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1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />t <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />William J. Carter Mazch 12, 1998 <br />Re: Response to Susan Burgmaier's comments on the 1996 Annual Hydrologic Report <br />and surface runofT from the town may carry other potential pollutants. Given this situation, it may <br />be difficult to determine whether any changes in water quality between the existing upstream and <br />new downstream station aze solely the result ofmining-related impacts or if they reflect other <br />factors." <br />Sanborn Creek Mine will continue to monitor sites NF-1, NF-2, and NF-3, however, with the many <br />factors impacting water quality in this area, the impact of any one factor may not be able to be <br />determined. Besides the Sanbom Creek Mine, there are two other mines in this area, the West Elk <br />Mine and the now-closed Bear Mine. The Union Pacific Railroad and Colorado State Highway <br />133 also run through this area. Any discharges from the Sanbom Creek Mine in this area aze <br />subject to effluent limitations set by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, <br />Colorado Wastewater Discharge Permit System, Permit No. CO-0000132. <br />Comment 8. <br />"The PHC includes a discussion that water from the Somerset Mine may seep into the North Fork <br />alluvium. OCM also discusses the remote possibility that mining may have some impact on the <br />alluvium, although this possibility is heavily discounted due to the proximity of the proposed <br />workings to the North Fork. Since there are no monitoring wells in the alluvium, DMG is <br />concerned the OCM will not have a reliable means of demonstrating that the mine has not had a <br />negative impact on the North Fork alluvium. How does OCM propose to demonstrate that there <br />has been or will be no impact on the North Fork alluvium?" <br />Response 8. <br />To determine if there is a possibility of an impact to the alluvium of the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />River from the abandoned Somerset Mine, the mine map in the azea of the subcrop of the B-Seam <br />was studied. Attached are copies of portions of the B-Seam mine map from the Utah Fuel <br />Company Somerset Mine, latest revision date of December 31, 1927. The mine elevations were <br />checked against other known elevations, and the note in the title block on the original map was <br />confirmed, mine elevations on the Utah Fuel Company map are floor elevations and aze 21.8 to 22 <br />feet higher than U.S. Steel Corporation elevations. <br />From the map, it appeazs the B-Seam elevations and the North Fork of the Gunnison River <br />' elevations aze approximately the same in the azea west of Sanbom Creek, between elevation 6010 <br />and 6020. The cross-hatched B-Seam workings on the map are from 500 to 700 feet from the <br />North Fork of the Gunnison River in this area. The map indicates a B-Seam portal east of Sanbom <br />' Creek, however the elevation in the entry is nearly 64 feet lower than the nearest surface elevation <br />at Sanbom Creek. There is no physical evidence of the B-Seam portal on the ground. In 1927, the <br />' active workings in the B-Seam were to the west in Section 5, 6, and 7. The cross-hatched B-Seam <br />workings in the area of the alluvium of the North Fork of the Gunnison River indicate the area had <br />' 19 <br />XBOW MINING INC. <br />1 <br />