varies Radium-226 Radium-228 pCi/L pCii/L - Varies Varies Uranium mg/L - i Varies A. Future Action Procedure Submittal, March 29, 2019 (Digital), B, B,oxplots: Figures 2-25 (Digital) C. Castle Haiyne Well #7 Trend Analysis: Figures 26-28 (Digital) D. Raw Analytical Data (Digital)