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DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866 -3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832 -8106 <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Jason Musick <br />FROM: Mike Boulay M13 <br />DATE: March 6, 2014 <br />SUBJECT: Foidel Creek Mine Permit No. C- 1982 -056 <br />Technical Revision No. 83 (TR -83) - Adequacy Review <br />COLORADO <br />D IV IS I ON OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br />John W. Hickenlooper <br />Governor <br />Mike King <br />Executive Director <br />Loretta E. Pirieda <br />Director <br />I have reviewed Foidel Creek Mine's TR -83 revision application. With TR -83, Twenty Mile <br />Coal LLC requests to modify their approved mine plans to include initial development for the <br />Wolf Creek Coal Seam Reserve. I specifically focused on groundwater related issues and have <br />the following comments to be forwarded to the operator. <br />1) Twenty Mile is proposing to expand their current operations by ramping down from the <br />Wadge Coal Seam to the underlying Wolf Creek Coal Seam. This will expand the operations <br />into a new disturbance area below the current workings that has not been previously <br />characterized within the Foidel Creek permit boundary. Rule 2.04.7(1) requires that baseline <br />groundwater information be provided for each aquifer above, within and, if potentially impacted, <br />below the lowest coal seam to be mined. The Division has studied the Williams Fork Formation <br />here and at other nearby mines and has made findings in the past regarding the need for baseline <br />groundwater information below the Wolf Creek Coal which is the lowest coal seam to be mined <br />with this proposed mine plan area. The Division has determined that there is no potential to impact <br />the Trout Creek Sandstone which is the significant aquifer that underlies the Wolf Creek Coal. The <br />Trout Creek Sandstone is a confined aquifer under potentiometric head. The confining shale layers <br />above the Trout Creek Sandstone should prevent any integration of water from the overlying Wolf <br />Creek Coal seam. The Foidel Creek PAP also discusses the hydraulic isolation of the Trout Creek <br />Sandstone. <br />Additional baseline data collection will be necessary to identify potential groundwater impacts <br />below the Wadge Coal Seam and within the Wolf Creek Coal seam. Characterization of the <br />quantity and quality of water within each aquifer /saturated zone above and within the Wolf Creek <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines <br />