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• 6.0 Mine Waster Information <br />Elk Creek Mine V~Jater <br />The water utilizedi in the mine continues to be all imported from the alluvial water supply well <br />located near the 1\iorth Fork of the Gunnison River per the OMLLC water rights and <br />Augmentation Plan. Water that is collected and routed to the underground Elk Creek mine sump <br />generally comes from a number of sources, including overspray on mining equipment and <br />beltlines for dust control, motor cooling and general leaks and spillage, etc. <br />During July, 2005 a thermal event occurred in the 1St West Panel gob. Control of the event was <br />facilitated, in part, by pumping of water into the area for cooling purposes. Subsequently, in late <br />2005, it was observed that the sealed 4 West and 5 West gate road areas were generating <br />approximately 14 gpm and 12 gpm of water respectively from behind the mine seals. The water <br />was eventually routed to the mine sump. We believed that the source of water draining from <br />these two sealed gate roads is the water pumped into the area earlier in the year, working its way <br />down gradient to these two low points in the mine. <br />During 2006, the two seals noted above plus a third seal located in 4 West and 5 West panel gob <br />flowed a combined 17.2 gpm. All flows are collected and eventually routed to the mine sump. <br />In addition, a larl;e perched, but temporary, water zone flowed in the west end of 10 West and <br />flowed into the gate road. It was also collected and pumped to the mine sump. By the end of <br />• 2006, the 10 west water flow had greatly diminished to where the entire flow is now pumped just <br />10 minutes a day to D2B2. <br />During 2007, a similar perched zone flowed temporarily in the west end of 11 West and pumped <br />to the mine suml-. By the end of 2007, the 11 West water flow had greatly diminished. The 4 <br />West and 5 West: seals still flow ~ 17.0 gpm. <br />See the D2B and. D2B2 well discussion above for information regarding the transfer of collected <br />Elk Creek mine sump water to the abandoned Somerset B/C seam workings. <br />Otherwise, the groundwater encountered in the mine is fairly minimal and randomly distributed. <br />Perched water bE;aring zones are sometimes encountered (as expected) but they seem to dewater <br />fairly quickly. <br />Outfa11011 -Sanborn Creek Mine Water Discharge <br />Outfall 011 was the OMLLC - CDPS mine water discharge point from Sanborn Creek Mine that <br />discharged into Sanborn Creek <br />The Sanborn Creek Mine water drainage system was decommissioned on May 21, 2003. Since <br />the mine comple;ted the last panel, the underground hardware was removed and the entries were <br />sealed in accordance with MSHA requirements. <br />During 2004, CDMG approved PAP TR-45 which removed Outfall 011 as a monitoring point. <br />16 <br />