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Findings <br />The applicant has demonstrated that sediment ponds and/or treatment facilities will function <br />properly to ensure that disturbed-area drainage will meet the effluent limitations of 4.05.2 and the <br />applicable State and Federal water quality requirements for downstream receiving waters. <br />The Division has granted small area exemption status from use of sediment ponds to seven areas <br />of the Bowie No. 1 Mine due to the limited size of the areas and due to the fact that ponds and <br />treatment facilities are not necessary for the drainage to meet the effluent limitations of Rule <br />4.05.2 and applicable State and Federal water quality standazds for receiving streams and also <br />due to the fact that no mixing of surface drainage with a discharge from underground workings <br />will occur. The small areas to be exempted are the Bowie No. 1 West Mine fill outslopes (north <br />and south), Bowie No. 1 West Mine vent fan site, training trailer area outslopes, the silo area <br />railroad outslopes, the Bowie No. 1 main facilities fan area and the south portion of the highway <br />coal stockpile area. Because of the reclamation activities and the building of two sediment ponds <br />at the West Mine portal bench area, the small azea exemptions at the West Mine fill outslopes <br />(north and south) are no longer applicable. See permit application Section 2.05, page 113, <br />113a-c, Volume 8, pages SAE 130, and Maps 8-1A, 8-2, 83, 8-6, and 8-7 (4.05.2(3)(b)(i)). <br />Stream Channel Diversions - <br />A clean water diversion above the main facilities azea of the Bowie No. 1 East Mine directs <br />undisturbed area flow around the facilities area to minimize surface water flow through that site. <br />A similar clean water diversion ditch existed above the facilities at the West Mine portal bench <br />area. However, due to reclamation operations at that site, the clean water diversion ditch was <br />reclaimed. A system of lined and unlined ditches convey waters from the disturbed aeeas to the <br />sediment ponds. Design details can be found in the approved permit application, Volumes 6, 8, <br />and 8A. <br />In order to minimize water quality impact to water flowing through the Bowie No. 1 West Mine <br />area, water from East Roatcap Creek is diverted to West Roatcap Creek. To verify that no water <br />is lost through diversion of the Overland Ditch, surface water monitoring point SW-09 was <br />moved to, and is currently monitored at, the point of the diversion from East Roatcap Creek. <br />Sedimentation Ponds - <br />The Bowie No. 1 mine plan is designed to minimize the impacts of the project on the surface <br />water hydrology of the region. Disturbed area drainage from the East Mine benches, pazking <br />area, west portal fill, and loadout site is collected and treated on the site. Four sediment ponds <br />collect disturbed-area drainage from the mine benches. Another pond controls sediment <br />generated by the West Ridge waste pile. One pond controls drainage from the timber storage <br />area (i.e., training trailer area; run of mine coal stockpile area), and two ponds collect drainage <br />from the disturbed areas of the loadout, truck scales, and highway coal stockpile area. The West <br />Mine portal bench area drained to one sedimentation pond except for exempted portions of the <br />fill face and the ventilation fan facilities, which had small area exemption waivers. With the <br />reclamation work at the West Mine portal bench azea, the backfilled and graded area now drains <br />to two sedimentation ponds. Small area exemptions have also been approved with appropriate <br />demonstrations, for the original mine ventilation bench, the training trailer fill outslopes, and the <br />IoadouUrailroad fill outslopes. Details can be found in the approved permit application, Volumes <br />8 and 8A. <br />25 <br />