Laserfiche WebLink
be imported to the mine for operations. <br /> With respect to surface water management,please see Appendix 10: Design Report for <br /> Storm Water Management at the Chicago Tunnel Site, which requires retention of 2 times <br /> the 10 year 24 hour storm event. <br /> 3.6.6 Impact of East Cresson Overburden Storage Area on the Hydrology of Grassy Valley <br /> • Page 18: Under Item#1 —Seepage from Toe of ECOSA,the text states"the northern <br /> portion of the AM-I I ECOSA is located over the boulder till infill of Grassy Valley. <br /> This material is of low(vertical)permeability,and creates a partial barrier to downward <br /> flow into the underlying unsaturated bedrock. As a result, under high infiltration <br /> conditions, some of the infiltrating precipitation water will flow along the surface of the <br /> boulder till,and emerge at the northern downhill tow of the ECOSA." In footnote#4 (on <br /> the same page),you further explain"this condition is currently occurring,particularly <br /> following the high intensity thaw/precipitation event in May, 2015. It is considered that <br /> this event provided sufficient water to bring the thin toe-area overburden in ECOSA to its <br /> field capacity, and allowed the balance of the water to flow to the base of the pile and <br /> shed downhill to exit the toe. The underdrain system installed prior to the construction of <br /> the ECOSA under AM-10 was designed to transport water to the east away from the area <br /> of ECOSA underlain by both the boulder till and low permeability Precambrian rock and <br /> re-infiltrate it through the till to the diatreme beneath. However, it appears that the till <br /> permeability is too low to allow at least this high infiltration rate water to pass vertically <br /> to the diatreme, causing the toe seepage." <br /> • Plate 17—Impact Potential of ECOSA on Grassy Valley shows the northern portion of <br /> ECOSA to be located outside of the diatreme. <br /> Considering that the ECOSA underdrain system is not functioning properly to drain <br /> ECOSA infiltrated water east into the diatreme,the potential for impact to Grassy Valley <br /> appears to be high. How will you work to minimize seepage and potentially impacted <br /> groundwater flow from ECOSA into Grassy Valley? <br /> RESPONSE: Seepage from the toe of ECOSA is and will continue to be collected in a <br /> ditch that extends the entire length of the toe. Flow so collected will be tested and directed <br /> to infiltration or treatment, as appropriate. This procedure has already been implemented <br /> in response to afresh water pipe failure beneath ECOSA, which occurred in 20162. The <br /> ECOSA ditch and EWs have been effective at protecting Grassy Valley from impact. <br /> The fresh water pipe break most probably occurred in 2016, based on water supply system <br /> information, which suggests that the seepage observed by Newmont personnel in 2015 had <br /> a different cause. It is possible that this cause was the high precipitation observed in the <br /> spring of that year, which resulted in the highest observed surface water flows in Grassy <br /> Valley(GV-03, which is normally dry, recorded a 15 day period of flow in March with a <br /> peak of 565 gpm recorded on March 17, 2015, and a 49 day period of flow in May and <br /> June peaking at 325 gpm on May 21, 2015). This is indicative that there was "seepage" <br /> from the entire basin in that unusually wet spring period, and so it would not be <br /> surprising if there were corresponding "seepage"from ECOSA.At the time, ECOSA was <br /> not reclaimed, so the conditions existed to allow for high infiltration through the <br /> overburden materials placed on it. At and near the toe the thickness of overburden <br /> material was small, and the grainsize of the overburden is large, so it would not be <br /> surprising if the overburden was at or reached its field capacity at that time, allowing <br /> infiltration through the highly permeable ECOSA toe material at a rate exceeding the <br /> z Letter from CC&V/Newmont to Timothy Cazier dated June 9, 2016, Re: Permit No.M-1980-244:Cripple Creek and <br /> Victor Gold Mining Company;Cresson Project; Fresh Water Pipe Line Release Update. <br /> Page 8 of 28 <br />