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-4- <br />~ 13. The permit area does not contain areas which are considered alluvial <br />valley floors. An alluvial valley floor begins approxi~~ately 1 mile down- <br />stream in the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The mine will not pre- <br />clude farming in this area because: <br />a. A sedimentation pond will be constructed that will withstand a <br />10-year, 24-hour event. It will be properly bermed (to prevent <br />flood damage) and sealed (to prevent infiltration into the North <br />Fork alluvium). This pond and a series of drainage ditches will <br />drain the mine facilities area including the coal stock pile, thus <br />precluding any toxic or silt outwash into the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison. <br />b. Mine drainage is not expected to occur for the following reasons: <br />1. The "C" seam to be mined dips 3-5 degrees (north-northeast)to- <br />ward the portals and has been naturally drained of water because of <br />this stratigraphic dip, resulting in an exceptionally dry mine. <br />These conditions are prevalent in Bear ~1, ~2 and ~3. The rejuve- <br />nated Edwards Mine (will be named Bear ~3) has been surveyed by the <br />new operator and has been found to be dry, even though it has been <br />idle in an abandoned condition since 1966. <br />2. The bear mines are located under a massive sandstone layer that <br />precludes drainage from above this layer. If water is encountered <br />in the mine it is fossil or "in-situ" water in the coal or is a re- <br />suit of encountering perched aquifers. i4ining history in this area <br />indicates extreme dry mining conditions. [see Alluvial Valley <br />Floors, pg. 22, Sec.VII of TA] [2.07.6.(2)(K), 186.19(1)]. <br />14. The proposed postmining land use cf wildlife and undeveloped land <br />supporting limited wildlife and residential use has been approved by the Colo- <br />rado Mined Land Reclamation Division, the Office of Surface Mining and the ap- <br />propriate landowners (see Land Use, p. 12, Sec. II of TA and U.S. Fish and <br />'Aildlife letter) [2.07.6.(2)(1), 186.19(m)]. <br />15. The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division and OSM have made all <br />specific approvals required by the Act, the approved Colorado State Program <br />and the Federal Lands Program (see TA) [2.07.6.(2)(m), 786.19(n)]. <br />16. The proposed operation will not affect the continued existence of <br />endangered and threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse mod- <br />ification of their critical habitats. A golden eagle nest is located in the <br />vicinity of the n3 mine and 8Lt1 has provided additional information on the <br />exact location of the nest. Both BLt4 and OSt•1 have determined that mining will <br />not affect the nest, therefore, the stipulation in the TA for a survey has <br />been eliminated (see Fish & lildlife Section, p. 69, Sec. :(III of TA and the <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife concurrence letter) [2.07.6.(2)(n), 786.19(0)]. <br />17. The overall long term socioeconomic conditions should remain con- <br />stant with short-term disruptions of employment relating to delayed startup of <br />operations in Bear ,i3 Mine following cessation of mining at Bear ,,#l and 2. <br />~ Continued employment of the 60-10 person workforce at Bear .;1 and '2 will <br /> <br />