GENERAL41075

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 2/4/1982
• Doc Name: PROPOSED DECISION AND FINDINGS OF COMPLIANCE
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

In conclusion, it is considered unlikely that either of the potential impacts
are significant enough to warrant changes in the proposed mining and reclamation
plan. Rather, the impacts can be sufficiently addressed in the proposed moni-
toring plan outlined in the following stipulation:
I. NATIONAL KING COAL MUST MONITOR WATER LEVELS AND WATER QUALITY IN THE
ALLUVIAL AQUIFER OF HAY GULCH ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. THE EXISTING
MONITORING WELL WILL BE ADEQUATE FOR THESE PURPOSES ONCE THE FOLLOWING
ITEMS ARE SATISFIED:
A) THE TOP OF THE WELL MUST BE SEALED TO PREVENT SURFACE WATER AND
OTHER DEBRSS FROM ENTERING THE WELL CASING;
B) MONITORING SHOULD ONLY OCCUR ON MONDAY MORNINGS AFTER THE WELL HAS
SET IDLE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEKEND. NATIONAL KING COAL MUST MONITOR VALUES
FOR THE FOLLOWING WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS:
pH MAGNESIUM
CONDUCTIVITY SULFATE
TEMPERATURE IRON
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS MANGANESE
CALCIUM
C) THE RESULTS OF THIS WATER LEVEL AND WATER QUALITY MONITORING SHALL BE
SUBMITTED TO THE DIVISION ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
VI. Surface Water Hydrology (2.04.5, 2.09.7, 2.05.3(9), 2.05.6(3), 9.05)
The proposed permit area lies on the surface drainage divide between two ephemeral
drainages, Pine Gulch and Hay Gulch. Pine Gulch is a tributary of Hay Gulch
and these drainages intersect approximately 4 miles below the permit area. Hay
Gulch is tributary to the LaPlata River. Existing surface facilities consist
of a .89 acre access/haul road across Hay Gulch from County Road 120 and an
8.36 acre mine bench/portal facility located in an unnarred ephemeral drainage
adjacent to Nay Gulch. No further disturbance is proposed.
Two small irrigation ditches are located within a one-mile radius of the permit
area. One bisects the permit area from northeast to southwest, roughly following
the surface water drainage divide between Pine and Hay Gulch, eventually inter-
secting Hay Gulch at the confluence of Hay and Pine Gulch. The second irrigation
ditch flows southwest, adjacent to LaPlata County Road 120, past the mine site,
and down Hay Gulch. This ditch flows beneath the existing access/haul road at
a point approximately 300 feet from the existing bench facility. Both ditches
are used for agricultural purposes below the proposed permit area. One spring
exists at a point hydrologically above the site, approximately ore-half mile
upstream from the permit area near the intersection of Hay Gulch and Roberts
Canyon.
Two potential areas of impact to the surface water regime exist. They are:
1) diminution of water quality due to runoff from areas disturbed by mining, and
2) diminution of water quality resulting from subsidence. In both cases, the
proposed mining operation has been designed to adequately minimize these impacts,
as discussed below.