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Comments - Continued <br />"The Foidel Creek Underground Mine may impact the quality of ground <br />water in bedrock and alluvial aquifers during and after mining. During <br />mining, the impacts ... will be limited to a minor degradation in <br />alluvial water quality in the Foidel Creek Stream/alluvial system. This <br />degradation will be due to a higher salt load in the mine discharge than <br />in the stream.: <br />"The main surface water effects of the proposed underground mining <br />operations would be a temporary change in the flow regime of Foidel <br />Creek, and a temporary increase in the salt loading of streams draining <br />the proposed permit area." The document also notes that water quality <br />of Fish Creek could be affected after mining due to discharge of water <br />of degraded quality to the stream/alluvial system. <br />Note that at this early stage in the mining process, the monitoring on Foidel <br />Creek would appear to be more critical than the monitoring on Fish Creek. <br />The following statement is on page 34 of the Findings document and it <br />succinctly summarizes the surface water monitoring requirements. <br />"As shown on the Foidel Creek Baseline Hydrology Map (Map 9A) Foidel <br />Creek and Fish Creek will each be monitored at two locations, one above <br />the affected area and one below. Each station will be equipped with a <br />continuous recorder. Water quality samples will be collected weekly <br />during the snowmelt period and monthly during the remainder of the <br />year. These samples are to be analyzed according to the constituents <br />listed in Table C of Exhibit 10a. This list includes most of the <br />constituents listed in the Division water quality monitoring guideline. <br />Hydrologic monitoring results will be reported to the Division <br />quarterly." <br />lJhen questioned as to why the monitoring plan had not been followed even <br />though it was clearly spelled out in both the Findings document and the <br />application, the operator indicated that it was probably attributable to <br />confusion with monitoring requirements on other Getty Mining permits in the <br />vicinity and the fact that all the monitoring had been overseen by Getty's <br />Middle Creek office. Foidel Creek Mine staff assumed that the monitoring was <br />being done as required. <br />