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State Req. <br />i. Lennox Coal Seam and Overburden • <br />These strata are dry in all areas of the permit and are not considered to <br />be aquifers based on past drilling experience. However, these strata are <br />important hydraulically because they cormrise the impermeable con- <br />fining layers overlying the Wadge overburden aquifer. No observation <br />wells currently monitor these strata. <br />ii. Wadge Overburden Aquifer <br />Two wells, GW-S21 and GW-S40-0, have been sompled to determine <br />ground water quality in Wodge overburden strata. Of these two, only <br />GW-S40-0 is considered to represent premining baseline water quality in <br />this aquifer. One additional well, GW-541-~, monitors water level fluc- <br />tuations and is not currently being sampled. Chemical data for these <br />ground waters are given in Table 7-7. <br />Basically, GW-540-~ yields a slightly mineralized Ca-Mg-HCO3 type <br />water with a normal to slightly alkaline pH, high hardness and manga- <br />nese, and low sulfate and fluoride concentrations. With the exception of <br />manganese, this water is chemically suitable for domestic, livestock, and <br />irrigation use based on the analyses presented in Table 7-7. It is, there- <br />fore, considered to be a potentially significant aquifer with regard to its <br />chemical quality. <br />GW-S21 is located immediately downdip from a fly a~ disposol area just <br />north of the mine permit boundary. Previous mining in this area removed <br />only tfie Lennox coal seam, thus this well monitors leakage of potentially <br />contaminated ground water into the Wadge overburden. This well was <br />not drilled prior to mining or fly ash disposal activities, and therefore, <br />baseline water quality data are not available for comparison. <br />Ground water quality from GW-S21 is a slight to highly mineralized <br />Ca-Mg-SO4 type water with normal to slightly alkaline pH, high hard- <br />ness, manganese, and sulfate; and low fluoride concentrations. Using • <br />GW-S40-0 for comparison, the Wadge overburden aquifer in this area may <br />7-22 <br />Revised 5/27/81 <br />