Section 323.2223. Discharge monitoring.

Rule 2223.(1) Monitoring required by an authorization under this part shall be conducted in a manner, at a frequency, and for a substance the department specifies, under rule or permit, is necessary to assess compliance with these rules. Analytical methods used in the monitoring shall be in  compliance  with  R  323.2220(3). Monitoring of an indicator parameter may be used in monitoring if the technique accurately reflects the effect of the discharge. An indicator parameter shall be representative of the environmental fate of a substance or substances in the discharge and shall be 1 of the following:

(a)    )  A substance in the discharge.

(b)     A decomposition material of a substance.

(c)     A sampling parameter that can be directly correlated  to   the  concen- tration of another substance in the discharge.

(2)     Groundwater monitoring shall include the collection of water quality and water level data from a well or group of wells that are specifically designed to adequately assess the impact of the discharge on groundwater as described in R 323.2224. The design of the   groundwater monitoring system shall be based on all of the following:

(a)     The hydrogeologic report.

(b)     Considerations of the local geology.

(c)     )  Groundwater conditions specific to each site.

(d)    The type of discharge.

(3)       At the time of application for a permit under R 323.2218, an applicant shall propose, for department approval, a groundwater sampling and analysis plan that establishes criteria for collecting representative samples of groundwater.  The plan shall contain all of the following information:

(a)        The number and  location of wells to be    included     in    the     groundwater monitoring system.

(b)        For each well, the depth  and screened interval for each monitor well.The screened interval shall be referenced to United States geological survey data.

(c)       )   Well construction materials and installation techniques.

(d)      Sampling frequency.

(e)       )   A list of substances to be sampled.

(f)      )   Sampling procedure, including all of the following:

(i)       The method and volume of water removed from each well during sampling.

(ii)     Steps taken to prevent cross contamination between wells.

(iii)   Sample handling and preservation methods.

(iv)     Laboratory analysis method.

(v)       Laboratory method detection level.

(vi)     Quality assurance and quality control program.

(g)       A description of the techniques used to present and evaluate groundwater quality monitoring data.

(h)           A description of the method used to collect static water levels and present groundwater flow data.  Static water level precision shall be to 0.01 foot.

(4)       A discharger shall design, construct, and abandon a monitoring well as follows:

(a)        A monitoring well shall be located at a depth where the screened interval will intercept the path of any discharge from the  site  in  the groundwater as required by the department as specified by these rules.

(b)       If the thickness of the aquifer receiving the discharge is more than 20 feet, then at least 1 hydraulically downgradient monitor well location shall contain a cluster well. The separation and length of the screens shall be such that discrete groundwater potentiometric surface data can be collected to determine vertical gradients within the aquifer.

(c)              Monitor well construction and sampling equipment materials shall not influence the sampling results for the substances sampled.

(d)       A monitor well shall be designed to collect an adequate volume of water to allow analysis for the complete set of substances determined by the department as indicative of the discharge.

(e)        Annular space between the bore hole and the well shall be grouted from the ground surface to 2 feet above the well screen so as to prevent vertical leakage of the fluids between the casing and the drill hole. When drilling through confining layers, a discharger shall install double-cased wells to prevent the hydraulic connection of fluids between formations  above and below the confining layer.

(f)      A well shall be protected against the introduction of contaminants by means of a locking device or by another method approved by the department.

(g)          Either a well shall be vented so that accurate static water levels may be collected or else well caps shall be removed a sufficient amount of time before measurement so that representative static water levels can be measured. Care shall be taken to prevent the introduction of contaminants through vents.

(h)        The well casing shall be protected against accidental damage and shall be adequately marked to prevent accidental damage.

(i)       A well shall be labeled so that the discharger's name, and address and the well number can be determined through the life of the permit.

(j)           If a monitoring well is to be permanently abandoned, a discharger shall follow the plugging procedures in part 127 of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, as amended, being §§323.12701 to  323.12715  of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

(k)        A discharger shall receive department approval before installing, replacing, redeveloping, or abandoning a monitoring well that is part of the discharge monitoring program.

(5)            If necessary to measure compliance with a standard established under R 323.2222(7)(g), the department may specify, by rule or permit,  the monitoring of media in addition to groundwater.

(6)       A monitoring program under this rule shall  be  evaluated  by  the department on the basis of the threat the discharge poses to protected uses given all of the following factors:

(a)      The substances in the discharge.

(b)       The volume of the discharge.

(c)        The amount of information related to predicting the impacts of a discharge developed through  the  hydrogeological  report  prepared  under  R 323.2221.

History: 1980 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS