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Mayo and Associates, LC <br />'~ <br />About 3014C analyses for fault-related groundwater inflows have "C ages of 6,000 to <br />12,000 years and most have essentially no 3H (Canyon Fuel Company, 2002) indicating <br />that the groundwater does not have communication with near surface water. However, <br />in-mine water collected at the lOL sump has a 3H content of about 1.5 TlT and a14C age <br />of only 6,000 years. A neazby lazge volume pumping well, JC-1 that intersects the same <br />fracture system has a similaz 3H content. The 3H contents of both the lOL sump and JC-1 <br />indicate that they discharge from a fracture system that has hydraulic communication <br />' with the near surface environment. However, the old "C ages of the fracture flow <br />waters, including l OL sump and JC-1, indicated that most of their water does not have <br />hydraulic communication with the neaz surface. <br />'• The lazge and sustained inflow rates indicate that the damage zones associated vrith the <br />' north- to northeast trending transition zone faults aze under tension, thus appreciable, <br />' interconnected fracture flow is possible in the competent Star Point Sandstone Members <br />which underline the LOA Seam. The storage capacity of the Storrs, Panther and Trail <br />' Canyon Member are insufficient to account for the sustained groundwater inflows. <br />However, the stacked sequence of sandstones beneath the Panther Member has an <br />aggregate thickness of about 700 feet that can accommodate the inflow volumes <br />' (Hydrologic Consultants, 2002). <br />i <br />Hydrologic Consultants, Inc. (2002) have demonstrated that groundwater systems in the <br />'~ damage zones associated with north- to northeast trending transition zone faults are in <br />Evaluation of Potential Groundwater Inflows 48 February 24, 2004 <br />Associated with E Seam Miniag, <br />West Elk Mine, Somerset, Colorado <br />