2010-03-05_PERMIT FILE - C1981033A

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2.05.6(3) Protection of the Hydrologic Balance • (a)(i) The Operator has implemented a drainage and sediment control system which will -minimize changes to the surface water and to the prevailing hydrologic balance in the facilities area by detaining runoff as close to the disturbed areas as possible. Diversion structures are located as shown in Exhibit 11 and will serve to divert water from the disturbed areas into a sedimentation pond. The locations of the sediment pond to be used at the Bear No. 3 facilities is shown in Exhibit 11. Drawing Exhibit 11-1 shows the location of the sediment pond and the drainage area boundaries. The Operator currently has an NPDES (GDPS) permit from the Colorado Department of Health, Water Quality Division. This permit is presented in Exhibit 4, Permits for Mining. (a)(ii) A water rights listing and location map is presented on Table 12 and Figure 6 respectively. One water right is located near the Bear No. 3 Mine permit area in Lone Pine Gulch. It is noted as the Jumbo Spring No. 3 Pond. This water right correlates with Spring G-26A. The Operator has two separate design features in place to protect this water right. The first is that the mine is designed so the lateral extent of subsidence will not extend under the spring. The second is that recovery from the mine workings nearest the spring . will be limited to 50%. The B-Seam Mine Plan Map (Map 9A) and the Subsidence Prediction, Sections Map (Map 15) presents these design details. A second water right is located in the NENWNW of Section 21. It is noted as the Tony Bear Chipeta Spring. This water right is outside of the projected angle of draw for the B- Seam. This water right has previously been undermined by the C-Seam. ARCO's F-Seam workings are quite close to the spring. Since this spring is outside of the projected angle of draw of the B-Seam, no special design features were incorporated into the mine plan to protect the spring. (a)(iii) The mining operation could affect spring flows by interception of the ground water. However, the Bear No. 3 mine does not intercept significant amounts of ground water. There are no continuous aquifers that exhibit any lateral or vertical continuity above the coal seams to be mined. Therefore, it is very unlikely that the mining operation will impact spring flow by interception of ground water. The mining operation could affect the quality of water in the alluvium in the surface facilities area. Precipitation could potentially transport contaminants from materials stored on the surface to the water in the alluvium. I • 2.05-55 Rev. 1/03 ~R-as f-~PRovED 1~~14~03