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r: <br />s~rEams r/hich _°1.cr c-rectlg lore tl.e Y~:rpa River. S:-e op=__at!c,: rri,^es ,...- :f, <br />I, G, .and F. ccal seams of the .Fuddle 'rJilliams Fork Formation. The Trapper ?"_ne . <br />is also located imnediatelg adjecent to the Empire Energy underground mines <br />;Eagle ~f5 end "9): Alth.~ugh tires taro nperat..±ons do not m_'ne the same seams, the <br />uterat5ons are .ir, the same fo_nation. Gnlu small amounts of :cater are encocr.tered <br />in :._~~ Trapper Zdine pits. T:~e de:•aterinq of the pits has caused :rater Ie~reis to <br />d=cline in the strata adjecent to ~..e nice pits. i7o reaioaal acuifa_rs have pet <br />icon aP_`acted. Several prtenrial mininy-related impacts to the existinc gro:;rd <br />:ra te_* reuime have been identified at the Trapper !d_na. They are as fullo:rs: <br />(1) Lowering of water levels .n wells; i2, Reduc`ion of :rater qua L'ty due r_o <br />the leacninn of chemicals from spoils, utilitc wastes, municipal wastes and indus- <br />tsial :ratee _°rom ttie nine; !3) Changino t::e r?chary^ ca~xc±'ty of the area. T!:ese <br />ooter.t_al impacts are individuallu discussed in detail helper. <br />Pieromet=ic surfaces 'near the- Trappe_ Mine mau decline as a nos u t of the de:rater- <br />ing of nine pits. Ground water acwnulates ir. .he northern. ends of ail th=ea of <br />the :nine nits. The applicant _stinates that anent i0 ,rpm of grounr,':ra ter flows <br />into the northermost Ashmore 'it. Tae DErringer and Infield Pits, located further <br />south, receive _nf=cps of onP~ about 10 yom. The ept~licant further ?sti.-atES etat <br />in°iows or this magnitude will produce drain-downs o_` .: few t?rs o_` feat ac 1,000 <br />feet from the pit wall after a year or more. Further~non~, draw-deans are not <br />articinatad to be detectab'e at distances greater than a mile `rem the pit wall. <br />• T1:e quality ~~' ground :rater in-the v:ci ri fy of the Trapper Rine may dr-grade as a <br />result cf leaci:ate generation -rom spoils .rate-ial, utility wastes, .nd municipal <br />wastes. Eac.^. of these three pcter.tial IeachatE-generators will JE discussed <br />separately below. <br />T.he process of surface mining L•reake up the overburden materi.ais ant' exposes :many <br />fresh, urleachad surfaces. :9h=n wester comes in. contact with spoils, its quality <br />.s csually degraded as a __;u.Zt of foie increased leaching potential. This .rill <br />ie the case at the ~.'rapoer ~Y're. .The applicant has completed column leaching <br />studies to determine post-mining water quality (see -`ection 4.3.9.S~of the per- <br />.'lit .3DDl1C3 tlOn). R.°_SJltS c: these studies indicate that the ccncentra tons cf <br />.manganesE, molgbdencm, and vanadium are likely to increase _n spoils ground :rater. <br />Several orl:er ma;cr ions F:nCwn to increase in concentrations as a result cf :+estern <br />surface mining were net addressed by the applicant in. the leaching ;tud-es. They <br />are :~icarbonate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and '__"D.S. Results c` stcd.ies <br />do:~e at .rar:y oti;?r %.esce.rn s,~r_`=.ce coal mires indicate that the concentraticn> o_` <br />th?se elements are lip:alg to increas? in spoils Ground :rater at the Trapp?r Nine. <br />Ctemical ar:alyses o` wa-_er `rom several seeps crnich drain the spoils indicate <br />teat the rorce:rtrar_os of ttie major ions and alu.-ni;:um are increased _'rom pre- <br />mining levels. All ':he data coll=cted by the applicant indicate that pc~~-m~:ne <br />urcund water quality in t.`:e s~c3.Is wiZ_' not le adequate for dr_(nF:ing u-atar or <br />in-i ca tion purposes. F."o:~:ever, '_t she:d be suitable _°or lit-estocr. an%Y wild if= <br />:gaterirc. mhis does ,,-ot represent a .,:ani;-icanc change from t'~s pre-r+i ;ino <br />condition. She quail to of this spoils ground ,.ester is ii:•e;y to imnrov? _,_ ..'me <br />as t^e materials become prcoressive_'g lea,hed. <br />• <br /> <br />