Technical Memorandum To: Eric Holder, Independence Power & Light From: Andrea Collier and Tony Schroer, Barr Engineering Co. Subject: 2023 Blue Valley Facility CCR Impoundment Groundwater Monitoring Report Date: February 2024 Project: 25491019.01 c: James Barry, Independence Power & Light Rob Morrison, Barr Engineering Co.
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Introduction
On behalf of the Independence Power and Light (IPL), Barr Engineering Co. (Barr) has prepared this 2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report for the IPL Blue Valley Power Plant Facility located at 21500 East Truman Road in Independence, Missouri (Site) (Figure 1 in Attachment A).
Project activities conducted in March and June 2023 included routine groundwater monitoring and well
inspections. This report presents the field data and analytical results for all Quarterly 2023 monitoring events. 1.1
Site Background
The Facility was constructed in 1958 as a tri-fuel steam electric power plant that burned coal, diesel, and natural gas until 2015, when it ceased power production from coal and diesel and was converted to a
natural gas facility. Two of the original CCR impoundments, the south fly ash pond, and bottom ash pond
were built in 1978. The north fly ash pond was constructed in 1989. The Facility sluiced bottom ash and fly ash into the ponds until 2015. Upon the discontinuation of ash sluicing into the CCR impoundments,
the former impoundments became “inactive surface impoundments” subject to the requirements of the Federal CCR Rule, 40 CFR 257.100, Subpart D. The Notice of Closure Completion for all three former
impoundments was submitted to MDNR on December 19, 2017.
The Site is located approximately seven miles south of the Missouri River in the north central portion of
Jackson County at 21500 East Truman Road in Independence, Missouri in Section 3, Township 49N, and Range 31W. Figure 2 displays the Site location and impoundment boundary. The Site is located within
the Central Irregular Plains Ecoregion of west central Missouri. Potential natural vegetation of this
ecoregion includes a mix of grassland and forest, with forested areas particularly located along streams
(Purdue, 2020). Land use adjacent to the Site, displayed on Figure 2 (Attachment A), is primarily industrial and agricultural, with industries located north, south, and west of the Site and agricultural land located to the east. An isolated residential area is also located north of the Site.
Regional topography is characterized by hills and associated dendritic drainage patterns with
approximately 150 feet of relief within one mile of the Site. Hills north and west of the Facility have
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