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The overall operation/reclamation plan has been established to protect the quality of <br />surface and ground water. Surface water outside of the disturbed azea is diverted, as <br />much as possible, into adjacent drainages which drain to the Animas River. The <br />diversions were constructed according to Section 4.05 of the Performance Standards to <br />prevent the erosion of, or adverse effects to, adjacent areas. <br />There aze no users of water from the strata in the mining operation. Consequently, the <br />use of water in the coal seams and fractures will not adversely impact any known users. <br />The proposed mining operation will use water for dust suppression, preparation <br />facilities and domestic/sanitary uses. It is estimated that the total water will include 20 <br />acre-feet/yeaz for dust suppression, five acre-feet/yeaz for sanitary facilities, and 50 <br />acre-feet/yeaz for other uses. <br />It is estimated that the dust suppression water will be drawn from the pit or sediment <br />structures and that the remainder of the water will be pumped from deep well(s) for <br />which permits have been approved. Furthermore, the Animas River under appropriated <br />such that excess water is available for multiple uses to the applicant. OEI is currently <br />implementing a plan to develop it available water resources through appropriate <br />submittals to the State Engineer and the District Water Court. <br />• 1'rotectYon of the Hydrologic Balance <br />The mining and reclamation plan for the Carbon Junction Mine has minimized the <br />impacts to the prevailing hydrologic balance within and adjacent to the permit azea in <br />the following ways. <br />Surface Water <br />Surface water entering the permit azea is either diverted azound ands away from <br />disturbed azeas, or is passed into the sediment control system where it ultimately <br />discharges from a sediment pond designed and constructed in accordance with CDMG <br />requirements or evaporates from the site. Open pits do not exhibit drainage <br />characteristics which allow the ponding of water on the coal seam, which could <br />potentially lead to acidification of surface water. Surface water is directed to the <br />surface water drainage system, ultimately leading to the sediment ponds. The <br />permanently reclaimed spoils azea has a designed underdrain system which controls <br />drainage, and passes any water reaching the underdrain to the sediment pond below. <br />Acidic drainage has been observed from a spring in the vicinity of the lower pit. This <br />spring is a natural spring which eminates from strata unaffected by coal mining. This <br />surface drainage is mitigated in two ways; first, the drainage is controlled by the <br />sediment control system, and is not able to leave the site untreated, second, the natural <br />• <br />Technical Revision 08 (v 1.4) 5-34 Revised 9/1997 <br />