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' Whether pollution of State ~:,aters within the meaning of C.R.S. 1973 <br />' 25-B-505 will occur as a result of the retorting process depends bcth on whether <br />water will enter the retort and on how any :eater in the retort is handled. The <br />' geofrydrolo9y of the area surrounding the Logan ''+lash retort and the design of the <br />retort and associated mine workings combine to assure the retort water will not <br />' come into contact with any aquifer, spring, surface stream or other ••+,aters of the <br /> State. <br /> Geofiydrolocy of the Retort Arcs <br />' As described in Exhibits 56, 6A and 66, the proposed retort zone is not <br /> subject to ground+,a ter inflow from outlying areas, nor is the zone which becomes <br />' saturated with runoff o-,ater within tyre mine area. The site is at the hr_ad of the <br /> recharge area, and water that enters the mine area originates from nearby preci- <br /> pitation, a:hich is light in this seni-arid region. (See precipitation data in <br /> Exhibit 6B.) Precipitation that infiltrates may first pass through the Uinta <br /> sandstone formation, but soon enters the Green River formation, a relatively <br />' i <br />f <br />n <br />c <br />of thi <br />im <br />ermeabilit <br />w <br />ter <br />es thr <br />bl <br />ti <br />B <br />a <br />h it <br /> . <br />ause <br />p <br />p <br />mpermea <br />e <br />orma <br />o <br />s <br />y, <br />a <br />ss <br />oug <br />e <br />I only in fractures, which conduct much of it to tfie outcrop:,here it is produced <br /> as seeps and springs. (See the stratigraphic column in Er,hibit 56 and see Exhibit <br /> 26 depicting the location of the outcrop.) These springs emerge from the so-called <br /> broken zone, approximately 100 feet above the uppermost mine workings. Only a <br />' f <br />f <br />l <br />i <br />l <br />l <br />i <br /> ew o <br />these springs are perennia <br />(the c <br />osest perenn <br />a <br />spr <br />ng is appro:-:iinately <br /> 3 miles from the mine); most of them floe: only during spring runoff and rainstorms. <br /> Because the mine lies below these springs and because it is noC in the zone of <br /> saturation, the quality of water in the springs and in surface flows is not <br /> affected by mining and retorting. <br />' <br /> Design of Mine l•lorkings <br />' The proposed Logan Wash retorts and associated mine workings are designed <br />so that (i) all mine water will be collected prior to entering the retort and <br />' thus will not contact the spent shale and associated substances contained <br />therein and, as previously described (ii) all retort water will be collected <br />-n- <br />