Laserfiche WebLink
Pond 017, constructed in the fall of 2002, treats runoff from a 955 acre <br />watershed including mine disturbance areas from the southern portion of the <br />south extension of the permit area. The pond is located on upper Hubberson <br />Gulch neaz the southwest comer of the south extension area. Pond 017 <br />construction certification and "As-Built" designs were included in PR-4 <br />submittal materials. <br />D. Acid-forming and Toxic-forming Spoil <br />The applicant has submitted detailed analysis of the geochemical characteristics of <br />the overburden and interburden found in the Seneca II-W Mine permit area. Initial <br />drilling and geochemical sampling was conducted within the baseline study <br />area prior to initiation of operations. Additional drilling and sampling was <br />conducted within the south extension area in 1991. Until approval of PR-3, in <br />2003, coal extraction was limited to the Wadge seam, and the initial baseline <br />studies were focused on Wadge overburden assessment. Strata from the <br />surface to immediately below the Wadge coal seam were sampled. Core holes <br />were distributed across the Wadge recovery areas in both the original permit <br />area and south extension azea (Exhibits 6-6 and 6-6A). <br />PR-3 allowed for surface mining of the Sage Creek and Wolf Creek Seams, as <br />well as the Wadge, within the South Extension area. Characterization and <br />assessment of Sage Creek and Wolf Creek overburden, and Wolf Creek <br />underburden was based on chip samples collected from Monitoring Well <br />WWCU-24, which was drilled into the Wolf Creek underburden near the <br />western boundary of the south extension area in 2001 (Exhibit 7-lA). In <br />addition to the site specific geochemical data from WWCU-24, Sage <br />Creek/Wolf Creek overburden chazacterization and assessment included <br />consideration of data from the adjacent Yoast Mine permit area, for the same <br />strata. <br />Parameters sampled are listed in the permit application Volume 2, Tab 6. The <br />permit application states that these parameters were used to, "document the <br />physical and chemical properties of the overburden and underburden, to compare <br />these properties to ground water quality, and to determine potential reclamation <br />success." <br />The data obtained from the geochemical analyses were compared to criteria derived <br />from State and Federal agencies (USDA, BLM, Wyoming DEQ, and others). The <br />criteria used for comparison and relative degrees of suitability are listed in Volume <br />2, Tab 6, Table 6-3. Analytical data associated with Wadge overburden and <br />immediate underburden is presented in Tables 6-4 through 6-7, and <br />Seneca R-W Findings Document 26 November 17, 2004 <br />Permit Revision No. 4 <br />