Well Redevelopment

To complete the Hydrogeologic Workplan, LANL drilled a number of wells. As is industry standard for the depth of these characterization wells, many were drilled using drilling fluids. Drilling fluids may impact results in monitoring wells. We are now in the process of selecting wells for interim monitoring as sites are remediated and to be included in a network for long-term site monitoring. Some wells are suitable in their current state. Others will be abandoned, rehabilitated or new wells drilled. This project will be accomplished through five objectives:

1. Regulatory Guidance. Determine the regulatory framework of guidance within which to establish data quality objectives for groundwater at LANL. Also, provide a foundation for comparison to industry practices at similar sites to determine whether there are any precedents that LANL might follow.
2. Well Rehabilitation or Redrilling. Document drilling decisions, pilot rehabilitation of multi-screen wells, rehabilitate where possible and redrill wells where necessary.
3. Data Qualification. Qualify historical water sample data for drilling fluid effects. Qualifiers will be assigned to historical data based on the effects of drilling fluids and will be stored in the Water Quality Database.  The qualifiers will indicate data limitations imposed by the presence of drilling fluids and well completion materials.
4. Data Collection. Address issues of field data collection including field parameters which are specifically representative of groundwater conditions, multi-screen sampling techniques, analysis techniques in field versus laboratory settings and paired sampling comparisons.
5. Modeling and Geochemical Characterization. Identify and evaluate geochemical processes occurring within characterization wells that contain residual drilling fluids. Aquifer Testing. Evaluate multiple lines of evidence, including potential aquifer mineralogy changes at selected wells, hydrologic testing, batch and column experiments and associated modeling. 

Documents

• Well Screen Analysis Report
• Hydrogeologic Workplan
• Hydrogeologic Synthesis Report
• Public Involvement Plan

Data & Documents

• Environmental Monitoring Data (RACER)
• Fact Sheets
• Plans & Procedures
• Publications & Reports
• Requirements Documents

Public Notices

• Review of November 2008 Groundwater Data

In the News

• Environment Operations & Organizations
• Environmental Sciences

Resources

• Fire Information
• Subcontractors

Public Involvement

• Get Involved
• Organizations & Environmental Working Groups
• Public Reading Room
• Meeting & Events Calendar