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<br />-iii ~uiuii ~ u <br />STATE OF COLGi~UO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Urp.ininrnl of ,V,vural Krsources <br />141 i tihennan 51.. Room ? 1 5 <br />Denver, Colorado R0.:OS <br />I'hunc: i %W 1 71bb- i56: <br />rr~a I uru asz nuu, <br />DIVISION OF <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING•SAFETY <br />0,11 Onens <br />Governor <br />Grel; E. Watcher <br />6ecwrve Dite<wr <br />Michael0 Lonp <br />Dlvi.ian Due. tnr <br />Ms. Christine Johnston <br />Mountain Coal Company LLC <br />P.O. Box 59l <br />Somerset CO 81434 <br />Re: West Elk TR 88 <br />Dear Ms. Johnston: <br />March 30, 1999 <br />The Division has completed review of Mountain Coal Company's submittal of Technical Revision <br />Number 88, revised hydrologic monitoring plan for the West Elk Mine. Several issues should be <br />addressed based on Rules 2.0~.6(3)(b)(iv) and 4.05.13(1)(b). <br />First, the Division feels that monitoring is needed in the B-seam in the vicinity of the Box Canyon unit <br />proposed in Permit Revision 08. Rule 2.0~.6(3)(b)(iv) requires that the groundwater regime be <br />chazacterized within and adjacent to the petirtit he chazacterized and monitored. Although the area <br />already mined can be considered well characterized hydrologically, we feel it is not warranted to <br />extrapolate those conditions over a distance of several miles without additional data. IviCC should <br />propose additional monitoring in the vicinity of the Box Canyon unit, preferably downgradient of the <br />azea proposed for mining. <br />Secondly, some monitoring of groundwater in the alluvium near the RPE (Refuse Pile Extension) is <br />needed, preferably an up-gradient and adown-gradient well if the conditions aze appropriate. Please <br />add monitoring wells in the RPE area. <br />The third issue involves the underground sumps in the northwest panels. MCC's discussion in the <br />Probable Hydrologic Consequences section of the permit predicts that only very small amounts of water <br />will migrate on its own out of the sumps. Given the large volumes of water in these sumps. the Division <br />requests that some means be provided within the monitoring plan to confirm that prediction. <br />