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<br />regard to dewatering of the overburden aquifer. <br />RESPONSE: <br /> <br />The statement that surface mining has not encountered ground ~ <br />eater in the past, and is not eapected to in the future, is correct. ~~ <br />Page 2.05-168a has been revised accordingly. <br />2. Recharge Capacity <br />The post-mining recharge rate of the overburden aquifer in the Mine <br />No. 3 area was estimated by the applicant to be 140 acre-feet/year as <br />compared to the recharge rate of 9.0 acre-feet/year for the overburden <br />aquifer in the pre-mining condition (page 2.05-167). This raises the <br />question of water balance. The applicant states that water infiltrating <br />into the backfilled mine pits will El ow downslope to the highwall where <br />it will provide recharge to the undisturbed overburden aquifer. <br />Supporting calculations are needed to verify that the undisturbed <br />overburden aquifer is capable of transmitting this increased volume of <br />recharge water, so that spoils water from the reclaimed pits does not <br />eventually discharge from the toe of the pits to the surface water or <br />shallow alluvial aquifer systems. <br />RESPONSE: <br />An analysis of eater balance in relation to altered rates of <br />recharge in surface mined areas is presented on revised pages 2.05- <br />167a and 2.05-168a. <br />-li- <br />