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Mayo and Assoclales, LC <br />• samples are essentially zero (Table 5). Three samples AH-3, SOM-l28-H and BSM E1 <br />XCS;: have'H contents of 0.97, 0.32, and 0.23 TU, respectively. Although all of these <br />waters have very low'H contents, the presence of minor amounts of'H either indicate some <br />recharge during the past 100 years or contamination due to exposure with the atmosphere. <br />The'H in waters from the in-mine angled drill hole AH-3 and BSM E l XCS'/Z are likely [he <br />result of atmospheric contamination. AH-3 encounters the 14 SEHG fault near the l4 SEHG <br />blowout where exsolving methane gas severely agitates the water in the presence of <br />atmospheric gases. The BSM E1 XCS%z sample was collected from a location where the <br />water both exsolved methane and flowed across the mine floor. The small amount of'H in <br />SOM-128-H suggests that the groundwater intercepted in this well has receive a component <br />of modem recharge water or that the well construction does not completely isolate the Rollins <br />• Sandstone from the surface. The source of'H in SOM-128-H is problematic. <br />Carbon-14 dating of groundwater from the Rollins Sandstone has proven difficult due to [he <br />presence of additional "dead" carbon. As with the F-, E-, and B-Seam groundwaters the <br />source of this "dead" carbon, as indicated by the unusually positive S"C contents, is probably <br />related to coal-bed methane. Unusually positive means that the S"C compositions are more <br />positive than anticipated for groundwater which acquires carbon from normal soil zone <br />sources. <br />Our experience in Utah coal mines is that groundwater from equivalent stratigraphic horizons <br />and similar in-mine locations has essentially no'H and "C ages between 5,000 and 20,000 <br />• <br />Characterization of Groundwater Systems in the Vicinity of the West Elk Mine, Somerset, Colorado <br />29 January 1999 <br />Page ~0 <br />