Training Scenario Overview

Background

We will be working with data collected for the Gold King Mine (GKM) facility. Located approximately 10 miles north of Silverton, CO, the Gold King Mine Site was claimed in 1887 and was last active in the 1920s. Mining activities produced acid mine drainage that required monitoring to avoid contamination of the nearby Animas River.

In August 2015, approximately three million gallons of mine waste were accidentally released into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River. The spill contained known contaminants of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and aluminum. The spill changed the color of the river to orange. The post-spill monitoring includes surface water, soil and sediment to measure impact of the spill on the greater San Juan River.

The release from GKM impacted water quality in four states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. For these training exercises, we will focus on sampling locations in Utah. We have a Long-term Monitoring and Assessment Plan for the San Juan River in Utah, and we are required to conduct regular field sampling for the Gold King Mine facility. We are using an in-house field crew to collect the samples and perform field activities, and we have contracted a specific laboratory to perform analysis of the samples.

Planning

EQuIS SPM will be used to plan and schedule sampling events, generate EDD templates for our field crews using EDGE, and create Chains of Custody (COCs) for the laboratory. We will specify land access information in EQuIS SPM to ensure that planned sampling events occur without issues. We will use the Sample Receipt Notification (SRN) module to monitor the SRNs and adjust COC details as needed. The status of activities will be tracked with Completeness Reports.

Data Collection

The field crew will use EDGE and/or EQuIS Collect during sampling events. The exercises will utilize the tasks and activities planned during the SPM exercises. EDGE will be populated with field data and activities, and then the completed field EDDs will be exported to EQuIS and completed COCs sent to the laboratory. EQuIS Collect will be populated with field data and activities, and then the completed forms will be pushed to EQuIS.

Data Input

Once the laboratory has completed analysis of samples and has produced an EDD of the results from their Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), we will assist the laboratory to successfully submit the data into the EQuIS database via EDP. The training exercises cover uploading data via EDP Standalone, EDP Professional, and EQuIS Enterprise EDP.

Data Validation

Using EQuIS DQM, our data validator will need to review and qualify the results according to the project QAPP. The DQM training exercises are designed for the user who will be performing the data validation checks. To use the DQM module, the appropriate Schema must be added to the EQuIS database and data tables must be configured to align with the project QAPP. These steps have already been completed in the training database.

Data Analysis

After the data has been validated, we need to analyze the data to determine the impact on the river. EQuIS Professional, EQuIS Enterprise, and third party software will be used to visualize and understand the data for the Gold King Mine project.

Using EQuIS Professional, we will build location and analyte groups, setup action levels to compare to our data, construct tabular reports, build and design quarterly reports, and create a variety of charts. We want to compare the known GKM contaminants to Short-Term and Long-Term Irrigation Water action levels and understand concentration trends over time.

An example EQuIS Enterprise dashboard, the Landing Page for Gold King Mine, has been created to demonstrate use of various widgets and provide ideas on how data may be easily presented to Enterprise users. During the training exercises, we will create a new GKM dashboard, adding various types of widgets and configuring their properties. We will use an EZView widget to generate a report in Excel and to trigger an EQuIS Information Agent (EIA) when the action levels are exceeded. We will add an EIA widget to the dashboard to monitor automated report (EIA) status. We will use Time Series Chart widgets to evaluate concentration trends over time and the Map widget to examine the spatial distribution of sampling locations. The Explorer widget will be used to manage files and provide information to stakeholders.

EQuIS Administration

This entire workflow is possible because the GKM facility and associated reference values, Schemas, user roles and permissions, and other administrative items have already been implemented in the training database. Separate training exercises and informational resources are available in Appendix A to address EQuIS administration needs.