North Shore Road (11)

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North Carolina Department of Environment and
Natural Resources
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY 'Na
•Surface Water Protection Qp
Asheville Regional Office o Y
NCDENR 2090 U.S. Highway 70
Swannanoa, North Carolina 28778
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Fax: - -733 - 41,f 50?
Bate:
Number of pages Including cover: l0
MESSAGE. If.guestions, please call 828/296-4500

Nonl:?hCaxolina
?atu.r?llt?
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6 n otentiall acidic rock
The dentechnical Ugat have the of V, C D 0 samles as necessary f responsibility for sting The G'pecltnical Unit 1S In the
locations on this project and code g p
process of screening rock samples collected in propOE d at the UniversQty of Tate eSSee to determine-their
accounting testy tire bung perfat mer] on then Eventuall x field laboratory will be et;tabhshed to our
ner.
net acid neutr tlizatlon potential (NP-AP) }
Ashav'ille office for the purpose of testing the rock samples and reporting results In a oi Dn
raposed cut sections will be classified sts potentially WA-or
On the basis of these tests, p rig
Construction, ail engineering geologist will evaluate exposed
contractor will coordinate activities with the rock surfaces, cuttings from blust holes, and hot e%Lavationa engineer to enable sticcessful performance of the test n$
..lrl R tit lr F.C ?vat?4p potential (NP-AP) gttatcr than minus five (4 < N13-
A11 rock excavatl??n having a net acid neutralization AP) will be designated to be used in general embankment construction
P 11 in one more
?,? c?(ty Uon
All rock excavation hm, ing a NP-AP less than minus
de at d w are ? Itcsulf cle berAr ngoru k is
approved encapsulation areas on the project o in a
ntractor ncountered the material shall be stockpiled in an area dsarea,bconstructed by the until shall
e
specific mitigation solutions can be developed The stockpile tv laced
tested from p e Idpttatri«,ng n by
Oil gr have a one foot thick la}'ei of Cru5lied limestone
i!d mate tia.ls shall be pr screenings
placement of sulfide be?rinlX materials Tlie 41cic p
covering with a ininimum 10 mil thick imp be rm lonlegeam mbg r p. Jb Wimin theor theca mpora y area, A
stockpile and the encapsulation area would B t
inishad encapsulation area in this location could be graded Into a false cut configuration to blend w w ith
f
the existing topogtaph)'.
would he design of the encapsulation art,,o has not yet bccn rnadm, ennaAble ynthet pt l desi
and lone foot Alf
T
far nhout two feet of crufihecl limestone coveted with p
• tone screenings on which t1w sulfide beating cock woul be plamd,beTthe tiro at uulrate placed
it, lifts not exceeding two foot with an application of agricultutfll
ift of
l
an<lian area s
npermestble
rocL ounds per 1,000 square feet of surface area. After
twthe o foil, of al Y sothe
p
covered with a one foot lriyer of agricultural lime,
mmthetic membrane, The Synthetic membrane shall em-ered with slopes, midi the a iv n f tt'?"II fe sof soil and
Otte foot layei of topsoil shall Uc placed on the einbank
mulched immediately
quality
ram has been established within NC DCYf to perform ''meter ? led and
streams enc>Jt along the project testing of all springs and
st pf°g The water in these springs and streams are beistp, sarnp
pH. Sulfate, nd levels of acidity and mineralization Spec, ica }',
tested on a monthly y basis to determine the baekgTOUd
tile following water qualIq' tests are being performed anew. Conductivity, q lumintcrn, and, in the case of
Acidity, Iron, Alkalinity, vg
grid Chromium
anomalous results Copper, Zinc, Cadmium, • Chrom;l who send samples to a private lab for
ampl
Sampling is currently conducted by Geotechnical Unit personn Ashev
ing analysis. Eventually water quality testing, will also be don i Tom dusille fici aid,officeuSd be posy nd shi:
testing s vvill continue the level of any degrade ion of taater uquality caused by the project and the efficacy of tlir
to assess
mitigation tneaBUreS
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{
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to test for acid producing potential of excavated material
during construction and what measures will be employed if I? I
acid producing material is encountered..
B_Q2pon5_e• The known occurrence of sulfi.dic or anakista rock
("hot rock") in the vicinity of the project has prompted
geotechnical investigations and a water quality sampling
program in the project area. The results of the
investigations and sampling indicate the potential for acidic
runoff is minimal.
The water quality sampling program has been sampling
surface water since June, 1994, to establish baseline water
duality data for the project. To date, no water samples have
shown acidic conditions. NCDOT will continue the water
sampling and testing program through and after construction.
If grading, excavation, or demolition activities are found
to impact sulfide bearing substrates, the Geotenandl Unit has
developed a plan for the identification, handling
disposition of any sulfide bearing (hot) rocks. During
construction, an engineering geologist will evaluate exposed
rock surfaces, cuttings from blast holes, and muck from blast
shots on potentially hot excavations. If sulfide bearing rocks
are encountered, the provisions in the plan for the handling
and dispostion of the sulfide bearing rock will be impemented
pae A-18
p ifying andthandlingdacidorock if1s
rovisionsyforeident
P
encountered).
The Forest Service will be provided copies of the water
quality sampling and testing strategy, geological
investigations and water quality sampling results, and
provisons for identifying and handling of any sulfide bearing
material, if encountered during construction-
gM t. "...Planning for effective erosion control and use
of the best available technologies for design and
construction of relocated stream channels are two other
important mitigation measures to be gipriority. we
would like to review specific design. proposals for these
structures as the project progresses..."
ReAp ,n,=: Channel changes and stream modifications have
and will continue to be coordinated with the U. s. Fish
Wildlife service, 13. S. Forest Service, N. C. wildlife
Resources Commission, and other resource agencies in
accordance with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife CoordinaNatior
Caalj= published by the N C. Wildlife Resources
been
and
Act.
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2 A-1D
Metbodologies and Pre-Construction Monitoring
Geo;Aq,Li tical Unit

Rack 'cmrplttg To assess the amount of potential acid-producing rock present on the
project, an ongoing rock sampling program is being carried out
(1) Outcrops over the extent of the A-10 C and A-10 D projects were examined from
May to August of 1992 Any visible pyrite was noted
(2) Extensive drilling has been conducted on the A-10 project from 1992 to 1996 This
core has been sampled extensively and tested using the Acid Base Accounting
method to determine the Acid Potential (AP), Neutralization Potential (NP), and Net
Neutralization Potential (NNP = NP - AP) The Department of Geology at the
Um%ersity of Tennessee - Knoxville has tested all of these samples during the pre-
construction phase Some core samples have been selected at random and samples
with visible pyrite have been selected Additional sampling and testing has been
performed in areas where low NNP values were encountered To date, 375 core
samples have been sampled and tested on projects A-10C (187) and A-101) (188)
taken from approximately 10,000 feet of core
(3) Dr Don Byerly from the university of_Tennessec at Knoxville has been hired as a
consultant to advise on or deal with problems and decisions concerning potential
acid producing rock Dr Don Byerly is a recognized expert on this subject, and is
the author of the FHWA "Guidelines for Handling Excavated Acid Producing
Materials" He is reviewing all phases of NCDOT's handling of the potential acid
producing rock on this project and has had input into the design of the disposal
areas
(4) Core sampling and testing will continue as the need arises More specifically, more
testing will be done to estimate the size of the areas encountered with NNP values of
(-5) or lower
Water Sam;7htig To assess the effect of acid drainage on the water quality, a water
sampling program is being carried out
(1) Locations of springs and flowing streams have been noted along the projects A-10C
and A- I OD
(2) In September of 1995, approximately one year prior to the start of construction,
water sampling along the A-10C project was initiated at twenty-three locations
These sampling locations were chosen both above and below the project corridor
and to be undisturbed by the actual construction In July of 1996, water, sampling
along the A- l OD project was initiated at nine locations The locations of these
sample sites are depicted in Appendix 1 Each of the sampling locations are being
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sampled on a monthly basis, and samples are being submitted to a certified contract
laboratory or the NCDOT Materials & Tests Unit for testing Also during
construction, horizontal drains will be tested for pH by the Gcotechnical Unit
personnel, as described in 3(A) below, on a monthly basis Additional sample
locations may be added at a later date as the project develops Specifically, areas
below the two large waste areas and colluvial areas will be monitored
(3) Testing
A Onsite Testing
I pH and temperature are measured using a portable pH meter and following
ASTM D-1293 The pH results are logged and compared to the pT-1 results
from the contract laboratory (see 3(B) below)
2 Conductivity will also be tested in the field beginning in November of 1996
on a monthly basis using a portable conductivity meter
13 Laboratory Testing
1 One sample is tested by a certified contract laboratory for pH, Acidity,
Alkalinity, and Conductivity Each of these samples is tested for the
properties listed below using standard laboratory testing procedures
pH ASTM D-1293 or equivalent
Acidity ASTM D-1067 it
Alkalinity ASTM D-1067 "
Conductivity ASTM D-1125 "
2 A third sample, containing a nitric acid spike, is tested by a certified contract
laboratory for Sulfate, Iron, Manganese, and Aluminum or other specified
metals Each of the spiked samples are tested in the laboratory for the metal
species listed below using standard laboratory testing procedures Note
The spike of nitric acid is intended to prevent any metal ion species in
solution from precipitating
Sulfate (SO,i) ASTM
Tron (Fe) ASTM
Manganese (Mn) ASTM
Aluminum (At) ASTM
D- 516 or equivalent
D-1068 it
D- 858 °`
D- 857 "
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3 Gwen the results of previous samples, selected spiked water samples may be
tested for the additional metal species listed below
-Copper (Cu) ASTM D-1688 or equivalent
Cadmium (Cd) ASTM D-3557 "
Chromium (Cr) ASTM D-1687 "
Zinc (Zn) ASTM D-1691 "
4 All laboratory tests should be such that precision limits for the various tests
are as follows
Acidity tests 0 l pH
1 0 epm
10 % micromoh/cm
Mineral species 01 %
Metal species ppb or µg/l
(4) "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water"(] 7th edition,
1989, American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, and
Water Pollution Control Federation) is used as a standard for sampling procedures
Sampling equipment and procedures will be such, that cross contamination between
sampling locations is prevented
(5) Based on the results of the first round of testing and review of the project, the
Project Geologist will select sampling locations to provide a sufficient representative
surface water characterization of the project corridor
(6) Based on the results of the sampling and testing, the sampling frequency may be
increased or decreased (such as once every 2 weeps, bi-monthly, or quarterly)
Likewise, the suite of species tested for may be increased or decreased based on the
test results
(7) Sample results will be reported annually by the Geotechrucal Unit
Roadside Environmental Unit
The Roadside Environmental Unit performs water monitoring by using single-stage
samplers at numerous locations along the waterways within and near the construction of
the project These single-stage samplers take water samples automatically during rain-
events The samples are collected by the Roadside Environmental Unit and tested by the
NCDOT Materials and Test Unit for suspended solids and turbidity The advantage of
using the single-stage samplers is that the sample is taken during or just after a rain-event
't'hese rain-events are the most opportune time for the designed erosion control devices to
fail and allow sediment travel to the waterways As is the case with this project, the
sample locations may not be easily accessible during peak flood stages which would
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by fine sediments The baseline embeddedness values will be used to evaluate current
sediment input from existing land uses (agricultural, forestry, etc ) Quantitative substrate
analysis will be performed using a freeze-core apparatus that injects liquid carbon dioxide
into a copper tube placed within the stream bottom Frozen core samples will be taken from
two randon' locations within each site Samples will be dried and sieved to determine
percent dry weight of each particle size (gravel, sand, silt) The proportion of each
substrate type will characterize the baseline conditions for each stream
The study site for the water quality and aquatic biology monitoring consists of eight
sites The eight selected streams are directly crossed by the project (Appendix 3) and
include Little Creek, Big Laurel Creek, Bear Branch, Buckner Branch, Puncheon Fork,
Sprinkle Creek, Jarvis Branch, and Califorrua Creek Chandler Creek will be the "control
stream" The watershed of this stream lies outside the boundaries of the construction
project and has a drainage area comparable to most of the potentially impacted sites Each
of the rune stream reaches to be sampled will be approximately 100 meters in length
Pre-construction baseline surveys were conducted by Fish and W)ldlife Associates in
January 1996 and May 1996 The purpose of these studies was to determine and document
the conditions of the streams prior to the start of any highway construction related to TIP
A-10 Reports for both the Winter and Spring sampling studies were prepared as well as a
Summary Report These reports are available at the NCDOT Planning & Environmental
Branch and can be obtained by contacting Mr H Franklin Vick, P E , Manager
Construction Monitoring
Geoteq.Lnical Unit
(1) Rock Sampling and testing will be performed during construction as directed under
the Project Special Provisions for Potential Acid Producing Rock This will include
extensive sampling of drill cuttings, hand samples, and additional core samples and
disposal of potential acid producing rock in specified areas A draft of the Project
Special Provision is in the contract
(2) Water sampling and testing will be continued on a monthly basis during construction
Sampling will potentially be decreased to every other month in areas where
construction activities are completed early or if there are not large differences in
sample recults Likewise, the suite of species tested for may be increased or
decreased depending on the test results
(3) Additional water sampling locations may be added at any time as waste areas and
construction related activities are established
oadside Environmental Unit
Upon beginning construction, other samplers will be installed on the upstream and
downstream sides of the project as needed to provide proper water sampling-aata
Likewise, the samples will be collected every two weeks throughout the life of the project
The downstream samples will be measured for sediment concentrations from construction
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disturbance and compared with samples collected upstream and previously obtained base
flow data The NCDOT will be continuously analyzing the test results from the water
samples to ensure that the turbidity and total suspended solids levels are acceptable and
that construction activities are not adversely affecting water quality

Environmental Unit
During construction of the project all nine streams will be sampled twice annually
Aquatic biology and water duality baseline sampling surveys will resume in January 1997
Winter sampling will be carried out between the months of January and February and the
spring sample period will be between May and June Since construction will proceed into
calendar year 2001, the monitoring period will cover a six year period Monitoring
summary reports will be prepared following each sample period and submittcd to the Corps
of Engineers annually unless otherwise requested Including pre-construction studies that
have been completed, a total of 12 sampling studies will be carried out for this project
Post-Construction Monitoring
Geotechnical Chit
(1) Water sampling will continue for at least one year on a monthly basis after
construction is complete This can be extended if requested or any problem should
arise _
(2) Streams below disposal sites will be tested again at IS mos and 24 mos. after
construction is completed
Roadside Environmental LTtut
Water monitoring shall continue every two weeks until final completion of project
and all erodible surfaces are stabilized and permanent vegetation is established,
Contingency Plan
Geo ecl-nical Unit
In the event of significant changes in water quality and /or chemistry the
Gcotcchnical Unit/ Resident Geologist will immediately notify the Resident Engineer and
follow the guidelines stated below
1) Tmmediate response
A) Stoppage of construction activities in the affected areas until the acid drainage
problem can be evaluated and remediated
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B) The Gcotechrucal Unit will take additional samples to verify the results
C) Additional sample sites will be chosen and frequency of testing will be increased to
detiormine the source of the contamination
D) After the source is identified, appropriate action will be taken by the Resident
Engineer, which may include any or all of the following
1 Treatment of the area identified to be producing the acid drainage with
Agricultural Grade Ground Limestone
2 Agricultural Grade Ground Limestone treatment directly to the streams,
settlement ponds, and tributaries directly affected by the runoff
3 Implementation of alkaline recharge trenches utilizing highly soluble alkaline
materials such as CaO, NaOH, and Ca(OH)2
2) Long term response - If the situation requires additional remediation, one of the
following may be required
A) Treatment of drainage ditches with limestone rip rap (Will be more or less a
immediate response but will work for the long term)
B) A permanent bog or wetland system may need to be constructed These structures
may be added at the discretion of the Resident Engineer at any time during or after
construction
3) As mentioned above, Dr Don 13yerly of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville will
be available to advise on water quality concerns and both the long and short term
remediation measures
Joadside Environmental Unit
Tf test results indicate that construction activities are impacting streams unacceptably
then the Central Roadside Environmental Unit staff shall contact the Area Roadside
Environmental Engineer who will follow the proper channels through the project
personnel to correct any problem areas The appropriate corrective actions to be
addressed will be dependent on the nature of the problem area, however the corrective
actions to be implemented may tnclude maintenance of existing devices, installation of
additional devices, and/or redesign of erosion control plans in specific areas due to the
changes in construction phasing

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T-uvironmental Unit
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If extreme or unusual circumstances arse due to contractor neglect, i e elevated
pH reading-s or excessive erosion and sedimentation due to breakdown of Best
Management Practices, additional baseline surveys will be implemented after consultation
with the Corps o£En??neers
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