Permitting & Monitoring Compliance Support

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)

GGI will develop a comprehensive SWPPP or 404 Permit, interacting with the appropriate regulatory agencies, and completing all compliance inspections to satisfy requirements of the plan and permit.  GGI can also provide supplementary site assessment services outside of the mandatory inspections in order to assess the success or potential deficiencies of the site conditions.

Groundwater Discharge Permit

GGI provides support to obtain, and maintain compliance with, discharge permits issued by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED).  GGI can assist in all stages of the permit process, from the initial application package, the monitoring and reporting requirements, to the completion of the final closure of the site.

GGI has assisted clients with small commercial services up to large commercial and industrial operations.  In cases where large capital investment may be necessary, GGI can perform pre-application investigations to determine the subsurface characteristics of a site which can impact permit conditions and satisfy the concerns of a regulatory agency prior to submittal of the permit application.  GGI has also supplied support in both the public hearing and litigation settings.

GGI can provide support services throughout the life of the permit including renewals at the end of a permit cycle and modifications of permits to address changes in the client’s operation. GGI can also assist in non-mandatory inspections and audits to ensure continued conformity with the permit conditions.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

An NPDES permit mitigates water pollution by regulating discharge from point pollutant source into waters of the United States, as authorized by the Clean Water Act.  GGI will assist your facility/operation with the NPDES permitting process, successfully obtain an NPDES permit, and maintain compliance with the permit.

NPDES permits may be required for:

• CAFO’s – Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

• Agricultural/Industrial Operations

• Oil & Gas Facilities

• Sewage Sludge (Biosolids)

• Storm Water

• Green Infrastructure

• Construction Sites

Selected Projects:

Groundwater Characterization and Design of Double Lined Cyanide Heap Leach Complex with Leak Detection for Gold and Silver Extraction, WESTAR Mine, Lordsburg, NM

GGI was retained by WESTAR Corp. to conduct hydrogeologic investigations and environmental site characterization in support of its proposed Groundwater Discharge Permit for a cyanide heap gold mine in the Pyramid Mountains south of Lordsburg in Hidalgo County, NM.

Details of Work Performed:
GGI conducted field mapping in a fractured crystalline rock environment to install monitoring wells that could detect the contaminant transport in the fracture system.  GGI sampled and mapped the gold-bearing quartz veins, characterized the geochemistry of the ore body for production and environmental purposes, and drilled, completed, and tested production wells using multiple observation wells. The pumping tests revealed that mineralized structures acted as impermeable barriers to groundwater flow and non-mineralized fractures acted as conduits in the fractured bedrock environment.

To protect groundwater quality, GGI designed a double lined leach pad and ponds with leak detection and supervised construction. GGI prospected for, mapped, and staked mining claims on bentonite clay deposits that were subsequently mined under GGI supervision and used for the bottom layer of the double liner. GGI also mapped homogenous, well-sorted sand deposits that were leased from BLM for use as bedding for the leachate detection and collection system. GGI obtained Groundwater Discharge Permit approval from NMED and, since the leaching complex straddled private and BLM lands, worked with BLM on measures to protect groundwater. Health and Safety Plans (HASPs) were developed for all drilling and sampling programs, and for heap leach complex construction activities.