2014-10-10_REVISION - C1996083 (5)

Home Browse Search

and the water discharges through local intermittent springs and seeps. Most of this colluvial water is lost due to evaporation. Bedrock groundwater is not abundant in the permit area. The groundwaters of the locally perched bedrock water zones and of the Rollins Sandstone are not significantly developed in the permit and surrounding area, due to relatively poor water quality and low potential quantity yields. The general bedrock groundwater flow direction in the sandstone strata of the Mesaverde formation is from the recharge area near the outcrop of these strata, north toward the lower parts of the basin. With PR -14, BRL has proposed to construct two new down - gradient groundwater monitoring wells (2015 -IB and -1SS) and to rehabilitate two existing up- gradient groundwater monitoring wells (CWI -DH -58 and -60). These actions will supplement the existing baseline data and the water monitoring program; additionally 2015 -1B and -1SS will be used to establish groundwater points of compliance. Two associated stipulations are placed on the Division's approval of PR- 14: BRL MUST REHABILITATE OR REPLACE GROUNDWATER MONITORING POINTS CWI - DH-58 AND CWI -DH -60 BY DECEMBER 31, 2014. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE WORK, A MINOR REVISION MUST BE SUBMITTED TO UPDATE THE PERMIT APPLICATION PACKAGE TEXT WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE REHABILITATION OR REPLACEMENT OF THE WELLS. THE FIELD WORK MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2014. WITHIN SIXTY DAYS FOLLOWING THE COLLECTION OF A YEAR OF VALID BASELINE DATA FROM THE TWO DOWN - GRADIENT MONITORING WELLS TO BE DRILLED IN 2015 (2015 -1B AND 2015 -1SS), BRL MUST SUBMIT A TECHNICAL REVISION TO UPDATE THE PROBABLE HYDROLOGIC CONSEQUENCES SECTION OF THE PERMIT TO ESTABLISH THOSE WELLS AS GROUNDWATER POINTS OF COMPLIANCE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES 2.05.6(3)(B)(III) AND (IV). BRL has established an additional surface water monitoring location upstream of mining activities on the West Fork of Terror Creek and at numerous springs, seeps and ponds within the Spruce Stomp lease area, and has provided the Division with one year of monitoring data from those monitoring locations. Climatological Information Detailed climate information is presented in Section 2.04.8 of the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application document, and the information is summarized below. The nearest weather station to the permit area was the Wilcox Ranch Station, located east of the old Bowie town site, in the Hubbard Creek Drainage. The period of record for this station is from 1948 to 1983, and the average annual precipitation of record for this station is 18.50 inches. The station was moved to the West Elk Mine in November 1983, and the station is now referred to as the Somerset IE Station. Other weather stations in the area were the Paonia 3 S and Paonia 1SW stations. The Paonia 3SE and Paonia ISW stations recorded data for the periods 1905 to 1957, and 1957 to present, respectively. The average minimum temperature in the area is about 36 degrees (Fahrenheit), with the lowest Page 18 of 46