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t ~• ~ 1~ No landslides or other mass movements have been identified within the La Plata No. 1 Mine proposed permit area. Geochemical sampling of the upper or "A" coal seam and highwall materials indicate that the coal itself has the greatest potential to be an acid-forming material. The presence of this material should not have a deleterious effect upon the local environment provided that no water is discharged from the mine. It is unlikely that significant amounts of water will discharge from the La Plata No. 1 Mine, however, La Plata Coal Corporation has committed to treating any portal discharge water which has a pH of 6.0 units or less. This plan, when implemented as required, will reduce the possibility of impacting off-site areas. Geochemical sampling of the highwall indicates that these materials are high in iron and magnesium. To assess the impacts of these metals to the post-mining land use, La Plata Coal Corporation has committed to sampling reclamation areas for those parameters if the highwall materials are present within the rooting zone and to treat these materials as necessary to minimize impacts to reestablished vegetation. This sampling will be accomplished at the time of reclamation in conjunction with the proposed reclamation soil testing plan. The applicant is in compliance with the requirements of this section. Ground Water Hydrology - Rules 2.04.5, 2.04.7, 2.05.6(3) and 4.05 Ground water hydrology information may be found in the permit application in Sections 2.04 (pages 2.04-17 to -19) and 4.05 (pages 4.05-10 to -11). Two aquifers have been identified within the area potentially affected by the La Plata No. 1 Mine: the Hay Gulch alluvial aquifer; and the Point Lookout Sandstone. Ground water use in the vicinity of the mine is limited. Within a one mile radius of the permit area, one spring and three water wells have been identified. The Huntington Spring is located on the north side of Hay Gulch west of the La Plata No. 1 Mine area. This spring, which may issue from either the lower Menefee Formation or the Hay Gulch alluvium, has been adjudicated fora water right. La Plata Coal Corporation has demonstrated that this water right has been abandoned; therefore, no further investigations or monitoring is required. Two water supply wells are located within or near the proposed permit area. third water well, located at an adjacent mine site, has been capped and abandoned. A]though no completion data has been submitted, it appears that the abandoned well is completed in the underlying Point Lookout Sandstone. The National King Coal, Inc., production well is completed in the Hay Gulch alluvial aquifer. Neither well will affect the respective completion zones. The La Plata No. 1 Mine well, which has been reported to be in existence since about 1905, is located near the facilities area of the mine. This wel], for which a water right has been filed, is probably completed in the Point Lookout Sandstone. _11_