The effect of natural variability on statistical analysis of groundwater quality - a case study of a coastal plain landfill

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:405688

Hogue, S S; McMillan, T B; Nesbitt, S R

A case study is presented describing regulatory conflicts which arise when strict compliance criteria are applied to groundwater systems that demonstrate natural variability in water quality. Many older landfills with monitoring plans approved under pre-existing regulations were designed to use qualitative assessment in attributing differences in water quality to natural variability or contamination. In the transition to new RCRA Subtitle {open_quote}D{close_quote} regulations many of these landfills were required to apply quantitative statistical analyses to water quality data with results often indicating statistically significant variation between up and downgradient wells. The current regulatory framework triggers assessment monitoring for each sampling event whenever variability in leachate indicator parameters between up and downgradient well locations is statistically significant, regardless of the cause of the statistical variation. Consequently many landfills have been required to initiate costly Assessment Monitoring programs.

• OSTI ID: 405688
• Report Number(s): CONF-950177--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BORON
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GROUND WATER
MONITORING
PH VALUE
POLLUTION CONTROL
SANITARY LANDFILLS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WATER QUALITY