GENERAL39731

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 7/9/1987
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for RN1
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

The Hay Gulch alluvial valley floor (AVF) has been identified as an aquifer in
the study area. The Blue Flame Coal; La Plata No: 1 and King Coal Mines have
been designed to minimize; to the extent possible; impacts to the alluvial
aquifer: The sediment ponds at the National King Coal operation have never
discharged into the AVF: The proposed sediment pond at the Blue Flame site as
well as the existing La Plata No: 1 sediment pond, have been designated to
store the runoff from a 10-year; 24-hour storm event. No discharge is
expected from any of these ponds due to a storm event of lesser magnitude; or
as a result of snowmelt: Furthermore; monitoring of the alluvial aquifer down
gradient from the National King Coal operation; indicates that the quality of
the alluvial aquifer is not being diminished by coal mining operations.
Alluvial water quality monitoring programs committed to by both La Plata Coal
and National King Coal will help delimit the potential for future impacts to
this alluvial system:
Due to the hydrologic characteristics of the Hay Gulch alluvial aquifer, and
to the manner in which the mining operations are; or proposed to be;
conducted, it has been determined that no significant cumulative hydrologic
impacts to the alluvial aquifer will occur:
Pursuant to C:R:S: 34-33-114(2)(C); the Division has assessed the probable
cumulative hydrologic impacts to the ground water and surface water basins
defined in this document; from permitted and anticipated mining operations:
The Division finds that the King Coal operation has been designed to prevent
material damage to the hydrologic balance outside the permit area:
X: Climatological Information and Air Resources - Rules 2.04
Information pertaining to climatology and air resources is presented in
Section 2:04:8 of the permit application:
Climatological information was obtained from the Fort Lewis Station since no
site-specific data were available: This station is located about 3.5 miles
east of the mine site in Kline; Colorado: The elevation of the reporting
station is around 7,610 feet whereas the mine is at about 7,500 feet above sea
level: Even with this elevational difference; the information from the Fort
Lewis Station should be comparable to the mine site due to their close
proximity: The average monthly temperature is 43oF with an average annual
precipitation of 18.8 inches: The mean number of annual frost-free days is 96.
When the original findings document (February 4; 1982) was issued; National
King Coal was in the process of amending the air emission permit to reflect an
increase in production from 70,000 tons per year to 90;000-120,000 tons per
year: The Colorado Department of Health issued permit 82LP034F (1) on May 24,
1982 allowing an annual production of coal to not exceed 250,000 tons. (This
permit is presented on page 17B of Section 2:03:10:)
The operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section.
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