ALPHA GEOLOGICAL SERVICES, INC.

Alpha Geoscience and Hydrogeologic Services

Alpha Geoscience (Alpha Geological Services, Inc.) was founded in 1991 to provide specialized professional consulting services in the areas of geology, hydrology and environmental science.  The professionals at Alpha have been working as consultants to industry and government since the middle 1970s.  Alpha is committed to providing a full range of services that include project planning, field data collection and analysis, preparation of reports, expert testimony, regulatory negotiation and site remediation.  Alpha's philosophy is to provide direct and cost-effective solutions while maintaining economic and environmental benefits.

Alpha Geoscience provides Geologic and Hydrologic Services in the Areas of:

• Water Supply and Water Resource Investigations and Development
  o Pumping Tests and Pumping Test Analysis
  o Well Rehabilitation
  o Fracture Trace Analysis
  o Ground Water Computer Modeling
• Ground Water and Surface Water Impact Assessments
  o Subsurface Waste Water Disposal
  o Water Budget Analysis
• Mining Hydrology, Impact Assessment and Permitting Services
• Air Photograph Interpretation
• Petroleum Spill and Petroleum Tank Site Investigations and Remediation
• Environmental Site Assessments for Property Transactions
• Investigation and Monitoring of Industrial Waste Sites
• Expert Opinions and Testimony

Alpha Geoscience provides consulting services to clients throughout the United States.  Alpha has conducted subsurface investigations, coordinated remedial activities, provided field oversight, and negotiated work scopes for numerous sites. Additionally, Alpha is experienced in the implementation and administration of state and federal Solid Waste, Spills and Hazardous Waste programs and maintains a good working relationship with regulatory agency personnel. Alpha also provides expert technical support, opinions and testimony for a variety of mining and industrial clients who are dealing with mineral resource, ground water resource, hazardous waste, and environmental impact issues.

Water Supply Investigation and Water Resource Development

Alpha Geoscience identifies potential surface water and ground water sources and investigates the suitability of the supplies for drinking and/or processing purposes depending on the client needs. Alpha provides services that range from initial scoping of client needs through water supply investigation, development, rehabilitation and gaining regulatory approval, as needed for clients that include:

• Municipalities
• Seasonal recreational facilities.
• Industrial sites.
• Residential developments.
• Private residences.

Projects are often undertaken in phases depending on the stage of the project when Alpha is asked to participate. Alpha personnel are experienced in the full range of water supply/resource services that include:

• Source identification (Phase I Investigation), which can include aquifers, springs and surface water bodies.
• Source quantity and quality assessment (Phase II Investigation).
• Securing Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation approvals, if required.
• Source development.
• Well field rehabilitation.

Projects involve a variety of tasks which vary depending on the type of water source, the relative size of the source, the required quantity/quality, potential impacts of the source use on others who rely on the source, potential impacts by others on the source quality or quantity, and the condition of the source/supply if it is a pre-existing system requiring maintenance or upgrades.  Alpha personnel are trained and have extensive experience in:

• Fracture trace analyses. (See below)
• Aquifer delineation, testing and analysis.
• Subsurface hydrogeologic investigation.
• Well installation and development.
• Pumping tests (See below) to evaluate well capacity, aquifer yields, well field production capacity and long term safe yields.
• Well rehabilitation.
• Stream and spring flow measurements, water quality testing, and spring yield analysis.
• Assessment of recharge areas for spring and aquifer systems.
• Ground water computer modeling.
• Preparation of reports to provide results of investigations and testing and to obtain regulatory approval of potable water supplies.

Fracture Trace Analysis

Alpha Geoscience personnel have extensive experience and training in the application of fracture trace analysis to locate potential sources of ground water and to identify zones of ground water flow in bedrock.  The technique involves identifying linear features on topographic maps and air photographs that likely represent fracture zones in bedrock.

Alpha applies this technology to locate ground water in bedrock for clients that need:

• Process and drinking water at large industrial sites.
• Drinking water for municipalities and other public or private institutions.
• Drinking, irrigation and/or snow/ice production at recreational facilities.
• Defining ground water flow zones to determine pathways of potential migration of contaminants away from a source and/or toward a receptor.
• Defining bedrock flow zones that control the orientation and extent of drawdown effects from pumping wells and dewatering operations.

Pumping Tests and Pumping Test Analysis

Pumping tests are one of the most effective tools for evaluating ground water resources, hydraulic characteristics of geologic formations and the performance of production and recovery wells. Alpha Geoscience personnel routinely conduct constant rate and step rate pumping tests to:

• Evaluate well yield and the aquifer response to ground water withdrawal.
• Predict long term yield potential of wells and aquifer systems
• Assess the interference effects from simultaneous pumping at multiple wells.
• Evaluate hydraulic characteristics of geologic formations.
• Calculate the hydraulic parameters required for ground water modeling.
• Evaluate the interaction between ground water and surface water systems.
• Provide a benchmark for well performance and evaluating apparent losses in well-yield.
• Delineate source water areas and defining well head protection zones

Alpha Geoscience personnel have developed highly technical analytical skills and use computer software to determine aquifer properties from pumping test data. The tasks performed by Alpha for pumping tests and aquifer studies include:

• Develop testing requirements commensurate with project objectives.
• Identify, obtain bids, and contract qualified well drilling/testing contractors.
• Identify regulatory requirements for well permitting.
• Collect pumping test data using programmable recording equipment.
• Collect samples for field and laboratory water quality analysis.
• Graphical and computer analysis of pumping test data.

Impact Assessments, Subsurface Waste Disposal, Water Budget Analysis and Mining Hydrology Services

Ground Water and Surface Water Impact Assessments, Damage Claim Investigations and Contamination Evaluations

Alpha Geoscience personnel apply their technical capabilities in the investigation and monitoring of ground water and surface water to assess potential or actual impacts to quality and quantity and to address claims of damage to the resources. Alpha has experience in a wide range of projects and issues, many of which involve litigation or regulatory action that require the rendering of expert opinion, providing expert testimony or assisting in negotiations. These projects generally include:

• Assessment of potential impacts from proposed or existing mines, housing developments, industrial facilities, subsurface waste water disposal (See below), material storage and handling areas, recreational developments and other significant facilities.
• Investigation of claims of water quality and quantity damages from existing recently completed or recently modified facilities.
• Providing geotechnical support regarding impacts from dewatering, erosion, and soil and slope modifications.
• Projects typically require a unique technical approach that may include one or more of the following tasks.
• Aquifer delineation
• Surface water basin delineation
• Storm water runoff calculations
• Water budget analyses (See below)
• Spring and stream flow measurements and water quality monitoring
• Identification of ground water recharge and discharge areas
• Ground water mounding analyses
• Investigation of subsurface conditions
• Determination of ground water flow rates and directions
• Assessment and monitoring of ground water quality
• Prediction of ground water flow volumes, drawdown impacts, and quality changes
• Ground water computer modeling of complex and evolving aquifer systems

Subsurface Disposal of Waste Water:

Investigations and Evaluations Pertaining to Waste Water Treatment Plants and Absorption Fields

Alpha personnel apply their technical capabilities in subsurface characterization and hydrologic analysis to address issues related to subsurface disposal of waste water. Alpha's project experience has included work associated with existing and proposed subsurface disposal systems. These projects generally include:

• Preliminary site characterization through sources such as soil maps, topographic maps and well logs, and through site reconnaissance, to determine a site's subsurface disposal potential.
• Subsurface investigations to determine soil properties, depth to bedrock, and site stratigraphy, and to evaluate the variability of these characteristics across the site.
• Percolation testing to assess the hydrologic capacity of different soil types.
• Installation of ground water monitoring well networks.
• Determination of depth to ground water, the water table configuration, and seasonal variations in ground water flow directions.
• Evaluation of aquifer properties such as hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and specific yield, using pumping tests and slug-tests.
• Ground water mounding analyses to evaluate the response of the water table to hydraulic loading beneath proposed absorption fields.
• Assessment of ground water quality and potential impacts from subsurface wastewater disposal.

Water Budget (Balance) Analysis

The water budget analysis or water balance is a highly effective tool that relates local climatic, geologic and land use conditions to the quantity of water available for ground water recharge and surface water runoff.  Alpha personnel have extensive experience and training with the method and have adapted it to assess issues such as:

• Determining the quantity of water that will flow into an excavation or mine.
• Assessing the effects on the water table or aquifer by changing drainage patterns and ground cover during site development.
• Assessing impacts to the water table or aquifer level by sustained withdrawals due to well fields, excavation dewatering or mine dewatering.
• Assessing ground water impacts from subsurface injection of septic waste.
• The following are examples of specific types of projects for which Alpha has applied this technique.
• Predicting changes in the water table from a proposed housing development.
• Assessing the average quarry discharge rates and relative effects on receiving streams at various stages of quarry development for several mines.
• Assessing the potential for an aquifer to meet the requirements of proposed golf course and recreational complex.
• Assessing the effects on local springs and trout streams by converting forest land to a golf course and recreational facility.
• Assessing the yield potential of a drainage basin for a municipal water supply.
• Assessing the effects on the water table by quarrying below the water table and creating a lake.

Mining Hydrology, Impact Assessment and Permitting Services

Alpha Geoscience assists the mining industry in resolving hydrologic issues, assessing potential or existing hydrologic impacts to and from the mining operation, and addressing mining permit issues. Alpha often provides services designed to:

• Provide expert opinion and testimony during the environmental review process for mine permit applications or in litigation involving damage claims.
• Estimate quarry discharge rates.
• Predict potential ground water and surface water drawdowns or water quality effects from proposed mining operations.
• Identify and develop water supplies for processing and other operational requirements.
• Investigate sources of mine water inflow and develop strategies for reducing or eliminating excessive inflows.
• Predict future lake levels for reclamation plans for mines excavated below the water table.
• Determine or estimate the depth to water at proposed mine sites.
• Determine ground water recharge areas, discharge areas and flow directions within proposed mine areas.
• Assess potential changes to the ground water flow system from a proposed mine.
• Determine the potential hydrologic changes to critical habitat such as trout streams and wetlands.
• Assess potential impacts to residential or public water supplies by proposed or existing mines.
• Develop long-term ground water monitoring plans to address regulatory requirements.

Historical Aerial Photographic Interpretation, Expert Testimony, Petroleum Tank Investigations and Remediation

Historical Aerial Photographic Interpretation

Alpha Geoscience has experienced and trained staff that conducts interpretation of historical air and ground-based photographs prepare detailed reports and provide expert testimony. Alpha has provided these professional services for a variety of projects throughout the United States. Alpha personnel have provided expert testimony in depositions, in state court and in federal court for cases involving the interpretation of historical photographs.

Alpha Geoscience provides expert services in aerial photograph interpretation. These services include:

• The interpretation of historical activities and waste disposal practices at contaminated sites.
• The interpretation of historical conditions and site modifications for a variety of resource and property issues.
• The interpretation of geologic and hydrogeologic conditions for siting of critical facilities and investigating natural resources.
• Fracture trace analyses for locating water sources and identifying ground water flow paths.

Alpha has provided these services on a variety of significant projects that include:

• Issues involving allocation of costs to principal responsible parties at hazardous waste and other contaminated sites.
• Identification of potential contaminant sources and contaminant migration pathways for remedial site investigations.
• Assessing the history and extent of site modifications related to issues such as mineral resource extraction, waste disposal, and other similar property damage claims.
• Fracture trace analysis and geologic interpretation for locating potable water resources.

Petroleum Spill and Tank Site Investigations and Petroleum Spill Site Remediation

Alpha Geoscience personnel have been involved with the documentation and closure of petroleum bulk storage tanks and the investigation and remediation of petroleum spill sites for more than 15 years. The types of projects in which Alpha has been involved include:

• Expert opinion and litigation support to evaluate petroleum remediation and cost allocation.
• Spills, accidental discharges and leaks from tanks and tank systems.
• Oversight of tank removals to detect contamination or to verify non-impacted conditions.
• Third party review of investigations, conclusions, and remedial systems.
• Long term monitoring, regulatory support and closure negotiations.

The services provided by Alpha Geoscience include a variety of specialized field and office tasks. Relevant expertise of Alpha personnel includes:

• Providing expert opinion, testimony and regulatory support, as needed.
• Observing and documenting petroleum tank, distribution lines and dispenser removals.
• Inspecting and documenting the condition of soil and groundwater exposed during the removal of petroleum tanks and ancillary structures.
• Collecting and screening soil and ground water samples for visual, olfactory and field instrument evidence of petroleum impacts.
• Collecting and processing soil and groundwater samples for laboratory analysis of petroleum impacts.
• Preparation of reports to document investigation and remedial activities and results, and to obtain regulatory approval or closure of contaminated sites.
• Developing and implementing strategies and work plans for investigating and remediating contaminated soil and groundwater at petroleum contaminated sites.
• Evaluating the applicability of remedial technologies based on site conditions.
• Operating, monitoring, and maintaining remedial systems.
• Assessing potential environmental liabilities at petroleum sites for property owners, lenders, and potential purchasers.

Expert Opinions and Testimony

Alpha Geoscience's senior staff provide expert opinions, prepare expert reports and testify in court for a variety of cases involving environmental, mining, mineral resource, geotechnical, and water resource claims. Alpha personnel have provided expert services throughout the United States and internationally. Alpha works cooperatively with attorneys and experts in other technical fields to assist with the development of appropriate legal strategies. Alpha personnel have demonstrated expert credentials in:

• Characterizing aquifer and ground water conditions.
• Evaluating surface water and storm water.
• Assessing mineral resources.

Determining the causes of, or predicting the potential for damages to environmental resources and property from human or natural processes.

• Characterizing and remediating petroleum contaminated sites.
• Interpreting site features, conditions, infrastructure, history and activity from air photographs.
• Allocating costs where multi-party liability is established for site remediation.
• Evaluating the cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of selected remedial measures.

Alpha personnel have provided expert services in cases that include:

• Interpreting site history, waste disposal practices, site activity and infrastructure from air photographs for hazardous waste and petroleum contaminated sites involved in principal litigation, party litigation and cost recovery claims.
• Assessing the effectiveness, efficiency and merits of investigations and remedial approaches by consultants and remedial contractors for hazardous waste and petroleum contaminated sites involved in cost recovery claims.
• Characterizing hydrogeologic conditions and apparent or potential impacts on the hydrologic system by existing or proposed projects and facilities.
• Assessing geologic, geotechnical and hydrogeologic conditions related to the causes of failure of mines, slopes and other structures.
• Assessment of hydrologic and geologic conditions or providing an expert review of the investigative approach by others for damage or cost recovery claims for underground mines involving mineral extraction or gas storage.
• Quantifying mineral reserves for property valuation claims.
• Documenting and quantifying damages to natural resources and property.