Natural and Anthropogenic (Human-Made) Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), in Groundwater near a Mapped Plume, Hinkley, California
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- Document: Cover Document (3 MB pdf) , XML
- Chapters:
- Chapter A : Introduction to Study Area Hydrogeology, Chromium Sources, Site History, and Purpose of Study
- Chapter B : Survey of Chromium and Selected Element Concentrations in Rock, Alluvium, and Core Material
- Chapter D : Analyses of Regulatory Water-Quality Data
- Chapter E : Groundwater Chemistry and Hexavalent Chromium
- Chapter J : Summary and Conclusions
- Related Work: Open-File Report 2023-1043 - Natural and Anthropogenic Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), in Groundwater near a Mapped Plume, Hinkley, California
- Data Release: USGS data release
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Between 1952 and 1964, hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), was released into groundwater from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station in the Mojave Desert 80 miles (mi) northeast of Los Angeles, California. Remediation began in 1992, and in 2010, site cleanup was projected to require between 10 and 95 years and was expected to cost between $36 and $176 million. A 2007 PG&E study estimated the natural Cr(VI) background in groundwater in Hinkley Valley to be 3.1 micrograms per liter (μg/L). This concentration was used for interim regulatory purposes by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). In the fourth quarter (October–December) 2015, the regulatory Cr(VI) plume extended about 3.0 mi downgradient from the release location within the Hinkley compressor station, while groundwater having Cr(VI) concentrations greater than 3.1 μg/L was present more than 8 mi downgradient. Although rocks and minerals in the area are naturally low in chromium, alluvium eroded from the San Gabriel Mountains and transported to Hinkley Valley by the Mojave River, and locally small exposures of mafic rock, including hornblende diorite and basalt, may contribute Cr(VI) to groundwater. In response to limitations of the PG&E 2007 Cr(VI) background study’s methodology, uncertainty in the natural Cr(VI) background concentration, and an increase in the mapped extent of groundwater having Cr(VI) concentrations greater than the interim regulatory background of 3.1 μg/L, the Lahontan RWQCB concluded that the 2007 PG&E background Cr(VI) study should be updated. The purpose of the updated study is to estimate background Cr(VI) concentrations in groundwater within the upper aquifer upgradient, downgradient, near the margins, and within the footprint of the PG&E Cr(VI) plume in Hinkley, California. The scope of the study included eight tasks; results from those tasks are presented in the chapters within this professional paper.
Suggested Citation
Izbicki, J.A., 2023, Natural and anthropogenic (human-made) hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in groundwater near a mapped plume, Hinkley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1885, variously paged, https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1885.
ISSN: 2330-7102 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Natural and anthropogenic (human-made) hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in groundwater near a mapped plume, Hinkley, California |
| Series title | Professional Paper |
| Series number | 1885 |
| DOI | 10.3133/pp1885 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | California Water Science Center |
| Description | 10 Chapters |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| City | Hinkley |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | Y |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |