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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUtilities Memo by John Duffy ,t 760 3RD AVENUE S.w., STE. 110 · CARMEL, INDIANA 46032 (317) 571-2443 . FAX (317) 571-2265 May 16, 2005 Memo To: City of Carmel Department of Community Services From: John Duffy f. ~ RE: Martin Marietta ~ ~~~~er North Sand and Gravel Application The Martin Marietta Mueller North Sand and Gravel Application has been reviewed by Carmel Utilities staff and by WHPA, Incorporated. A copy ofWHPA's report and recommendations are attached for your file. This report has been discussed with staff from Martin Marietta with a general consensus that it is accurate and with commitments from Martin Marietta to do the following: I) Martin Marietta will add Carmel Utilities to the emergency contact list in the event of a chemical or fuel spill. 2) Martin Marietta will allow Carmel Utilities access for the purpose of sampling the dredge lake, and has agreed to cooperate fully with incorporating Mueller North into the overall water quality monitoring plan. 3) Martin Marietta will make employees fully aware that they are operating within a public water supply area and that Carmel has ground-water production wells in the area that could be impacted in the event of a spill. To date, Martin Marietta has supplied Carmel Utilities with all ofthe information we have requested. Please let me know if you have any questions or request additional information. ,'1 WHPA March 1, 2005 John Duffy Utilities Director 760 3rd Avenue Carmel, IN 46032 Dear Mr. Duffy, This letter summarizes what we consider the most important isslies that relate to the impacts of the proposed mining activities in the vicinity of existing and planned Carmel Utilities (CD) Public Supply wells. The attached technical memorandum presents the complete results of the review and our independent modeling analysis. Please refer to it for further details. WHP A reviewed each section of the document provided by Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MM) titled "Additional Information for Application for Board of Zoning Appeals Action Special Use Approval Request, Mueller Property North Sand and Gravel Operation." The purpose of the review was to identify the implications of mining in the Mueller North Property for the Carmel Utility wellfields. The following are the suggestions for Carmel Utilities based upon the review of the document: . Martin Marietta should add Carmel Utilities to the contact list in the Spill Plan. This will ensure prompt notification of any spill that occurs in the dredge lake. . Verify that the Martin Marietta spill training contains the proper information about the connection of Carmel's drinking water to the dredge lake and mining operation. . Monitor water-quality of the dredge lake and surrounding groundwater. WHP A's modeling analysis of the impacts of the Martin Marietta Mueller North Property on the Carmel Utilities proposed and existing wellfield is complete. The results show: . Plant 4 will receive water from the dredge lake, increasing the number of pits from which Plant 4 source water is originating. The dredge lake, like the other mine pits, should be monitored. This will require modification and implementation of the existing monitoring plan. . The dredge lake should buffer the decrease in the groundwater level near Plant 4 associated with mining at Mueller South Property. . Mining will not affect yields in the new East 106th Street Property. The total yield for two vertical wells in the wellfield is estimated to be between 3 to 4.5 MGD. The mine expansion minimally affects the production of water (e.g., yield or water levels), but greatly impacts the management of the source water. Because of the short times-of-travel, monitoring is imperative. Rhett Moore cc: Morris Hensley, Jack Wittman encl: Review of Martin Marietta's North Mueller Expansion and Assessment of Mine Impacts WHPA TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM FROM: John Duffy, Utilities Director, Cannel Utilities ~ore, Senior Hydrologist, WHPA, Inc. TO: Theresa Landewe, Senior Environmental Scientist, WHPA, Inc. CC: Morris Hensley, Water Quality Manager, Cannel Utilities DATE: 28 February 2005 SUBJECT: Review of Martin Marietta's North Mueller Expansion and Assessment of Mine Impacts This memorandum presents the results of an analysis of the potential impacts of planned and proposed mining activities in the vicinity of existing and planned Cannel Utilities (CU) Public Supply wells. The analysis includes: 1. Document Review: a review of new information presented by Martin Marietta Aggre- gates (MMA) in support of a Special Use permit for Mueller Property North. WHPA reviewed the document titled "Additional Infonnation for Application for Board of Zoning Appeals Action Special Use Approval Request, Mueller Property North Sand and Gravel Operation." The document contains additional information regarding Martin Marietta's application for special-use approval for the Mueller Property North Sand and Gravel Operation and Artificial Lake that was filed on December 13, 2002. The additional information was submitted by Martin Marietta in anticipation of ques- tions from the TAC Committee. 2. Hydrologic Analysis: an assessment of the potential impacts of the proposed mining activities at Mueller Property North on the planned wells at the East 106th Street Property and wells near Plant 4. The analysis was done by incorporating the addi- tional information presented by MMA into the existing groundwater flow model. 1 Document Review The reviewed document - "Additional Information for Application for Board of Zoning Appeals Action Special Use Approval Request, Mueller Property North Sand and Gravel Operation" - was prepared in order to meet the requirements of 327 lAC 15-5-6.5 (a) (Rule 5), Storm Water Run-off Associated with Construction Activity. No other state or federal water quality permits are required. As dictated by Rule 5, the document contains the fol- lowing components: 1. Plans and Details 2. Construction Plan (a) Project Narrative and Supporting Documents (b) Vicinity Map (c) Existing Project Site Layout (d) Final Project Site Layout (e) Grading Plan (t) Drainage Plan I Erosion and Sediment Control Report (g) Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan I Spill Prevention, Control, and Coun- termeasure Plan (h) Postconstruction Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan 3. Sound Level Assessment A summary of each document is provided below. 1.1 Plans and Details The proposed sand and gravel operation at Mueller Property North would be a continuation of an active dredging operation which has operated in the past at the adjacent facility to the north. A floating dredge will be utilized for the proposed sand and gravel mining, starting in the existing lake to the north and continuing south and westward as mining progresses. Booster pumps will be used to convey sand and gravel through a pipe to the existing Carmel Sand Plant. Previous MMA reports have stated that the project would continue for 8 to 14 years. The result of the mining activities will be an artificial lake surrounded by an earthen berm. Based on the Cross-Sections, the base of the proposed sand and gravel mine would be 700 feet MSL. Approximate water elevations during and after mining would be 729 and 730 feet MSL, respectively. Following mining, water levels are expected to fluctuate over a 5-foot range. 2 There is an estimated 5 feet of overburden (topsoil and other sediments) overlying the sand and gravel that would be removed with excavation equipment prior to dredging. No portion of the site is located within the 100-year floodplain, including floodway or floodway fringe. 1.2 Construction Plan Project Narrative and Supporting Documents The Project Narrative and Supporting Documents describes the nature and purpose of the project, a legal description of the project site, the 14 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code, and soil properties associated with the project site. It also details the general construction sequence of how the project site will be built. A project site map showing the lot numbers, lot bound- aries, and roads is provided. Vicinity Map The Vicinity Map is an 8.5x11 portion of a USGS topographic quadrangle map depicting the project site location. Existing Project Site Layout This section of the document provides soil, landuse, topography, and vegetative-cover maps of the project site. It verifies that no wetlands were found on the property and no portion of the site is located within a 1oo-year floodplain. All existing structures are identified on the Project Site Layout Map. Final Project Site Layout The Final Project Site Layout shows the final topography and the location of all site im- provements on the proposed site. Grading Plan The Grading Plan delineates all land disturbing activities and the locations of all soil stock- piles. The extracted topsoil will be used to construct permanent berms surrounding the dredge lake. Excess soil will be either sold or stored at the Carmel Sand Plant or North Indianapolis Plant. The extracted sand and gravel will be processed at the Carmel Sand Plant. 3 Drainage Plan I Erosion and Sediment Control Report The Drainage Plan shows all storm water will be contained within the dredge lake during mining activities. During overburden removal, only clean water can discharge through the gaps in the berm on the south-side of the property. The Erosion and Sediment Control Report (Erosion Report) describes the efforts that will be made during and after the mining activities to prevent erosion and control sediment. When removal of the overburden begins, all erosion control measures will be in place to prevent sediment from leaving the property. These temporary erosion and sediment controls will remain in place until all areas are stabilized. The berm, created from the overburden, will be seeded immediately upon completion and silt fences and other measures will be used if necessary to prevent soil erosion. Runoff will essentially be limited to precipitation that falls on the site. However, culverts on the northside of the property will allow runoff from the area between the Kingswood subdivision and the berm to enter Mueller Property North. This was done to simulate the natural runoff direction from north to south. Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan I Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermea- sure Plan The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (Storm Water Plan) describes the storm water management controls in place in the expansion area. The berms and channels discussed in the Erosion Report are the structural storm water controls in place. Nonstructural measures include inspections and utilization of good housekeeping and preventive maintenance to prevent storm water pollution problems. A written evaluation of the effectiveness of the structural storm water measures will be completed after each measurable storm event and, at a minimum, one time per week. The Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (Spill Plan) describes the po- tential sources of contamination on the Carmel Sand Facility which will be hydraulically connected to the proposed Mueller Property North. There will be no fuel or other chemical storage at the proposed Mueller Property North, other than the fuel contained directly in the operating equipment. BMPs will be followed during refueling of the dredge and the Spill Plan will be adhered to at all times. A copy of the Spill Plan, with the appropriate list of company contacts, will remain in the Plant Manager's Facility Office at all times and should be followed in the event of a spill. The cumulative total oil/petroleum capacity at the existing Carmel Sand Facility is: . tanks on site storage: 2,050 gallons . transformers larger than 55 gallons on site: estimate 500 gallons . 55 gallon drums on site (estimate 10 drums): 550 gallons 4 . mobile equipment with tanks larger than 55 gallons: 3,345 gallons There have been no reportable spills at the facility and the Spill Plan fulfills the requirements of 40 CPR 112. The plan will prevent contamination of the groundwater if followed as presented in the Spill Plan. Postconstruction Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan The Postconstruction Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (postconstruction Plan) re- iterates that all storm water will discharge into the dredge lake and no potential pollutant sources are expected post-mining. The lake slopes will be stabilized with a rock lining extending 2.5 feet above the expected high water elevation. The remaining lake slope will be vegetated. 1.3 Sound Level Assessment The Sound Level Assessment (Sound Assessment) describes a noise monitoring study that was performed to determine the noise impact of the Martin Marietta Mueller Property North mining operation on the surrounding community. The study was done in September 16-17, 2003 and June 21-23, 2004. It included noise measurements of 18 sites on the existing Carmel Sand Plant and Mueller Property North and measurements at five additional sites located in the Kingswood Subdivision. The Sound Assessment concludes that the addition of Mueller Property North would not "create adverse acoustical conditions relative to existing sound levels on adjoining lands:' 1.4 Document Recommendations After review of the information presented by MMA, we recommend improvements to the plan that would further ensure the safety of the public: . more frequent logs of inspections of oiJIpetroleum tanks, storage, and equipment - The Spill Plan calls for the site to be visually inspected daily, however, it requires only monthly documentation of the inspection. Inspection logs should provide veri- fication that no spill or vandalism occurred. Frequency of log entries should reflect activity at the site. In other words, more reporting during high-use periods. Logs will provide a written time-line narrowing the window of time in which an incident occurred. . addition of Carmel Utilities to the Spill Plan contact list - The Spill Plan contains a contact list that is to remain in the facility office at all times. Carmel Utilities should be on that contact list. Carmel Utilities should be notified if a spill does occur so the proper response (e.g. turning off wells) can be taken in a timely manner to protect the public. 5 . improved employee training - The groundwater aquifer that is connected to Carmel's drinking-water wells should be viewed as the discharge outlet in the lake. This fact should be emphasized in employee training and should be reflected in the Spill Plan. Multiple times in the Spill Plan, the following statement is made, "the facility drainage has been engineered to direct runoff into the on-site dredge lake that does not have a discharge outlet." This should not be seen as beneficial. The dredge lake should not be thought of as potential "containment and diversionary structures." . additional countermeasure procedures for spills into the dredge lake - The Spill Plan defines discharge countermeasure procedures in the case of a spill on land. The plan should also include procedures for containment and clean-up if a spill occurs in or discharges to the dredge lake. Initial response procedures and spill clean-up procedures should be included in the Spill Plan. . increased security - Security of the drinking-water supply has become increasingly important. Because the dredge lake is part of Carmel's drinking-water supply, the security on Mueller Property North should be increased to an appropriate level. . commitment to implement the water-quality plan - Water-quality monitoring, as suggested in the report by WHPA for the City of Carmel, "Wellfield Monitoring Recommendations," can help reduce the risk of contamination of the water-supply wells. Monitoring the groundwater between the dredge lake and the well field will enable Carmel to verify the quality of the water before it becomes drinking water. Water-quality sampling of the dredge lake is also recommended. 2 Hydrologic Analysis 2.1 Objective The objective of the following analysis was to evaluate the potential impacts posed by planned mine activities at Mueller Property South and proposed activities at Mueller Prop- erty North on the existing CU wells near Plant 4 and the planned wells at the East 106th Street Property. The analysis was done to determine how the planned and proposed mining activities will affect Carmel's water supply. 2.2 Approach The assessment of potential impacts was done using the analytical infrastructure that was developed during the assessment of possible mine impacts of the expansion at Mueller Property South and the ongoing source-of-supply investigation. 6 2.3 Application of Mine Impact Model As a part of another conttact with Carmel Utilities, WHPA evaluated the potential impact of the proposed mine expansion at Mueller Property South on existing pumping centers. We used that model as a starting point for the work described here. This analysis was done with data provided by CD and MMA, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Geological Survey, and standard groundwater modeling tools. The previously developed regional model was updated and refined to better meet the objective of this analysis; several important changes made to the existing model: . the regional model was stripped down to focus on flow near the Plant 4 wells and planned well field at the East l06th Stteet property . plans for expansion of the artificial lake at Mueller Property North, as detailed in the reviewed document, were incorporated . additional detail was added to better represent the White River near the East 106thStreet Property . the proposed new wells on the East 106th Street Property were defined as head- specified, partially penetrating wells to account for 3-dimensional effects at the well . The wet operation on the east side of Hazel Dell, opposite the Sand Plant, was added 2.4 Scenarios Potential mining impacts were assessed by comparing pre-mine expansion conditions with conditions representative of the planned and proposed mining conditions at the North and South Mueller properties. Descriptions of the scenarios follows: Pre-Mine-Expansion This scenario is representative of "current conditions," prior to mine expansion activities at the Mueller North and South properties. The Plant 4 wells were included in the model with seasonal high pumping rates to simulate the effects of the mine expansions on summer conditions when the aquifer is most sttessed. Hypothetical wells at the East 106th Street property are included in this scenario to assess the potential effects that the mine expansions will have on the new well field. Representation of the hypothetical wells in the new well field was based on preliminary results from the ongoing source-of-supply investigation. Preliminary modeling to estimate yield at the site has determined that the likely production from two vertical wells at the site is between 3 and 5 MGD. For this analysis, the new well field was modeled as two hypothetical verticals defined as head specified wells. Impacts at the new well field were assessed by comparing the effects of the mine expansions on capacity and changes in groundwater level near Plant 4. 7 Post-Mine-Expansion at Mueller Property South The original Mueller South Property model examined the effects of mine expansion on the Plant 4 wells. It did not look at the proposed wells at the East 106th Street Property. This "post-south-mine-expansion" scenario incorporates these new wells prior to mine expan- sion activities at the Mueller North but after complete mine expansion at the South Property (Figure 1). The model scenario allows us to examine the incremental impact and separate out the effects of Mueller South Property from the effects of Mueller North Property on the hypothetical well field as well as the Plant 4 wells. The mine expansion at Mueller South Property was incorporated into the modified, calibrated model. Infiltration from the clarification ponds into the aquifer was increased by 10,000 ft3/day based on assumptions about the increased amount of water that will be pumped into the ponds from the additional toe drains around the expansion of the open pit at the South property. Post-Mine-Expansion at Mueller Property North and South The planned mine expansion at Mueller South Property and the proposed plans for Mueller North Property were incorporated into the modified, calibrated model (Figure 2). Infiltra- tion from the clarification ponds into the aquifer was increased by 10,000 f~ lday based on assumptions about the increased amount of water that will be pumped into the ponds from the additional toe drains around the expansion of the open pit at the South property. Blue Woods Creek will be re-routed around the Mueller South Property during mine expansion. The creek will run east along 106th Street between the Mueller North Property dredge lake and the Mueller South Property. When the creek is re-routed it will be lined, isolating it from the aquifer. Therefore, Blue Woods Creek was modeled as unconnected from the aquifer. 2.5 Measures of Mine Impact There is no single index of the potential effects of mining. For this analysis, we assessed impacts at Plant 4 and the new well field in the following manner: Plant 4 1. changes in groundwater levels near the water supply wells. Changes in water levels can be used as an indicator for potential changes in yield that result from changes in groundwater levels. 2. changes in flux from the dredge lake near the Carmel Sand Plant west to Plant 4 8 9 + o >lm ~ Aerlt4 weirs . ~0IImeI_ , .~ .... ~ ~= ~ u.~...._...._._.._ ~os N 1Nd<_ I Nmn- IN-1flIII I N Mno ""'* i Figure 1: Post-mine-expansion at Mueller Property South model layout. 10 o >2m "'-#-.........." '~lr' , LEGE,\W --- N TI"ick..- N TIm outwasI1 "',./_hilII> /V HIrirg ponds .@ _of_ . I'lopocecI ClImoI_ . - 1IIIIIiI~ Figure 2: Post-mine-expansion at Mueller Property North and South mode11ayout. New Well Field at East l06thStreet Property 1. changes in capacity of two hypothetical vertical wells 2. changes in flux from the dredge lake near the Carmel Sand Plant south, under 106thStreet 2.6 Results To examine the range of potential impacts, a sensitivity analysis was performed by adjusting a critical parameter through the range of possible values. Previous work has shown that the potential capacity of the new well field is dependent on the resistance of the White River. The resistance parameter was varied from 5-25 days-I. Previous work has also shown that production of the Plant 4 well field and the new well field is dependent on the transmissivity of the outwash deposits. The transmissivity is unknown and will eventually be determine through pump tests and was therefore not examined in this analysis. For each scenario, a range of predicted values is provided for each of the measures of impact. Change in flux was measured by calculating flow through the cross-sectional areas shown in Figure 3. Plant 4 Mine expansion will have little effect on production at Plant 4, but will require diligent source-water management efforts. After mine expansion in the Mueller North Property, the property will extend the dredge lake toward the east and Plant 4. The dredge lake buffers the decrease in groundwater levels near Plant 4 that will be associated with mining at South Mueller (Figure 5). However, the proximity of the dredge lake to Plant 4 will require care- ful management of water quality in the lake and surrounding groundwater. Model results show that the lake becomes an increasing source of water for Plant 4. The amount of water flowing from east of Plant 4 was measured after simulating mining in Mueller South Prop- erty only and after mining in both Mueller North and South (Figure 3). The increase in flux through the aquifer from the east to Plant 4 is shown in Figure 4. Plant 4 will receive approximately 16% of its total water from the dredge lake after Mueller North Property is mined. New Well Field at East l06thStreet Property Mining will have little affect on production at the new well field at East 1 06th Street. The original yield study estimated production from two vertical wells at the site between 3 and 4.5 MGD. With the additional mining, Mueller South only and Mueller North and South combined, the model estimates the production to be approximately the same (Figure 6). 11 12 I I I ~-~~'~""'~'-'-~--,^-"~-----~r Wl1lman Hvdro PlonnIng AssocIatel II' __~;;;">1Qeo-1la"" I ~---~._._-~_~~_.___.J..__,,___..__.._____ + o -=~ >2m ._,~_~_J I I I I I ...____.J ,~ OI\l,ofClmlolJ_ . R'opo5ed Clln.nl!I_ ---- - ~of__ ... K\!<tOI'lQ" Figure 3: Cross-sections of flux measured in the model scenarios. 13 OSO 048 0.45 043 ..... 0.40 Q (!) 038 :li. 0.35 ~ 0.33 G: 0.30 0.28 025 0.23 0.20 50 " <\, North 8. South "'~"'" Mueller ---- 'Seuitl MuelerOnly ~ 7.5 10.0 12.5 150 Resistance (days) 17.5 20.0 25.0 Figure 4: Flux from Mueller North Property to Plant 4 versus resistance. 0.50 North 8. South Mueller 'South Mueller Only 0.00 i' ..0.50 .S:! - Ql .1 .00 (,J c ! .1.50 ,:!! = o .:tOO -.;s l1! ~ -2.50 -3.00 -3.50 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 Resistance (days) 17.5 20 25 Figure 5: Groundwater levels near Plant 4 versus resistance. 5.0 4.9 4.8 4.1 gu ~ 4.5 " "ai 44 >= . 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.0 5 " North & SQuth Mueller "South Mueller Only 1.5 10 12.5 15 Resistance (days) H.5 20 25 Figure 6: Production in the new well field at East 106thStreet Property versus resistance. 3 Conclusions The proposed expansion of the Martin Marietta gravel mine at Mueller North Property will minimally impact the operation of the Carmel Utility existing or proposed well fields. . The expansion in the Mueller North Property buffers the effects of the gravel mine operation in the Mueller South Property. . The dredge lake will become source water for Plant 4 and increase the amount of total water from gravel pits entering Plant 4. . The expanded mining will not negatively effect yields in the new well field East l06thStreet Property The additional mining does come with increased water-quality risks, however. The dredge lake, like the other gravel ponds in the area, will become source water for the drinking water wells. Care should be taken to protect the water quality of the dredge lake. 4 Recommendations We recommend that Carmel Utilities make the following requests of Martin Marietta: . Add Carmel Utilities to the contact list in the Spill Plan. This will ensure prompt notification of any spill that occurs in the dredge lake. 14 -, . Ensure that contaminant spill training contains the proper information about the rela- tionship between Carmel's drinking water and the dredge lake and mining operation. . Implement the monitoring plan to continually inspect the water-quality of the dredge lake and surrounding groundwater. 15