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4.05 HYDROLOGIC BALANCE <br />4.05.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS <br />The Southfield Mine is in reclamation only status since operations permanently ceased <br />in 2000. EFCI commenced reclamation activities at the mine site in 2001, demolishing <br />surface facilities and sealing mine openings. By 2001, backfilling, regrading, and <br />topsoil replacement was completed according to plans approved by the DRMS. <br />Permanent seeding was completed on all reclaimed areas by October, 2003. Pond 1, <br />Pond 2, and Pond 3 at the mine site have been reclaimed. Pond 4 and Pond 5 are <br />currently being evaluated for permanent retention. The Magpie Creek Diversion has <br />been modified to a permanent diversion to safely pass the peak flows resulting from a <br />100 -year, 24 -hour storm event. <br />The coal loadout site located near Florence, Colorado, was similarly reclaimed in 1997, <br />including permanent seeding completed during the same year. Pond 1 and Pond 2 are <br />scheduled for removal prior to application for final bond release for the site. <br />EFCI's mining and related activities have been planned and are conducted to minimize <br />disturbance to and prevent long term adverse changes in the prevailing hydrologic <br />balance in the mine, loadout, and adjacent areas. <br />As a preliminary step in preventing potential adverse impacts, baseline water quantity <br />and quality data were collected, compiled and analyzed. In addition, EFCI has <br />implemented and maintains an ongoing life -of -mine hydrologic monitoring program as <br />described in Section 2.05.6, Mitigation of Surface Coal Mining Operation Impacts, <br />under the subheading, Protection of Hydrologic Balance, and detailed in Exhibit 25, <br />Hydrologic Monitoring Plan. Monitoring data and associated analyses provide detailed <br />information on surface and groundwater quality, groundwater occurrence and <br />movement, surface water drainage patterns, climate, and geology. Each of these <br />interrelated factors are discussed in detail in Sections 2.04.5 through 2.04.8. <br />Evaluation of hydrologic monitoring data is discussed in Section 2.04.7, Hydrology <br />Description, which provides a detailed description of the pre- mining hydrologic <br />environment. EFCI's specific operation and reclamation plans are discussed in detail in <br />Sections 2.05.3, Operation Plan - Permit Area, and 2.05.4, Reclamation Plan. <br />The relationship between planned mining and reclamation operations and the <br />4.05 -1 <br />Revised 5/14/14 RN -06 <br />