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<br />GROUtIDWATER <br />Premininq Environment. <br />The applicant has presented sufficient information describ- <br />ing the ground water regime to comply with Section 2.04.5 and <br />2.04.7 of the Colorado Permanent Regulatory Program. In general, <br />sufficient information has been presented to assess most of the <br />impacts which may occur to the ground water regime as a result of <br />mining activities. The applicant's groundwater investigation is <br />contained primarily in Appendix C of the permit application. <br />Groundwater Protection. <br />The applicant has adequately demonstrated that the proposed <br />mining operations will not physically disrupt any formation that <br />serves as a source for water use. The Upper Sandy Member of the <br />Pierre Formation, the major aquifer in the area and the source of <br />all of the water for the deep wells within the permit and <br />adjacent area, lies below the coal seam on an average of 30 feet, <br />This formation will not be physically disturbed in most in- <br />stances. However, due to the faulting in the area, mining will <br />occasionally be conducted adjacent to and below the level of the <br />Pierre Formation in Pit 2 (see Maps C-5A and B of the permit <br />application). Although the Pierre Formation will probably not be <br />physically disrupted, any ground water present in or near the <br />fault zones may be impacted by leaching through spoils. With <br />respect to the formations occurring above the Pierre Formation, <br />only the coal seam itself might be considered an aquifer, but the <br />amount of water that is expected to be encountered is minimal, <br />and there are no wells completed in this formation. The actual <br />rock units (overburden) that will be disturbed at the mine do not <br />have sufficient water-yield to be considered aquifers. Very <br />minimal amounts of water (0-10 gpm) may be encountered during <br />mining, but none of this water is being used as a water supply. <br />_7g_ <br />