Ground Water Geology of the U.S. Gypsum Company, Sperry Mine

The geology relating to the U. S. Gypsum Company Sperry Mine, Des Moines County, Iowa, is discussed. Maps of the bedrock configuration, structure, and bedrock geology are presented and reviewed in light of the ground water condition existing in the area. Criteria which could cause mine flooding are investigated and evaluated

The Bedrock Configuration of Iowa

A review of bedrock topographic mapping of Iowa indicates that less than half of the state has been mapped. A map compiled primarily from the published literature of the bedrock configuration of Iowa and segments of the adjacent states of Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska suggests that the bedrock valley pattern parallels modern drainage as hypothesized by Kay and Apfel, in 1928. An unpublished map by Hale (1950) captured major valley trends remarkably well for the limited amount of data available. Studies of the bedrock surface by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Iowa Geological Survey and by the Hydrogeology Research Group at Iowa State University are presently being conducted

Detailed Mapping of the Bedrock Configuration in Des Moines County, Iowa, With an Electrical Resistivity Instrument

A Gish-Rooney type earth resistivity apparatus was used to obtain depth to bedrock at 110 instrument locations in north-central Des Moines County, Iowa. The variable depth method was employed in an area where some bore hole information was already available. The features on the resultant bedrock configuration map are more clearly defined than those on a map produced from bore hole data only. The resultant map is considered to be more reliable. The reliability of the method depends on the geologic conditions and the amount of data available prior to the study

Lead in Kentucky Soils

This study reviewed the literature on the occurrence of lead in soils and its relationship to waste oil tank leaks. Many studies have been conducted on the natural occurrence of lead in rocks, soils and water. Very low levels (0.001 mg/l to 0.01 mg/l) are found in surface and groundwater, variable levels are found in soils (from less that 10 ppm to as high as 700 ppm but more normally a high of 70 ppm), and the lead levels found in rocks range from 7 to 80 mg/kg. Risk assessment calculations have been made by several individuals, also with variable results. One value was computed at 20 mg/kg lead in soil and another was calculated as high as 200 mg/kg. A standard of 25 mg/kg is proposed for Kentucky based on the natural background level found in soils studied in the state. For sample values taken in tank pits that do not meet this standard a background value must be determined by taking 5 soil samples at one-meter depth upgradient from the tank pit and averaging them. Even though recommended cleanup level is not based on risk analysis methods, when referring to various risk documents, the value selected here is slightly lower than mean value (36 mg/kg) derived from an analysis of background samples at various remediation sites across the state. Standards in place in other states range from less than 0.1 mg/kg to as high as 2000 mg/kg. Texas uses 20 times the MCL, and Pennsylvania uses 200 ppm for the non-indiustrial sites and 600 ppm for industrial sites

Recharge to Ground Water from the West Nishnabotna River

Surface water budgets, calculated from base-flow discharge data, for several reaches of the West Nishnabotna River in Southwest Iowa, reveal two reaches with anomalously small incremental discharges. These small incremental discharges cannot be accounted for through evapotranspiration at the time of the discharge measurements nor can they be related to losses associated with shallow ground water withdrawals near the river. The small incremental discharges in the two reaches are interpreted as resulting from influent conditions at natural ground water recharge sites within each reach. The southernmost of these two sites is located near a major buried valley which may be conducting the influent river water into the subsurface, away from the river

Groundwater Study: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA Georgetown, Kentucky

An eighteen month study of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing (TMM) plant site and the surrounding area was undertaken. The basic charge for this project was to characterize the groundwater that is potentially impacted by the TMM plant site. This included occurrence, flow direction, and, if possible, velocity. Because the area is karstified (has sinkholes, springs, caves, etc.) surface water and groundwater are intimately connected and, hence, surface water was frequently an important component of this work. Data from TMM construction plans and monitoring work done subsequent to construction were elicited from the various repositories within the TMM infrastructure. Aerial color photographs were acquired from various government agencies. Maps were constructed from the various data sources and data layers were combined to provide a complete picture of the plant site with respect to geology and groundwater. Fracture trace analysis and field reconnaissance was performed. Fifty-one sinkholes were found onsite, 182 in the entire study area. Several springs, both onsite and offsite, were discovered. Dye trace analysis was performed to determine connectivity and help to build a conceptual model of the subsurface flow system. Existing chemical analysis was complemented with chemical analysis done by the University of Kentucky

Effects of Longwall Mining on Hydrogeology, Leslie County, Kentucky Part 1: Pre-Mining Conditions

An investigation of the hydrologic effects of longwall coal mining is in progress in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. The study area is located in a first-order watershed in southern Leslie County over Shamrock Coal Company\u27s Beech Fork Mine (Edd Fork Basin on the Helton 7.5-minute quadrangle). Longwall panels approximately 700 feet wide are separated by three-entry gateways 200 feet wide. The mine is operating in the Fire Clay coal (Hazard No. 4); overburden thickness ranges from 300 to 1,000 feet. Mining in the watershed began in late summer 1993. Undermining of the instrumented panel (panel 7) is anticipated for summer 1994. This report documents pre-mining hydrogeologic conditions. Three sites over panel 7 (ridge-top, valley-side, and valley-bottom settings) were selected for intensive monitoring. An NX core hole was drilled at each site to provide stratigraphic control for well installation, to evaluate fractures, to conduct pressure-injection tests, and to provide a borehole for installation of time domain reflectometry cables. A rain gage and flume were installed in the basin in summer 1992. Twenty-four monitoring wells, completed in July 1992, provide water-level and water-quality data on individual stratigraphic zones represented by the three well locations. Interpretation of pre-mining conditions was used to develop a conceptual model of ground-water flow in the study basin. Three ground-water zones were identified on the basis of hydraulic properties. The shallow-fracture zone, a highly conductive region parallel to the ground surface, extends to a depth of 60 to 70 feet. The elevation-head zone includes the ridge interior, mostly above drainage, where total head consists of elevation head only. The pressure head zone, largely below drainage, is the region where total head is the sum of elevation head and pressure head. Two fresh-water geochemical facies are also present. Shallow ground water is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonatesulfate type, whereas ground water in the deeper regional system is sodium-bicarbonate type. Anticipated effects from longwall mining include a decrease in water levels in the pressure-head zone. Temporary decreases are expected in the shallow-fracture zone as newly created void spaces subsequently fill. The elevation-head zone should not be greatly affected because it is predicted to be in the aquiclude zone

Hydrogeology and Ground-Water Monitoring of Coal-Ash Disposal Sites in a Karst Terrane near Burnside, South-Central Kentucky

The effects of two coal-ash disposal facilities on ground-water quality at the John Sherman Cooper Power Plant, located in a karst region of south-central Kentucky, were evaluated using dye traces in springs. Springs were used for monitoring rather than wells, because in a karst terrane wells are unlikely to intercept individual conduits. A closed-out ash pond located over a conduit-flow system discharges to three springs in the upper Salem and Warsaw Formations along Lake Cumberland. Water discharging from these downgradient springs is similar to springs unaffected by ash-disposal facilities and is a calcium-bicarbonate type. No constituent concentrations found in this flow system exceeded maximum contaminant levels (MCL’s) or secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCL’s) defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. An active ash pond is situated over another conduit-flow system that discharges to springs in the lower St. Louis Limestone. Water discharging from these downgradient springs is intermediate between the calciumbicarbonate type of the unaffected springs and the calcium-sulfate type of the active ash pond. No constituent concentrations found in this flow system exceeded MCL’s or SMCL’s. A third flow system associated with a coal stockpile adjacent to the plant is delineated by springs in the St. Louis Limestone and the Salem and Warsaw Formations that discharge calcium-sulfate type water. Chromium and cadmium concentrations exceeded MCL’s in at least one sample from this flow system. Iron, manganese, sulfate, and total dissolved solid concentrations exceeded SMCL’s in at least one sample. The closed-out ash pond appears to have no adverse impact on the water quality, nor does the active ash pond. In general, the coal stockpile has a more adverse impact on ground-water quality in the study area than the ash-disposal facilities

Research Reports From Status Report: Identification of Appropriate Standards for Corrective Action for a Release from Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks

This document is a collection of research reports: Cost of Closure and Remediation for Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks Assessment of Number and Distribution of USTs Analysis of Potable Water Sources in Kentucky Analysis of Well Data and Soil Parameters as Related to the STATSGO Kentucky General Soil Map Petroleum Products: Chemical Composition, Tocxicological and Environmental Data Health Risk Analysis for Selected Petroleum Compounds Summary of Analytical Methods Soil Volume Calculations for UST Installations Generic Organic Containment Pathway Analysis for Components of Petroleum in Soil and Groundwate