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r <br />i <br />• <br />r <br />i <br />lands managed b;y the U.S. Forest Service. The depth to water at the northeast corner of the <br />permit area is in excess of 2,000 feet. <br />5.5 Ungradient Levels of Contamination <br />The Bowie underground mine is located at the highly burned and impermeable coal outcrop <br />where water migration down gradient to the mine face is minimal. For all practicable purposes, <br />the Bowie Mine is dry. The majority of water within the mine infiltrates from the roof of the <br />mine. The source of water is either from locally and isolated perched aquifers or from faults or <br />joints above the active operation. The water quality characteristics from these sources are <br />generally characterized by samples obtained from ground water wells, completed to depths less <br />than 100 feet. <br />5.6 Point of Use <br />Ground water is riot treated in the mine where the use is limited to controlling fugitive dust: <br />6.0 Classified Uses Established by the Commission for Ground Water and Surface Water <br />Which Would be Impacted by Contamination from the Activity <br />6.1 Groundwater Acduifer Classification <br />DRMS and the Commission have not classified the ground water in the aquifers associated with <br />the Bowie Mine. According to DRMS guidelines, the aquifers should be classified "Limited Use <br />and Quality" because: <br />• The aquifers associated with the mine probably will not be used to support future <br />domestic or agricultural uses <br />• Water quality is considered poor <br />• Tapping deep (> 100 feet), low-yielding aquifers is economically unreasonable <br />• Future ground water use will be managed by the BLM and USFS <br />Ground water at tlhe Mine should be classified as "Limited Use and Quality" because of the <br />unique geologic, hydrologic and land use setting of the Mine. Per Regulation 41.4(B)(5)(c), the <br />ground water classification of "Limited Use and Quality" is appropriate when the criteria <br />specified for the classifications of Domestic Use, Agricultural Use, Surface Water Quality <br />Protection, and Potentially Useable Quality are not met. <br />The criteria for a classification of "Domestic Use and Quality" require that the ground water is <br />currently used for domestic use or that the available information, including information on <br />background levels,, demonstrates that future domestic use of water within the specified area is <br />reasonably probat~le. The mine is located where BLM and USFS future surface land use will be <br />6 <br />