Additional Questions for Hatfield’s Ferry

1. Possible data entry errors. Please specify which values for mercury Chem Prep. Effluent are 

correct.

Date 2/20/14 & 5/2/14 datasets

(Hg, ng/L)

5/13/14 dataset

(Hg, ng/L)

12/20/2011 122 12.2

1/3/2012 424 42.4

2/2/2012 144 14.4

2/21/2012 170 17

2. What is cause for elevated mercury concentrations for the Chem Prep. Effluent on the following 

dates, and what actions were taken in response?

a. 2/28/2012 (1520 ng/L)

b. 3/13/2012 (1160 ng/L)

c. 3/20/2012 (1710 ng/L)

d. 3/27/2012 (1320 ng/L)

e. 4/3/2012 (3400 ng/L)

f. 6/5/2012 (830 ng/L)

3. What are the target parameters (analytes & concentrations) for the FGD effluent? 

4. What actions does the plant take when mercury or other concentrations are elevated? At what 

concentrations does the plant take action? 

5. The spreadsheets provided in the follow-up submission on 5/2/2014, “Hatfield FGD306Data 06-

30-2009_to_12-10-2013.xlsx”, and in the follow-up submission on 5/13/2014, “Hatfield 306Data 

11-29-2011_to_04-28-2014jpl.xlsx”, contain some discrepancies.

a. Which values in Table 1 are correct? 

b. Why are these values in separate columns (T & R) in the “Hatfield 306Data 11-29-

2011_to_04-28-2014jpl.xlsx” spreadsheet?

Table 1. Mercury sample values provided in 5/2/2014 and 5/13/2014 datasets

Collection 

Date

HGTGEO -

Mercury, Trace, 

Geochemical Labs1

Hg (245.7)2 Hg (245.7)3

μg/L ng/L μg/L

12/20/2011 0.122 12.2 0.0122

1/3/2012 0.424 42.4 0.0424

2/2/2012 0.144 14.4 0.0144

2/17/2012 0.354 35.4 0.0354
2/21/2012 0.17 17 0.017

*Highlighted values are different in each spreadsheet

1 – Mercury amount values provided in 5/2/2014 dataset in “Hatfield FGD306Data 06-30-2009_to_12-10-

2013.xlsx” excel file

2 – Mercury amount values provided in 5/13/2014 dataset in “Hatfield 306Data 11-29-2011_to_04-28-

2014jpl.xlsx” excel file

3 – Mercury values were converted to “μg/L” for comparison

6. In the email correspondence on 3/26/2014 from Joe Lapcevic to Phillip Flanders, FirstEnergy 

stated that “The Beta Lab’s quantitation limit for mercury (Column H) is 0.0002-mg/L for 

Method 245.1. I inadvertently listed it as the MDL, which at that time was 0.00006-mg/L for 

Beta;” however, this value was not changed in the follow-up submissions (5/2/2014 and 

5/13/2014). Please confirm this statement.

7. What is the procedure (i.e. Total or Dissolved) for all of the analytes provided in the “Hatfield 

306Data 11-29-2011_to_04-28-2014jpl.xlsx” and “HatfieldIMP306Data7-1-2009to11-30-

2011RawEdited.xlsx” spreadsheets?

a. Does “FeD” and “NiD” in “Hatfield 306Data 11-29-2011_to_04-28-2014jpl.xlsx” indicate 

that the iron and nickel sample values are dissolved?

b. Please confirm that the procedure for analytes that do not indicate “D” or “Dissolved” in 

the heading is “Total.” 

8. The dates for “Hg (245.1)” and “As (200.8)” are different in the datasets provided by FirstEnergy. 

Please confirm which dates are correct.

Table 2. Collection Date discrepancies between datasets.

Collection Date Collection Date Hg 

(245.1)

As 

(200.8)

2/20/14 dataset 5/2/14 & 5/13/2014 

datasets mg/l mg/l

12/18/2012 11/29/2012 0 0.025

1/4/2013 12/19/2012 0.00027 0.108

1/8/2013 12/21/2012 0.00043 0.137