Opinion ID: 1176318
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Water Effluent Threshold

Text: EFSC found in its previous order that water in LRP and SL contained radium-226 concentrations of up to 13 picocuries per liter. [5] Radium-226 concentrations measured in test wells outside the sludge ponds were lower than those measured from test wells in the ponds. Because there was evidence that water in the sludge ponds represented a worst case for radium-226 concentrations in groundwater, EFSC concluded that LRP and SL were below the 30 picocuries per liter effluent threshold for radium-226. On remand, additional testimony was taken on this issue, and EFSC adhered to its earlier findings. Expert testimony from before and after remand differed on whether the placement of the test wells was adequate. Petitioners speculate that water from unsampled areas of the sludge ponds might have had higher radium-226 concentrations and that better placement of test wells outside the sludge ponds might have yielded measurements of radium-226 concentrations in excess of the threshold, but these speculations are not sufficient to show that EFSC's findings were unreasonable.