Region 8
Groundwater Investigation
DRAFT REPORT
EPA has released a draft report outlining findings from the Pavillion, Wyoming groundwater investigation for public comment and independent scientific peer review. The draft report will be available for public comment through October 2012. A subsequent peer-review process will be led by a panel of independent scientists.
- Draft Report, December 8, 2011 (PDF, 121 pp, 15MB)
- Press Release
- Tables and Charts
- Appendix C Figures
- Appendix D Figures
- Appendix E Figures
- Supplemental Information and Data
EPA is accepting public comments on the draft report through October 2012.
Federal Register Notice announcing extension of public comment period (PDF, 2 pp, 162K)
Pavillion
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Site Type: Non-NPL |
On this page:
On other pages:
- Site Documents: more than 800 documents related to quality assurance, monitoring well drilling information, raw laboratory data, well sampling information, lab standard operating procedures, and lab-produced reports
What's New?
June: Update on 2012 sampling activity
EPA, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Tribes, and the State of Wyoming, is re-sampling two monitoring wells the Agency installed in the Pavillion area in the summer of 2010. EPA is also collecting samples from four private and one public water supply well. Sample results, which are expected later this summer, will be posted on this web page. These data will be made available for public comment and included in the peer review process.
March 8: EPA extending public comment period and delaying peer review to consider additional sampling
EPA and the State of Wyoming recognize the value of further sampling of the deep monitoring wells drilled for the Agency’s ground water study in Pavillion, Wyoming. EPA will partner with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the State, and the Tribes to complete this sampling as soon as possible.
To ensure that the results of this next phase of testing are available for the peer review process, EPA has delayed convening the peer review panel on the draft Pavillion report until a report containing the USGS data is publicly available. In addition, EPA is extending the public comment period on the draft report through October 2012 to provide additional time for the public to review and comment on the new data. Federal Register Notice announcing public comment period (PDF, 5 pp, 75K)
February 8: The Peer Review Charge has been posted. Public comments on the charge questions can be submitted through October 16, 2012.
January 31: 622 files have been added to the Site Documents page. The files include additional analytical data and QA documentation.
January 23:
- Op-ed from EPA Regional Administrator Jim Martin in the Casper Star-Tribune (1/22)
- Letter from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to Governor Matt Mead (1/19) (PDF, 2 pp, 740K)
January 18: EPA is inviting the public to nominate scientific experts to be considered as peer reviewers of a draft report on the Pavillion ground water investigation. Nominations will be accepted through February 17. Details can be found in the Federal Register notice. (PDF, 2 pp, 156K)
View more information on the peer review process.
December 14, 2011: EPA has released a draft report outlining findings from the Pavillion, Wyoming groundwater investigation for public comment and independent scientific peer-review. See the box at the top right of this page for more information.
November 9, 2011: EPA released the latest data from Pavillion-area domestic and monitoring wells at a public meeting on November 9, 2011. We are sharing this data with the community, Encana, the state, tribes and federal partners as part of an ongoing process to develop sound science about contamination in the aquifer used by Pavillion residents for drinking water.
EPA will release a draft research report summarizing investigation findings. This report will be available for public comment as part of an independent peer-review process coordinated by our Office of Research and Development.
Public Documents and Presentations
- Methods, Graphics, and Data Tables Handout, November 8, 2011 (PDF, 39 pp, 2.3MB)
- 2010-2011 Sampling Summary of Results and Next Steps Presentation, November 9, 2011 (PDF, 9 pp, 703K)
- Workgroup Meeting Presentation, November 30, 2011 (PDF, 46 pp, 1.5MB)
Site Description
Pavillion, Wyoming is located in Fremont County, about 20 miles northwest of Riverton. In 2003, the estimated population was 166 residents. The concern at the site is potential groundwater contamination, based on resident complaints about smells, tastes and adverse changes in water quality of their domestic wells. Community members contacted EPA in spring 2008.
The Pavillion area has approximately 80 domestic wells. The town of Pavillion provides municipal water to residents through eight groundwater wells. Private water wells just outside the town of Pavillion are used for drinking water, irrigation, and stock watering, and are completed at depths from 50 feet to 750 feet or more. Pavillion is within the Wind River Indian Reservation as described by the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes in a pending application for treatment in a similar manner as a state under the Clean Air Act. The site is located west of Boysen State Park.
January 2010 sampling
In March 2009 EPA sampled 39 individual wells (37 residential wells and two municipal wells). The purpose of this sampling was to collect data to assess groundwater conditions and evaluate potential threats to human health and the environment. EPA conducted additional sampling in Pavillion in January 2010. This effort included sampling 21 domestic wells within the area of concern, two municipal wells, and sediment and water from a nearby creek. EPA has also sampled groundwater and soil from pit remediation sites, produced water, and condensate from five production wells operated by the primary natural gas operator in the area. EPA installed two monitoring wells in the Pavillion area in 2010. Data collected from these wells will build upon prior sampling events and help us further assess groundwater hydrology and contamination in the aquifer. EPA released the latest data from domestic and monitoring wells at a public meeting on November 9, 2011.
The Pavillion groundwater investigation is being conducted by EPA’s regional office in Denver in collaboration with scientists from our Office of Research and Development.
Site Reports and Public Presentations
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Best way to open a very large file: right-click and save it to a folder
Documents related to August 31, 2010 public meeting:
- Public Meeting Presentation of Phase 2 Sampling Results ( PDF, 10 pp, 2MB)
- Press Release: EPA releases results of Pavillion, Wyo. water well testing
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Health Consultation Document (PDF, 2.2MB)
- Fact Sheet: January 2010 Sampling Results and Site Update (PDF, 2 pp, 56K)
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Final Analytical Results Report for the Pavillion Area Groundwater Investigation Site
(PDF, 88 pp, 437K)
- Results Report Appendices: Lab Data, Photos, Figures, Chemicals Used (PDF, 44 pp, 1.4MB)
- Figure 1: Site Location Map (PDF, 1 pg, 600K)
- Figure 2: Sampling Location Map of the January 2010 Event (PDF, 1 pg, 580K)
- Figure 3: Area of Influence and Well Locations (PDF, 1 pg, 772K)
- Figure 4: Conceptual Site Model of the Pavillion Area Groundwater Plume (PDF, 1 pg, 17K)
- Pavillion Area Groundwater Investigation: ALL tables (PDF, 37 pp, 190K)
Phase 2 Field Sampling Plan, January 2010 (PDF, 52 pp, 557K)
Public Meeting Presentation of Phase 1 Sampling Results, August 11, 2009 (PDF, 10 pp, 1.4MB)
Groundwater Investigation Analytical Results Report and Phase I Maps, August 2009 (PDF, 49 pp, 3.2MB)
Contacts
Richard Mylott
Public Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street (OC)
Denver, CO 80202-1129
303-312-6654
800-227-8917 ext. 312-6654 (toll free Region 8 only)
mylott.richard@epa.gov
Larry Jackson
Media Relations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Headquarters
Washington, DC
202-564-0906
202-564-0236
jackson.larry@epa.gov
Photo/Video Gallery
Click on a thumbnail below to view the full size image.
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Pavillion, Wyoming landscape
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January 2010 sampling
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January 2010 sampling
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Collecting January 2010 samples
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Preparing January 2010 samples
