Indiana Administrative Code
Title 329 - SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION
Article 10 - SOLID WASTE LAND DISPOSAL FACILITIES
Rule 21 - Municipal Solid Waste Landfills; Ground Water Monitoring Programs and Corrective Action Program Requirements
Section 21-6 - Statistical evaluation requirements and procedures

Universal Citation: 329 IN Admin Code 21-6

Current through September 18, 2024

Authority: IC 13-14-8-7; IC 13-15; IC 13-19-3

Affected: IC 13-20; IC 36-9-30

Sec. 6.

(a) The owner, operator, or permittee shall determine if there is a statistically significant increase for each constituent analyzed, except for constituents listed in section 15(b) of this rule (Table 1B). This statistical evaluation is required each time ground water is collected and analyzed at the monitoring boundary for all MSWLFs.

(b) To determine a statistically significant increase compared to the background ground water quality, each constituent from each ground water monitoring well sample must be compared to the background ground water quality of that constituent, according to the statistical procedures and performance standards specified in this section.

(c) The owner, operator, or permittee shall submit to the commissioner for approval a written statistical evaluation plan for each ground water monitoring program required under this rule. Submittal of the plan must comply with the following:

(1) For all new MSWLFs and lateral expansions to be permitted under this article, the statistical evaluation plan shall be developed in accordance with the general description submitted under 329 IAC 10-15-1(a)(12).

(2) For existing MSWLFs, the plan must be submitted with the next renewal application, at the time of closure, or as specified by the commissioner, whichever occurs first, unless a statistical evaluation plan that includes all applicable requirements under this section has been previously submitted.

(3) The plan must explain which of the various statistical methods, described in subsection (f), may be needed to address a continuously expanding ground water data base. All statistical methods must meet the performance standards outlined in subsection (g).

(4) The plan must identify the statistical procedures to be used whenever verification resampling, as specified under section 8 of this rule, is implemented.

(5) The plan must identify any computer data management or statistical evaluation program used by the owner, operator, or permittee and, upon request by the commissioner, include appropriate documentation of the computer program.

(d) Changes to the statistical evaluation plan must not be implemented without approval from the commissioner.

(e) The owner, operator, or permittee shall submit a statistical evaluation report of the ground water sample analysis to the commissioner. The report must be submitted within sixty (60) days after obtaining ground water samples from the ground water monitoring wells, unless a verification resampling program described under section 8 of this rule, is implemented. The statistical evaluation report must include the following:

(1) All input data, output data, and equations used for all calculations and statistical tests utilized.

(2) A detailed discussion of the conclusions from the statistical evaluation. This discussion must include the identification of all constituents found to have a statistically significant increase.

(3) A graphical representation of the MSWLF's ground water data when requested by the commissioner. The commissioner shall specify the format of the graphical representation.

(f) Any of the following statistical procedures may be chosen for the statistical evaluation, provided the chosen statistical procedure is capable of meeting the performance standards in subsection (g):

(1) A parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by multiple comparison procedures to identify a statistically significant increase. The method must include estimation and testing of the contrasts between each downgradient ground water monitoring well's mean and the background mean levels for each constituent.

(2) An analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on ranks followed by multiple comparisons procedures to identify statistically significant evidence of contamination. The method must include estimation and testing of the contrasts between each downgradient ground water monitoring well's median and the background ground water quality median levels for each constituent.

(3) A tolerance or prediction interval in which an interval for each constituent is established from the distribution of the background ground water quality data, and the level of each constituent in each downgradient ground water monitoring well for the most recent sampling event is compared to the upper tolerance limit or upper prediction limit.

(4) A control chart, which establishes control limits for each constituent.

(5) A temporal or spatial trend analysis.

(6) Another valid statistical test method that meets the performance standards of subsection (g).

(g) The statistical procedures and methods used must comply with the following performance standards:

(1) The statistical procedure used to evaluate ground water monitoring data must be appropriate for the data distribution of each constituent. If the data distribution of a constituent is shown to be inappropriate for a normal theory test, then either the data must be transformed or a distribution-free statistical test must be used. If data distributions for the constituents differ, more than one (1) statistical method may be needed.

(2) If ground water data from an individual ground water monitoring well is compared either to background ground water quality, which may include pooled background monitoring well data from more than one (1) well, or to a ground water protection standard, then the test must be done at a Type I error level that is no less than one-hundredth (0.01) for each testing period. If a multiple comparisons procedure is used, the Type I experiment wise error rate for each testing period must be no less than five-hundredths (0.05); however, the Type I error rate of no less than one-hundredth (0.01) for individual monitoring well comparisons must be maintained. This performance standard does not apply to:
(A) tolerance intervals;

(B) prediction intervals; and

(C) control charts.

(3) The validity of the statistical test method used must be evaluated prior to applying the method to the ground water data. This evaluation must address:
(A) the error potential for false positives and false negatives; and

(B) any other evaluation deemed necessary by the commissioner to confirm that the test method chosen will sufficiently detect contamination.

(4) If a control chart is used to evaluate ground water monitoring data, the specific type of control chart and associated statistical parameter values must be protective of human health and the environment. These values must be determined after considering:
(A) the number of background samples;

(B) the background data distribution; and

(C) the range of background concentrations for each constituent analyzed.

(5) If a tolerance interval or a prediction interval is used to evaluate ground water monitoring data, the levels of confidence and, for tolerance intervals, the percentage of the population that the interval must contain, must be protective of human health and the environment. These statistical parameters must be determined after considering:
(A) the number of background samples;

(B) the background data distribution; and

(C) the range of background concentrations for each constituent analyzed.

(6) The statistical method must account for data below the limit of detection with one (1) or more statistical procedures. Any practical quantitation limit that is used in a statistical procedure must:
(A) be the lowest concentration limit that can be repeatedly and reliably achieved; and

(B) be within specified limits of precision and accuracy during routine laboratory operating conditions.

(7) If necessary, the statistical method must include procedures to control or correct for seasonal and spatial variability.

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