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Ms. Anne C. Conner September 22, 2009 6 around MW-11 was surrounded with caution tape pending RSI procurement of a non-sparking saw. On August 4, 10 wells and piezometers were decommissioned in accordance with SJCEHD standards (SJCEHD, 2005). These wells were decommissioned in the following order: TPZ-5, P-5A, P-7, P-3A and -3B, P-4A, MW-8, MW-4, MW-6 and MW-7. P-3A and P-3B were located within six feet of a fiber optic cable and P-4A was located within six feet of a six-inch gas line. Soil was removed from around these three piezometers by hand digging. The PG&E and MSE project managers, and CVRWQCB staff, were at the site on August 4 and observed the pressure grouting of P-3A and P-3B. On August 5, RSI and MSE attempted to locate P-6A. RSI used a backhoe to excavate two feet deep within the 4' x 200' rectangle previously described. The excavation was set back four feet from a parallel 5-foot deep irrigation ditch to assure that the ditch sidewall would not collapse. No evidence of PVC casing or concrete was observed throughout the excavation. The backhoe was used to replace and compact the excavated soils. Additional decommissioning work was stopped early on August 5 after a PG&E biological reconnaissance (see below). Because RSI could not obtain a non-sparking saw by August 5 they backfilled and compacted the excavation at MW-11 to eliminate the safety hazard. In addition, at the recommendation of SJCEHD, the MSE and RSI crews flush-mounted and spray painted markers for all decommissioned wells to expedite the inspection process once it was scheduled. PG&E BIOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE AND OWL RELOCATION On August 5, a PG&E wildlife biologist made observations on the soil mounds surrounding monitoring wells MW-1 RD, MW-3, MW-9 and the unknown conduit (see Figure 2). She concluded that there was possible evidence (e.g.,regurgitated food pellets) of the presence of western burrowing owls in burrows observed in the mounds. The western burrowing owl is a Species of Special Concern in California that is also protected by California Department of Fish and Game codes covering raptors and nesting birds. State guidelines allow passive relocation of owls during the non-breeding season (September 1 through January 31). Thus, MSE and RSI stopped work on decommissioning wells within the soil mounds pending owl relocation, which would be implemented as soon as possible after September 1, 2009. On September 1 a PG&E contractor partially dismantled soil in the two eastern soil mounds (see Figure 2). The contractor did not find any evidence that burrowing owls had used any of the burrows in these soil mounds, but in one burrow that remained in these mounds the contractor installed a one-way door to prevent any owls that might be present from reentering the burrow. Also on September 1 the contractor inspected burrows in the two larger western soil mounds '(see Figure 2). There was no evidence that burrowing owls had used the six burrows that were found, but the contractor installed one-way doors in the burrows as a conservative precaution.