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facies, and the lower sandstone) identify three different stratigraphic zones which lack the <br />characteristics of an aquifer. The strata are too tight with little yield as demonstrated by <br />pumping tests. <br />The "upper sandstone facies" holes are designated by a name ending in "U". <br />There are three upper facies holes with water (22-31J, 29-41J and 33-81J). 22-31J is a <br />newer hole constructed in the fourth quarter of 2005 for baseline and monitoring purposes <br />of future mining activities. Water levels in this well showed a rise over the past year but <br />may still be stabilizing from the initial drilling. While not yet required by the existing permit, <br />data for this well is shown in Appendix C. <br />29-4U has an obstruction in the casing (dead rodent) blocking the DTW probe from <br />reaching the water level in 2007. We were able to get a measurement in 2008 showing a <br />7.9 foot decrease in the static water level over the two year period. The decrease marks <br />a continuation of the downward trend which started in 1997, well before longwall mining <br />began in the B-seam. <br />The water level in 33-81.1 continued to decline with a drop of 8.0 feet from the prior year. <br />This drop is potentially due in part to the close proximity of longwall mining. Longwall <br />panel LWB-6 was mined out in early April 2005 and was located as close as 1400' from <br />this hole. <br />The middle "siltstone-coal facies" monitoring holes are designated by an "M" following the <br />hole number. These monitor holes are open through the interval containing the D Seam <br />and B Seam. <br />Monitoring hole 22-3M was drilled in November 2006 to be used as the future 'point of <br />compliance'. Depth to water data is included in Appendix D and quarterly qualitative data <br />presented in Appendix C. <br />Monitor hole TW2-17M was surrounded by mining first in November 1985 but was not <br />intercepted in the workings. It is apparently located in a pillar completely surrounded by <br />open workings. At that time it showed virtually no response to development mining. In <br />February 1988 longwall panel 1 was mined to within about 900 feet of this hole. <br />Obviously, longwall mining disrupts the mined zone more than development mining, and <br />the water level in TW2-17M did show a response to mining at that time. The water level <br />has steadily decreased since 1988 with a decrease of 7.2 feet since the last monitoring <br />period. <br />6