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TURNPIKE MINING RESOURCE <br />ANNUAL REPORT <br />DMG PERMIT NO. M-2004-009 <br />REPORT YEAR: <br />AUG. 4, 2016 THRU AUG. 4, 2017 <br />This DMG Regular 112 Permit (No. M-2004-009) was approved by the Division for <br />operations on August 4, 2004 and the most recent amendment (AM -2) to this permit was <br />approved on March 18, 2013, changing the post -mining land use and reclamation plan. A <br />revised mine plan was submitted and approved as a Technical Revision (No. 4) in <br />December 2014 showing the remaining oil and gas facilities and mine plan revisions. <br />During the reporting year, an area consisting of approximately 16 acres was mined in the <br />central area of the southern one-half of this permit site and of that 16 acres, 11 acres were <br />backfilled with shale and overburden. These areas are shown on the accompanying <br />Annual Report Map. <br />As part of the requirement for utilizing the excavated shale as backfill on this permit site, <br />monitoring and testing of the compacted fill is required and the test results are to be <br />submitted with the annual report. Two lifts of shale were placed and compacted into the <br />northern area of the backfilled area and one lift was placed and compacted into the <br />southern area for the total backfilled area. <br />The testing reports are somewhat bulky and complex, but two pages of test results per <br />each lift for the area that was backfilled are included as Attachment 1 that shows that the <br />resulting moisture density, compaction and hydraulic conductivity of the backfill easily <br />falls within the required ranges for each test and that the shale material fits the DRMS <br />requirement for compacted fill. <br />As part of the requirement for annual reporting at this mine site, groundwater elevations <br />from three groundwater monitoring wells are to be submitted. The requirement is for a <br />minimum of sampling to occur quarterly until dry mining (pumping down of the alluvial <br />water table) comes within 300 ft. of the monitoring well. This is to obtain baseline <br />("natural") groundwater elevations. At that time, no monitoring would be required as the <br />effects of dewatering would artificially lower the groundwater elevation in the <br />monitoring well. After backfilling with shale is complete around the monitoring well, <br />monitoring of the well is to be performed every two months for one year. The effects of <br />the shale backfill can then be ascertained with respect to groundwater mounding <br />upgradient of the shale backfill and groundwater shadowing downgradient of the shale <br />backfill. Two neighbors to the east-southeast of the shale backfill could experience <br />effects of groundwater mounding and flooding of the lowest portions of their homes. <br />OW -1 and OW -2 monitoring wells were installed for these residences. One neighbor to <br />the southwest could experience groundwater shadowing affecting an alluvial well on the <br />property. OW -3 was installed for monitoring of this structure. All three monitoring well <br />locations are shown on the annual report map. Attachment 2 is a table of the water level <br />