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Blue Flame site has been sized as required, to store the runoff from <br />a 10 year-24 hour storm event. No discharge is expected from this <br />pond due to a storm event of lesser magnitude, or as a result of <br />snowmelt. Furthermore, monitoring of the alluvial aquifer down <br />gradient from the National King Coal, Inc., operation, indicates that <br />the quality of the alluvial aquifer is not being diminished by the <br />coal mining operation. <br />Therefore, the Division finds that the operations have been designed <br />and constructed in such a manner so as to preclude environmental harm <br />to the prevailing hydrologic regime. There will be no cumulative <br />effects from mining at the Blue Flame Coal and King Coal Mines to the <br />ground water system as defined in the CHIS study area. <br />Surface Water <br />The most probable effects of mining on the surface water system <br />within the defined study area relates to subsidence phenomena (see <br />Section XXII of this document) and dimunition of water quality in Hay <br />Gulch due to runoff from the mine facilities areas (see Section IX of <br />this document). <br />Both the Blue Flame and National King Coal, Inc., operations employ <br />conveyance ditches and sediment ponds to contain drainage from the <br />disturbed area at each mine. Neither of the ponds at the King Coal <br />Mine have ever discharged to the surface system. The proposed pond <br />at the Blue Flame operation is adequately si_ed to contain a <br />10 year-24 hour storm event. No discharge is anticipated from this <br />pond. Additionally, Blue Flame has committed to building berms <br />parallel to the access/haul road which crosses Hay Gulch. These <br />berms will prevent runoff from the road contaminating the AVF. <br />Finally, a monitoring program initiated by Blue Flame, which will <br />define discharge and quality of the Hay Gulch Ditch, will verify that <br />the surface water system is not adversely impacted. <br />Surface water quality could be impacted by the presence of subsidence <br />features above the mines after abandonment. The dimunition of the <br />water quality will be insignificant due to the relatively small <br />drainage area, and therefore, a correspondingly small discharge from <br />the mine site. <br />Furthermore, King Coal Mine monitors the Huntington Ditch above the <br />mine on a quarterly basis to determine if it is being impacted by <br />subsidence. The National King Coal, Inc., operation was found to be <br />in compliance with the subsidence control and monito*ing requirements <br />of the Regulations (Section XXIII of the King Coai Mine findinos <br />document, issued February 4, 1982). The Huntington Ditch, which is <br />located to the south of the Blue Flame operation, will not be <br />affected by the Blue Flame Coal Mine or related subsidence phenomena. <br />-16- <br />