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25. Contaminants from the surface, including any blasting materials, cannot enter underlying aquifers <br />because they are protected by impermeable shale. In addition, the possible points of contamination are <br />subject to artesian pressure, thereby ensuring that possible contaminants will not be drawn down into the <br />aquifer. <br />26. Even if contaminants were not adequately controlled at the surface, it is very unlikely that they would <br />affect any underlying aquifer. The Applicant has drilled sixty exploration holes significantly below the <br />maximum depth of the proposed mining operation, into the Fort Hayes limestone and Codell sandstone <br />formations underlying the proposed site. The Applicant has not encountered any groundwater in any of <br />the holes drilled through [he Fort Hayes limestone and into [he Codell sandstone. <br />27. Notwithstanding the depth to the most shallow aquifer, [he Applicant plans to protect the quantity and <br />quality of water in the St. Charles aquifer, [hereby minimizing disturbance to the prevailing hydrologic <br />balance, by using a sediment pond to trap meteoric water falling in the pit; sampling of water in the <br />sediment pond prior to its release into Arroyo B; implementing blasting controls in [he pi[; and <br />replacement of water that is consumed instead of released. <br />28. The Applicant has identified all known aquifers and has proposed a plan that adequately protects the <br />groundwater from pollution during and after mining in accordance with C.R.S. § 34-32.5-116(4)(d) and <br />Construction Materials Rule 6.3.3(1), 6.4.7(2). <br />29. The Applicant must prepare and implement a plan to manage potentially toxic materials to protect <br />surface and groundwater systems. Construction Materials Rule 3.1.5(5) and 6.3.3(k). <br />30. The Applicant has committed to using trained, licensed blasting contractors who use only the amount of <br />explosives per ton of limestone required for efficient fragmentation. The Applicant has committed to <br />maintaining a clean workplace with a spill cleanup plan. <br />31. The Applicant must monitor water in the SL Charles alluvium for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia, <br />upstream of the point where the drainage discharges into the St. Charles River. The Applicant must <br />collect at least five quarters of baseline water quality data. Stipulations in the proposed <br />recommendation for approval require sampling of the St. Charles alluvial aquifer, the Dakota aquifer, <br />and, if water is encountered, at the contact between the Codell sandstone and the Blue Hills shale. The <br />