|
1
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />William J. Carter March 12, 1998
<br />Re: Response to Susan Burgmaier's comments on the 1996 Annual Hydrologic Report
<br />At the end of 1985, the Somerset Mine was closed and the property was sold [o Kaiser Coal
<br />Corporation. Records indicate the only information submitted to the Colorado Mined Land
<br />Reclamation Division was on monitoring sites WMW-1, H-1, H-2, and the Mine Inflow Study.
<br />The mine water discharge and any sediment pond discharge monitoring information was submitted
<br />to the Colorado Department of Health under the requirements of Colorado Wastewater Discharge
<br />Permit System, Permit Number CO-0000132. The Elk Creek Discharge pumps were tamed off in
<br />January 1986, and the Bear Tank Discharge pumps were fumed off in March 1986. Monitoring of
<br />the North Fork of the Gunnison River above Elk Creek was discontinued in 1986, and does not
<br />appear to have been a requirement of either Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, Permit
<br />Number C-81-022 or Colorado Department of Health, Colorado Wastewater Discharge Permit
<br />System, Permit Number CO-0000132.
<br />Beginning with the 1986 Second Quarter Hydrologic Monitoring Report for the Somerset Mine, the
<br />water level in monitoring wells B-6 and H-10 was monitored and reported to the Colorado Mined
<br />Land Reclamation Division. Both wells were former utility boreholes into the Somerset Mine in
<br />the Bear Creek and Hubbard Creek areas, respectively. Beginning with the 1986 Third Quarter
<br />' Hydrologic Monitoring Report for the Somerset Mine, monitoring and reporting of WMW-1 and
<br />H-2 to the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division were discontinued. The Somerset Mine
<br />
<br />t
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />1
<br />
<br />portals were sealed during May and June 1986. Kaiser Coal Corporation continued to submit
<br />discharge monitoring reports with the Colorado Department of Health, Water Quality Control
<br />Division for discharge, if any, from the many small sediment ponds located in the Elk Creek
<br />facilities area, in accordance with the requirements of Colorado Wastewater Discharge Permit
<br />System, Permit Number CO-0000132.
<br />Monitoring sites H-1, B-6, and H-10 were monitored during 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990.
<br />Beginning in 1991, with Permit Revision Number 1, monitoring sites added were: NF-1, NF-2, S-1,
<br />S-2, P-1 U-1, C-1, SC-1, SC-2, and SC-3. Beginning in 1992, with Permit Revision Number 2, the
<br />addition of the Sanborn Creek East Tract, Federal Coal Lease COC-53510, monitoring sites added
<br />were: SP-1, SP-2, SP-3, SP-4, SP-5, SP-6, SP-7, SP-8, SP-9, SP-10, SP-11, AG-1, BG-1, CG-l,
<br />HN-1, HG-1, BC-1, WSC DH12, and the mine water discharge monitoring of Outfall 011,
<br />according to the Colorado Department of Health, Colorado Wastewater Discharge Permit System,
<br />Permit Number CO-0000132 was to be submitted to the Colorado Division of Minerals and
<br />Geology, for the Annual Hydrologic Report. Beginning in 1996, with Permit Revision Number 3,
<br />[he addition of a 160-acre Lease Modification, monitoring sites added were T-l, TC-1, and TC-2.
<br />Beginning in 1997, with Technical Revision Number 29, a monitoring site downstream of the Elk
<br />Creek facilities area was added as NF-3.
<br />In 1992, as part of Technical Revision Number 9, to permit two new coal stockpile areas, the
<br />surface drainage plan for the Elk Creek facilities area was changed to eliminate the many small
<br />sediment ponds. At that time, one lazge pond, Pond B, became the major sediment control feature
<br />and discharge point for the Elk Creek facilities area. Pond A was enlarged, the East Yard Pond was
<br />15
<br />
|