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All drainage t?om disturbed areas with the exception of two small area exemptions, is- routed to <br />the sediment pond, located in the facilities pad adjacent to Trout Creek. The two small area <br />exemptions were the previous locations of the office trailer/parking lot and the reclaimed fan <br />portal. These areas are 0 .3~ and .0~ acres, respectively. The sediment pond had been installed <br />per the regulations and was so certified. This pond has never discharged. <br />information pertaining to surface water hydrology is presented in Sections 2.04.7 (pages <br />50-57.22) and 2.05.3(4) (pages 130-179.31) of the permit application. <br />Groundwater <br />Two aquifers exist within the permit area: alluvial deposits associated with the stream of Trout <br />Creek and bedrock groundwater stored in the Tow Creek Sandstone. Alluvial deposits line Trout <br />Creek within the permit and adjacent areas. Prior to Fall 1997, alluvial water was monitored <br />dowstream from the permit area in an alluvial well of the Pittsburgh and Midway Coal Mining <br />Company, located 2.2 miles downstream from the permit azea. This well was to be replaced in <br />Summer 1998 with a new alluvial monitoring well directly downstream from the permit area. A <br />new upstream was installed directly upstream from the permit area in Fall 1997. TR-09 covered <br />the installation of both new wells <br />Monitoring wells controlled by adjacent mines show that the only regional ground water aquifer <br />existing within this permit area is the Tow Creek Sandstone. The Tow Creek Sandstone is <br />separated from the coal seam that was mined by 600 feet of interbedded sandstones, shales and <br />siltstones. These units have a very low vertical permeability, except possibly where faulted. <br />Sunland Mining Corp. conducted a spring survey to observe other possible ground water aquifers <br />in the permit and adjacent area. The spring survey (Map Exhibit P of the permit application) <br />identified several springs in and adjacent to the permit area. The springs within the permit azea <br />and those to the northwest near Middle Creek do not appear to be fault or fracture controlled. <br />Rather, they appeaz to be stratigraphically controlled, perched aquifers. This conclusion is <br />substantiated by the low electrical conductivity indicating a short flow path between the recharge <br />and dischazge areas. <br />These springs, located one-half mile northwest of the mine workings, are the only springs that <br />could have possibly been impacted by mining. Some minor effects to the quantity of flow from <br />these springs might be realized due to subsidence above the workings. To date, no problems have <br />been noted with these springs. If aworst-case analysis assumes that all of the flow from the <br />springs would be interrupted, the resultant flow reduction in Middle Creek would be 0.02 cubic <br />feet per second. This amount is insignificant to the flow of Middle Creek. <br />The only regional aquifer within the permit area is the Tow Creek Sandstone which is more than <br />600 feet below the coal seam being mined. The Trout Creek Sandstone, another regional aquifer <br />in the general azea, has been eroded from above the coal seams being mined. Because of the low <br />permeability of the interbedded shales and siltstones of the Iles Formation, the Tow Creek <br />Apex No. 2 Mine, C-81-O1 l 6 Amended December 21, 1998 <br />