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II. Ground Water <br />The description of the yround water regime within the permit and adjacent <br />areas is contained on payes 2.04-2b throuyh 2.u4-3g of the permit <br />application. Ground water inflows within the permit area are shown on <br />Maps E3-3.i61 and G3-63. Known uses of yround water within the permit and <br />adjacent areas are the use by U.S. Steel of mine inflow waters far the <br />purpose of wetting coal and the use of Hubbard Creek alluvial yround <br />water from the Blue Ribbon Coal Co. Blue Riboon Kline well for sanitary <br />and industrial purposes (coal wettiny). Ground water inflows encountered <br />within the Somerset Mine worxinys is either used to wet coal for dust <br />suppression or discharyed to the surface in Bear Creek. <br />Trrorouyh discussions of the regional ground water hydrology and the <br />probable impacts of the Somerset Mine upon the ground water hydroloyy are <br />contained in Section VIlI of this document. <br />U.S. Steel has submitted two annual inflow studies and has conunitted to <br />conducting annual inflow studies duriny operation as part of their yround <br />water monitoring proyram. U.S. Steel is also monitoring water quality and <br />water levels in an alluvial well adjacent to the exis[iny Huooard Creek <br />ventilation facility. This well is located adjacent to the area where <br />mine workings cross under Hubbard Creek. <br />The Division finds the application in compliance with the requirerments of <br />this section. <br />VI. Alluvial Valley Floors - kules 2.06.6 and 4.24 <br />Tne Division is required to make specific written findinys on the <br />existence of and effects upon alluvial valley flours (AVF's) within the <br />permit and adjacent areas. For the Somerset Mine the Division has found <br />that there are no AVF's within the permit area. Tne Division, however, <br />investigated adjacent areas to ensure that these areas will nut be <br />adversely affected by the operation. A discussion of this investiyation <br />follows. <br />There are no unconsolidateu alluvial deposits noldiny streams wiCh <br />sufficient water and of sufficient areal extent to support ayricultural <br />activities within the permit area. There are no known unconsolidated <br />alluvial deposits in Elk or Bear L'reek other than narrow bands along the <br />riparian zone of those streams. An isolated oody of alluvium has bean <br />identified immediately above the mine workinys in Hubbard Creek. This <br />oody was found to be of such a small size (less than 10 acres), isolated <br />nature and of marginal ayricultural utility that it has been determined <br />not to be an alluvial valley floor as defined by kule 2.u6.6(3)(c). <br />