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coLORADO MINING ASSOCIATIOx SPECIAL RR1'T.sws'!'TON PROJECTS AWARD NOMINATION COLORADO WESTMORELAND INC. WATF3 REPLACEM621'P PLAN Colorado Westmoreland Inc. (CWi) has proposed and the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division has approved a Water Replacement Plaa for Potential Subsidence-Induced Phenomena. This effort la unprecedented. The plane are submitted with the CWI philosophy that coal mining can be done without the degradation or diminution of environmental resources or ezieting or projected land uses. It is a model for the mining community by showing how difficult reclamation concerns can be settled is a cooperative and technically based solution. In summary, CWI's water protection strategy takes the following approach: 1. Where possible, coal leases requested by Colorado Westmoreland Inc. have been located so as to minimize the effect of undermining. This is especially true of the recent long-term lease. Boundaries were located so that stream channels are substantially outside the mine plan area and so that the smallest portion of the overall watershed is undermined. This effort wan achieved through cooperation of CWI, the Bureau of Land Management, and local water users at the leasing stage. 2. Ia cooperation, the regulatory authorities, local water users, the Colorado Opea Space Council, and CWI designated buffer areas of limited mining extraction. These areas are located is the areas of lees than 600 feet of overburden. The 600 feet of overburden limitation was based oa a state-of-the-art subsidence study completed by Geo-Aydro Coneultanta. It is based on eziating aubeidence monitoring data and may be updated ae new results are analyzed. 3. Adequate protection of water rights includes monitoring of water resources. CWI has designed and implemented an improved complete monitoring program in the permit area. CWI has endeavored to locate all water reaourcea within the permit area and continues to monitor significant hydrologic features. These significant hydrologic features include all adjudicated water rights. 4. Substantial protection of water rights can be afforded in conjunction with regular monitoring by quick repair of aubeidence-induced problems. CWI projects small effects due to aubeidence, yet has endeavored to assure quick repair by anticipating and designing corrective measures as described is the approved Subsidence Repair Handbook, before the damage occurs. The Subsidence Repair Handbook Ss based on the subsidence study performed by Geo-Hydro Conaultante. It was designed after anticipated aubeidence problems were calculated. 5. CWI continues to cooperate with local water users to improve water transportation systems on a case by case basis. An improvement in the transportation system for water can increase the usable flow. In this way, even potential immeasurable water losses can be mitigated in advance. If as ezpected no impact results from mining, improved water conveyance systems will permit better use of the surrounding area. CWI will consult with the regulatory agencies on these case by case improvements.