Tacoma Landfill Groundwater Monitoring Data

• Added data for 1997 Quarters 1, 2, 3.

• Added data for 1996 4th Quarter.

• Added data for 1996 2nd Quarter.

• Added data for 1996 3rd Quarter.

• Incorporation of 1995 Quarter 4 data into comprehensive data set.
• Switched data for wells TL-5c and TL-5d for all data (through and including 1995 4th Quarter) per City of Tacoma instructions.
• Switched data for wells EW-27 and EW-28 for 1995 3rd Quarter data per City of Tacoma instructions.
• Deletion of three spurious records from comprehensive data set.
• Enhancement and expansion of descriptive information.
• Availability of 1996 Quarter 1 data separately (not processed by EPA).

Description	Start Date	End Date	Data File	File Type	Size (bytes)
Comprehensive 1983-1995*	7/27/83	1/5/96	TLFWWW.EXE	self-expanding PKZIP	946,398
1996 1st Quarter - All parameters	1/16/96	3/12/96	96Q1DATA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	320,931
1996 2nd Quarter - All parameters	4/4/96	6/10/96	96Q2DATA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	237,011
1996 3rd Quarter - Dissolved Metals	7/8/96	9/9/96	96Q3DMET.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	914
1996 3rd Quarter - Total Metals	7/8/96	9/9/96	96Q3TMET.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	14,727
1996 3rd Quarter - Solid Waste Parameters	7/8/96	9/9/96	96Q3SWRP.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	87,751
1996 3rd Quarter - Volatile Organic Compounds	7/8/96	9/9/96	96Q3VOA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	187,921
1996 4th Quarter - Dissolved Metals	10/14/96	12/31/96	D96Q4EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	1,572
1996 4th Quarter - Total Metals	10/14/96	12/31/96	T96Q4EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	13,494
1996 4th Quarter - Solid Waste Parameters	10/14/96	12/31/96	S96Q4EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	72,882
1996 4th Quarter - Volatile Organic Compounds	10/14/96	12/31/96	V96Q4EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	140,374
1997 1st Quarter - Dissolved Metals	2/4/97	3/3/97	D97Q1EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	2,412
1997 1st Quarter - Total Metals	2/18/97	3/5/97	T97Q1EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	37,538
1997 1st Quarter - Solid Waste Parameters	1/14/97	3/5/97	S97Q1EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	159,997
1997 1st Quarter - Volatile Organic Compounds	1/14/97	3/6/97	V97Q1EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	220,400
1997 2nd Quarter - Dissolved Metals	5/5/97	5/7/97	D97Q2EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	1,632
1997 2nd Quarter - Total Metals	5/5/97	5/27/97	T97Q2EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	16,428
1997 2nd Quarter - Solid Waste Parameters	4/15/97	6/9/97	S97Q2EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	87,821
1997 2nd Quarter - Volatile Organic Compounds	4/15/97	6/9/97	V97Q2EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	193,621
1997 3rd Quarter - Dissolved Metals	7/29/97	7/29/97	D97Q3EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	262
1997 3rd Quarter - Total Metals	7/28/97	9/03/97	T97Q3EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	17,214
1997 3rd Quarter - Solid Waste Parameters	7/8/97	9/16/97	S97Q3EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	92,845
1997 3rd Quarter - Volatile Organic Compounds	7/8/97	9/16/97	V97Q3EPA.CSV	ASCII text .CSV	203,972

*Expands to 18MB .DBF-format (Xbase) file with 107,146 observations.

Description of Comprehensive Environmental Sampling Data

This description refers to file TLFWWW.DBF, the first item in the Data Available table above.

Under Region 10's Regional Order on Groundwater Data Management, we are charged with assembling digital data sets for all EPA-regulated sites or entities and making this data available as a public resource.

File TLFWWW.DBF is a single-value per record DBF format file. It contains a complete set of analytical chemistry and other sampling parameters associated with the Tacoma Landfill site for the period from 7/26/83 to 1/5/96. The file contains both groundwater data and surface water data: the groundwater data represents samples collected from 94 different monitoring wells, on 246 different dates, for 300 separate parameters; the more limited surface water sampling data represent samples collected at 17 locations, on 16 separate dates (from 9/4/91 to 5/6/93), and 73 parameters. Monitoring well location and construction information is being assembled and will be made available on this web site soon.

The data set now available was assembled from data provided by the City of Tacoma, contractors to EPA, from historical paper documents, and from the EPA and Department of Ecology Laboratory data systems. It is the final product of an effort by the Data Management and Hydrogeology staff of the Office of Environmental Assessment, EPA Region 10, with critical support provided by Superfund ESAT contract staff.

Summary, for all data (both groundwater and surface water sampling):

Sample earliest date:	07/26/83
Sample latest date:	01/05/96
Number of dates:	251
Number of locations:	111
Number of parameters:	301

Data file structure:

Structure for table: tlfwww.dbf
Number of data records: 107,146
Date of last update: 05/09/96

Field	Field Name	Type	Width	Description
1	PRI_STA	Character	15	EPA Region 10 Primary Station Code*
2	STA_ID	Character	12	Sampling Station Identifier
3	DATE	Date	8	Sampling Date
4	TIME	Character	4	Sampling Time
5	SMK	Character	4	System Multipurpose Key (SMK) Code (see below)*
6	SAMP_NUM	Character	18	Sample Number
7	CAS_NUM	Numeric	10	Chemical Abstracts System Number
8	ANALYTE	Character	48	Parameter analysed or observed
9	P_NUM	Numeric	5	EPA STORET Parameter Number*
10	RESULT	Character	15	Analytical Result or Observation
11	UNITS	Character	8	Units of Result
12	QUAL	Character	5	Qualifier as reported (see below)
13	QUAL_S	Character	1	Qualifier for STORET*
14	UMK	Character	8	Users Multipurpose Key (See below)*
15	ORIG_FILE	Character	14	Original data file source.
	** Total **		213

*An asterisk denotes values or codes assigned by EPA Region 10.

Qualifiers

A total of 67 different qualifiers were reported with this data by the City of Tacoma or other data submitters. The following is a list of unique combinations of original qualifiers reported and those STORET qualifiers to which the original qualifiers were converted by EPA. The conversion process was performed in consultation with data submitters, and entailed case-by-case examination of many anomalous aspects of originally submitted data. This resulted, in some cases, in the same submitted qualifier being converted to differing STORET qualifiers, on the basis of information provided verbally to EPA by the data submitters or upon examination of original analytical laboratory reports or data validation reports.

Qualifier (Reported)	Qualifier, EPA STORET	Qualifier (Reported)	Qualifier, EPA STORET
*		K	K
*J4	J	L	L
*UJ1	u	M	J
1	U	NJ	d
B		NJ4	J
B	J	NJV	d
B	V	P	J
B*		PB	v
B*UJ1	u	S
BEJ4	J	U	U
BEUJ	u	U*	U
BJ	J	U/A	U
BJ4	J	UB	U
BUJ	u	UB	a
BUJ1	u	UBJ	u
BW	J	UD	U
BWJ	J	UE	u
BWJ4	J	UEJ4	J
BWUJ	u	UG4	u
D		UJ	U
DX		UJ	u
E	J	UJ1	u
EJ4	J	UJ4	u
EU4	J	UJE	u
H	J	UJN	u
J	J	UJV	u
J1	J	UNJ4	J
J2	J	UU	U
J4	J	UV	a
JB	J	UWJ4	J
JB	v	UWJ4	u
JBE	J	V	V
JD	J	X
JE	J	X	U
JEB	J	YU	U
JN	d
JV	v
JX	J

Definitions of STORET Qualifiers assigned by EPA:

STORET Qualifier	Definition
	No qualifier needed.
J	Estimated value.
K	Actual value is known to be less than the value shown.
L	Actual value is known to be greater than the value shown.
U	Material was specifically analyzed for, but was not detected.
V	Material detected in the method blank.
a	Material was specifically analyzed for, but was only detected in the method blank. Value shown is the detection limit.
d	Material has been tentatively identified. Value shown is an estimate.
u	Material was specifically analyzed for, but was not detected. Detection limit given is an estimate.
v	Material was detected in the method blank. Value shown is an estimate.

System Mulipurpose Key (SMK) Codes
SMK stands for "System Multipurpose Key". The SMK code is used to designate different samples and/or replicates of samples collected at any one sampling station on the same date and at the same time. It is a 4-character string, made up of 4 digits, 0-9. The position of the digit in the string and the numeral in that position combine to convey information about the multiple samples. Multiple samples are collected in the following three common ways:

• Several samples may be taken from the same sample point and placed into separate sample bottles. Each individual sample of the total set will carry its own unique number.
• One sample may be taken from the sample point and immediately divided in the field and placed into different sample bottles. Each portion of the original sample now residing in separate sample bottles is called a "field replicate".
• One sample may be taken and not divided into separate sample bottles until it arrives at the laboratory. Each portion of the original sample now residing in sample bottles will be called a "laboratory replicate".

Position	Definition
1	Uses the numerals 0-7 to designate the presence of multiple samples, field replicates, and/or lab replicates. See the case description the following Table.
2	Uses a numeral to designate the sample in a set of multiple samples.
3	Uses a numeral to designate the replicate in a set of field replicates.
4	Uses a numeral to designate the replicate in a set of lab replicates.

Type of Case	1st Digit: Case Number	2nd Digit: Multiple Sample	3rd Digit: Field Action	4th Digit: Lab Action
One Sample, Neither Field nor Lab Replicates	0	0	0	0
One Sample, Lab Replicates	1 1	0 0	0 0	1 2
One Sample, Field Replicates	2 2	0 0	1 2	0 0
Multiple Samples, Neither Field nor Lab Replicates	3 3 3	1 2 3	0 0 0	0 0 0
One Sample, Field Replicates and Lab Replicates	4 4 4 4	0 0 0 0	1 1 2 2	1 2 1 2
Multiple Samples, Field Replicates	5 5 5 5	1 1 2 2	1 2 1 2	0 0 0 0
Multiple Samples, Lab Replicates	6 6 6 6	1 1 2 2	0 0 0 0	1 2 1 2

Examples:

SMK Code	Significance
0000	This indicates 1 sample was taken, with no field or lab replicates. This is the most common code assigned.
1004	One sample was taken, and 4 lab replicates were split out. This is the 4th in that series. Note: For "1004" to exist, there must be a "1001", "1002", and a "1003".
6202	Multiple (discreet) samples were taken in the field and this is the 2nd in that series. The laboratory then split this sample, and this is the 2nd replicate.
5310	Multiple (discreet) samples were taken in the field. This is the 3rd of those samples. Field replicates were split out, and this is the 1st in that series. No laboratory replicates were made of this sample.

The UMK is an optional code that can be added to the storage to denote more information about the analysis or sampling.

Digit	Component Definition
1-2	Coded value for sampler type
3-5	Identifies up to three different materials making up the sampling equipment (1 digit each).
6	Flag for indicating whether the reported values were determined in the lab or the field.
7-8	Coded value to identify analytical method used to determine reported values.

This description refers to data files 96q1data.csv, 96q2data.csv, 96q3dmet.csv, 96q3tmet.csv, 96q3swrp.csv, 96q3voa.csv, d96q4epa.csv, t96q4epa.csv, s96q4epa.csv, v96q4epa.csv, d97q1epa.csv, s97q1epa.csv, t97q1epa.csv, v97q1epa.csv, d97q2epa.csv, s97q2epa.csv, t97q2epa.csv, v97q2epa.csv, d97q3epa.csv, s97q3epa.csv, t97q3epa.csv, v97q3epa.csv, as listed in the Data Available section at the beginning of this page. The data contained in these files is being made available in the exact format in which it was received from the City of Tacoma: CSV, a comma-delimited text format that can be viewed directly or readily imported into most spreadsheet software packages. This digital data set has not been examined in detail, nor checked, nor combined with data previously submitted to EPA.