Water tests Conducted at Bow Tree Site
Water tests were conducted at Bow Tree Drive Sunoco Site. The Township engineer collected the samples and their conclusion is as follows.
- PA Residential Used Aquifers TDS<2500: This represents criteria set by the state and can varied in different ways:
- a) PA Residential: These are criteria for regulated substances set by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) which dictate the maximum concentration for regulated substances which can present in water used for drinking water or agricultural purposes.
- b) USED Aquifers: All geologic formations which are saturated in Pennsylvania are presumed to be used or currently planned for use for drinking water or agricultural purposes.
- c) TDS<2500: Used aquifers are divided into two: one where the background total dissolved solids (TDS) is less than 2,500 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and another where the TDS is greater than 2,500 mg/L. The default criteria is to assume TDS is less than 2,500 mg/L.
- PA NonResidential Used Aquifers TDS<2500: These criteria are similarly set by PADEP as those for Residential criteria, but can be less stringent as they are applied to commercial and industrial sites.
- Qualifier: These are notes provided by the analytical laboratory which provide additional information about the analytical data.
- J Qualifier: These values are estimated by the analytical laboratory. These values are less than the analytical laboratory’s minimum calibration level but greater than the detection limit set by the lab for this compound.
- U Qualifier: This qualifier indicates that the compound in question was unable to be detected at the analytical laboratory’s lowest detection limit. When values are reported with a U qualifier, the analytical laboratory often reports the method detection limit, as in this case.
- MDL: Method Detection Limit. This is the minimum measured concentration of a compound that can be reported with 99% confidence that the measured concentration is distinguishable from method blank results.
Water tests were conducted at Bow Tree Drive Sunoco Site. The Township engineer collected the samples and their conclusion is as follows.
Pennoni collected three surface water samples within the Ridley Creek drainage area in East Goshen Township on December 8, 2020. These samples were collected at Hibberd Lane, Bow Tree Pond No. 1, and to the rear of Herron Lane. The Hibberd Lane location was chosen as it is outside of potential pipeline activities, the other two locations are downstream or pipeline activities. Following their collection, these samples were taken to a Pennsylvania-licensed laboratory and analyzed for volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyl, metals, total dissolved solids, and suspended solids in accordance with United States Environmental Protection Agency methodologies.
The volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyl analyses were non-detected (these compounds are primarily man-made). Various metals were detected, however, all of the metal concentrations were below Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection residential used aquifer water criteria. There were no indications that the difference in metals, total dissolved solids nor suspended solids were a result of pipeline activities. The detected metals and total dissolved solids and suspended solids were within the natural range and are not indicative of anthropogenic sources.