2014-05-12_PERMIT FILE - C2010089A (3)

Home Browse Search

Water accumulating in the pit(s) will be removed by pumping the water to a sediment pond that will, at the time of pumping, have a sufficient available storage capacity, including the prescribed volume for the 10 -year, 24 -hour storm. Design criteria for all ponds are addressed in Section 2.05.3(3), Mine Facilities, and include plans for storage of additional volumes pumped from pits or sumps. Maintenance of available storage capacity in the ponds involves dewatering and sediment removal. Ground Water Monitoring Since 1979, Peabody (New Horizon Mine's predecessor) and WFC have installed an extensive network of 46 hydrologic monitoring wells to monitor the shallow bed rock zones beneath both the New Horizon 1 and the New Horizon 2 mining areas. A number of these wells were located within or in close proximity to the NHN permit area (see Map 2.04.7- 1 in Section 2.04.7). This information has been supplemented by the addition of nine new hydrologic monitoring wells which were installed during 2008 for baseline hydrologic data collection. These new wells (numbered GW -N47 through GW -N55) are described in Section 2.04.7 and the data collected presented in Appendices 2.04.7 -1. Physical data (temperature, pH, conductivity, depth) are collected monthly and samples for chemical analyses are collected quarterly. This schedule will continue for the foreseeable future. It is expected that these nine new baseline monitoring wells will be employed to monitor the extent and magnitude of any mining impacts as also discussed in Sections 2.04.7 and Section 2.05.6(3)(b)(v), Hydrologic Reclamation Plan. The ground water monitoring wells will be maintained for the life of the mining operations or until such time as DRMS may agree that they are no longer necessary. All ground water monitoring installations will be removed upon completion of the post mining hydrologic monitoring phase of the Hydrologic Monitoring Program. After permit approval and prior to new disturbance, three (3) new ground water monitoring wells were installed in the southwestern portion of the NHN permit area. The locations of these 3 new wells are shown on Map 2.04.7 -1. New ground water monitor well GW -N56 will monitor the underburden (UB), well GW -N57 will monitor the coal zone (Coal) and well GW -N58 will monitor the overburden. GW -N56 was completed on August 8, 2012 while GW's N57 and N58 were completed on August 9, 2012. The completion diagrams for the three new monitor wells are shown on Figure 3 of Appendix 2.04.7 -1. These wells will be monitored and reported on the same cycle as the other ground water monitoring wells. Appendix 2.05.6(3) -4 contains State Engineer approved well permits for the New Horizon North Mine. All ground water data collected from monitoring wells in each future water year will be compiled and submitted to DRMS in the form of the New Horizon Annual Hydrology Report (AHR). The AHRs will be submitted within three months after the end of each water year. Surface Water Protection Section 2.05.3(3), Mine Facilities, contains descriptions, designs, and plans for a sediment ponds, roads, diversions, and culverts that will be constructed and utilized at New Horizon North mining area during mining. All facilities that are discussed in Section 2.05.3(3) have been designed to ensure that the hydrologic balance is protected. Section 2.05.6(3) Page 4 October 2013 (TR -05) N: \WFC \2013 \NHN \DRMS Permit Revisions \TR -05 \2.05.6(3) Protection of Hydrologic Balance_TR- 05.doc