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CDOH's choice of effluent standards at the site with any certainty, as they reserve the right to review the site and potentially add parameters upon initiation of discharge. It is not anticipated that treatment will be necessary. 3. Long-term dissolution beyond the quality observed in the thickener is considered to be unlikely as current recycling of process water has resulted in water in the plant being physically agitated with the raw coal multiple times and achieving a saturated equilibrium with material moving through the plant. Samples of the thickener slurry have provided snapshots of the quality of water projected within the mine, as ultimately the mine will fulfill the role as the recycling impoundment that Pond 006 serves. The projection of water quality within the flooded workings has already been estimated on Table 26B. The quality of the water in the mine is going to be at its worst condition when pumping of thickener slurry is completed. After that point, inflows into the mine will start to dilute the water. The discussion of column leach tests performed on New Elk refuse on pages 2.05-63 through 2.05-78 characterizes the subsequent impact of dilution through [he leaching analysis. The thickener solution appears to be a fair match to the two columns in their intermediate period, being a saline, sodium sulfate solution. 4. Table 26C includes only those parameters for which there is the potential to result in the diminution of one beneficial use or another. The table has been expanded to include four additional metals: lead, molybdenum, nickel, and selenium. Furthermore, the text on page 2.05-88 has also been modified. 5. The Division appears to be expressing concern about potential degradation of surface waters below material damage standards in the unlikely, worst case situation of the mine discharging water from the portal. It is valuable to examine each situation on a case-by-case basis to resolve the viability of each concern. The alluvium typically is recharged by the associated river in the spring during high flow conditions, and discharges to the stream in the fall and winter during low flow conditions. The inverse relationship between salinity and flow has been documented in the 1993 Annual Hydrology Report and in the Addendum to the PHC in Exhibit 6. Basin provided a demonstration of loading of the slurry thickener solution on low flow conditions in the river, when the river's conductivity was likely to be the highest, and during the period when water is likely to be discharging from the alluvium into the river, to assess impacts to the river itself, as this appeared to be the most vulnerable period for the river. In the spring, flows are likely to be much higher than 4 cfs, which will result in greater dilution of the slurry water. When this water recharges the alluvium, there will be nominal diminution of water quality. The loading exercise found on Table 26C showed the loading of total manganese. The domestic standard is written against the dissolved standard, of which the highest concentration observed in the slurry was 0.02 mg/I. This should no[ compromise any