Abstract |
This report presents a description and evaluation of the groundwater monitoring program associated with the Wash King Superfund Site located in Pleasant Plains Township, Lake County, Michigan. This report does not address the larger issue of remedial process optimization for this site. A monitoring network consisting of 44 groundwater monitoring wells and five groundwater extraction wells was evaluated to identify potential opportunities to streamline monitoring activities while still maintaining an effective monitoring program. A three-tiered approach, consisting of a qualitative evaluation, a statistical evaluation of temporal trends in contaminant concentrations, and a spatial statistical analysis assessed the degree to which the monitoring network addresses the objectives of the monitoring program, as well as other important considerations. The qualitative evaluation addressed all 49 monitoring and extraction wells. The temporal evaluation addressed those wells with adequate historical analytical data (>4 sampling events) to conduct a trend analysis, and the spatial statistical evaluations included separate evaluations for those wells screened in the shallow and deep aquifers. The results of the three evaluations were combined and used to assess the optimal frequency of monitoring and the spatial distribution of the components of the monitoring network. The results of the analysis were then used to develop recommendations for optimizing the monitoring program at Wash King. |