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Mr. John Walters - page 3 <br />. The exact inflow rate into the mine is difficult to <br />calculate because of the unknown quantity of water stored in the <br />mine sumps at any particular time. The total volume of in-mine <br />storage varied between 1 to 1.5 million gallons. A total <br />quantity of mine water, pumped out of the mine or used within the <br />mine, at the end of each month between January, 1982 and January, <br />1985, was plotted (Figure 1). Although this graph does not <br />represent the exact rate of water inflow into the mine with time, <br />the general trend of water inflow into the mine can be observed. <br />An interpretation of the presented graph indicates that from <br />July, 1982 the water seepage into the mine was gradually <br />increasing and peaked in February, 1983. At that time, two <br />months after the mine progress was stopped, the mine inflow <br />amounted to about 5.4 gpm. The estimated values of total water <br />inflow into the mine per year, estimated inflow rates in gpd and <br />gpm and an average inflow per month during a particular year are <br />presented in Table 1. <br />The presented graph of the water discharged from the mine <br />does not indicate any significant seasonal variation of the water <br />inflow into the mine. The generally low pumping rates during <br />May, June and July of all monitored years could be impacted by <br />summer vacation and a decrease in pumping. <br />• The potential for evaporation of the water inflow into the <br />McClane mine should be considered. Since evaporation potential <br />can be very important to the evaluation of a water inflow- <br />discharge, budget estimates of possible levels of evaporation <br />could be made. The difference in temperature and humidity <br />between the outside and in-mine environments typically causes <br />condensation of water from the ventilation air in the mine during <br />the summer and evaporation of in-mine water during the winter in <br />temperate climates. With available average temperature and <br />humidity data for outside and in-mine conditions, the probable <br />amount of water removed by evaporation annually can be estimated. <br />The results of such calculations usually show that the winter <br />evaporation potential is greater than the summer condensation <br />potential. However, in the McClane mine, due to the size of the <br />underground opening, the evaporation potential would be limited. <br />Source of Water Inflow <br />The source of water seepage into the McClane mine can be <br />interpreted by the occurence of water in the mine and by a <br />comparison of water quality in the mine with surface and ground <br />water quality data available for the permit area. The mine <br />inspection and review of the mine inflow history indicated the <br />following main sources of water inflow into the mine: <br />• o water inflow related to the east fault; <br />o water inflow related to the saturated part of <br />the Cameo coal seam, <br /> <br />