title: Potential impacts to perennial springs from tar sand mining, processing, and disposal on the Tavaputs Plateau, Utah, USA.
abstract: Similar to fracking, the development of tar sand mining in the U.S. has moved faster than understanding of potential water quality impacts. Potential water quality impacts of tar sand mining, processing, and disposal to springs in canyons incised approximately 200 m into the Tavaputs Plateau, at the Uinta Basin southern rim, Utah, USA, were evaluated by hydrogeochemical sampling to determine potential sources of recharge, and chemical thermodynamic estimations to determine potential changes in transfer of bitumen compounds to water. Because the ridgetops in an area of the Tavaputs Plateau named PR Spring are starting to be developed for their tar sand resource, there is concern for potential hydrologic connection between these ridgetops and perennial springs in adjacent canyons on which depend ranching families, livestock, wildlife and recreationalists. Samples were collected from perennial springs to examine possible progression with elevation of parameters such as temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, isotopic tracers of phase change, water-rock interaction, and age since recharge. The groundwater age dates indicate that the springs are recharged locally. The progression of hydrogeochemical parameters with elevation, in combination with the relatively short groundwater residence times, indicate that the recharge zone for these springs includes the surrounding ridges, and thereby suggests a hydrologic connection between the mining, processing, disposal area and the springs. Estimations based on chemical thermodynamic approaches indicate that bitumen compounds will have greatly enhanced solubility in water that comes into contact with the residual bitumen-solvent mixture in disposed tailings relative to water that currently comes into contact with natural tar.
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Logan E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Mallory R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Millington
authors.affiliation: Murray High School, Murray, UT 84107, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vala
authors.affiliation: Butler Middle School, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121, United States.
authors.forename: Barbara K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.affiliation: Hillside Middle School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States.
authors.forename: Dina R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: Draper Park Middle School, Draper, UT 84020, United States.
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stenten
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Jacob S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Trauscht
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Tingey
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kip Solomon
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Diego P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, Department of Geology & Geophysics, Salt lake City, UT 84112, United States.
authors.forename: Gabriel J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D008906:Mining; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D000066388:Oil and Gas Industry; D014589:Utah; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aquifer; Bitumen; Contamination; Hydrogeology