## Jordan, Ronald From: 

### Sent: To: 

### Subject: Timothy W Lohner <twlohner@aep.com> Thursday, September 

### 24, 2015 10:26 AM Jordan, Ronald AEP Mountaineer Bioreactor Selenium Data Ron, after a limited engineering investigation, it was determined that the analytical results associated with the AEP Mountaineer Plant bioreactor effluent sample collected on 2/22/2012 at 0745 (Dolan Lab Report No. 120833) are i nvalid and not representative ofthe bioreactor effluen t data collected before or after this event. A number of possible explanations exist, including incorrect analytical reporting, poo r sampling technique , collection at the wrong sampling location, or breakthrough of pump seal flush water. In our review of the compiled analytical data for the system, the results for this sampling event are more representative of the CPS effluent sample location than the bioreactor effluent sampling location . Thus, based on this observation, it was likely that a sampling error occurred as the two sample locations are only a few feet apart . Moreover, AEP determined that the bioreactor effluent pump was out of service when the bioreactor effluent was sampled on 2/22/2012 at 0745 . The effluent pump will automatically start and stop depending on effluent tank level. After initially receiving the analytical results associated with the bioreactor effluent on 2/22/2012 , plant staff installed a flow meter at the bioreactor effluent and instructed their crew to only sample this location at future sampling events when the meter detects flow. Please contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns. Tim
Tim Lohner, Ph.D. Consulting Environmental Specialist American Electric Power, 1 Riverside Plaza, Co l umbus, OH 43215 614-716- 1255 twlohn er@aep
.com

From : Jordan, Ronald [mailto:Jordan.Ronald@epa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 3:19PM To: Timothy W Lohner Cc: Jason F Baker Subject: RE: Bioreactor Selenium Data 

### Th1s is an EXTERNAL email. STOP
. THINK before you CLICK links or OPEN attachments . Tim, Thanks for checking Into this. That definitely looks odd! Please don't forget that the nitrate concentration for the bioreactor effluent also seemed unusually high . Both selenium and nitrates appea r to be two orders of magnitude higher than the typical effluent values. It was good talking to you earlier today.Regards, Ron From: Timothy W Lohner [mailto:twlohner@aep.com) Sent: Tuesday, September 22 , 2015 3:01 PM To: Jordan , Ronald Cc: Jason F Baker Subject: Bioreactor Selenium Data Ron, we have the lab data report and are in the process of checking with the lab to see ifthere was a transcription error. We will also check with the plant to see if there were any "upsets " with the FGD waste water treatment system . Our initial thought, based on the following results, is that there was a transcription error: Bioreactor first stage selenium- 404 ug/L Second stage- 37 .9 ug/L Final effluent-320 ug/l It doesn't make sense that the selen i um level would i ncrease ten-fold between the two bioreactor stages . Granted, there is a time-lag of several hours between the two stages, but we don't believe the results are correct. Will let you know as soon as we can, but our lab data manager is out until tomorrow. Tim Tim Lohner, Ph.D. Consulting Environmental Specialist American Electric Power, 1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215 614-716- 1255 twlohner@aep.com

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