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1 <br />' The WOCD also sent an effluent sample and prior toxicity reports to the EPA laboratory in <br />' Duluth, Minnesota to investigate the cause of toxicity. WOCD never heard from EPA in this <br />regard. WOCD does not think it is now necessary since the mine has been passing the WET <br />testing during the three (1994-97) water years. Besides no mine water is discharged at this <br />' time requiring WET testing. A copy of the letter dated January 30, 1997 from WOCD is <br />attached in Appendix H of the Thirteenth Annual Hydrology Report. <br />t On December 28, 1992, WOCD wrote to WFU (now BME) asking either (i) to develop a <br />control program which eliminates the toxicity through treatment of the TDS or (ii) to perform a <br />' study which determines if TDS is having a toxic effect on the stream and to develop a level of <br />TDS at the discharge point at which an instream impact is not expected. On March 29, 1993, <br />' BME submitted a plan to use the Rapid Bioassessment Protocol III per EPA guidelines. <br />Under this plan, BME would test the extent of impairment, 'rf any, on the aquatic life in the <br />White River due to the mine water discharge. It would involve sampling and testing of micro- <br />' invertebrates. No fish would be collected since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife refused to grant <br />permission to do so because of the endangered squawfish being planted in the river. BME <br />' never heard from WOCD or received WQCD's approval of this plan. WQCD thinks it is now <br />not necessary to do this task since the mine passed the WET test during for three water years <br />(1994-1997). Besides, no mine water is discharged at this time requiring WET testing. See <br />' Appendix H of the Thirteenth Annual Hydrology Report for WQCD's letter <br />' The toxicity problem with the mine water was limited to the first longwall district. Mining in this <br />district was completed in early 1993. The district has since been sealed underground. There <br />has been no pumping of accumulated water from underground during this water year. <br />t 2.3 Red Wash Alluvial Monitoring Program <br />Portions of Red Wash have experienced subsidence due to longwall mining at the Deserado <br />' Mine. As required by CMLRD (now DMG), BME initiated a detailed hydrology monitoring <br />program in Red Wash above the first longwall panel to be mined. The monitoring program <br />' consisted of nine (9) holes drilled in the Red Wash alluvium across the predicted zone of <br />subsidence from longwall panel 1 (LW-1). Water levels in the holes were monitored before, <br />during and after active subsidence took place. The purpose of the monitoring program was to <br />' determine if surface flow in Red Wash was being lost to bedrock as the result of subsidence. <br />' The monitoring data, analysis and conclusions reached were submitted to CMLRD in an Interim <br />Report, November 1987, and in the Third Annual Hydrology Report, January 1988. The <br />purpose of the monitoring program was met in that it was determined that surface flow in Red <br />1 <br />' io <br />