GENERAL32420 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

It may spread to approximately 2 to 3 miles from the edge of the mine workings. It is anticipated that soluble materials would be readily flushed from the mine cavity, but flow would be very slow away from the mine due to the low permeabilities of the coal, causing the flushing action to persist over an extended period of time. Since the coal seam aquifer contains poor quality water, 806 to 1100 mg/1, and is not used as a water supply in the general area, mining within this aquifer will not materially damage the quality of ground water used off site. Post-mining effects of the New Elk Mine on the water quality in the stream-alluvial aquifer system would be expected to be less than during operations, because mine water would no longer be discharged from the underground workings. Therefore, seepage from the refuse piles would be the only source of pollutant and this, as indicated earlier, is negligible. Cumulative Hydrologic Impacts of Mining Because of their proximity to each other, the New Elk and Golden Eagle Mines do cumulatively impact the surface and ground water systems in the area, The cumulative hydrologic study (CH IS) prepared as part of the original findings document was restricted to that part of the Purgatoire River Basin above Madrid, Colorado. Such a restriction is practical, Only one other permitted operation lies in the general area. The Raton Creek Mines, operated by Energy Fuels Mining, are located approximately one and one-half miles due south of Trinidad, some 20 miles east of Golden Eagle and New Elk. One additional mine, so far unpermitted, is also a concern, This is the Rimrock Strip Mine which lies approximately one and one-quarter miles northeast of the Raton Creek Mines. The combined impacts of the Golden Eagle and New Elk Mines include dewatering of the coal seam and overburden aquifers, depleting flow in the stream/alluvial aquifer system, depression of piezometric surface in confined aquifers beneath the coat aquifer, deterioration of the quality of ground water flowing through abandoned coal workings into coal aquifer, and deterioration of water quality in the stream/alluvial system. Due to the separation of Golden Eagle and New Elk Mines from the Raton Creek and proposed Rimrock Strip Mines, no significant cumulative effect is expected on the separate ground water systems that exist in these areas. Since discharges and surface runoff from all of these mines do reach the Purgatoire River, however, there is some potential for cumulative impacts on the quantity and quality of the water in that river. The Raton Creek and Rimrock Strip Mines do not restrict the volume of surface flow to the Purgatoire River through the tributary drainages that these mines adjoin. In fact, discharge from the Raton Creek Mine may increase the volume of flow in Raton Creek. No significant adverse cumulative impact on the quantity of water in the Purgatoire River will then result from the Raton Creek and Rimrock Strip Mines. The 7DS of water in Raton Creek are increased by the mining activity at Raton Creek, but, due to the volume of water in the Purgatoire River, any change in TDS values in the River brought about by this increase would be undetectable. _ZZ_