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' Moro and Assoclafea, LC 1 Comparison of West Elk Mine Fault-Discharge Water with Discharge Water from the Edwards Mine Portal, Somerset, Colorado 7 Introduction This report describes the relationship between the water, which is primarily fault-related groundwater, that is stored in [he NW Panels sealed sump of West Elk Mine (WEM) and groundwater that discharges from the spring at the portal of the Edwards Mine. The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) issued WEM a Notice of Violation (NOV) on November 26, 1997. The NOV charges that thermal, fault-related groundwater stored in the NW Panels sealed sump of [he WEM has seeped across the barrier separating WEM workings from abandoned B-seam workings in Bear Mine No. 3. The NOV also chazges that this thermal water migrates from Bear Mine No. 3 into the abandoned workings of the Edwards B-seam mine and ultimately discharges from what is believed to be a sealed portal of the Edwards Mine. The dischazge location from the Edwards Mine is herein referred to as the Edwazds portal spring (Figure 1). It is our understanding that the idea of rapid and active hydraulic communication between the NW Panels sealed sump area and Edwazds portal spring is largely based on similar temperatures offault-related groundwater and of water issuing from the Edwazds portal spring. J This report is based on our analysis of the fault-related groundwaters in the WEM, groundwater samples collected from the Lone Pine Seal (7 NWLP) and [he Edwards portal spring, documents provided by West Elk Mine, and extensive discussion with Dr. Robert l Weiner of Wright Water Engineers, Inc. Groundwater Storage io NW Panels Sealed Sump In November 1996, WEM began storing water from the B-East Mains fault (BEM fault) in the NW Panels sealed sump (Figure 1). Water from the BEM fault has been discharged into [he NW Panels sealed sump until recently when pumping to the sump ceased. During mine development work on January 20, 1997, the mine floor catastrophically blew out as approximately 8,000 gpm of water instantaneously discharged from the floor of entry 2 of the 14 Southeast Headgate (14 SEHG-E2). 14 SEHG was previously known as 1 Southeast Headgate (1 SEHG). This groundwater discharge is associated with the 14 SEHG fault (Figure 2). During the next several days the discharge rate from the 14 SEHG fault declined greatly and dropped to approximately 1,000 gpm within 2 weeks. The discharge 1 rate further declined to about 500 gpm by Mazch 2, 1997 and is currently about 400 gpm. As J of June 1, 1997 approximately 300 acre feet of groundwater had issued from the fault. In January 1997 Mayo and Associates initiated a study of the origin of all fault-related edwspr.doc 1 20 January 1998